• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

NerdsPick

Helping You Find The Perfect Tech

  • Home
  • Buying Guides
You are here: Home / Audio / The Best Headphones for Big Ears

The Best Headphones for Big Ears

Last updated on 18th September 2018 by Joe Leave a Comment

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through them. Our content is not influenced by commissions.

Comfort is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a new pair of headphones, especially if you will be wearing them for long periods of time. If you have large ears, it can be even harder to find a pair of over-ear headphones which don’t cramp your ears.

In this guide, I have identified the specific problem of finding comfortable headphones for big ears. I also talk about the different types of headphones to choose from, and finally, I have some recommendations for over-ear headphones that users with big ears have found to be very comfortable.

The Problem

The first thing I want to talk about is where the actual problem lies when it comes to finding comfortable headphones for big ears. For those who don’t know too much about headphones, there are three main types:

In-ear headphones – as the name suggests – are the small headphones which sit in your ears like the Apple Earpods. Generally, the size of your ears doesn’t really affect the comfort of these headphones.

On-ear headphones and over-ear headphones might look quite similar, but there’s a big difference, especially when you have big ears.

The earpads of on-ear headphones sit on top of your ears, so like with in-ear headphones, the size of your ears doesn’t really matter.

Over-ear headphones, however, have cups which go over your ears (hence the name), and if the ear cups are quite small – which they are on many models – they can be painful to wear if you have large ears which don’t quite fit inside of the cups.

So basically, you shouldn’t have any problems with any in-ear or on-ear headphones if you have big ears. But if you want a pair of over-ear headphones, make sure you choose some which have large ear cups like the ones I recommend further down the page.

Other Things to Consider

Now we’ve identified the problem with finding headphones for big ears, let’s look at some of the other factors to consider to find the headphones that best suit you.

  • In-ear vs. on-ear vs. over-ear – I know I’ve already talked about how these are affected by large ears, but I also want to talk about the pros and cons of them. In-ear headphones are the best option for portability. You can easily pop them in your pocket and they are great for when you’re exercising. The downside is that the audio quality is not that great. On-ear headphones cover the middle ground. They’re fairly portable and usually have reasonable sound quality. Over-ear headphones have the best sound quality and noise isolation, but they are the largest type.
  • Open-back vs. closed-back (over-ear) – There are two types of over-ear headphones. Open-back headphones allow air to pass freely through the ear cups. This gives them a more natural, airy sound. Open-back headphones don’t provide any noise isolation so aren’t great for noisy environments. Closed-back headphones have a more full and bass-heavy sound. They also provide more noise isolation than open-back headphones, and some models have active noise cancelling which really helps to reduce outside noise.

Best Over-Ear Headphones for Big Ears

All of the headphones below have larger ear cups and are known for their comfort. Obviously, everybody’s ears are different, so it can be hard to find the best fitting headphones for yourself. But these headphones have been praised in forums and reviews by people with large ears who have struggled to find comfortable headphones.

I have made sure to search for headphones of various prices, so you should be able to find a good pair, regardless of your budget.

Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X Audiophile Open-Air Headphones, Black (AUD ATHAD500X)
Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X Audiophile Open-Air Headphones, Black (AUD ATHAD500X)
  • Newly designed 53 mm drivers with CCAW voice coils reproduce remarkably natural sound, with deep, impactful bass and...
  • Open-air headphones produce no sense of pressure on the ears, resulting in a completely natural sensation
  • Lightweight honeycomb aluminum casing
  • Self-adjusting 3D Wing Support Housing provides comfortable support for a more enjoyable listening experience
$95.08
Buy on Amazon
Sale
Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X Audiophile Open-Air Headphones Black
Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X Audiophile Open-Air Headphones Black
  • 53 mm drivers reproduce clear treble and midrange. Connectivity Technology: Wired
  • Bobbin-wound CCAW voice coils for superior power handling. Impedance: 38 ohms
  • Sensitivity: 100 dB/mW . Full open-air type headphones produce no sense of pressure on the ears, resulting in a completely...
  • Lightweight aluminum honeycomb casing with excellent acoustic properties
$138.99
Buy on Amazon
Sennheiser HD 598 SR Open-Back Headphone 'Discontinued by manufacturer'
Sennheiser HD 598 SR Open-Back Headphone "Discontinued by manufacturer"
  • Audiophile grade over ear, open back headphone delivering exceptionally natural and balanced sound. Connectivity Technology:...
  • Padded leatherette headband and luxurious velour covered ear pads provide extreme comfort for long listening sessions
  • Compatible with virtually every audio device including phones, tablets, computers and stereo components
  • Two cables provided a 3 meter cable terminated with a 1/4 inch jack and 1.2 meter cable terminated with a 3.5mm jack that...
$239.99
Buy on Amazon
beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm Over-Ear Studio Headphones in Black. Closed Construction, Wired for Studio use, Ideal for Mixing in The Studio
beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm Over-Ear Studio Headphones in Black. Closed Construction, Wired for Studio use, Ideal for Mixing in The Studio
  • Closed over-ear headphones for professional mixing in the studio
  • Perfect for studio recordings thanks to their pure and high-resolution sound
  • The soft, circumaural and repalceable velour ear pads ensure high wearing comfort
  • Hard-wearing, durable and robust workmanship Made in Germany
$159.00
Buy on Amazon
Sale
Beyerdynamic 459038 DT 990 PRO open Studio Headphone
Beyerdynamic 459038 DT 990 PRO open Studio Headphone
  • Open over-ear headphones, ideal for professional mixing, mastering and editing
  • Perfect for studio applications thanks to their transparent, spacious, strong bass and treble sound
  • The soft, circumaural and replaceable velour ear pads ensure high wearing comfort
  • Hard-wearing, durable and robust workmanship - Made in Germany
$174.95
Buy on Amazon
AKG K550 Closed-Back Reference Class Headphones
AKG K550 Closed-Back Reference Class Headphones
  • Highly accurate AKG sound
  • Closed-back design for a fully personal listening experience
  • 50mm driver size for high output and detailed low frequencies
  • Lightweight and comfortable for hours of continuous listening
$129.99
Buy on Amazon

Last update on 2021-01-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Filed Under: Audio, Buying Guides, Headphones

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Us

NerdsPick.com is a technology blog dedicated to providing helpful buyer’s guides, reviews, tips and tricks on all things nerdy.

Recent Posts

  • The Best Monitors for an Nvidia RTX 3090
  • The Best Monitors for RTX 3070 or 3080
  • The Best GPUs for AMD Ryzen 1700 or 1700x
  • The Best Monitors for Nvidia RTX 2080 & RTX 2080 Ti
  • The Best Monitors for Nvidia RTX 2070

Categories

  • Audio
  • Buying Guides
  • Comparisons
  • Computing
  • Gaming
  • Headphones
  • How To's
  • Laptops
  • Music
  • Networking

Footer

Affiliate disclosure

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Sample On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of these cookies. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.