[null_pointer_us]

Has anyone modded their headphones for comfort? e.g.

- different foam
- different/custom headband
- shoulder braces with shocks? (this is head-fi, after all

)

Looking at random reviews, people tend to rate my Sennheiser HD-595's as being somewhere between comfortable and very comfortable. Sadly, my experience has been quite the opposite.

Wearing them for even 30 minutes gives me a headache with a pounding sensation where the pads are (esp. on top). Plus my hair gets compressed into the shape of the pads. After a 1-2 hour gaming session, my head takes on the shape of a foam packing solution for headphones.

No, I do not have the volume too loud.

They sound great, BTW. It's just a comfort issue.

Headband:
- width is way too thin (it feels like a steel rod)
- padding is awful (the foam compresses to nearly nothing)
- tension between ear pads is too low (band ends up supporting most of the weight)

Ear pads:
- padding is great (stiff enough for support, yet not uncomfortable)
- cloth covering is good (shows dust, yet hides oil)

Advice, stories, etc. are welcome.

 

[D-Sev]

Some people buy the Beyer snap-on wraparound headband pad for other headphones, like Grados.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/whe...nd-pad-265955/

 

[lucky]

The first thing I did to my K701 was to chop off the headband limiters; otherwise, it would have been far too small to wear.

 

[cswann1]

I did something like Lucky did with my K701's. Instead of removing part of the headband suspension, I used zip-ties to secure the headband in it's fully extended position. That way the suspension does not pull the band down on my head, it just sits there, as it should imo.

I might have been able to live with them in stock form except for those crazy bumps on the underside of the band. Serious S.N.A.F.U. on AKG's part.

 

[split_brain]

Never. Not once.
You eventually just become adjusted to them.

 

[obobskivich]

I refurb'd the headband on my ESP/10's (it had gone "flat", its now a pillow again

) and replaced the earpads (which were torture) with pads from a pair of protection muffs, most comfortable pair of hp's I've ever worn now...perhaps second only to the K701 (which I haven't done a thing to, except let the leather actually break in, instead of freak out and start cutting, taping, or tying things up a week into owning it

)

 

[ear8dmg]

I haven't but I'd consider it. The headclamp effect is one of my pet hates and I've sold some much appreciated cans because of it.

If I found some uncomfortable headphones with sound that I love, I would seriously consider if it was possible to mod them to make them comfortable.

 

[ourfpshero]

i often put different earpads on headphones- especially older ones that use thin vinyl pads

 

[JesperZ]

I replaced my HFI 780's pads with velour pads.

 

[null_pointer_us]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ear8dmg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't but I'd consider it. The headclamp effect is one of my pet hates and I've sold some much appreciated cans because of it. If I found some uncomfortable headphones with sound that I love, I would seriously consider if it was possible to mod them to make them comfortable.

I found some unused window air conditioner foam, which is really just a slightly stiff, long, gray foam piece like 4 cm x 8 cm x 100 cm. This I cut to the desired thickness (2 cm?) and length and taped it under the headband from the top of one ear piece to the other.

Yes, shameless use of $6 packing tape on like-new $200 headphones.

A side effect of the tape and the foam is that the ear pieces exert more pressure on the side of my head, which means the headband now supports much less of the weight. It's not 100% perfect, but it's a start.

Once I settle on a solution, maybe I can get someone to make me a cloth/leather cover to replace (or hide) the packing tape.

 

[limpidglitch]

Bending/remodeling the grado headband.
Done patiently it can make them a sheer pleasure to wear, even without music.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I usually repair the pads on my vintage cans - sometimes with new foam, sometimes just with new lambskin. Not just for comfort though, also to fine-tune the sound.

 

[boomy3555]

I pit a lambskin seatbelt cover over the flat rubber headband of my FostexT50RP's and a gel rubber wrist pad (Keyboard/mouse) upside down on the AKG's but no other pads or adjustments.

 

[null_pointer_us]

I like the gel pad idea. Memory foam might also work.

How much better was the gel pad than the stock headband, and what material was it?

 

[guyx1992]

I'm thinking of modding my MS-1 for comfort. I heard that the HD414 makes it more comfy, plus I'm thinking of re cabling it to a more flexible cable.