The combination of my cheap headphones (Tascam TH-02) and the glasses I need to use are a guaranteed headache after a short while.
I read into the discussions on in ear and over the ear headphones and have a pretty clear idea of the best models within my budget (OneOdio Adapter-Free Closed Back Over-Ear vs. KZ ZS10 Pro in ear).
What ought to be more comfortable? The in ear set (where the cable goes over the ear + glasses) or the over the ear set. I don’t have any experience with in ear other than the common headphones that come with phones.
I only wear headphones in order to live in peace with my neighbors. I’d like to be able to use them for practice on the AI, amp aux and listen to music on various devices.
Any comments from your experience would be appreciated!
Hey. I wear glasses and this is a thing for me as well. Few things to say about this. The below is about over-ear headphones mainly as that’s what I prefer.
The glasses matter as much as the headphones. I’ve changed glasses while using the same headphones and the new glasses made it very uncomfortable. I just got some new glasses and I actually took my headphones in with me and tried them out with glasses to ensure I didn’t get any that were uncomfortable.
Different aspects matter a lot with whether headphones are comfortable with glasses, but I think the most important ones for over-ear headphones are the cushion and the clamping force. The headphones I got were low in clamping force and cushioned, and I’m glad I went for them. rtings.com has reviews of many headphones and includes clamping force on them.
Everyone’s heads are different. What may work for some may not work for others.
I know you are looking at closed back, but I personally find semi-open or open more comfortable to wear. There are pos and cons here though of course.
As for the two you mentioned, I’m not sure about those. As I said, I prefer over-ear. I’ve tried both and for me personally, I just find they are more comfortable for longer sessions and sound better.
Best of luck in your search though. If you buy them from somewhere like Amazon, you may be able to try them and return the one you don’t like. I’m not sure of the policy on headphones.
I’m using AKG K-240 MKII semi-open over ear headphones and I don’t have any issues with too much pressure on the temples of my glasses, even wearing them for longer periods of time.
Hi JT! Thank you very much for your input. I tend to think that the in ear might be uncomfortable in a different way and your comments make a lot of sense. As matter fact I’m not necessarily looking into closed back headphones. I only came to the conclusion of those models based on people’s comments. I will have to dig into the semi-open and open. Thanks for the link, too. I really appreciate it!
Hi Krescht! Thank you! The AKGs really caught my attention, too. They have great reviews. I definitely have to look into that type of headphones. Thank you for your comment! Cheers!
I wear glasses and I have these. I’m very happy with them.
I had to give up on over ear headphones. I tried quite a few higher end ones and never found any that didn’t end up hurting my ears after a short while.
You may want to invest in some of the replacement ear bud tips. The ones that come with it are fine but there are better ones. I haven’t tried them yet but the memory foam ones are supposed to give even better isolation and bass response. Not that there’s a problem with isolation and bass response to begin with. Just something to try.
I have to see if I can find them in a store and try them out. That could give me an idea. The AKGs seem to be a good choice but twice as much $ as the KZs. Thank you!
No problem. BTW, if you ever want to increase your budget for headphones, I’d recommend beyerdynamic or Sennheiser semi-open/open over-ear for the most comfort with glasses. I ended up going with the Sennheiser 599 and would buy them again if anything happened to them. I appreciate that not everyone wants to spend that much on headphones though. It’s the first time I did. However, it was a good investment for me personally as I wear them for work, music, and gaming.
That was one of the things that really impressed me about the KZ’s. For the money, I found them to be at least as good as the over ears I tried. I have no problem wearing them for an hour. I don’t think I’ve tried wearing them for longer than that.
My brother wears his for hours at the time and loves them. However, he does use the memory foam tips I was talking about.
I have Grado Labs SR225e headphones, and wear glasses. The headphones (which are a snug fit) will press on the temples of the glasses and the temples become uncomfortable if left that way very long. What I do is put the headphones on while wearing the glasses, then pull the glasses out, and re-insert the temples ABOVE where the headphone would press on them.
Now, I wear progressive lenses (type of bifocals), but this has not caused a problem with focusing. I adjust the angle just a bit and can see fine.
Well, it boils down to budget and availability here. I can get a refurbished AKG 250 STUDIO and the KZ ZS10 Pro 4BA+1DD Hybrid Earbuds for the same price which is about $50 USD. I really don’t want to spend much more and the best options you have suggested are in most cases in the $100-$200+ range.
I still have to see if on ear headphones are an option. Meanwhile I want to thank each and everyone of you again. You have given me good points to consider and to take into account.
I have a pair of OneOdio Pro 50 over the ear headphones. I used them as my main headset for several months with no discomfort (I’ve been wearing glasses for 60+ years).
A few months ago I upgraded my recording/practice headphones to Audio-Technica ATH-M40X which have a flatter response.
I still use the OneOdio’s for general listening use. I can wear either set for hours with no discomfort.
What I do have a problem with is in-ears, which drive me crazy after a few minutes, although it may just be that I’ve never tried a pair that fit properly.
