I’m a video editor and wanted to take my audio setup to another level, so I got my ATH-M50x (excellent sound, lousy comfort). I tried some Bose Quietcomfort 45s, looking for a balance between good sound and comfort (didn’t work). I had headaches with both headphones because of the pressure of the headband, and although I tried to stretch it in both cases, I didn’t manage to finish a full work day using either one. I usually wear headphones for more than 12 hours a day, so I just had to go back to my old Sony Mdr-zx110, they didn’t have the best sound, but at least I didn’t end up with sore ears and a sore head.
Which headphones would you have chosen? I would like to hear opinions from knowledgeable people on the subject, since I am a novice in everything related to sound.
Different people have different comfort issues with headphones.
Some people dislike high clamp force but don’t mind some weight from the headband. Others have no problem with high clamp force but are sensitive to headband pressure.
I personally can’t wear headphones with a lot of pressure from the headband for more than a few minutes without getting a headache. I had this problem with the Focal Clear. The HD 800 S, with a different headband, were only (barely) bearable for a few hours.
Headphones with high clamp force that I own(ed) include the Sennheiser HD 650 and HIFIMAN Arya. They are super comfortable on my head due to their high clamp force. On the other hand, I’ve seen people here complain about the HD 600 series’ clamp force.