HD800 modification thread

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haloxt /img/forum/go_quote.gif Several months ago I compared short cables (cannibalized from various stock cables and terminated with ultrasone screw-in plugs) and stock 15 and 10 ft ultrasone cables, and I agree with what Jazz says that shorter sounds better. I made a 2 foot one out of stock cable and it was very nice, things sounded quite a bit closer, and I don't just mean the mp3 player or desktop amp connected to the hfi-2200 or pro 900 I was using.

I have reterminated or recabled many of my phones in the past. Often with shorter cables because the original cables were too long--for tangling, not sonic, purposes. I perceived no difference whatsoever.

 

[spinali]

I'm not sure if I noticed a great improvement, except a slight muffling. I like the concise sound of the HD800, but in any case, it was a worthwhile experiment.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I'm modding my HD800 sound by matching them to the proper source/amp/cable.

 

[Currawong]

I noticed when people posted their HD-800 graphs from Sennheiser that there were significant differences, so I see no harm in doing a slight bit of acoustical tuning with a pair if someone feels it helps. However, you do get tonal changes from the positioning of them on your head, so determining what was going on would be a bit difficult.

Funny thread though. I almost spluttered food all over my keyboard.

Edit: I was wrong about the resistance.

 

[Donald North]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif BTW, the HD-800 stock cable has 1k of resistance, so cutting it shorter might have some effect I imagine.

How can the stock cable have 1000 ohm resistance?

 

[haloxt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have reterminated or recabled many of my phones in the past. Often with shorter cables because the original cables were too long--for tangling, not sonic, purposes. I perceived no difference whatsoever.

Trying varying lengths of extension cables vs. no extension cable is a better way to test it because then you can keep swapping to see if you perceive a difference. I wouldn't feel certain about whether cable length could make a difference unless I have A/B'ed it many times.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donald North /img/forum/go_quote.gif How can the stock cable have 1000 ohm resistance?

Edit: I was wrong.

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif BTW, the HD-800 stock cable has 1k of resistance, so cutting it shorter might have some effect I imagine.

That is a useless figure without context. 1k of resistance from where, to where?

 

[Currawong]

Beefy: I just found both bits of my HD-800 cable and I was wrong.

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif Beefy: I just found both bits of my HD-800 cable and I was wrong.

No worries then. It all sounded a bit odd to be correct!

You might get close to 1k if you were to measure straight across the drivers with a multimeter. Then you are just measuring the impedance of both drivers in series across ground at 0Hz.

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinali /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not sure if I noticed a great improvement, except a slight muffling. I like the concise sound of the HD800, but in any case, it was a worthwhile experiment.

Good to finally get an impression in this thread and to see spinali posting.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have reterminated or recabled many of my phones in the past. Often with shorter cables because the original cables were too long--for tangling, not sonic, purposes. I perceived no difference whatsoever.

Admit it: You weren't paying attention to sonic differences because you didn't expect them and they weren't the goal of the procedure. Moreover you don't hear differences among cables anyway.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually, JaZZ has been saying this same thing for years regarding other Senn cables and aftermarket cables. Not sure why this one seems to be so outlandish in peoples' minds.

True! I have shortened the HD 650 stock cable with the very same result: smoother an clearer sound.

To those who don't believe it: Just don't beieve it.
.

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaZZ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Admit it: You weren't paying attention to sonic differences because you didn't expect them and they weren't the goal of the procedure. Moreover you don't hear differences among cables anyway.

Admit it: You were paying extreme attention, because you expected differences, being the specific goal of the procedure. Moreover you do hear differences because that is your pre-conceived notion of the mod.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beefy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Admit it: You were paying extreme attention, because you expected differences, being the specific goal of the procedure. Moreover you do hear differences because that is your pre-conceived notion of the mod.

You aren't the Monkey, are you?
.

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaZZ /img/forum/go_quote.gif You aren't the Monkey, are you?

Oh no, you've discovered my plan! You're actually right; I signed up a year and a half ago under a stupid alias, with a new persona, made 1200 posts...... all just to back myself up in one silly little argument about mods on a set of phones that I didn't even know existed at that time.

Whatever will I, The Monkey, do now?