Topic: Question on Sennheiser 555 headphones

[otherone]

Been reading through the various threads regarding headphone recommendations, and I wanted to know if the Sennheiser 555 headphones suffer from the same comfort issues that some people have described when wearing the 280s ("head in a vise").  I've got a bit of a big/wide head, and wearing glasses (whether sun or prescription) can get uncomfortable after an hour or so.

Just getting started as a taper, so I'll be using them to monitor periodically while I record (Church Mics->9200->M10) just to make sure I'm not clipping and to try and locate sweet spots in the venue.  But more frequently I'll be using them for playback and personal enjoyment (no stereo system to speak of).  I currently use crappy earbuds and would like to upgrade, but don't want to have to deal with head-in-vise syndrome!

Maybe I should go with Sony 7506/V6 headphones instead?  Thanks.

EDIT: Sorry for the mis-post, I thought I was in the Playback forum when I posted.

[earmonger]

I can't see using big open-air phones to monitor while recording--you'll have no idea what's room sound and recorder sound.

You might think about in-ears--basically earplugs with drivers in them. There are a zillion models now.

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/in-ear.php

They block outside sound--and for your cranial situation, they don't need a headband. I have had a succession of Shure IEMs (in-ear monitors) and while they are pricey, they sound superb.  I like them much better than their longtime competitors, Etymotic: richer, warmer, and better cords. But I haven't tried the many more recent varieties of IEM.

For what it's worth, IEMs  block more sound than noise-cancelling phones and they do it without the stupid buzz that noisephones add. Not to mention the absence of battery pack, etc.   

[otherone]

Thanks - looking through those models now.

I had read through this thread: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=136095.0 and as a result, I was leaning towards the 280's.  But I had second thoughts about them after seeing that a couple of people here and elsewhere complained about them being too tight.  So I was considering the 555's, based upon a suggestion earlier in the thread, but you're right - since the 555's are open, it would be difficult to differentiate room sound from recorder sound.

[rastasean]

People also complained about the tighness of the sennheiser HD25II but I find them very comforable even with my glasses, so too tight can be very subjective.