[Doc-holliday]

I have had my eye on three headphones (S400, S500 and M-80)  for a while and have read more posts than I count. 

It seems to me that the price point on each is perfect.  The S400 has a GREAT sound for the price, but still the S500 is better overall.  So if I got the S400, I would be wondering how the S500 compared every time I used them. 

I know the M-80 is about double the price of the S400 and S500 combined, but it might just be the "right" sound signature for me.  Really wish I knew someone close so I could test this "educated guess".

I do not plan on making a purchase until about Christmas time, but I might just save my $$ and go for the M-80.


Again, I really appreciate everyone's replies and thoughts.

..

I would get the s400 now for $25 then get the M80 at xmas. I'm sure you have a Ratshack near you. The Ratshack up the street here has them on display and you can bring your own source (referring to the M80). Go to the radioshack store finder online and check it out.

 

[BloodyPenguin]

Quote:

I would get the s400 now for $25 then get the M80 at xmas. I'm sure you have a Ratshack near you. The Ratshack up the street here has them on display and you can bring your own source (referring to the M80). Go to the radioshack store finder online and check it out.

 
Very good suggestion, I have a bunch of "Ratshacks" around me.  I will go to one that has the M-80 and give them a trial. 
 
Who knows, maybe I will just get the S400 too.
 
..

 

[waynes world]

S500 is brighter. M80 has better more detailed midrange and weaker bass (by far). Much more bass impact and quantity from the s500

Hey Doc! How are you liking the s400 in comparison?

 

[Doc-holliday]

Hey Doc! How are you liking the s400 in comparison?

Hey bud. I guess my post on the s400 thread last night pretty much sums it up........

http://www.head-fi.org/t/626332/the-new-jvc-ha-s400-30mm-carbon-nanotubes/450#post_8783259

Just a nice and smooth listen and those AT pads are very nice feeling on my big ears suprisingly. I can walk around my pad with my clip zip, my S400 with no amp and just chill. A nice non-fatiguing listen.

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

Hey bud. I guess my post on the s400 thread last night pretty much sums it up........
http://www.head-fi.org/t/626332/the-new-jvc-ha-s400-30mm-carbon-nanotubes/450#post_8783259
Just a nice and smooth listen and those AT pads are very nice feeling on my big ears suprisingly. I can walk around my pad with my clip zip, my S400 with no amp and just chill. A nice non-fatiguing listen.

 
Nice and smooth and non-fatiguing. Sound like winners. I will keep an eye out for your ongoing impressions

 

[invalid404]

Can someone give me a general run down of the thread?
 
Specifically how can these be improved without spending a ton on pads or breaking them open and how they fair against the Koss Porta Pro's?

 

[H20Fidelity]

Can someone give me a general run down of the thread?

Specifically how can these be improved without spending a ton on pads or breaking them open and how they fair against the Koss Porta Pro's?

The general consensus from my observation is.... Buy JVC HA-S500 + Sansa Clip+ and you're an audiophile.

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

Can someone give me a general run down of the thread?
 
Specifically how can these be improved without spending a ton on pads or breaking them open and how they fair against the Koss Porta Pro's?

They're much better than the Porta-Pros, and they really don't need improving. I put velour pads on mine not to change the sound, but to get away from "sweaty ear" syndrome. I haven't done any serious listening with anything else since I got these.
 
I get a kick out of the guys in here going crazy trying all the different pads.  I admire their enthusiasm, but I can't help but wonder this.....when you've spent as much on different pads for a headphone, as you spent on the headphone itself, aren't you now listening to the gear and not just the music itself? 

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

Can someone give me a general run down of the thread?
 
Specifically how can these be improved without spending a ton on pads or breaking them open and how they fair against the Koss Porta Pro's?

 
I had the Porta Pro's for a few weeks. I enjoyed the warm signature. The only problem I had with them when on the headband was that the bass could get congested/bloated, and the treble seemed to fall off quickly. I tried them on the ksc75 earclips, and liked that quite a bit (I suppose that would essentially be the same as the ksc35). Even though the bass still could get bloated at times, it was a nice sound, although I didn't find is super-detailed. I ended up getting the Senn PX100-II which has a similar signature (the bass is still there, but better controlled and more details). My go-to phone before getting the S500 though was my ksc75 on headband - they sound great to me - very nice, detailed and forward mids.
 
The S500 is a different beast altogether. Strong bass (and sub-bass), but very well controlled. As are the mids and the highs - everything is well controlled with lots of detail (and this is with maybe only 50 hours of burn in). The thing that strikes me about them compared to my ksc75's or px100-ii's is (a) the sub-bass and (b) a certain depth to the sound - kind of a 3D-like quality. I liken my ksc75's to watching a great high def HDTV in 2D, and the S500 to watching it in 3D. Kinda goofy analogy, but heh.
 
I am getting the ATH leathers to try out for a bit more comfort and because they might make the mids a bit more forward. But no, you don't need different pads - the stock pads sound great and are comfortable enough.
 
Edit: I did get the ATH leathers (pleathers, whatevers!) onto the S500. I have only listened to this combo for half a day now, but based on the change in sound, I have to revise my above statement to the following: The S500 + ATH leathers is amazing. If you think that maybe you could get a bit more out of your S500's, or that the bass is a bit much, or that you wish the mids were a bit more forward, then just do it: get the ATH leathers.

 

[invalid404]

Thanks for the fast responses guys

Would you guys consider this more bass heavy than an M50? And what pads are the velour pads? The HD25 pads or are they something else?

Again thank you guys for these great answers, I think I will have to get myself some ( and they ship to Canada! Yay!)

 

[Doc-holliday]

Thanks for the fast responses guys
Would you guys consider this more bass heavy than an M50? And what pads are the velour pads? The HD25 pads or are they something else?
Again thank you guys for these great answers, I think I will have to get myself some ( and they ship to Canada! Yay!)

They have more bass quantity than the M50.

You should try the stock and go from there. The Audio Technica velour pads being referred to give a more open sound but at the expense of losing the bass, and some midrange as well as (at least to my ears) making the treble like little needles piercing directly to your nerve channels leading to your brain when listened to at any moderate to high volume. I actually don't know how another human being uses those.... that being said....

I use the Sennheiser HD25 pleather pads on mine which bring forward the midrange more and take some sparkle off the high end. A lot of guys really prefer the sound of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ear-Pads-For-Audio-Technica-ATH-SJ5-DJ-Style-Headphones-Black-/261112637420?pt=US_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item3ccb86a7ec

They are very comfy and to me increase the bass even more, provide good bass impact but lean more toward a fun V shaped sound with mids and vocals more distant.

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

Thanks for the fast responses guys

Would you guys consider this more bass heavy than an M50? And what pads are the velour pads? The HD25 pads or are they something else?
Again thank you guys for these great answers, I think I will have to get myself some ( and they ship to Canada! Yay!)

The velours I use are the Sennheiser HD25 velours. You'd have to ask probably Dsnuts to really describe if they change the sound any....I think he's done more pad swaps than anyone else. 

 

[LaRzZa]

Quote:

They have more bass quantity than the M50.
You should try the stock and go from there. The Audio Technica velour pads being referred to give a more open sound but at the expense of losing the bass, and some midrange as well as (at least to my ears) making the treble like little needles piercing directly to your nerve channels leading to your brain when listened to at any moderate to high volume. I actually don't know how another human being uses those.... that being said....
I use the Sennheiser HD25 pleather pads on mine which bring forward the midrange more and take some sparkle off the high end. A lot of guys really prefer the sound of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ear-Pads-For-Audio-Technica-ATH-SJ5-DJ-Style-Headphones-Black-/261112637420?pt=US_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item3ccb86a7ec
They are very comfy and to me increase the bass even more, provide good bass impact but lean more toward a fun V shaped sound with mids and vocals more distant.

I'm one of those human being who daily use the AT velour.  

   I agree that only with AT velour pads it will decrease the bass, but if you put in some foam insert that will bring out the bass and will add clarity (to my ears). I had to experiment with different layers or thickness of foam inserts to get it right. Now my S500 sounds absolutely wonderful to my ears and are comfortable to wear. 
 
Happy listening!  

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

They have more bass quantity than the M50.
You should try the stock and go from there. The Audio Technica velour pads being referred to give a more open sound but at the expense of losing the bass, and some midrange as well as (at least to my ears) making the treble like little needles piercing directly to your nerve channels leading to your brain when listened to at any moderate to high volume. I actually don't know how another human being uses those.... that being said....
I use the Sennheiser HD25 pleather pads on mine which bring forward the midrange more and take some sparkle off the high end. A lot of guys really prefer the sound of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ear-Pads-For-Audio-Technica-ATH-SJ5-DJ-Style-Headphones-Black-/261112637420?pt=US_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item3ccb86a7ec
They are very comfy and to me increase the bass even more, provide good bass impact but lean more toward a fun V shaped sound with mids and vocals more distant.

 
Thanks! So to re-phrase the "S500 pad summary according to Doc":
 
- ATH velours: more open sound, loss of bass, loss of midrange, more treble
- Senn HD25 pleathers: brings midrange more forward, sparkle off of highend.
- ATH leathers: comfy, increase bass, mids and vocals more distant, V shaped
 
Hmm #1: I should be getting the ATH leathers any friggin' day ($15CN), but based on what you have said, they might not be the right ones for me, and possibly the HD25 pleathers would work better for me. I found this link to ebay.ca (Canada) which has the HD25 pleathers for $43CN:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Original-Sennheiser-HD25-1-synthetic-leather-ear-and-head-pad-set-HD-25-c-HD25sp-/140856181451?pt=UK_AudioVisualElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Headphones&hash=item20cbaec2cb
 
Hmm #2: $43CN is a lot. Hopefully the ATH leathers do the trick for me lol! Then again, I'm quite happy with the stock pads. So, we'll just have to see!

 

[invalid404]

Hmmm.... I think I will have to get those ATH pads, and they're only 12$!