[infinitefurby]

I've been using the stock bowls on my HF-1s for about a month now, but on a whim decided to reverse them tonight. The impact on Metallica's "Master of Puppets" is just crazy with the reversed bowls. There's a bit less treble energy as well, so I'd think the reversed bowls might not be as fatiguing.

For a while I've been thinking of trying Todd's flats or Senn 414 pads. How do they compare to the (reversed) bowls on HF-1s? And what's your favorite?

Definitely digging the bass on these reversed bowls!

 

[kramer5150]

I use the OEM ones all the time. When I want more bass kick and mids I use the old soggy bowls from my MS2.

Garrett

 

[MexicanDragon]

Hey... my 2cents.

I've tried the bowls, stock 414's, mod 414's, and reverse mod 414's, and ratshack comfies. Depends on the music i'm listening to, but I like bowls with Yoshimi, reverse 414's are really comfy, but they get too hot for me after a while. I, actually, really like the ratshack comfies. Tremendous bass from them with those pads, but it compresses the soundstage a little, they sound a little more congested, a little less refined, but its interesting for a lot of music. Senns are only 3.61$ or so, but get about 3 pairs so shipping doesn't make them 7$ for a set, but more like 4.50$ a set. Also, the ratshacks are only about 3.99$. If you don't already have an order coming from todd, I'd probably wait on the flats til you have the need to get something else from todd, so you're not doing 35$ for flats instead of 30$. Also, czech the FS forums for a set. I really want to try flats next, I'm thinking it'd be the perfect pad for me. I just think its worth throwing down 15$ for 4 sets (set up a quarter mod or vwap-style 414, then do a reverse 414 side by side, use the first set you do as practice, just incase the cutting job isn't perfect). Comfies are nice to have around for a change as well. If you find used flats for 20$ shipped (which i've seen come up before), then for about the cost of new flats, you could have about 3 different non-bowl flats.

If that's two cents worth... i think too cheaply...

**BRENT**

 

[Lisa]

bowls

 

[iSleipnir]

I like the bowls the way they came withe. It took a me a while to get used to them after the mod 414's I was using with my 125 but I like the overall sound better

 

[ScubaSteve87]

I was all about the flats with the 325i, but with the HF-1 I think the highs get a little to muddy and the sound stage collapses a little to much. When I listen to rap I sometimes still swtich to flats, but most of the time I am still using bowls. For me, the bowls provide much more quantity of bass but not quality. Basically HF-1 is bowls all the way

 

[fatko]

i use reversed bowls for my SR325i
coz it is reall sharpe in highs

 

[CD44hi]

Bowls as I feel I strike a great balance of clean highs, good bass and sweecht midrange. It's all about the mids baby!
cd..

 

[Blainethepain]

I use bowls all the time now.

I bought some flats about 6 months ago to use with some MS2i but found that everything was far too muffled sounding for my ears & it was the same when I put them on the HF-1. Ended up giving them to a friend for use with his MS-1. He really likes them.

Pete.

 

[Kameleon]

Between bowls, reversed bowls, and flats, I'm loving the flats.

 

[kwitel]

Bowls come with the Hf-1's for a reason...ive tried everything else, and IMO they are the best.
414, reverse mods are comfy, but suck the soundstage out.
Ill never understand how people listen to reverse bowls, to me the most uncomfortable and too close to my ear.
You might as well just not wear any pads.

 

[grignr]

IMO the stock bowls sound best but they hurt my ears so freakin' much that I suspect Grado is kept solvent by masochists. I'm currently using Tod's flats for the sole reason that they hurt the least of the three pads I've tried.

I wish I could figure out a way to mod my HF-1's or HD25's to take Senn 470 pads. For all the abuse the 470 takes about its sound quality, they're still the most comfortable cans I've ever worn... other than the music, you almost don't even realize you're wearing them at all.. *sigh*

My advice to you is to stick with the stock bowls and buy yourself a gimp suit.

 

[wolfen68]

Another forum member (gorthon) and myself spent a couple of hours this last weekend comparing different pads on our HF-1's. We tried bowls, reversed bowls, modded senns, and reversed modded senns. I've concluded I like the stock bowl the best. On my former SR225's, I was a 100% modded Senn pad fan.

Gorthon concluded that the reverse bowls are for him with the reversed senns being a close second. I have to agree, the two pads reversed do have a very similar sound.

 

[Lisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grignr IMO the stock bowls sound best but they hurt my ears so freakin' much that I suspect Grado is kept solvent by masochists. I'm currently using Tod's flats for the sole reason that they hurt the least of the three pads I've tried. I wish I could figure out a way to mod my HF-1's or HD25's to take Senn 470 pads. For all the abuse the 470 takes about its sound quality, they're still the most comfortable cans I've ever worn... other than the music, you almost don't even realize you're wearing them at all.. *sigh* My advice to you is to stick with the stock bowls and buy yourself a gimp suit.

Í've got two pieces of velour cloth with holes in them that fit over the the part where the bowls touch your ears. It takes a bit longer to put the headphones on but it sure does increase the comfort.

 

[Big G]

Does everyone elses ears fit inside the bowls? I have fairly small ears and they fit entirely inside, forming a solid seal, so good solid bass.
Only downside is that my ear cartilage touches the screen in one spot, took a few months for it to toughen up, now it doesnt bother me,
I fall asleep with them on every night.

I would have to agree that the HF-1 is perfectly suited to bowls, compared to my previous SR80's that kind of needed to be tamed down using vwaps.

I find the overall sound to be nicely balanced with bowls, I tried vwaps last night for around 30 mins, and went right back to bowls.