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Wait on getting Sennheiser HD 580 or 600 just be happy with my ratty 19 year old 600 ohm HD 540...

post #1 of 13
1/31/10 at 8:29pm
Thread Starter 
Just lost another bid an a NIB HD 580's that ended up going for $234.50 shipped on eBay. That is getting fairly close to HD 600 prices is it not? I'm basically a minimalist by nature I don't want the nice HD 600 box and I don't care that the 580 are a stripped down version of the 600's. I personally don't care that my 540 ear pads are falling apart or that I replaced the headband with plastic stock I had on hand. I have not heard the HD 580's or 600's. The 540's are the best I have heard to date with a Headroom BitHead amp. From 1997 to 2001 I worked and as an audio editor using AKG 240 or 270 reference studio headphones. Even my co-workers said my 540's sounded better when I brought them to work one day. I always thought the AKG's sounded dark...maybe it was just that I like the open air sound of Sennheiser?

Anyhow ... after a long reprieve of really not listening to music much I've gotten back into it these last few months. Pandora One has really opened up my horizons of new artists and music styles that I have frankly ignored for the better part of 15+ years. This may sound sappy but I really feel like I have missed out on music and now my life is better because of it. Since 1997 it has been all about talk radio and spoken word content. I work in the industry of spoken word content and I edit and assemble shows nearly every week of the year.

With that said should I just be happy with my HD 540's and my Headroom total BitHead amp for music and just focus my funds on buying CDs and possibly an amp upgrade etc. Is there really much noticeable difference in performance between the HD 540 reference and the 580/600's to make this worth it?

The majority of my listening to music from mid April to October is on IEM anyhow. Would I be better off going primo IEM SE530 or higher and an iPod classic?
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post #2 of 13
1/31/10 at 10:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Exact Sound View Post
With that said should I just be happy with my HD 540's and my Headroom total BitHead amp for music and just focus my funds on buying CDs and possibly an amp upgrade etc. Is there really much noticeable difference in performance between the HD 540 reference and the 580/600's to make this worth it?
I own the 540 reference and they are swell. Perhaps the most balanced and neutral dynamic headphone (from the low bass to the upper midrange, though it's a bit raggedy further up) that I've heard. Try and get a pair of new pads for them. I got some two years ago from Sennheiser Canada. They actually sent me the felt ones that the HD560 Ovation used.
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post #3 of 13
1/31/10 at 10:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beagle View Post
I own the 540 reference and they are swell. Perhaps the most balanced and neutral dynamic headphone (from the low bass to the upper midrange, though it's a bit raggedy further up) that I've heard. Try and get a pair of new pads for them. I got some two years ago from Sennheiser Canada. They actually sent me the felt ones that the HD560 Ovation used.

Thanks for the input - I'll look into those pads for replacement.

What amp best compliments the sound signature of the HD 540 600 ohm version? within reason all things considered...? I'm pondering buying an old 80's vintage NAD amp for around $150 ish to power these 600 ohm 540's

Are you running standard cables?
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post #4 of 13
5/7/10 at 12:48pm

Hi all,

 

I started re-using my old HD540 Reference's again, but earpads and foam inserts need to be replaced. Unfortunately Sennheiser does not have them anymore, and also told me that others would not fit.
So the HD 560 earpads fit the HD 540 Reference? Do they need some adjustments? Also the foam inserts? (if they have them - as  the pictures look a bit different)?

Thanks a lot for your help, I'd rather not order something that will not fit

 

Best,

Pete10 from Holland. 


Edited by Pete10 - 5/7/10 at 8:05pm
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post #5 of 13
5/7/10 at 3:59pm

order some hd 250 pad. They are the closed version of the hd540, but the pad are more readily available. The down side is pleather instead of velour.

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post #6 of 13
5/8/10 at 12:16am

Thanks Nagasaki_Kid for the suggestion. Is there only one type of HD250? I also hope the pleather does not deteriorate as fast as the original pads, boy that was a mess (but I guess Sennheiser found out soon that they used the wrong material in the first version),

Anyway I'll waIt for Beagle/Exact Sound's replies but it is nice to have an alternative.

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post #7 of 13
7/10/11 at 10:09am

Bringing an old thread back, I used this as reference for my order.......

 

Well, I tried the HD560 pads via Sennheiser Canada, unfortunately they do not fit. They are the exact same size as the 540 pads but the locking mechanism on the rear is different than the 540, hence they will not lock onto the headphone after fitting on the silver outer locking ring. If I really wanted to, I guess I could glue them on somehow. Alas, if the pads need replacement in the future then I'm screwed. The velour feels very nice btw.

 

I guess I'll have to return these and try the hd250 pads, really wanted to avoid leatherette but alas.

 

Btw, hd 560 pads + an extra set of foam disks plus shipping plus tax cost me $63.74, not cheap at all. Felt a bit ripped off by that.

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post #8 of 13
7/10/11 at 10:14am

btw, the part I ordered for hd 560 is #41299.

 

IMG00109-20110710-1208.jpg

540 on the left, 560 on the right

 

IMG00110-20110710-1210.jpg

disassembled 540 driver

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post #9 of 13
7/10/11 at 6:11pm

Sorry, I obviously lost track of this thread. Judging by the pic, the new pads are lacking the plastic outer ring (on the bottom) that makes them snap into place. On mine, they just snapped into the shells the way the original pads did. I did not have to take any outer ring off. I've never seen Sennheiser pads without a built-on plastic snap-in ring. Defective, perhaps?

 

Perhaps you could use 4-6 small pieces of two-sided carpet tape to stick them in.

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post #10 of 13
7/23/11 at 11:44am

Can't you just pull out the plastic retaining rings from the rear of the old ear pads and put them into the new ear pads? Those rings are definitely removable, although most people have never had a reason to do so because Sennheiser replacement pads generally come with the rings in place (at least for models that use such rings).

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post #11 of 13
7/23/11 at 1:03pm

took a look at my hd250 pads the locking mechanism looks like the hd540 pad

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post #12 of 13
12/15/11 at 6:44am

Just to resurrect the thread. I have some perfect HD540 reference 300R headphones and the ear pads had disintegrated. I decided to go with the HD560 part 041299 velour pads. My thinking was velour over foam would be more acoustically akin to the original than the pleather version. You also get the foam ear pads and some paper driver covers with the pads. 35 ukp from hifiheadphone dot co dot uk

 

I decided to not use the paper covers as they partially cover the driver. That said maybe the treble would be improved but I didn't look at this. I instead used them for a template to cut the foam discs to size. I then glued the 560 pads in. No need to remove silver rings or anything else. the old pads just pull out. The ring diameter on the new part sits adjacent to the original locking ring on the headphones. So a ring of araldite on the pad ring with resin glue was perfect. The foam disc was also araldited into the pad before fitting. My reason to glue was that the original pads lasted ~20 years, if I can get another 10 out of these then I'll be very happy. The foam behind the driver is begining to break up but this is more of a dust cover.

The velour isn't as tall as the original foam pads, but are comfortable and don't have that sweaty leather problem.

 


Edited by Roosville - 12/15/11 at 6:46am
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post #13 of 13
12/15/11 at 2:41pm
Originally Posted by Roosville View Post

Just to resurrect the thread. I have some perfect HD540 reference 300R headphones and the ear pads had disintegrated. I decided to go with the HD560 part 041299 velour pads. My thinking was velour over foam would be more acoustically akin to the original than the pleather version. You also get the foam ear pads and some paper driver covers with the pads. 35 ukp from hifiheadphone dot co dot uk


I have successfully transplanted retaining rings from my original HD540 earpads into HD560 velour pads (041299). You need to trim some of the flexible plastic sheet at the back of the new pads to get the rings to fit, and it's tricky to get the rings in. But once the rings are in, the new pads pop on and off exactly like the original pads.

 

SennheiserHD560(041299)velourearpadswithHD540rings.JPG

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Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › Wait on getting Sennheiser HD 580 or 600 just be happy with my ratty 19 year old 600 ohm HD 540 reference...?