Most comfortable closed-back headphones

CyberGene · 2024-10-14T11:49:25+00:00

I've been having recurring issues with my left ear being clogged with earwax plugs (yeah, gross, apologies 😀 But it seems like regular cleaning isn't helping and I have to go to the doctor to clean that ear at least once a yeat). The doctor told me it's hard to say what's causing it exactly but I should definitely stop using in-ear headphones and indeed, I've been using in-ears a lot, especially in the recent years when constant Zoom calls at work are the "new normal". So, I got my trusty old Sennheiser HD-595-s at the office, they are the most comfortable headphones I have, but it wasn't a minute after I started listening to some Bruckner and the colleagues asked me if I was preparing for war 🤣 They are like loudspeakers. The headphones. And the colleagues 😀 I'm in search for closed-back headphones that are as comfortable as possible: wide and soft, preferably breathable cushions, rather lightweight, low clamp force, soft headband, etc. Should have mic for conf calls. But also should have decent audio quality for music. While in the market for headphones, I am wondering if I should maybe look for latest technologies such as e.g. noise-canceling with transparent mode, wireless but also working in wired mode for low-latency monitoring, etc. For the moment I'm considering Focal Bathys and Apple Airpods Max (some people say the Airpods Max are very comfortable but others are disliking them for being uncomfortable, so apparently it's personal). Any advice?

Pete14

QuasiUnaFantasia

+1 (or should I say +45?) 😉

One piece of advice from an old fart, do as much as you can for the next 5 years, because you will be surprised how your testosterone levels, overall energy, and food tolerance will take a hit once you get to the the big fifty!

But I don’t want to be a Debby-Downer on your special day, so here’s an uplifting video:

https://youtu.be/_xaAM23ShVw?si=L0eleIn1ovkLbom1

CyberGene

pianow so what have you bought anyway? 🙂

I probably wasn’t clear enough, I had already purchased a pair of AirPods Max when I posted it. Which is why I meant “don’t bother answering my question, I bought them anyway” 😃

pianow

CyberGene
oh congratulations 🤍 I've heard how fantastic they sound so I'm glad yoy got them

CyberGene

pianow first impressions are positive. I’m especially impressed with the transparent mode which makes them feel like open (I hear external sounds and even my voice naturally) without feeling pressure, yet they don’t leak sound. Also, they are quite comfortable (although still slightly heavy) but I need more time with them. And they sound great. Very happy so far.

pianow

CyberGene
well let me make things clear cg
i paid 500$ for a pair of monitors (adam t7v) and you paid a bit more for a pair of headphones yet you wonder why they sound so good huh?😄
I'm jealous

QuasiUnaFantasia

HZPiano The 560S were a revelation: great detailed and balanced sound without the closed-in feel. That was a first for me, so those I happily kept.

Are those hard to drive? They're 120 Ohm, which is very high compared to the ones I last bought (in a century not too distant from the current one).

Johnstaf

I need to use headphones a lot. I never use in-ear pods. I only use open-back headphones (HD650 or Grados). I get tinnitus after using headphones, and I think it has something to do with them pressing on my ears. I can't tolerate loud noise, so I have my headphones turned down very low.

My left ear often feels clogged, but my doctor says there is no wax buildup, but when I use drops to dissolve earwax it clears up. Maybe it's coincidence. I sleep on my right-hand side, so maybe that could have something to do with it.

David B

Johnstaf I get tinnitus after using headphones, and I think it has something to do with them pressing on my ears.

I have tinnitus all the time. A high pitched frequency in the 7-8 kHz range. I think tinnitus kind of acts like a gain when we start to lose the higher frequencies at lower decibels, the brain turns it up permanently. That's just my theory. Thankfully, my tinnitus doesn't really cause me any distress. I only notice it when I think about it.

God Bless,
David

HZPiano

QuasiUnaFantasia (in a century not too distant from the current one).

😄

This spring I tested the DT770-Pro 80 Ohms followed by the HD560S. Both were plugged directly into my PreSonus Studio audio interface.

So with the 770s I noticed I had to crank up the headphone output quite high to get proper volume (with the VST digital signal at 0dB). That had me worried about the 560S for, indeed, their ~120 Ohms impedance.

But lo and behold: when I hooked up the 560S, to my surprise I had to lower the headphone dial on the audio interface a bit instead of going further up as I feared (there wasn't much leeway left).

So what I (think I) learned is a difference in efficiency: higher impedance but more efficient == good or even better volume anyway. I'm not an expert but this is what I assume was happening.

When connected to my phone (which I seldomly do but for instance with the recent Modern D videos on YouTube), I have to almost max out the volume to get reasonable listening. But then, these are not phone- or consumer gadget headphones.

Hope this gives an idea,

Cheers,

_sem_

QuasiUnaFantasia

No, the 560S have high sensitivity and are not hard to drive despite 120 Ohm impedance.

Them may feel unconfortable to some though (depending on one's head dimensions - all-plastic construction).

CyberGene

After wearing the AirPods Max for the entire morning and listening to music:

They are comfortable and heavy at the same time. Comfortable since I don't feel any pain anywhere, they don't touch my ears since they have big and deep pads, the headband is soft. But at the same time they are quite heavy and I can feel them when turning my head. This is an interesting phenomenon, I don't think I care about the weight since I care only about not having pain, so mission accomplished. But I'm wondering if they could've kept the same comfortable design and replaced the solid metal construction with plastic to eliminate weight too.
Sound is top-notch, I can't ask for more, classical music sounds balanced and natural and that's how I know that they are excellent because many headphones are made to sound good for popular music by exaggerating the bass, etc. but any piano or orchestra will sound like crap. Not here. Kudos to Apple!
The transparent mode is great, it uses the microphones to bring external noises inside and blend them with the music. This can be useful to remove the unnatural feeling of them being closed.
The noise canceling is very good, maybe the best I've ever tried.
Mic quality is so-so, people say they hear me well on conf calls but it has been better with my other headsets. I don't care about that much, I only needed comfort and mics. The quality of my voice for conf calls is secondary
They switch between my Apple devices so seamlessly! They are worth it even for that alone. For instance, I've been on the move and in a Zoom call on my iPhone, then I sat at my desk where my Mac is, switched the conf call to the Mac (which is a Zoom function) and the audio was also automatically switched from the iPhone to the Mac. That's very impressive!
They automatically pause music when I take them off my head, nice!
The turning knob/crown for volume adjustment is great.
They support low-latency audio when connected with the included USB-C cable (only when connected to Apple devices though)

In summary, I'm very happy with them.

David Lai

CyberGene I'm happy they finally made the late upgrade to USB-C! But their weight is too much on my head. But glad their features please you well. 🙂 I wonder if they would now support audio drivers? If so, then they give the Sennheiser Momentum 4 a run for their money when it comes to home use.

Edit: the Sennheiser Momentum 4 doesn't have an audio driver, so it can only play music when connected to USB.

pianow

HZPiano
you're not wrong but the interface itself should have enough power and a decent impedance to be able to drive certain headphones and speakers
i can only recommend two audio interfaces (bellow 200$) with the beyer headphones
audient id4
and the universal audio volt 1 (which i have and it's fantastic)

MHirsch

CyberGene heavy

HZPiano

pianow

My PreSonus is absolutely lovely too!

🙂

QuasiUnaFantasia

I just succumbed to Amazon in Germany lowering their price for the Sennheiser HD 560S to the apparently lowest ever price (122 EUR), and bought them. My justification is that my old HD 570 Symphony headphones have long since lost their foam padding, and the 560S have superior specifications.

By the way, I guess this is off-topic, since the 560S are open, not closed-back.

HZPiano

QuasiUnaFantasia 560S

I'm using them more and more with my piano (a.k.a. Modern U) now and am quite happy with them.

I bought them this spring (see what I did there? 😅) for €143,- from a specialized audiophile headphones store, neat and careful shipping included.

Cheers and enjoy!

CyberGene

CyberGene They support low-latency audio when connected with the included USB-C cable but I haven't tested it yet.

I need to correct myself on this. Unfortunately, the USB-C cable connection is only for charging, it doesn’t transfer USB-audio, they are only wireless headphones, and thus the AirPods Max don’t support low-latency audio 😕

With the latest firmware released for AirPods Max with USB-C (not the lightning version) they now support low-latency audio and lossless playback through the USB-C cable connection with Apple devices.

David Lai

CyberGene OK then, I'm not considering these AirPods anymore, haha. Thanks!

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