I have the same problem to a lesser degree, but the bigger problem for me is their form factor causes sharp pains in my ear after prolonged listening (30+ minutes).
Those are the over-the-ear ones I was talking about. (I look pretty dorky with my on-the-runway looking headphones) They DO touch the ear, though they don't crush it, which is why I'm usually good for a couple of hours.
> I don't think it's too unusual to find it uncomfortable to have stuff pressing onto/into your ear cartilage for hours a day.
The ubiquity of earbuds says otherwise. I'm genuinely jealous of people - they can listen more places, with less inconvenience, and with less expense. Still though, this is my flaw, not theirs.
Headphones and earbuds are very painful for me after like 10 minutes. This is at a very low volume - there's just something about putting sound that close to my ear that hurts.
In my experience this shape gets uncomfortable quickly because it’s jammed deep into people’s ear canals without accounting for the unique shape of each individual’s canal, so there can be a lot of uncomfortable pressure and friction. Ear buds tend to not go deep into the canal and rest closer to the entrance, making them sustain longer before discomfort arises in the ear.
Also this form factor doesn’t attenuate all frequencies evenly, which can make listening to music less enjoyable.
I find any kind of headphones to be painful/disturbing after a while. On-ear are the worst (who the F * * * thought pressing your ears into your head was a good idea?), followed by in-ear. The only ones I can wear for any amount of time are over-ear but eventually (if nothing else) your ears will be all warm and that will be disturbing as well.
Besides I really enjoy just silence sometimes, being forced to listen to music does not necessarily improve my focus.
This is so strange to read about. I’ve worn my QC35 (and QC25 before them) almost every day for about 8-10 hours a day, for years, and not once have I experienced any kind of discomfort related to their use. I’m on the completely opposite camp, where I’ll sometimes even have them on just for the noise-cancelling effect, but nothing playing. I don’t need it (not even surrounded by noise most of the time), I’m just used to it.
To hear that people are feeling “searing ear pain” seems so... weird. These are by far the most comfortable and enjoyable headphones I’ve had, and they hurt people.
They initially bothered me due to the fairly strong pressure from the headband, but it got a bit less tight over time (you can leave the headphones held open around a box or something to speed that up). Now I find them pretty comfortable.
It also really does not work for people with ear problems (I am one, I can't wear headphones or earplugs for more than 10mn at a time anymore, it starts hurting like the blazes and I have to remove them for a few hours)
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