$7 HD414 yellow flat pads vs. $30 Grado flat pads

[GermaniumGenie]

Hi. I just got my Alessandro MS-1's today. They are amazing! However, I've heard that flat pads are more comfortable and may improve sound quality and detail so I ordered the $7 yellow HD414 yellow flat pads yesterday. How can I make them so they are identical to the Grado flat pads? Do I have to cut a circle in the center of the foam? If so, how big should the circle be? Thanks.

 

[Oink1]

Like this...

About the size of a quater

 

[EdipisReks]

i do suggest circle modding them. the best way to do it is to press a quarter into the exact center of the pads and trace around it with a razor blade. you should get a nice even circle. they won't be identical to the flats, but they will sound pretty similar and, in my opinion, be considerably more comfortable than the Grado flats.

 

[GermaniumGenie]

thanks a lot

 

[sedminusn]

Where'd you pick up the pads for $7?

 

[dmb367]

here

I just bought a pair and I dont have any Grados, wow. They are $3.82 and shipping on my order was $3.50, just over $7 total.



Could anyone else compare Senn yellow pads to flats??

 

[sedminusn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmb367 here

Thanks. There I am googling and froogling and everything else, and they're right under my nose at the Sennheiser store. Duh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmb367 I just bought a pair and I dont have any Grados, wow. They are $3.82 and shipping on my order was $3.50, just over $7 total.

What prompted you to buy them without owning any Grados?

 

[dmb367]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedminusn What prompted you to buy them without owning any Grados?

Well I bought a SR60 thinking I'd hate it; and ended up loving it. So, of course, I sold it to buy a different pair of grados. I'm currenly looking around for some 225s. Viva el Grado!

 

[hugz]

i certainly wouldn't buy flats for ms-1. ms-1 costs what, $99? flats cost $30. no way in hell am i spending one third of the total price of my headphones on a bit of foam for them.

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hugz i certainly wouldn't buy flats for ms-1. ms-1 costs what, $99? flats cost $30. no way in hell am i spending one third of the total price of my headphones on a bit of foam for them.

I agree. For SR225's and lower, I suggest getting HD414 pads and modding them. For anything beyond that, I'd go for the flats. The headphone : pad cost ratio needs to be taken into account IMO, and needs to be 10:1 before going all-out (for me anyway, but I don't own high-end Grado's!)

,
Abe

 

[dmb367]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hugz i certainly wouldn't buy flats for ms-1. ms-1 costs what, $99? flats cost $30. no way in hell am i spending one third of the total price of my headphones on a bit of foam for them.

I kinda see it as an investment; maybe you have ms-1's now, but you might upgrade and get to use the flats on a different can you know?

 

[dag655321]

I posted this elsewhere, but it is my favorite way to soup up Grados/Allesandros. Reverse modding the HD-414 pads adds some really nice warm bass, but the sound does get a bit muddy. The muddines can be cleaned up with a good amp.

"I am new to Grado Land (or world if you prefer). I recently purchased a pair of SR-60s and have be playing with various pads ever since. I purchased a pair of bowl, and 2 pairs of HD414 pads. I love the sound of the bowl (though they lose a little bass over the stock "comfies") but the comfort is unacceptable. The closest I have been able to come to "bowl" sound without using the bowls is to "reverse" mod the 414 pads. Maybe this has been done many times over, but for those not familiar please allow me to explain.

Step 1: Purchase some HD-414 pads directly from Sennheiser (they cost 3-4 dollars a pair, so buy 2 pairs).

Step 2: Place the pads face down (with the hole facing you) on a surface that you don’t mind cutting. I used an old note pad.

Step 3: Take an xacto knife or razor blade and cut a hole in the "other" side that is the same size as the existing hole. This can also be done with scissors, or if you are lucky, a properly sized hole punch.

Step 4: Place the HD-414 pads on your Grados with the original hole facing your ears, and the newly cut hole around the driver cups.

This gives you a clear path from the drivers to your ears, while providing an extra thick layer of padding (since the “back” side of the 414 pad is thicker than the “front”). The sound is a bit more “distant”, both literally and figuratively, than the bowls, but the comfort is much improved."

 

[dmb367]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dag655321 Reverse modding the HD-414 pads adds some really nice warm bass, but the sound does get a bit muddy. The muddines can be cleaned up with a good amp.

I've heard this before and don't quite understand. Could you elaborate on muddy, or perhaps why?

 

[GermaniumGenie]

These yellow flat pads improve detail slighty, but they are somewhat uncomfortable compared to the bowls. My ears and head are small, so that may be why this is so. Part of my ear touches the middle and gets skin oil on the mesh part of the headphones. Is that bad or not? I don't know; I might switch back to the bowls.

 

[smittysan89]

Bowls are generally more comfortable for users with smaller heads and ears...