[maltronics]

  Take the drivers out of the gimbals and let the HP's hang upside down from the terminated end and heat/shape the cable with a blow drier…works excellent!

 
Joseph, how did you ever figure to try this? Now so long as it doesn't melt the cabling I will have to try it. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Loving[MAX]Sound]

   
Joseph, how did you ever figure to try this? Now so long as it doesn't melt the cabling I will have to try it. Thanks for the advice!

 
You are not literally melting the cable so much as just softening the rubber of the casing around the wire . Just a little bit of heat should be fine . The casing withstands a decent amount of heat by the way, I repaired a pair of SR80's at the office using a heat gun (for shrink tube), and the cable is fine.

 

[maltronics]

   
You are not literally melting the cable so much as just softening the rubber of the casing around the wire . Just a little bit of heat should be fine . The casing withstands a decent amount of heat by the way, I repaired a pair of SR80's at the office using a heat gun (for shrink tube), and the cable is fine.

 
Thank you LMS!

 

[Loving[MAX]Sound]

   
Thank you LMS!

 
Anytime *thumbs up*

 

[Greeni]

Speaking of cable, I use the Grado extension cords before and can definitely detect a degraduation of sound quality, so if the HP stock cable is too short, is it advisable to open the wooden cups and re-cable for longer lengths ?

 

[Guomapi]

Yes MS2i is easy to drive and not sounds harshly. 

 

[justaname]

Speaking of cable, I use the Grado extension cords before and can definitely detect a degraduation of sound quality, so if the HP stock cable is too short, is it advisable to open the wooden cups and re-cable for longer lengths ?

Could it be that the male/female end of the extension cable has very slightly oxidised hence a bad contact point?

My grados sounded off, plugged into my clip+ after being kept in storage for almost a year.

 

[Loving[MAX]Sound]

  Speaking of cable, I use the Grado extension cords before and can definitely detect a degraduation of sound quality, so if the HP stock cable is too short, is it advisable to open the wooden cups and re-cable for longer lengths ?

 
If you can hear a clear degradation of sound quality, then your cable is probably giving up, are there any kinks through the length of the cable? Also, it could also be that noise in being introduced from the surroundings. The cable (although shielded) acts as a pretty long antenna, and given the precision of these headphones, I would not be surprised if you could hear that noise coming through.
 
Edit: In my honest opinion, it is a noise issue more likely than anything else.

 

[maltronics]

  Speaking of cable, I use the Grado extension cords before and can definitely detect a degraduation of sound quality, so if the HP stock cable is too short, is it advisable to open the wooden cups and re-cable for longer lengths ?

 
Try wiping off the plugs using a soft lint free cloth. May help to remove any excess oxidation.
 
M.

 

[Loving[MAX]Sound]

   
Try wiping off the plugs using a soft lint free cloth. May help to remove any excess oxidation.
 
M.

 
Good call, because careful not to damage the gold coating on the jack though.

 

[joseph69]

   
Joseph, how did you ever figure to try this? Now so long as it doesn't melt the cabling I will have to try it. Thanks for the advice!

I've been doing this to my cables forever because I can't stand when they are kinked, and don't lay correctly…so I did it with my HP cables also. No problem ever with heat, and it doesn't take much heat/time to straighten them out, but I let them hang overnight also.
 

  Speaking of cable, I use the Grado extension cords before and can definitely detect a degraduation of sound quality, so if the HP stock cable is too short, is it advisable to open the wooden cups and re-cable for longer lengths ?

Never had any issue with the 15' Grado extension cord.
From what I understand, 15' is the maximum that should be used so there is no degradation.

 

[kite7]

I would like to remind those who are comparing headphones to please remember to use the same earpads for both. Broken in earpads especially the bowl pads make a huge difference. It is not a fair comparison to compare older grados using worn in earpads against new grados with unused earpads.

 

[maltronics]

   
Good call, because careful not to damage the gold coating on the jack though.

 
I found it rather surprising that when I went to check out the NAD Viso HP50 that for $300.00 CDN you don't even get a gold-plated plug!
 
Rather cheap of NAD don't you think? And even with the value of gold being low! Now there's potential corrosion waiting to happen!
 
BTW I didn't buy it. Grado SR125e was way better sounding to my ears.

 

[xylin6]

  I would like to remind those who are comparing headphones to please remember to use the same earpads for both. Broken in earpads especially the bowl pads make a huge difference. It is not a fair comparison to compare older grados using worn in earpads against new grados with unused earpads.

makes a massive difference you're correct.
 
i remember first getting my sr80i in late 2013 and thinking 'what in the hell?' as the volume seemed so quiet and the sound so distant compared to my four year old pair of sr60i at the same levels. and then it hit me as i was looking at my sr60i how faded and soft the pads were so i swapped them and suddenly my sr80i sounded amazing and the sr60i (with the newer pads on them) suddenly sounded too quiet and distant.ha!  it wasn't until then i realized what a huge difference ear pads make especially on grados.
 
same with my ps500e,i have two pair of L cush bowls,one pair i ordered right after i got my sr80i that are older and worn in (which i now use on my ps500e) and the pair which came with the ps500e which are basically brand new and when you swap them back and forth the difference is absolutely night and day.
 
also just a side note but to make your pads last you should once every three or four months wash them gently by hand with warm water (i.e. in the kitchen sink) using just a tiny dab of dish washing soap and then rub the soap in massaging the pads between your index finger and thumb (again gently,you don't want to tear the pads) and then rinse them until there is no trace of soap residue or bubbles left and then softly wring them out then let them dry over night before putting them back on. i've found my pads last for years this way,this also softens the pads up quite a bit.

 

[squallkiercosa]

@maltronics I think it's an unfair comparison: open/closed and they don't sound that bad. The cable is detachable and the gold plated is merely to avoid oxidation (nickel plated conduct actually better than gold plated) Grado sound is unmatchable