[pear]

  My HM5 pads are coming in today, but I ordered the hybrid ones. Not sure if it will make a difference on fit/sound. Its not that I don't like the stock, but they are just a little shallow for me. I'm not going to waste the extra money on the Audeze pads since I don't mind the stock pads that much though. I just think really like the sound quality on these, but enjoy tinkering with the small details.

Agreed. Messing up the fantastic balanced sound with a different set of pads is also a worry. My gripe with the stock pads is mainly the size of the opening. 
 
I hope prospective buyers don't get discouraged by our discussion. The stock pads are definitely not a deal-breaker (at least for me). 
 

  There is also really no burn in time for the r70x, and I think they are one of the best bang for your buck headphones. 

 
I found this to be the case as well. And A-T were clever with the pricing. They are in the same segment as the main competition aka the HD 600. I hope A-T don't read this, but they could be charging more for the R70x and still have satisfied customers.

 

[Cloudtastrophe]

  Switching to hm5 velour added a bit more space and clarity but I'm not ready to do a full review. Not sure how the Audeze will sound but they are angled which should help soundstage and it looks comfortable. I'm waiting for my usb amp/dac for a more detailed evaluation.

Cant wait!

 

[Aradea]

I wish I could help you there. I haven't tried either, but I do own the HE-500. These are a lot lighter than the HE500, and a lot more comfortable IMO. They are both very balanced. I would probably prefer the r70X to the HE-500 out of the box. The HE500 really needs pad and cable changes, and I believe a lot of people are doing the same with the 400i. There is also really no burn in time for the r70x, and I think they are one of the best bang for your buck headphones. I prefer them to other headphones in that price range like the Phillips X2, AKG k7xx, and Meze 99 Classics. 

This certainly helps.. Thanks!

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

  I hope prospective buyers don't get discouraged by our discussion. The stock pads are definitely not a deal-breaker (at least for me).

I have the HM5 Velour and angled Pleather sitting around but I'm in no rush to swap pads from stock. If anything it'll be curiosity that gets me to swap pads to hear sound changes but as is the stock pads are well tuned.

 

[travis-bickle]

maybe the pads of the new akg k92 will fit? looks like they have a real large inner diameter.

 

[klove4252]

My hm5 Hybrid pads came in today. They fit pretty easily and feel pretty comfortable for the few minutes I tried them out for comfort. I haven't had a chance to sit down and listen to music through them yet because my pair of HD800s came in today too.

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

The Audeze microsuede pads came in today. I first switched out one pad and listened for imbalances in sound then replaced both. The main difference seems to be that the Audeze pads sound a bit darker, probably because they are thicker and further lift the ear away from the driver. The ear opening is oval and a bit bigger too. As far as fit on my AD1000x, if the HM5 pads are almost too small and have to be stretched to the max to get them on; the Audeze pads are the opposite and almost too big. I feel that they may get knocked off too easily but I'll use them awhile and see if it's an issue. They are nice but may not be worth the $60 to most people unless you have huge ears and need big thick pads. I don't have the R70x but I get the impression that it's smaller in which the HM5 pads may fit more easily and the Audeze pads would probably be too big.

 

[klove4252]

Thanks for the info Azrael. I will probably hold off on buying the Audeze then. I didn't have a chance to listen to my r70x with the HM5 hybrid pads too much today, but they were very comfortable for the 30 minutes I had them on for. For comfort, I liked them better than the shallow standard pads. 

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

  Thanks for the info Azrael. I will probably hold off on buying the Audeze then. I didn't have a chance to listen to my r70x with the HM5 hybrid pads too much today, but they were very comfortable for the 30 minutes I had them on for. For comfort, I liked them better than the shallow standard pads. 

Yeah, that was my issue with the AD1000x (and AD900x), stock pads are too shallow. I like big thick pads. The Audeze pads are super soft and comfortable but I was fine with the comfort of the velour HM5 pads. The Audeze are a bit squishier than the HM5.

 

[travis-bickle]

are there measurements of the audeze openings?

 

[Aradea]

Guys, so I've just auditioned this today and immediately bought it. For $250 its a must buy!
I understand what people say about this being a truly balanced-across-spectrum headphones.
I tried driving it using a D14 bushmaster and cypher labs theorem, it sounds really great adjusting to the sound of the amp. I mean its really obvious when I was switching between amps!

Planning to have this for a long time

 

[Cloudtastrophe]

Guys, so I've just auditioned this today and immediately bought it. For $250 its a must buy!
I understand what people say about this being a truly balanced-across-spectrum headphones.
I tried driving it using a D14 bushmaster and cypher labs theorem, it sounds really great adjusting to the sound of the amp. I mean its really obvious when I was switching between amps!

Planning to have this for a long time

Congrats! I really love mine, and since I use them at work they get more headtime than any other of my headphones. Enjoy!

 

[Cloudtastrophe]

If anyone is A/Bing pads and finds one that is both more comfortable and that doesn't change the sound signature please let me know!

 

[YtseJamer]

The R70x are $279 CAD or $200 USD @ Canada Computers

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Smoking deal!ď