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Phones for more comfortable music work. Suggestions?

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thefsb

thefsb

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HD58X and call it a day.

At under $200 retail, you won't find much better with things like comfort that you're also wanting.
I read DIY-Audio-Heaven review and I agree.
 
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thefsb

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The AT R70 is about as light and comfortable over ear (its probably more an/on over hybrid depending on lug size) as I have found. Can wear all day in this heat doing work. Great sounding and cool as you'll get.

Smidge over your budget but ticks all the other boxes. Second hand?
Looks very appealing but yes, a bit spensive.

They have sold for as little as $225 on ebay. Reverb's price guide curve is quite surprising: $125 late last year but $260 now.
https://reverb.com/p/audio-technica...-ear-reference-monitor-headphones#price-guide
 

Jimbob54

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thefsb

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Another option would be an 'on-ear' headphone. The 1MORE Triple Driver is marketed as an over-ear, but every review i've read says the ear cups are small and it's actually on-ear.

https://usa.1more.com/products/tripleoverear

Solderdude's review and measurements are here: https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/1more-triple-driver-over-ear/

You'll want to EQ it.
Very appealing but adding EQ is complicated and costly in my application, which is monitoring the inputs on the MOTU M4.
 
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Im UK but got for £250 new from audiophonics in France.
There are very few over-ear designs marketed as suitable for pro audio applications. I guess it's easier to engineer for predictable performance when the topography of the ear is removed from the problem by fully enclosing it.
 

lashto

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The phones I'm currently using, cheap closed backs (ATH-M20x) are too hot and sweaty. And I don't need or want closed-back, I think I'd prefer to have some environmental sound for long sessions of practice, composition editing and tone-mongering.

- cool-running
- hours-long comfort
- non-fatiguing sound
- under $200, preferably well under

I'm driving it from a MOTU M4 which has a pretty good, powerful amp.

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro is the most popular under $200 open-back model on Sweetwater, fwiw.

I can't recommend Philips Fidelio L2 high enough.
They easily satisfy all your wishes: semi-closed, cool & comfy, sound ~like Senn 650, very enjoyable and absolutely no trace of "fatiguing".
And the best for last: they cost ~$100. I think that can is a seriously underappreciated gem.
They are so good, even the proverbial wife likes them :)

And btw, for my office I need closed back and currently thinking about Meze 99 Classics. Really happy with the sound and in terms of comfort those might just be the best cans I ever had on my head. They just 'slip' into place in one second and there is absolutely nothing to tweak.
But that headband looks a bit funny and the gold color is a bit much for the office. What do others use/recommend?
 
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Jimbob54

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I can't recommend Philips Fidelio L2 high enough.
They easily satisfy all your wishes: semi-closed, cool & comfy, sound ~like Senn 650, very enjoyable and absolutely no trace of "fatiguing".
And the best for last: they cost ~$100. I think that can is a seriously underappreciated gem.
They are so good, even the proverbial wife likes them :)

And btw, for my own office I need closed back and currently thinking about Meze 99 Classics. Really happy with the sound and in terms of comfort those might just be the best cans I ever had on my head. They just 'slip' into place in one second and there is absolutely nothing to tweak.
But that headband looks a bit funny and the gold color is a bit much for the office. What do others use/recommend?

I have the Drop only Meze Noir. My understanding is they are identical to the classics in all but colour.

I just cant get on with them. Something about both the fit and the sound that does nothing for me. Just too small to be over ear (on me) and I cant escape the feeling they are consumer 'phones masquerading as head-fi. Whatever that means.
 

lashto

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I have the Drop only Meze Noir. My understanding is they are identical to the classics in all but colour.

I just cant get on with them. Something about both the fit and the sound that does nothing for me. Just too small to be over ear (on me) and I cant escape the feeling they are consumer 'phones masquerading as head-fi. Whatever that means.

oh yeah I forgot to mention that the cups are indeed a bit small and my ears were touching the drivers slightly. But they have optional, bigger earpads. Otherwise, I guess it's a head-shape thing, for me the comfort was simply amazing. The sound I find more than ok for office background music but yes, their audiophile masquerade is a bit much for my taste too.

Thanks for the drop suggestion, didn't know about that "noir" version. Might be quite expensive from EU and still bothered about that funny large headband. Might give it a try though, thanks for the tip.
 

Jimbob54

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oh yeah I forgot to mention that the cups are indeed a bit small and my ears were touching the drivers slightly. But they have optional, bigger earpads. Otherwise, I guess it's a head-shape thing, for me the comfort was simply amazing. The sound I find more than ok for office background music but yes, their audiophile masquerade is a bit much for my taste too.

Thanks for the drop suggestion, didn't know about that "noir" version. Might be quite expensive from EU and still bothered about that funny large headband. Might give it a try though, thanks for the tip.

Sorry, I hadn't understood you'd tried but not owned. Im UK, but IIRC the Noir , with exchange rate but customs/ VAT were still a fair bit less than the classics. I might be convinced to sell if you were minded to discuss.
 

lashto

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Sorry, I hadn't understood you'd tried but not owned. Im UK, but IIRC the Noir , with exchange rate but customs/ VAT were still a fair bit less than the classics. I might be convinced to sell if you were minded to discuss.
Hmmm :)
I tried a friend's pair, he has the original 99 gold classics. Now I see that this bunch seems to think that the Noir are a bit different. Adding the headband 'issue' I'm not that convinced. I still want to try the Noir but only with an Amazon-like return guarantee.
Thanks for the offer though and who knows I might change my mind.
 

Jimbob54

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Hmmm :)
I tried a friend's pair, he has the original 99 gold classics. Now I see that this bunch seems to think that the Noir are a bit different. Adding the headband 'issue' I'm not that convinced. I still want to try the Noir but only with an Amazon-like return guarantee.
Thanks for the offer though and who knows I might change my mind.

No probs- they arent going anywhere and unlikely to suffer wear and tear if you get the itch. Looks like (from my read) they changed the tuning on the 99 Classic, more than the Noir not being a Classic in disguise. The question becomes which Classic are they! Either way, not my cup of tea.

Regarding closed, have you discounted the DT770? Surely the best value proposition although the AKG 371 gets a lot of love around here too.
 

lashto

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No probs- they arent going anywhere and unlikely to suffer wear and tear if you get the itch. Looks like (from my read) they changed the tuning on the 99 Classic, more than the Noir not being a Classic in disguise. The question becomes which Classic are they! Either way, not my cup of tea.

Regarding closed, have you discounted the DT770? Surely the best value proposition although the AKG 371 gets a lot of love around here too.

Like you, I can say I have/had way too many HPs :)
But somehow I still have no office can now. Was using Senn Momentum NC but they have a similar small-earpads issue. Kept them cause I was travelling a lot but nowadays no need.

Might re-start using the Fidelios. Really happy with them and at the usual levels the semi-open build is not a problem in the office. But sometimes I want to listen louder and that's impossible without annoying colleagues.

Can't listen to anything Beyer or Senn hd800. I have a serious sensitivity issue in the 6-8khz area and those things put very real needles into my ears after just a few minutes. Also never been impressed with any AKG for some reason.


If you don't mind reading about my first world problems, please keep the suggestions coming :)
 

Jimbob54

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Like you, I can say I have/had way too many HPs :)
But somehow I still have no office can now. Was using Senn Momentum NC but they have a similar small-earpads issue. Kept them cause I was travelling a lot but nowadays no need.

Might re-start using the Fidelios. Really happy with them and at the usual levels the semi-open build is not a problem in the office. But sometimes I want to listen louder and that's impossible without annoying colleagues.

Can't listen to anything Beyer or Senn hd800. I have a serious sensitivity issue in the 6-8khz area and those things put very real needles into my ears after just a few minutes. Also never been impressed with any AKG for some reason.


If you don't mind reading about my first world problems, please keep the suggestions coming :)

Put the Sony MH 1000 XX in the same category as the Meze by the way- same too small fit. The noise canceling in my X2 started amplifying a niggle in one cup too with every footstep- so thats another no from me. After that its all expensive and heavy stuff for me for closed backs I'm afraid. If you could EQ in your office, the Beyer/ Senn treble is easily fixed by the way.
 

jhaider

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It's a shame that all the best headphones sacrifice ergonomics by catering to audiophoolery and go with dual entry.

NAD models sound good, aren’t stupidly priced, and the wired HP50 has the best cable entry: dual single sided, so you can plug in the cable to either earpiece.

In the before times I’ve comfortably worn the noise cancelling BT model on long flights (ATL to Doha, for example) but they are closed so not the best for the OP.
 

lashto

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Put the Sony MH 1000 XX in the same category as the Meze by the way- same too small fit. The noise canceling in my X2 started amplifying a niggle in one cup too with every footstep- so thats another no from me. After that its all expensive and heavy stuff for me for closed backs I'm afraid. If you could EQ in your office, the Beyer/ Senn treble is easily fixed by the way.

I was planing to test the Sony 1000x NCs, thanks for taking them off my list :).
Also tried Bose NCs but I find their NC too aggressive (headache). And they sound seriously meh with NC disabled.

Good suggestion with the EQ, I actually use AutoEq. Might try that way.

For now I still want to search a bit more for that "perfect" office can. Did you try the Mr.Speakers Aeon? A bit out-there budget wise but if they are really no-compromise good...
 

Jimbob54

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I was planing to test the Sony 1000x NCs, thanks for taking them off my list :).
Also tried Bose NCs but I find their NC too aggressive (headache). And they sound seriously meh with NC disabled.

Good suggestion with the EQ, I actually use AutoEq. Might try that way.

For now I still want to search a bit more for that "perfect" office can. Did you try the Mr.Speakers Aeon? A bit out-there budget wise but if they are really no-compromise good...

No, have the Ether CX - obviously way out of range. Great cans, seriously terrible cable (scratchy microphonics with every garment). Sadly, replacement cable with the funny connectors would not be cheap.
 
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