[audioandy]

I'd expect these to be pretty universal, but maybe there's some differences? Let's leave out in-ear headphones for now, which are custom mold or bust.

• Must be circumaural for comfort. (I own two on-ear Grados and they're unwearable for long periods (the Grado rattle doesn't help). And none of this on-ear-over-ear Momentum crap)
• Must have full swivel cups (unlike Beyerdynamic, where some model's cups lift off your face at the bottom)
• Must have a single sided cable
• Cable must be 1/8 TRS (it's not 1970, folks)
• Must have a detachable cable on the cup
• No garbage proprietary cables (like Custom One Pros / HD 598s)
• Must have a stock cloth cable (soooo much nicer)
• Stock earpads aren't foam/plastic (Grado sells 3 cent packing foam ear pads for how much?!)

Plusses:

• Planar magnetic
• Angled stock cable for lower risks of snapping off a jack in the headphone / audio source
• Not screw-you marked up on initial launch (like AKG selling mostly plastic, brittle, $30 headphones for $400+)

Things that don't matter (not required for the headphone to be great)

• Open or closed (Audeze, MrSpeakers closed back soundstage is drooool)
• Impedence
• Gimbal vs non gimbal suspension
• Weight

 

[VenturaRoyal]

1. Must have a headband with proper weight distribution. I hate nothing more than having a hot spot on my head.
2. Deep ear cups is a plus
3. That "sweet spot" of a clamp. Kind of like how an HD600 feels after a few weeks when its broken in and fits more like a warm slipper than a vice block.\
4. Removable Cable is a must and cable length that isn't 40 feet long.

 

[audioandy]

What a terrible thread

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Are you disappointed your thread didn't spark a vibrant conversation re the basic physical requirements of a headphone?