[money4me247]

  Hey, I can confirm what looks like metal in the housing area. First pair had plastic like HE500, the replacement pair has metal: 
 

 
My experience shadows Bill's exactly. I had distortion in the right cup at low frequencies and HiFiMAN sent a brand new pair from factory in China - had the factory "checked" tape around the wrapping along with the plastics on gimbals. The pads did seem thicker, sturdier, and nicer but they've since broken in a little. But that metal or what looks to be metal really surprised me at first. 

I ordered my HE-560 August 11, 2014. Here is a picture of the interior driver underneath the earpads. It does look like it is made of plastic & has little holes throughout. The new metal used in the housing seems to be new. Any word about other changes made to the HE-560? I think it's good that Hifiman is always striving to improve their headphones even after release. Don't have any issues with my current pair, so I probably won't be rushing to try to pick up a metal version.
 

 
I am curious is anyone can upload comparison pictures of the stated Focus pad changes? My earpads are currently fine, but I always would love thicker earpads.

 

[Za Warudo]

Bill-P Are you certain that the change in sound is due to only the new pads? Does your HE560 with the Focus A sound the same as before? Some pictures comparing the thickness and opening to the Focus A would be nice.

 

[Bill-P]

@Bill-P Are you certain that the change in sound is due to only the new pads? Does your HE560 with the Focus A sound the same as before? Some pictures comparing the thickness and opening to the Focus A would be nice.

Yeah, because a pads swap with my old Focus Pads A yields an almost completely different sound. Brighter, more aggressive, and leaner.
 
And I could have sworn the Focus Pads I had before didn't feel this comfy. You can find my posts about it a while ago in this thread. Hence why I purchased the Focus Pads A.
 
I'll take some photos when I get home later today.

 

[Kyno]

 
Yeah, because a pads swap with my old Focus Pads A yields an almost completely different sound. Brighter, more aggressive, and leaner.
 
And I could have sworn the Focus Pads I had before didn't feel this comfy. You can find my posts about it a while ago in this thread. Hence why I purchased the Focus Pads A.
 
I'll take some photos when I get home later today.

 
Given how you talk about the new sound, I assume the old Focus Pads was close in sound to your Focus Pads A, just less comfy? 

 

[Bill-P]

  Given how you talk about the new sound, I assume the old Focus Pads was close in sound to your Focus Pads A, just less comfy? 

Yeah, the old Focus Pads sounded ever so slightly brighter and leaner than the Focus Pads A to me. It's subtle and noticeable, but not as much as this.
 
The new sound is almost completely different.

 

[jerg]

  I ordered my HE-560 August 11, 2014. Here is a picture of the interior driver underneath the earpads. It does look like it is made of plastic & has little holes throughout. The new metal used in the housing seems to be new. Any word about other changes made to the HE-560? I think it's good that Hifiman is always striving to improve their headphones even after release. Don't have any issues with my current pair, so I probably won't be rushing to try to pick up a metal version.
 

 
I am curious is anyone can upload comparison pictures of the stated Focus pad changes? My earpads are currently fine, but I always would love thicker earpads.

 
My HE560s have the steel baffle while TMRaven's doesn't (I very recently modded his pair with my HE560 mods). However the resulting sound was basically the same. Maybe the steel baffle is conceptually a bit more durable in the long run, but AFAIK no one has had "broken baffles" with any Hifiman headphone ever.

 

[TMRaven]

So the metal retaining ring isn't the cause of the sound changes.  The focus pads I purchased just recently were the same as the older focus pads.  Now the question is, how are we supposed to know if we're buying supposed updated pads or not.

 

[Bill-P]

I'd think the metal/steel ring would be messing with the acoustic of the chamber slightly. If not then it would definitely affect ear pads seal.
 
Perhaps with your mod, since you are gluing the ear pads directly to the enclosure, the difference wouldn't be as noticeable, but maybe for a stock headphone, they would bring some interesting changes.

 

[TMRaven]

Theoretically it should only affect conduction of the lowest bass, it shouldn't affect the rest of the sound spectrum.  Differences as large as you describe have to be from the pads.

 

[jerg]

  I'd think the metal/steel ring would be messing with the acoustic of the chamber slightly. If not then it would definitely affect ear pads seal.
 
Perhaps with your mod, since you are gluing the ear pads directly to the enclosure, the difference wouldn't be as noticeable, but maybe for a stock headphone, they would bring some interesting changes.

Most likely yeah. That's nice though knowing my mod bypasses any impact that this slight design revision might impose.

 

[Bill-P]

While modding my ATH-ES10, I have noticed that by stiffening the enclosure and making the connection between the drivers to the ear cups more rigid (as in making the dampening more compressed/dense), lower frequencies would be more noticeable, as I'd guess energy transfer from the diaphragm to the enclosure would be more efficient. I think it's the same principle as having a good ear pads seal, because the good seal allows for better energy transfer. But a side effect is that now the entire enclosure, including the ear pads and also to a certain extent, the skin of the listener acts as a huge dampening system for the driver baffle, so higher frequencies are also slightly more controlled.
 
I think this metal ring may be working the same way.

 

[Yeswecan]

   
 
From what I read here, I'm also afraid of the HE-560 treble being a bit too harsh.

i would suggest a source as detailed as possible, an amp that is maybe a little warmish + HE-560 - and there you have it!

 

[Frank I]

The treble on either a tube amp or on the Violectric V281 is neither harsh nor aggressive. I thought the   HE560 really sounded pristine and the Viva Egoista really let me hear hpw good the treble is. I still love violins on this headphone. The better the source and amp the HE560 step up always a good sign.

 

[Shazb0t]

I'm still waiting to see pictures showing the pad differences.  Twice as thick should be very apparent.  Post freakin' pictures!

 

[hekeli]

My old pair had the plastic ring and new fresh one sent maybe two weeks ago from factory has metal. I don't feel like the pads had much if any change - maybe the ears fit marginally better or it's just placebo.. certainly nothing like double thickness..
 
Regardless, there's extremely little difference when comparing actual measurements, my old pair vs new (the working left channel..). Those miniscule 8k+ treble changes can be random microphone/headphone placement or pad differences. No "warm" differences there.