songs don't make passes at musicians who wear glasses

March 11, 2011 11:38 PM

Glasses and Headphones

I can't be the only one with this problem.
A few months ago I had to get glasses for reading, using the computer or pretty much anything that required close-up viewing.
(I chose some awesome nerdy Paul Smith Pirroni frames if you must know, but that's beside the point.)
I found, soon after, that when I put my headphones on, (AKG 271 mkII, but that's beside the point) they make the arms of the glasses press into my skull, just behind my ear. It's tolerable for a while but eventually it feels like a slow lobotomy or some kind of dull death from behind.

People with bad vision have been recording music for years.
How do you make glasses and headphones work together?
posted by chococat (11 comments total)

Just a single data point here, but I have the AKG 270s and I have no problems with wearing them all day with glasses on. I've never thought why that might be. I've used them with lots of difference kinds of specs too, so it might be a case of taking the cans and your specs to the local optician and seeing if they can get the fit a bit better.
posted by unSane at 4:35 AM on March 12, 2011


I have a pair of Sennheiser HD280 headphones and the Sony MDR-7506. The HD280 grips my skull, but they're really good at preventing headphone bleed into the microphone. The Sony MDR-7506 are really comfortable, but they're loose enough around my head that I'd think they'd bleed into the mic. So I use the Sony during mixing and the HD280 when laying down vocals.
posted by NemesisVex at 5:14 AM on March 12, 2011


How do you make glasses and headphones work together?

Oh, that's easy. Headphones go on the head, natch. Glasses go in the hand. Preferably containing a decent peaty malt. I find this is a far more effective way of making my musical exertions sound almost acceptable than the addition of any amount of EQ and/or compression. Trouble is I can't ensure that everyone else listening is rat-arsed too. Fuck. Have to work on that...
posted by MajorDundee at 12:03 PM on March 12, 2011 [2 favorites]


i've had glasses since i was twelve, so i've grown used to it.

What kind of headphones do you have? mine are AT M40fs and tend to distribute most of the weight on the head so that it doesn't pinch my ears. If I'm recording for a few hours, I will still need to take a break, though. I think if you're going to use cans and have to wear glasses, you'll have to take breaks.
posted by sleepy pete at 3:51 PM on March 12, 2011


I feel your pain; not only do I have glasses and headcramping-yet-awesome-quality headphones/monitors, but due to arthroplastic surgery for TMJ, my jaw is essentially held together by two bolts and a few bits of string. Those powers combined, production work is literally a pain.

I also don't have the option of removing my glasses, unless I want to sit less than a foot from my screen at all times; it's the first thing that's ever actually tempted me to switch to contacts.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 6:54 PM on March 12, 2011


yep, another glasses and headphones wearer here. this is one of the many points i consider when shopping for headphones - how much pressure do they put on the glasses frame? this is gonna vary for everyone, depending on their head, ears, and glasses.

the easy answer is this: if you're wearing headphones for so long that it's making your glasses hurt, you need to take a break from using them; it's really easy to work in headphones for a while, get a little ear fatigue, and keep turning the headphones up, which is not good for your hearing.

the hard answer is that you're gonna be searching for headphones for a bit. i have used the mdr 7506s, the akg k240s and the sennheiser hd280s, all for extended periods of time - currently with the HD280s and pretty happy.
posted by dubold at 4:15 AM on March 13, 2011


The problem is that I got the glasses a few months ago, several months after I got my new AKG 271's, or else I'd have factored in the glasses as part of the comfort equation when trying them on.
As some have mentioned, I guess it's just a case of getting used to it, as I'm sure will be the issue in the summer when hats come into play while wearing glasses.
Also taking more breaks, as yes, I do go for hours with headphones on which is really stupid, I know. Although I can feel the pressure right away, when I'm putting the headphones on, and it usually takes some adjusting and finagling until I get a semi-comfortable headphone/glasses position.
And Major, that is a very different issue I have with glasses, which would require an entirely separate thread.
posted by chococat at 10:54 AM on March 13, 2011


I've worn glasses since I was 7 or 8 and neglected to consider this issue when I bought headphones. Fortunately, the Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones I picked up don't apply too much pressure to the glasses.

Oh my god, I just realized all of the equipment I have (save my amp) was made by either Sennheiser or Behringer. I must have a thing for German audio companies.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 11:50 AM on March 13, 2011


I also use K271s for tracking - mainly because they're closed and therefore leaks are minimised. I find them quite bottom-heavy and slightly thick/muddy - they don't give a particularly accurate aural "picture" especially in terms of lowish frequencies. I'd advise against mixing on them (not that mixing on cans is a particularly good idea anyway).
posted by MajorDundee at 11:53 AM on March 13, 2011


This might be why Lennon wore utilitarian "Lennon" glasses with the thin wire arms that wrap so nicely right around the outer ear canal.
posted by snsranch at 4:49 PM on March 17, 2011


This very problem was a contributing factor to me getting contact lenses.
posted by sputgop at 7:09 PM on March 28, 2011


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