[dakanao]

So I did the sound deadener mod, but instead of dynamat, I put ducktape on the surface of the back driver, and I used cotton material on the earcups.
 
I don't notice any difference than before?

 

[K_19]

For those who need new pads, there's someone on ebay that is selling some that are compatible:
 
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-Replacement-Ear-Pads-Cushion-For-Creative-Aurvana-Live-Headphones-Headsets-/261654314959?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3cebcfffcf
 
 
They don't look like Creative OEM pads though; they look more like D1001 pads which are slightly different:
 

 

[dakanao]

Does anybody know what kind of earpads make the mids a little more upfront?

 

[jjgr]

I've tried the HM5 velour pads on the CAL! - and found that the sound became very splashy in the highs.  Unlistenable for my tastes.  Comfort-wise they are fantastic.  Fit-wise they seem a little big on the cans at first - but they fit just fine, and i would be comfortable that they would not come off unintentionally.  The HM5s are considerably deeper and wider.  It seems the price for all that extra ear room is that the mids and lows loose their relative impact to the highs, or possibly that the highs become overemphasized given the increased distance to the ear canal.  Maybe it's the difference between pleather and the more open velour.  In any event - i'm on the lookout for a leather/pleather memory foam pad that will fit the CAL! that maybe isn't so thick/deep, but is just a little bit wider than the stock pads.  Recommendations welcomed!!!

 

[SmOgER]

I've tried the HM5 velour pads on the CAL! - and found that the sound became very splashy in the highs.  Unlistenable for my tastes.  Comfort-wise they are fantastic.  Fit-wise they seem a little big on the cans at first - but they fit just fine, and i would be comfortable that they would not come off unintentionally.  The HM5s are considerably deeper and wider.  It seems the price for all that extra ear room is that the mids and lows loose their relative impact to the highs, or possibly that the highs become overemphasized given the increased distance to the ear canal.  Maybe it's the difference between pleather and the more open velour.  In any event - i'm on the lookout for a leather/pleather memory foam pad that will fit the CAL! that maybe isn't so thick/deep, but is just a little bit wider than the stock pads.  Recommendations welcomed!!!

I would say try EQing them first if these pads are THAT comfortable. Pretty much all the non-original pads gonna alter the sound one way or another.

 

[dakanao]

Hey, is this the Dynamat Xtreme that kingpage used?
 
http://www.navishop.nl/speakerkit-xtreme-p-10309.html

 

[dakanao]

  Just modded mine, with dynamat and fiberloft, brings out the mids and also tightens up the bass with a little loss of soundstange width everything becomes more transparent without the resonances being present in the chamber, even after using a hifiman he-500 or a phillips x2 I don't feel these phones are inferior, and definitely superior if all are run unamped, I prefer these phones to the HD558 and my DT990 pro (too much treble and the mids are too recessed not to mention sub bass extension isn't as good imo). These phones are an absolute steal for 70~ USD. 


Im looking for pad replacement wonder if other kinds of pads would change the sound, also wondering if senn momentum pads would fit. 

Where did you put the fiberloft?

 

[AlexRs]

Guys, I sure could you your opinion on something.
Last night I used my CALs for a couple of hours, everything was fine, but today when I put them on I realized that the right side speaker/driver isn't outputting sound any more.
 
I checked Windows sound settings first - it wasn't that, I then checked every inch of the headphone's cable and every joint - nothing; the right driver doesn't output anything anymore, not even the slightest sign of life when I wiggle the cable. I then opened the driver housing but nothing there either, the wires are soldered just fine.
 
Is it possible that the right side driver is burnt? This seems very odd to me because it would have had to happen literally over night, when I took them off they were ok.
 
Thanks!

 

[K_19]

That's certainly very unusual. For me, I've found that channel loss problems on headphones at this price range is mostly from loss of connection from the plug end of the headphones. I've had headphones that crapped out at the plug even with non-abusive, normal daily use. But from what you are describing it seems that you've checked for that so that's... definitely odd.
 
While these don't exactly have the most conventional materials for the drivers (bio-cellulose) which theoretically can die out over time, that's definitely not something that'd happen only after couple of years of use, we're probably talking many decades if not much longer than that (many Sony R10's from the late 80's are still running fine, for example). So I really really doubt it's the driver, especially if you didn't put any extra stress on it by overamping it or put it through excess volume, etc.
 
I'd still guess the failure is somewhere along the cable, most likely on the plug end if you didn't put these through any particular rigorous use. Perhaps check again or attempt to shorten the cable+reattach plug or do a complete recable (if you're saavy with that sort of thing. If not you could talk to a recabler but at that price point you probably may as well get a new one) since these seem to be out of commission anyway. 

 

[AlexRs]

Thank you for the lengthy response.
Yeah, ''odd'' seems to be the word of the day for me, as I didn't drop them or pull on the cable, and the last listen I gave them was at a low volume.
 
I remembered that I do have a working cable from a pair of old Senns stashed somewhere, I'll look for it in the morning and replace the current one, I guess this way I'll be able to figure out what's what and if they're salvageable.

 

[Zulkr9]

Recabling time

 

[jjgr]

UPDATE: I replaced the velour pads with the "pleather" HM5 memory foam pads, and the sound is now awesome.  Not hashy or splashy in the slightest.  The mids and lower mids may be even a shade more upfront than with the stock CAL! pads.  The pleather pads are just as spacious as the velour, and fit the CAL!s just as well (i.e they look like a shoe sized two sizes above your actual foot size - but don't actually come loose).  These are very comfortable pads on my head.  Really, I don't think I could be happier for money than i am with these $70 CAL!s, $75 balanced mode Surf.com cables and $20 HM5 memory foam pads plugged into the Pono player.  Quite impressed.   

 

[dakanao]

  UPDATE: I replaced the velour pads with the "pleather" HM5 memory foam pads, and the sound is now awesome.  Not hashy or splashy in the slightest.  The mids and lower mids may be even a shade more upfront than with the stock CAL! pads.  The pleather pads are just as spacious as the velour, and fit the CAL!s just as well (i.e they look like a shoe sized two sizes above your actual foot size - but don't actually come loose).  These are very comfortable pads on my head.  Really, I don't think I could be happier for money than i am with these $70 CAL!s, $75 balanced mode Surf.com cables and $20 HM5 memory foam pads plugged into the Pono player.  Quite impressed.   

I find the CAL! impressive even unmodded/cabled. The only thing that really bothers me, is that a lot of times the bass hits ''annoyingly'', like not equally in the center of my ears.
 
I don't know if it's the headphones fault, or that it is the particular songs which have that kind of imaging.
 
I had that same problem with the Philips Fidelio X1, and the JVC HA-S680

 

[SmOgER]

I find the potato impressive even unmodded.

 

[dakanao]

So I did the sound deadener mod with Dynamat Xtreme.
 
I'm noticing tighter bass, a more forward midrange, but less clarity and slightly harsher treble. Who else had the same expierence, and what can I do to get that clarity back they had unmodded?