How to choose a headphone stand

Where to put my headphones?

Headphone stand is a perfect way of preserving your headphones in mint condition. So you will enjoy them longer. The headphone stand can be classified as a desk organizer and makes your desk uncluttered. Moreover, a clean workplace will indicate a clean and focused mind. It can be used in every room, from the office, through the living room, to the bedroom. So it is a perfect time to tidy up your space instead of leaving your headphones lying around.
There are three basic shapes available on the market.

Hanger headphone stands

Headphone stand.

The first one is the hanger style, where the support point for headphones is on the top of the arm. The hanging position exerts a force on the headband the weight of earpads, which pulls the headphones down. Because of this, the headband has a risk for shape distortion. It is caused by long-term hanging when the stress can build up in a headband and its padding strip. However, some models have rounded top (better) and cushioned top (the best), which won’t cause excessive foam compression.

Rounded top headphone hanger.

Head-like headphone stands

DIY headphone stand.

The second one is omega and head-like stands, which uses a shape similar to the omega or human head. However, this shape can be as simple as a block of wood too. This time the force is uniformly distributed, but still, the headphones have a risk for the shape distortion. Additionally, instead only of the headband compression, we will have earcup compression too. The leather of the earcups is prone to wear and tear due to repeatedly rubbing the earpads and headband against the stand.

Headphone hooks

Headphone hook.

The third design is the headphone hook. There are two possible ways to attach it: to the desk or the computer monitor. This solution takes up less space. Still, it has the same problems as the standard headphone hangers. Those issues include shape distortion and foam compression. Additionally, adhesive hanging hooks can leave behind residue, which can be a real pain to remove. Clamp headphone hooks seem to be without this issue, but they require silicone padding on both ends, which prevents damage to the clamped surface and reduce the amount of clamping.

Monitor hook.

Clamp headphone hook with a rounded top.

Stands limited to specific headphones

As you can see, three common shapes above have their disadvantages. If you are looking for a unique stand, you will need to look elsewhere. Only two examples come to mind.

Dolby Dimension charging base

Dolby Dimension charging base. Source: Dolby Laboratories

In 2018 Dolby announced their Dolby Dimension headphones. The first thing you will notice about them is their charging base. Unfortunately, this magnetic charging dock is only compatible with Dolby Dimension headphones, so you can not store your current headphones on it. This headphone and base bundle looks beautiful enough to be recognized with a 2019 Red Dot Award for Product Design for Dolby Dimension made by Dolby Laboratories. Too bad, that it seems like they are discontinued or at least their availability is low.

AKG K701 headphone stand

AKG K701 with headphone stand. Source: Wikimedia Commons

This type of headphone stand does not stress the ear cushions at all. Sadly, they were only ever sold with the AKG K701 headphones. The reason behind designing this minimalist-designed headphone stand is compatibility with AKG products. AKG has self-adjusting headbands, which won’t easily fit every headphone stand. For this purpose, the foam cutouts have been designed specifically for their ear cups. It is hard to find this stand, but you should be able to grab one at online auctions websites. Based on the design constraints, it is uncertain how it will fit your headphones.

Unibody headphone stand

Because we found a lot of issues and limitations with many headphone stands, we decided to create our product. We focused on the minimal distortion of the headband, so we came up with the idea to redesign standing headphone stand. Building a headphone stand that delivers good quality and usability meant a lot of testing. To ensure compatibility with headphones of all type, we used the most advanced computer design and manufacturing technologies. Through and through, we designed them to last. Then, we made enclosures with industrial-grade materials. Yes, the same ones you can find in aerospace and automotive. Moreover, by enhancing the natural peanut shape and implementing it into our foam, we are sure that it will provide excellent support for every headphone.

Where to buy the unibody headphone stand?

Don't forget to grab your Kickstarter-Only stand with limited-time colour! Check out more at Products page.

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• HiFi
• Guide