[yawg]

  Just got these a pair of these headphones for a good price used, and I have to say I'm very impressed. Not a big fan of the stock cables, but I had one of these laying around and it fit with no trimming, so I'm able to use whatever 3.5mm cable I want now:
 

If you like these I'd suggest trying the BossHifi B8 available via AliExpress. I got them and they are gorgeous. I guess the B8 are the improved Denons, they have a great cable with standard output and better drivers, 50 mm Beryllium type. And they only cost me 71 €, free shipping! Plus they sound great even straight out of my ancient Nokia N8 smartphone. They have a 16 Ohm impedance and very high sensitivity so you don't need another booster amp. Connecting my B8 via my FiiO amp made them sound even less dynamic.
 
They look like the Denons without the DENON aluminum plates and have the same walnut cups. I guess they come from the same factory that produce the Denons but are a lot cheaper and solved the original Denon's problems (cheap cable and oval connection). They have thicker earpads, too and are a basically a rip-off but the superior headphones LOL.
 
If you get a chance, try them and tell us about it. Thanks.

 

[yavormoskov]

No EQ is the best EQ. My Fiio X3 2nd gen sounds great but if I EQ it even a little and the magic is lost. The only player I have that comes with phenomenal EQ is Cowon Plenue D, but the DAC itself is not on par with Fiio or my new favorite Audioquest Dragonfly Red which to my ears sounds even better than Fiio X7 with external amp.  

 

[yavormoskov]

I am sitting in my deep office chair right now and listening to the Italian band Il Volo using Massdrop Grace design m9xx and Denon Ah-MM400. Such a heaven  

 

[waveSounds]

The m9xx has interested me for a while now, but the Mojo is in it's way!
 
Took my MM400s to the coffee shop with me earlier, but now I'm home I'm back to the 1540s, and they are superior (to me) in every way.

 

[yavormoskov]

Has anyone been able to remove and change the earpads on Denon AH-MM400? I have great pads around but I am afraid to damage the phones. Ideas?

 

[VocaloidDude]

  Has anyone been able to remove and change the earpads on Denon AH-MM400? I have great pads around but I am afraid to damage the phones. Ideas?

would also really like to know this.

 

[yavormoskov]

would also really like to know this.

I was able to change them today. Later today will post about all the improvments I made.

 

[yavormoskov]

Here is a list with pictures of all the improvements I did to my Denon AH-MM400.​

        (All the pictures are at the end)​

 
1. The cable. The game is finally over. I found the perfect cable for them. It is Oyaide HPSC-35 (it is made in Japan). It fits perfectly and the connectors are bullet proof. The sound is even clearer than before. The connectors are silver and rhodium plated and the cable sheathing is pure silk filament. More info you can find here: http://www.oyaide.com/ja/brand/oyaide/earphone_headphone_cable/hpsc35_63 It is in Japanese so use translate to English in Google Chrome. You can find the cable on Ebay easily around $70-100. The sound is more clear with this cable and the phones now respond even better with external amp than before using it. The only negative I can mention is that the cable is rather stiff which is to be expected from such a solid cable.
 
2. The pads. I have original pads for Audio Technica MSR7 I purchased from Audio Technica parts. Just email PARTS@atus.com if you live in the USA. One pair is $30 + shipping. I managed to remove the original pads easily. They are not glued or attached in a complicated way, just pulled them off. In 2 minutes I was able to put the MSR7 pads. They look as they have been created for the Denons. The comfort is night and day. I feel as my ears are on a pillow right now. They are deep just enough so my ears do not touch the drivers (average size ears) and the headphones are really over-ear now. The sound stage has expanded a little and the bass is more tight and precise. The highs and the mids are not affected at all.The material is high quality leatherette and soft memory foam. The comfort is great even for people who wear glasses such as myself.
 
3. The case. The logo on the case is"Evolution starts here". You can find it on Amazon for $19.99 and delivered in two days with Prime membership for free. The link is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014HECKRA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The case is very, and I mean very protective and also very rigid. The material is rubberized with black carbon fiber pattern. The zipper is great as well. Two days ago I completely soaked under the rain and my backpack and clothes were completely wet and you can understand why I was so worried but when I got home for my sheer joy and surprise the case inside and the headphones were completely dry. This is more than reassuring the case will serve me well for many years to come. One of the features I really like that there is a handle to hold the case. It feels like the case is made exactly for the Denons. Deep enough but not too much and the perfect width and length.
 
4. The amp/dac on the go. I found that Audioquest Dragonfly Red is a perfect match for the Denons. The slightly bright nature of this DAC compliments perfectly the neutral/warm character of the Denons (sorry Oppo HA-2). The sound out of this small usb stick is just phenomenal and surpasses all the dedicated players I have tried. It plays out of any android phone/tablet using OTG cable and USB audio player Pro (I really like this player and by the way it is the only player that is working well with external dacs). Also works with any Apple device using the Lightning to usb camera kit and 100% compatible with my work MacBook Pro and my personal Windows 10 gaming PC. It does not drain the phone battery a lot and stays cold to the touch which tells me the heat distribution is great. https://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-DragonFly-Red-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B01DFMV4NQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474737461&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=dragonfly+red&psc=1&smid=AKR88PAWTQVN2
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

[VocaloidDude]

Sweet. Just ordered a pair of those Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 earpads from amazon.

 

[philipdharris1]

The HM5's and the PSB M4U1's pads also fit on the Denon AH-MM400

 

[yavormoskov]

The HM5's and the PSB M4U1's pads also fit on the Denon AH-MM400

The HM5 pad are really huge and much bigger than the wooden cups and look ridiculous (I tried them). Also, they completely changed the sound signature. The bass was greatly reduced and started to hear less details. Unfortunately the HM5 suffer from the same shortcomings when I put them on MSR7 headphones.

 

[yavormoskov]

Sweet. Just ordered a pair of those Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 earpads from amazon.

Are you sure you ordered the genuine MSR7 pads? Because John from Audio Technica told me they can be ordered only from their parts department and not from Amazon or any other online retailer.

 

[VocaloidDude]

Are you sure you ordered the genuine MSR7 pads? Because John from Audio Technica told me they can be ordered only from their parts department and not from Amazon or any other online retailer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J3DJQJU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[yavormoskov]

Now I feel bad. Your replica pads look very similar to the genuine ones for a fraction of the price.

 

[philipdharris1]

UK link to  those pads if anyone is interested
 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haodasi-Replacement-Audio-Technica-ATH-MSR7-Headphone/dp/B01J7NHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474831036&sr=8-1&keywords=msr7+pads