Creative Aurvana Live! Review and Mods

[Hailin]

Here are the pics of the HM5 pads. Sorry about the crappy quality and yes I have dusted since.

 

 

[kidcharlemagne]

Turtle Beach P11 pads fit the CAL too -
 

You do lose quite a bit of bass though, it's almost a totally different sound with the P11 pads. They sound leaner and airier, but still with a decent amount of punch in the bass. Also the leakage+isolation is worse

 

[Joojl]

Quote:

I did the same mod, here's a how to.

 
Thanks for the effort and great work describing!
 
Quote:

Turtle Beach P11 pads fit the CAL too -
 
 
You do lose quite a bit of bass though, it's almost a totally different sound with the P11 pads. They sound leaner and airier, but still with a decent amount of punch in the bass. Also the leakage+isolation is worse

 
Both a question for you and for anybody reading;
Is it possible to get those, or any other recommended pads in an easy way without buying new headphones?
 
Thanks!

 

[SmOgER]

Do any of those pads improve sound isolation without too much changing sound signature of cal?

 

[kidcharlemagne]

@ Joojl - HM5 pads here, P11 pads here
 
Note theyre both sold singularly, not in pairs

 

[billiek]

Hailin, could you share what you thought about your new HM5 pads and also their effect on the CAL?
 
I recently bought the CAL! and am having issues with the stock pads just fitting around the ears - a very tight fit. Girlfriend keeps telling me I have the smallest ears she's ever seen (yes, she really does this.) and I've heard some people call the CAL!s supra-aural, so I guess they aren't very large for supposedly being circum-aural. Judging from the picture the HM5 pads should mend that issue, but I'd like to hear your review before a purchase
 
Cheers,
 
billiek
 
Edit: Also, you said earlier that the fit is loose - is this something you notice/feel?

 

[Hailin]

IMO the bass goes deeper the extension is better then the stock pads. The mids push forward a tad, its a V-shaped headphone there is no getting around distant mids. The soundstage opens up a bit. It doesn't magically become a Beyerdynamic DT990, because it loses some of its mid bass punch and it doesn't have a beyers clarity it never will and it shouldn't for 60 bucks.
 
It really is all about the overall linearity of the over all frequencies. Except for that bass which opens way up and is able to reach into the sub bass territories with authority. 
So it doesn't have the claustraphobic midbass slam of a XB700 or the clarity and soundstage of a DT990pro. It is sort of in the middle of those. I would love to see someone compare them with the DT770 80's

They really are my favourite headphone that I have heard. The pads can be a sweaty but it's pleather that is the tradeoff. 
 
The fit is loose but I have never had them come off. I wouldn't go running with them, but I have cleaned and walked around the house with them on with no issues. It's not bothersome in anyway. IT's the only thing good my Brainwavz HM5s have done for me. Awful headphones the CALs walk all over them.  I will never go back to stock pads and I will never get rid of them or sell them. They will be with me forever like my Superlux 668B's.(Which was my first hard to let go of your first pair)

 

[indieroll]

Just ordered them, been watching this thread for what mods people are using. I'm excited to hear what it's like with stock, and then have a go at replacement pads if the stock are too small.

 

[henrylar]

has anybody been able to compare the extension of the original pads described in the beginning of this thread with the pads from HM5? If so, what is the difference, in sound quality and comfort?

 

[billiek]

Quote:

IMO the bass goes deeper the extension is better then the stock pads. The mids push forward a tad, its a V-shaped headphone there is no getting around distant mids. The soundstage opens up a bit. It doesn't magically become a Beyerdynamic DT990, because it loses some of its mid bass punch and it doesn't have a beyers clarity it never will and it shouldn't for 60 bucks.
 
It really is all about the overall linearity of the over all frequencies. Except for that bass which opens way up and is able to reach into the sub bass territories with authority. 
So it doesn't have the claustraphobic midbass slam of a XB700 or the clarity and soundstage of a DT990pro. It is sort of in the middle of those. I would love to see someone compare them with the DT770 80's

They really are my favourite headphone that I have heard. The pads can be a sweaty but it's pleather that is the tradeoff. 
 
The fit is loose but I have never had them come off. I wouldn't go running with them, but I have cleaned and walked around the house with them on with no issues. It's not bothersome in anyway. IT's the only thing good my Brainwavz HM5s have done for me. Awful headphones the CALs walk all over them.  I will never go back to stock pads and I will never get rid of them or sell them. They will be with me forever like my Superlux 668B's.(Which was my first hard to let go of your first pair)

 
Thank you for the reply Hailin! Another question - any improvements on isolation/leakage (not sure which term to use)? As in, does sound still leak in and out a lot? I'm guessing no difference..

 

[Hailin]

The isolation is just fine on them. When no audio is playing you can hear everything around you, when you turn the audio on it blocks out a fair amount. I don't really own any high isolating headphone though either even my IEMs are pretty awful at isolation. 
 
They don't leak that badly, but I don't listen at ear splitting levels either. So leakage is so so, never had any complaints lying in bed listening to music.

 

[billiek]

So pretty equal to the stock pads then I guess.
 
All right, seems I might order a pair just for the extra space - as I mentioned the current pads touch my ears which gets annoying after a while.

 

[indieroll]

Okay so I really do enjoy the cans, but like other people have mentioned, the pads just don't quite fit.
 
So I've been researching, and I came up with these:
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008XEYT6G/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2LXBKOLL3J3K6
 
I tried to see if anyone with d1001s tried these pads but with no results. Anyone think these will fit?

 

[Tangster]

I'll just share my latest, completely aesthetic CAL mod here Will try and get my hands on some silver wire for added bling sometime.
 

 
I still want to see what it'd look like with some cups from Martincustomaudio.

 

[ninjames]

EDIT: Nevermind. It turns out the site was down when I looked a couple weeks ago. DISREGARD ya'll.