S-Works
I've worn the traditional style David Clarks (passive and ANR) for several thousand hours (I'm guessing well over 10,000 hours) and they were certainly not purgatory to wear. Might I suggest the ones you wore weren't adjusted properly to your head? Also the DCs were very reliable, all I ever replaced on my personal headset (about 7000 hours) were mic socks and ear cushions. This was a major factor in deciding to buy the One X's when everyone around me had Bose. I tried the Bose, I reckon the DC One X fits better, is at least as comfortable and just as quiet.
BigEndBob
I wore DC's with the highest passive rating for many years before I bought the One X's. The difference is like night and day. Hearing damage can happen outside the cockpit with noise from nearby aircraft while you're on the ramp etc.