I recently bought the Grado Prestige Series RS2i after having only used in-ear Shure's. I love the sound, really love them, but find that after about an hour they start to hurt my ears, probably because they are pressing them.
Is this normal for on-the-ear headphones? Is there a chance I am wearing them incorrectly? Does moving the headband further away or closer make a difference?
Any suggestions are welcome
This is a common complaint people have with Grados, due to the on-ear (as opposed to over-ear) design. You can try flexing the headband out a bit to loosen its grip on your head, you can try replacing the earpads with a different material, or you can simply get used to it over time. Alternatively, you can switch to over-ear headphones such as similar models by Audio-Technica or the like.
I have some Grados and they are indeed uncomfortable. Another trick besides those mentioned is to wear them so the headband is tilted forward or backwards, rather than being straight up over your head. Experiment and see if you can find a more comfortable position.
This is very hard to answer but I have experienced the same issue (although with a different make). Like all headphones it depends on shapes and sizes (of your head, ears, headphones etc). You need to play with the settings until you get it right (until it feels great), but, it may be that the design isn't suited for you.
The problem of course is, due to hygiene and health and safety, typically, you can never try before you buy with headphones!
I purchased a spare set of earpads from grado, then used a thin, craft razor xacto knife to slice them in half. The part I kept was the thinner, next-to-ear ring, which I then glued to the full earpad using rubber contact cement. That made a deeper earpad which then rests against the side of my head, instead of on my earlobes. It made them much more comfortable.
