Comprehensive evaluation on wearing and hearing comfort of over-ear headphones based on adjustable clamping force

Headphones are wearable devices that directly contact the human body. Ergonomics focuses on the wearing comfort associated with clamping force, which is closely related to the user's tactile perception. Additionally, as auditory input terminal devices, headphones should also encompass the aspect of hearing comfort. Theoretically, slight and uneven clamping force may cause noise exposure, subsequently influencing hearing comfort. Conversely, an overloaded clamping force, while aiming to improve hearing conditions, may introduce discomfort for the wearer. Therefore, the current work concerns the interplay between wearing and hearing comfort. In this study, four loudspeakers placed around a listener in a sound insulation room render a stable noise environment. A dynamometer mounted on a horizontal track radially supplies specific clamping force on the two earmuffs of an over-ear headphone worn by the listener. Simultaneously, a comfort questionnaire was employed to investigate users' subjective perceptions of wearing and hearing comfort under various clamping forces. These results could provide a valuable reference for the design and evaluation of over-ear headphones.