[Land-O-The-Free]

How do these compare to the Fidelio X2's?

 

[leblabbiy]

  OK my pads are kaput. Which pads will get me the closest thing to the stock pads? HD 280, S750, or HM5? I hear the HM5 and 280's potentially significantly alter the sound. I don't want that. I want the sound I got when I got these things out of the box. Nuts to me I can't get the same pads again. I don't want more bass and less soundstage, etc, I want the original sound of the K545 that I fell in love with. Any ideas? Tips in this regard will be mach appreciated.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X5ISRGI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_2&smid=A2XYIDHW2C10EQ
 
These supposedly fit.

 

[kingofzero]

I'm looking for a pair of closed over-ear cans for semi portable use, I will be plugging these in to a Xperia Z3 Compact.. will they require more juice or will my phone be up to the task?

Do they isolate well?

 

[dweaver]

They will work fine from your phone. Isolation is average for an over ear headphone which is to say it OK but not great.

 

[kingofzero]

They will work fine from your phone. Isolation is average for an over ear headphone which is to say it OK but not great.

Thanks! I noticed you also have to Momentum On-ear, how do they compare?

 

[zombywoof]

Thanks! I noticed you also have to Momentum On-ear, how do they compare?

The K545 are my main portable headphones and get used daily. in my opinion, the K545 isolate better than the MOE (which I have previously owned), but not well enough to use in place of noise cancelling headphones: for example, on a plane.

 

[dweaver]

I don't own the MOE anymore so can't really test but I would say they would be somewhat similar maybe a bit less than the K545.

 

[Buzzkill93]

How do these compare to the Fidelio X2's?

Two completely different headphones in every category. The X2's are open, bassy and definitely NOT portable. These are closed, neutral-ish and portable. Can't even compare.

 

[Mad Max]

Two completely different headphones in every category. The X2's are open, bassy and definitely NOT portable. These are closed, neutral-ish and portable. Can't even compare.

 
Heck, I've read X2 is comparable to HD650.  K545 doesn't touch HD650.
 
 
On a side note, though MOE presents a different signature than K545, K545 is all-around higher fidelity, in my opinion.
 
 
 
 
Well, I ditched the SRH750 pads now as they hardened and became uncomfortable.
Then with HM5 pads, this is what it takes to flatten out the treble/uppermids balance relative to the lower mids to my ears (with my ear resonances attenuated in a separate instance):
 

 
I'll try a few 90mm pads off the 'bay, HM5s are just too big, resulting in too much treble/uppermids boost.
Stock pads render the best balance indeed, but at quite an expense in sound quality.
 
For anyone wondering what that little rubber cup behind the magnet of each driver inside does, it is apparently a bass compressor.  Like applying a multiband compressor effect to the sound, and it's for flattening out the bass here.  The effect is most pronounced in K553, and I think K550 and 551 have it as well.  Removing it will render little bit stronger midbass, and all of the bass becomes much more dynamic, resolving, and articulate as a result, though stock pads will kill some of the potential improvement.
But then you will leave more room in the cups for more cup resonances, so I recommend that fiberfill be added to mitigate the issue.  Too much and you will muffle the sound, the material is too light to measure with simple scales, so you'll have to judge it by ear.
You can add fiberfill without removing the rubber cup, too, and trade coloration and cup reverb for more details and transparency.  This mod has no drawbacks, but it will take a little tinkering to get the right amount.
 

 
Or with rubber cup removed:
 

 
 
Studio speakers are like this already, which inspired me to try fiberfill:
 

 

[Buzzkill93]

What app are you using for equalization?

 

[Mad Max]

DMG Audio's EQuilibrium.  Awesome EQ.

 

[Buzzkill93]

Thanks!

 

[killz4gold]

Did anyone tried JBL E50 earpads ???
will those fit ?

 

[gafferrrr]

hi I brought a set of these and have lightly mod them and now they sound amazing the mod was take the pads of take of the papering that surrounds the driver but keep it if you want to put them back to stock then  take a star bit to take the five strews to take the baffle fronts of there is no damping behind the drive unit and this causes resonances which you don't want get some pink medical tape and and put two layers in the  the void in the cupes then put them back together better controlled and extended bass  better imagin and and soundstage and if you don't like it reverse what you have done have fun gareth this is the tape Fast Aid Zinc Oxide Non-Stretch Tape 2.5cm x 5m

 

[serafko]

Pictures please.