While I agree with you, this is now fixed. Audeze has been shipping a shorter leather strap that does not touch the headband anymore. And users with old models can order the new suspension headband, or if they already have the headband with long strap, they just need to order the short strap (or cut it out DIY) by contacting customer service.
Here was my XC before I sold it with the short strap. The best comfort I ever had with it, and it is a heavy headphone.
There's only one problem. I've actually modified my headband strap by moving the screw alignment 1 deviation lower. Essentially achieving the same result.
The actual issue then became, is it threw off the center of gravity substantially. LCD headphones in general have people complaining about their weight. To me personally, the weight doesn't bother my neck like some unfortunate people. The weight problem is a problem in virtue of stability on the head. You're forced to not tilt your head much at all in any direction, otherwise you risk the position of the headphone cups moving in said direction.
When you use a shorter strap this effect amplifies considerably.
Their solution simply substitutes a problem that should have never EVER occured if anyone used the headphones for more than a month of user-testing, to a problem that now cannot be fixed at all. The only way to fix it, is if they replace the metal headband supports that lessen in height as much as the strap lowers. But the issue with that, you're most likely going to be back with the old issue because the new replacement headband isn't actually a new material that also won't stretch. It's simply a shorter headband that will also stretch, but not enough to have the metal dig into your head.
The fact that they offer a carbon fiber edition like yours makes things even worse. All there models should be provided with such an option, as any weight shaved is beneficial for normal people.
They need to go back to the drawing board completely. And like most headphone companies (or audiophile companies I should say in general) take a note from the pages of a company dealing in millions of units perhaps like Sennheiser, or heck even Apple now with their mesh headband. I don't like praising someone like Apple for a segment of industry they never touched in the past, yet have more sense than nearly half of these audiophile companies.
EVEN IF Audeze dared risk changing their iconic looking headphones to something that made more sense. They could at least start with basics like getting rid of leather idiocy (I know it's artificial leather, but that wasn't a point in the complaint). Reason simply being, no one wants sweat build-up with leather constantly touching your head, no matter how many holes you put in it.
Perhaps if I started with a setup of your kind I wouldn't be as sour as I sound now. But the idiotic design that was allowed by them to be sold to the public left an extremely strong distaste for them. Otherwise, sonically - ESPECIALLY with EQ, their headphones sound perfect to me.
EDIT: Btw, love the wood grain example on yours, straight fire.
)
