Comfortable headphones for large ears?

December 10, 2015 4:14 PM

I've been using my headphones more lately (an old pair of AKG K-44), and the cups are not quite large enough for my ears. I'd like to buy a nice pair that's comfortable for larger ears and won't pinch/press. These are used for listening to music and playing games on my laptop, but I'm not much of an audiophile so I don't need these to be absolutely "YOU CAN HEAR THE UNIVERSE"-level quality (although I'm curious as to what that might be). Any recommendations for brands or particular models I should try?
posted by curious nu to Shopping (12 answers total)

My Audio-Technica ATH-M50's aren't the cheapest, but have reasonably large-diameter pads (stock pad, which I have and which seem fine, is on the left in that pic). They're some of the more comfortable headphones I've ever worn. However, I'm given to understand that they leak a little bit of sound into quieter surrounding environments, in case that's an issue.

If sound-leakage isn't an issue, I also have an older pair of Grado SR-100's that are more on-ear than over-ear and even more open to the environment, but which sound good and are very comfortable to wear for long periods. You may be able find a used, similarly-designed Grado model on eBay for a reasonable price.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:37 PM on December 10, 2015

I have a set of GameCom 780 USB headphones that fit my large head and ears comfortably.
posted by nalyd at 4:41 PM on December 10, 2015

i just got a set of sony mdrv6 on the recommendation of a friend, and i love them on my ears (the sound is good too). my previous pair were some skullcandy hesh, and i liked them, but i have four piercings in each ear, and was in pain at the end of the day because of where the pads sat. one of the nice things about the mdrv6 is there's a lot of options for replacement pads out there, so you're almost sure to find something that will work for you. pic of the ear pad with my thumb for scale.
posted by koroshiya at 4:50 PM on December 10, 2015

I like my Sennheiser HD 380 Pros, and (280 Pros before that.) They're over ear, and pretty roomy. Good isolation, too. They can get pretty warm, though, for long stretches of listening.
posted by bashos_frog at 9:21 PM on December 10, 2015

Koss Porta Pros are a small-padded headphone but you can set the level of tension/pressure on each side to what's comfortable for you. They're also an incredibly good headphone for the money (Amazon says under $40 these days).
posted by Hogshead at 6:07 AM on December 11, 2015

I have some Bose QC15s and they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever had. They are quite roomy, and the cushions are soft enough not to make my ears hurt where they touch my glasses (a frequent complaint with others.) yea, I know, Bose yadda yadda, but they are great in my opinion. One drawback is that they are active noise cancelling only, and literally nothing gets through if they aren't powered on. They came with a cord that has a microphone and I use them on calls all the time, which is nice when working.
posted by cabingirl at 7:04 AM on December 11, 2015

Seconding Sennheisers. I've had a pair of HD600s for 10+ years. They're designed to last and built so that you can wear them all day long without discomfort. They sound excellent, and basically all the parts are user replaceable (cord, ear cup foam, headband foam, etc).

I think I've replaced the foam bits once, and the cable a few times over 10 years.
posted by gregr at 9:05 AM on December 11, 2015

Sennheiser HD598's are like wearing an overstuffed, audiophile sofa on my large head and big ears. I have a dozen earphones and these are the ones I can wear endlessly. But, definitely, a shout-out to the aforementioned Koss Porta-Pros as inexpensive alternatives.
posted by Chitownfats at 9:20 AM on December 11, 2015

Sennheiser HD 600s here. They are far more comfortable than my previous cans. I have a pretty big head. I'm not sure about the size of my 57 yr. old ears (objectively) but they certainly aren't small.
posted by cleroy at 11:33 AM on December 11, 2015

Nth the Sennheiser 5xx-6xx series; they're all circumaural and every one I've used has been super comfortable.

I personally like my AKG K240s with the thicker velour pads, but the ear cups on most K2xx are circular and not as deep as Senns.
posted by a halcyon day at 12:05 PM on December 11, 2015

You will never go wrong with a pair of Sony MDR-7506s, which are nearly ubiquitous in the pro audio and field production industries. They are the professional version of the MDR-V6 mentioned above. They're made to be comfortable for long periods of time and stand up to abuse well. About $100.
posted by werkzeuger at 6:43 PM on December 11, 2015

Response by poster: The 380 Pros had perfect sized ear cups but the pressure was a bit too tight. I'll keep looking, thanks for the other suggestions, everyone! =)
posted by curious nu at 8:02 PM on December 15, 2015