Comfortable over ear headphones <5k

N

n1r0

Level G
Hi. I'm looking for the most comfortable over-ear headphones. I'm not an audiophile, I will prioritize comfort over everything else. I don't like my ears getting squished, so looking for something with big earcups I suppose. So far, the biggest cups I found were on the EKSA 900 Pro @ 60mm H x 40mm W

Preferences:
+ Big earcups for comfort over a 2-4 hour period
+ 3.5mm Wired operation
- BT/ANC good to have, but not a deal breaker
- Not bass heavy
- Mic not necessary

Please do share suggestions or inputs, thanks!
 
You can check Cooler Master MH650 or MH630 I picked up one last year from Prime ABGB for 4k.

I use them for work (team/Webex calls) every day for about 3-4 hours and gaming on weekends. Show no signs of getting squished or leaving marks. Only on a hot summer day, would sweat.

Noise cancellation on teams calls is surprisingly good.
Can't comment on bass, its far less than Sony for sure.
Does not have a 3.5mm pin, but a USB one.
Mic can be detached.
Has a volume knob and buttons for mute, RBG lights, etc.
 
Just curious, any particular reason why you want over ear headphones rather than an IEM? Good quality ones from Blon or KZ will cost under 2k. With proper tips you can wear blons pretty much the whole day (At least I used to), plus with the metallic build the iem feels like it isn't even there. I'm currently using KZ ZSN Pro, they're a bit bulky so can't use them more than 2 hours.
 
kvn95ss said:
Just curious, any particular reason why you want over ear headphones rather than an IEM? Good quality ones from Blon or KZ will cost under 2k. With proper tips you can wear blons pretty much the whole day (At least I used to), plus with the metallic build the iem feels like it isn't even there. I'm currently using KZ ZSN Pro, they're a bit bulky so can't use them more than 2 hours.
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I find most of them uncomfortable, I got sensitive ears or something, I don't know. Even non in-ear ones I had to try a lot until I found something comfortable for more than a few minutes. I had a huge stash of these but used them all up over the years.

Apart from that, I found Bose SoundTrue, which were comfortable due to their non traditional shape + ear hook. They stay in place without the tip being squeezed into the ear canal.
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However they are good for about an hour, but being bass heavy tires me out.

Then I looked for similar design and found Boat Bassheads 242.
1683539414449.jpeg

It's ... okay, I use it mostly for calls because of the mic. Again it's bass heavy, so can't use for long.

I have a Sena in my helmet, which doesn't mess with my ears, so figured something like that would work for daily use.

Tried an On-Ear headphone recently, figured if the cups were big enough, they would be good. ANC was a nice bonus too. Haven't looked into IEMs, but those look too bulky to be hanging off the ear canal.
 
Have you tried the coveted VE Monks? They have design similar to the Philips that you would stash. Also, you could try EarPods (The wired ones) as they also don't enter the ear canal much, hence end up not having too much bass.

I don't get fatigue with bass, but rather with highs and sibilant notes, so I might not fully relate to your feeling.

Foam ear tips are ruled out for you then. While they provide great seal, they usually have to be inserted appropriately.
 
kvn95ss said:
Have you tried the coveted VE Monks? They have design similar to the Philips that you would stash
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Good call. I was excited when I first saw it, but the Monk is perfectly circular, which won't sit well in my ear. Have a pair of Sennheiser that I never use for the same reason. The Philips had a slight elongation on one side to prevent it from falling out:

screenshot_20230508173420.png

kvn95ss said:
Also, you could try EarPods (The wired ones) as they also don't enter the ear canal much, hence end up not having too much bass.
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Apple ones? Yup tried, won't stay in place, keeps falling out

kvn95ss said:
I don't get fatigue with bass, but rather with highs and sibilant notes, so I might not fully relate to your feeling.
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Yeah it's a personal preference I guess.

kvn95ss said:
Foam ear tips are ruled out for you then. While they provide great seal, they usually have to be inserted appropriately.
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If they are like 3M noise ear plugs, it might work - I use them regularly to sleep in noisy environments and while riding to cut out wind noise. They're quite soft and comfortable.


Edit: Apparently the AKG K92 has 70mm x 70mm cups. Anyone here used them?

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Samson SR850 with Brainwavz earpads, amazing sound and insanely comfortable too. Those were my first "decent" headphones and they are really good after EQ-ing them. The most comfortable ones are the ones I currently own, The Beyerdynamics DT990 Pro but they go for around 8-10k. So my recommendation is get the SR850 and replace the earpads with Brainwavz Microsuede or Velour earpads for both Comfort and Decent sound.
 
Comfort is pretty personal and its tough to generalize. For eg. I find the Hifiman headsets to be comfy. In general, you would want to look at headsets oriented towards long usage sessions - gaming, office. If possible try before you buy.
PS : Don't just go by cup size. Look at reviews as well. Sometimes the inner driver protrudes enough to press against your ear irrespective of the cup size.
 
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Rednekol said:
Samson SR850 with Brainwavz earpads, amazing sound and insanely comfortable too. Those were my first "decent" headphones and they are really good after EQ-ing them. The most comfortable ones are the ones I currently own, The Beyerdynamics DT990 Pro but they go for around 8-10k. So my recommendation is get the SR850 and replace the earpads with Brainwavz Microsuede or Velour earpads for both Comfort and Decent sound.
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I second this! The brainwavz pads actually help for gaming, there's a filter mid which takes the highest, but you'll need a box to put discrete components in or use smd components.
 
n1r0 said:
Edit: Apparently the AKG K92 has 70mm x 70mm cups. Anyone here used them?
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Have used them in the past and they are supremely comfortable apart from the clamping force which is fixed after a few days of wearing them. Nice sound profile too, although the cable is a bit too long for everyday use (shouldn't be an issue for desktop usage tho)
 
n1r0 said:
I decided to go by cup size since I know a smaller cup will be uncomfortable, and went with the biggest cup size available, which was the AKG K92. Gotta say I made the right choice and happy with my decision
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I recently bought them too, been about three weeks. I like them so far. It's basic, no frills headphones. No extra cables, no turning and folding, etc. I like the sound as well for the price. They're comfortable. For 3.2k, they are pretty good and given they have close to no moving parts, they should last long as well.

For me, the cable length works well since I use it for gaming and my gaming PC and sofa are on opposite sides of the room.
 
gourav said:
I recently bought them too, been about three weeks. I like them so far. It's basic, no frills headphones. No extra cables, no turning and folding, etc. I like the sound as well for the price. They're comfortable. For 3.2k, they are pretty good and given they have close to no moving parts, they should last long as well.

For me, the cable length works well since I use it for gaming and my gaming PC and sofa are on opposite sides of the room.
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Will look into buying the akgs too. Tired of using IEMs for the "BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK". My ears get really waxy even regardless of how often I clean them and I'm bored of Inears at this point. Not at a point in my life where I can start investing 10k+ in Sennheisers or an amp and dac setup.
 
Rezep said:
Will look into buying the akgs too. Tired of using IEMs for the "BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK". My ears get really waxy even regardless of how often I clean them and I'm bored of Inears at this point. Not at a point in my life where I can start investing 10k+ in Sennheisers or an amp and dac setup.
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Depending on your requirements, you can also check Samson SR850 and ATH M20X. Samson is same price as AKG, M20X is higher.
 
Just an update regarding the AKG 92 after a little use: these are the first Over-ear headphones I tried and I loved it as the ear-cups are HUGE and comfy. I tried a Bose 660 (?) On-ear and my ears started to sweat in minutes. The AKG takes a while to get warm. (I'm experimenting with a tip I read here about using masks as a breathable layer to wick sweat away). Only negative was the Amazon purchase experience itself.

Music: I can hear instruments I never could before. EQ needs a bit of tuning to get all ranges audible clearly. Not bass heavy like most main stream devices, which I like. (Though you can pump it up via the EQ if required)

Gaming: It's like I can see with my ears now in CS GO lol. Foot steps are easily audible and I turn and pre-aim, ready to shoot at the enemy


While headphones in general are comfortable for use when you're sitting, they aren't that great when you're lying down and relaxing with music or an audiobook. So I decided to try this suggestion:
kvn95ss said:
Have you tried the coveted VE Monks?
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...received it just this morning and oh man am I blown away! This has to be the best earbuds at that or even 2-3x the price! As expected, they don't really fit my ear shape well and tend to fall out even with the foam covers in place. But the sound quality is insane. Once again it's not bass heavy, but with EQ, it feels like you have a tiny sub next to your ear. Overall with EQ the VE Monk feels like a smaller version of the AKG 92 lol.

In other news, I found 2 of my stashed Philips earphones, so super happy :D :D
 
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