Need an upgrade from my Creative Aurvana Live headphones

nails666

nails666

nails666

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Hi, I've been using a pair of Creative Aurvana Live headphones for listening to music from my phone at work for several months now. In general I really like the sound of them and the fact that they leak very little sound which is very important in an open plan office. However I'm finding that comfort wise they do start to hurt my ears after a while as they are only slightly bigger than my ear lobes and so my ears rub on the inside edges of the cups.

I'm thinking I'd like to replace them for something more comfortable and might as well see if I can get a sound upgrade at the same time so I was hoping for some advice on what I could look to get. I need them to be closed back with minimal sound leakage and they must be comfortable for wearing for several hours at time over glasses. I don't have any amps so they need to be able to be driven fine just from my phone and sound wise I listen to wide variety of music so they need to be flexible but I wouldn't mind a slight bias towards bass. My budget is a maximum of £150 but if I could get something closer to £100 that would be preferable.

Many Thanks
 
About £100 Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro would have quite big ear pads.
32 ohm version has even shortish 1,6 meter cable to go with portable devices.
Though in other use might often need extension cable and better keep phone in pocket to avoid pulling it out from table, unless you don't move really any.
But in longer time listening velour pads of 80 ohm version would breath some lowering ear sweating risk.
Closed ear cup design and leather/pleather/whatever pads don't breath much and kinda insulate heat in.

Pads could be swapped, but if these measurements are any indicator velour pads might suck bass from 32 ohm version:
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/hp/beyerdynamic-dt-770-32.php
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/hp/beyerdynamic-dt-770-pro-32.php

Temples of glasses could actually have same effect.
Closed headphones with non-breathing pads rely on air tight seal against head for their lower bass. (last two graphs)
https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/effect-glasses-headphone-frequency-response

80 ohm version coming with velour pads is certainly tuned to work with them, and should be less sensitive for effect from temples of glasses.

They shouldn't too much unless phone has very weak output.
Open design 250 ohm DT990 (should be same driver as in 250 ohm DT770) is one of the headphones I have and Sony Z3 Compact drives them likely past safe for long term listening volume.
 
Give the Sony MDR-1A a look - though they are a bit hit and miss in the respect that some people find they don't stay on their head very well but comfort wise they are a great and fairly self-contained noise wise - sound quality is very good - slightly bassy but not overpoweringly so. Alternatively there is the MDR10RC if you want something even more portable but they are even more subject to fitting some people better than others in terms of how well they stay on the head but also very comfortable.

I have both and they fit over glasses well - the MDR10RC more so but they sit on the ears more but the MDR10RC tend to slip a bit if I tilt my head to reach for things, etc. which isn't ideal but fine most of the time.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions, the DT770s and MDR-1A both look very nice. My phone is currently a One Plus 3 which I presume will be fine to drive both of them up to the 80Ohm version of the DT770s. Have either of you tried both to be able to directly compare the comfort and sound profile of them?
 
I had some of the Beyers years and years ago but I've not tried the two close enough together to really compare and my memory ain't what it used to be :s IIRC I found with the Beyers after awhile my ears would get a bit warm which they don't with the Sonys and based on what I do remember the Sony probably edge it on sound quality.
 
Thanks Rroff, the reviews for both look very good so I think it may well come down to if either of them have a good deal in the black Friday sales.
 
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