Most comfortable cans for communications application

[w1jim]

I’m looking for some comfortable wired headphones for my ham radio.
During contests I’ll wear them for hours and I’ll get a bit sweaty.
They’d need to be midrange focused with rolled off highs and bass.
Ideally something with big cushy ear pads.
Noise blocking isn’t important.
Suggestions?

 

[Mr Boochie]

My son uses an open-back Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3 headphone for online gaming. He seems to like it.

 

[RickB]

I have a set of Koss Pro4AA Titaniums that work well for me, they are cushy, and after breaking in, have really bad treble and bass extension which makes them OK for Ham Radio work...I've had two pairs of them and they both had the same sound signature...totally different from thePro4AA I have that are head clamping monsters...I have five different headphne amps and none of them improved the SQ...I have cheap Chinese headphones that are way, way better for listening to music than the Koss 4AATs...I got these as a warranty replacement for an earlier set of Koss 'phones, or I would have been really bummed with their sound quality...hooked up to my TenTec, Yaesu, or Collins rigs or the Timewave digital noise filters, they perform fine...

 

[yofi]

Maybe the AKG K240 Mk II would be good for this? Semi-open, classic look, comes with leatherette and velour pads, doesn’t sound particularly great by modern standards but is still popular in studios for monitoring.


Measurements put between Harman OE 2018 preference bounds.


AKG stock/product photo

 

[RickB]

I have the K240 Studio headphones, I still feel the Koss give better outside noise reduction and a reduced high end that makes beiing subjected to the band noise, QRN, etc., a lot more bearable.

 

[w1jim]

Here’s what I ended up with, at least for now - an old pair of Sennheiser HD-569’s that I had in my stash.
They were so old that the pleather was peeling off.
I rubbed it all off and that left a silky cloth material behind that hopefully will prove comfortable - only time will tell.

 

[Capitol C]

I used to live in Massachusetts, and a friend of mine got a ticket for wearing headphones in his car. Watch yourself out there!

 

[w1jim]

I used to live in Massachusetts, and a friend of mine got a ticket for wearing headphones in his car. Watch yourself out there!

Serves him right!
These are for use in my "shack" only.

 

[Capitol C]

You know, it's tough getting old. I read communications as commuting.