= HE-560 Enhancement Mod (v1.5) =

[Ham Sandwich]

   
Have you tried the Fazor version of the LCD-2?  
 
Also, I just noticed your sig after posting my last post.  It made me laugh.  
 

 

 
With that sig you might wonder why I would even bother trying the HE-560.  I did listen to a HE-560 at a meet and it seemed to be OK.  I'm now wondering if the recent versions of the HE-560 have changed compared to the version I heard at the meet.  I've listened to mine with both the Focus and Focus-A pads and neither version is what I would consider acceptable to me.  The Focus-A pads though are much more acceptable to me than the Focus pads.  The Focus pads are awful. Horrible.  Painful.  My issues though with the HE-560 are more to do with the mids around 2-4 kHz than with the treble.  The treble for the HE-560 seems to be OK for classical.  
 
Classical music needs a little more treble and upper mids than the LCD-2 delivers.  The LCD-2 Fazor doesn't quite get there. I was hoping the HE-560 would even if it needed mods.  Now I'm not sure if the HE-560 will be able to do that.  I'll see.  Otherwise I'll be waiting to see what Audeze does for their next evolution beyond the Fazor flavors.  Or be saving my pennies and dollars to contemplate affording a HE-1000 if the HE-1000 ends up being good enough for me.

 

[money4me247]

why not the lcdx or lcd3 if u like audeze's general sound?

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Too much for my blood but the he1k is suppose to be the mothership according to every single person that's tried it with talks of Stax mids/highs and a planar magnetic low.

Although Jude seems to hold the SR009 over them by a hair it seems, which imo isn't worth its tag. So now I'm taking the whole shaker of salt with his comparison.

 
A SR009 with a Cavalli LL2 would be interesting to hear.  Though it's a bit too much $ for me to consider.  I have heard the SR009 with a BHSE and that combo is too much treble and not enough spatial depth for me.
 
The HE-1000 is still $1000 more than I've ever considered spending on a headphone.  I'd need to listen to it first.  For a long enough time to know that it would be right for me before even considering spending that much money on a headphone.  Much longer than I listened to the HE-560 before taking the gamble on buying it.  You can't resell a $3K headphone like you can a $1K headphone if you end up not liking it.  At least with the HE-560 I know I can resell it if I end up don't liking it.  Not so much with a $3K headphone.  The market for $3K headphones is very small compare to $1K headphones.  And the market for people looking to buy $1K headphones isn't very large.

 

[Stillhart]

why not the lcdx or lcd3 if u like audeze's general sound?

 
I doubt he'd like the LCD-X.  Maybe the 3, but that's kinda more of the same.
 
I don't have the same love for classical music so I can't really be much help in what sounds good with it.  I have heard the HE-1000, though, and it's fantastic.  IMO, the hype is real.  I think it's WORTH $3k, but I don't know that I'd spend that much on any headphone.  Looking forward to hearing it again (this time the revised version) next weekend at Canjam.  

 

[jerg]

   
Weird, I find it actually a little more annoying to listen to with the Focus-A pads.  It's a tad sibilant on the Focus pads but there's a resonance or something on the Focus-A pads that just cuts.
 
 
 

 
Early on I wasn't a big fan of Focus-A pads + HE560s combination either, it took a while but that sound grew on me - enough that I totally dropped Focus pads from the latest rev. of this thread's mod compilation.
 
You could still stick with Focus pads if you decide to try the other steps in the mod, it just won't achieve the exact same sound I'm currently favouring with my HE560s.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

why not the lcdx or lcd3 if u like audeze's general sound?

 
Because neither the LCD-X or LCD-3F sound right to me.  Not right enought to justify a $2K cost.  At that price level a headphone has to be perfect to me.  And the LCD-X and LCD-3F are not.   I'll suffer with my LCD-2 rev2 untill I find something worthy of being better and worth the additional money.  My Cavalli Liquid Fire and LCD-2 rev2 combo does classical music well enough that I'm not suffering too badly while waiting for a better headphone.

 

[Stillhart]

   
Early on I wasn't a big fan of Focus-A pads + HE560s combination either, it took a while but that sound grew on me - enough that I totally dropped Focus pads from the latest rev. of this thread's mod compilation.
 
You could still stick with Focus pads if you decide to try the other steps in the mod, it just won't achieve the exact same sound I'm currently favouring with my HE560s.

 
I think, if nothing else, I'll do the mod to angle the pads more.  I'm not a fan of how they're a little shallower.  
 
I've been listening to the Focus-A a bit more tonight and I can see the appeal.  On certain songs, it helps a lot.  On other songs, it feels like they could use more life.  I'm going to have to give them more time and see how they feel overall with my whole collection.  

 

[Ham Sandwich]

   
I doubt he'd like the LCD-X.  Maybe the 3, but that's kinda more of the same.
 
I don't have the same love for classical music so I can't really be much help in what sounds good with it.  I have heard the HE-1000, though, and it's fantastic.  IMO, the hype is real.  I think it's WORTH $3k, but I don't know that I'd spend that much on any headphone.  Looking forward to hearing it again (this time the revised version) next weekend at Canjam.  

 
 
I don't agree with the midrange bump of the LCD-X.  It loses the spatialness that I love in the Audeze headphones.  And the LCD-3 flavors aren't enough better than the old LCD-2 rev2 that I've got to justify the cost.  Maybe the next flavor of the LCD-3 of whatever Audeze comes up with will make me buy.
 
I want to hear the HE-1000.  I can consider something at that price.  But wow.  More than I've contemplated spending on a headphone.  If it manages to hit the right buttons and do what I am after in a headphone I can do.  But wow. I'm still struggling to justify $2K headphones.  A $3K headphone is a leap.  It'll have to be really good.
 
I wish the HE-560 were better.  I had hopes.  Still struggling to justify keeping it.  It really harshes my mellow when listening to it.  And enveloping myself in that mellow is what it all is about when I'm immersed in music listening.  I do hear areas where the HE-560 is better than my LCD-2 rev2.  But the areas where it harshes my mellow just kill it for me.

 

[money4me247]

how abt a well amped he-6?

 

[Ham Sandwich]

how abt a well amped he-6?

 
I'm not looking for a speaker amp.  

 
I already have a Cavalli LF.  Planning on getting a Ragnarok soonish.  Yggy is a possibility.  I'm looking for headphone that play well with those sort of amps.  I don't want to end up with headphones that require speaker amps and amps that don't play well with other headphones.   Plus even with hearing a HE-6 from a speaker amp I still don't consider it something that could massage my mellow while listening to music.  For a similar reason why I don't own a HD-800.  The HD-800 is awesome, but not the right kind of awesome for what I'm after.

 

[money4me247]

  I'm not looking for a speaker amp.  

 
I already have a Cavalli LF.  Planning on getting a Ragnarok soonish.  Yggy is a possibility.  I'm looking for headphone that play well with those sort of amps.  I don't want to end up with headphones that require speaker amps and amps that don't play well with other headphones.   Plus even with hearing a HE-6 from a speaker amp I still don't consider it something that could massage my mellow while listening to music.  For a similar reason why I don't own a HD-800.  The HD-800 is awesome, but not the right kind of awesome for what I'm after.

I think either the cavalli LF will drive the HE-6 adequately... the Ragnarok will definitely be way more than enough power for the HE-6 as it has a speaker amp in it as well.
 
well, since you have some 'minor-type' issue with everything, how about some EQ ontop of your favorite headphones?

 

[q2klepto]

   
Very interesting "lite" adaptation of the major modifications in my guide, thanks for sharing.

 
The tape mod is something that seems to make sense, do you think it will achieve the same affect as the normal bass seal mod? Or theoretically your seal mod should/will sound better if done properly? 
 
Also - has anyone tried pad swapping the Audeze Vegan pads? Wondering if itll improve soundstage and bass quantity since the enclosure is bigger - similar to how bigger sub enclosures usually have deeper bass. 

 

[pauldgroot]

It's more likely that larger pads take away highs which leaves the lows more prominent. You have to see the space in the pads as a room, small rooms make for dry uncolored sound and a large room can echo a lot and make lows boomy.

Enclosure size would matter in a closed back headphone and then only behind the driver.

 

[q2klepto]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

  After reading this thread and understanding the concepts behind each mods. I decided to mod my HE-400i. Take note I did not follow the exact mod as documented in this thread. I just want to get my hands on modding my 400i with minimum amount of time and material needed and easiest possible way of reverting back to stock in case I didn't like the mod.
 
But I want to get as close to the concept of the mod described here as possible. Here's what I did so far.
 
1. Removed the grills and peeled off the cloth attached underneath then I re-attached the stock grills back to the cup.
 
2. With the stock earpad, I cut away the thin fabric that serves to cover the diaphragm. This is just to remove any barrier between the driver and my ear
 
3. To enhance the seal between the cup and the earpad I wrap the seam/gap with electrical tape. I took this idea from the grado tape mod.
 
 
Here's the pics of what I did so far.
 

 

 
 
 



 

 
 
I have been listening with the modded HE-400i for the last 3 hours and here's my impressions so far.
 
1. I thought I can hear more details than the stock. Especially in bass/low areas.
 
2. Treble appears to have a little more extension.
 
3. Imaging in general improved. It feels like each instruments are easier to identify and locate their position in the virtual sound stage. I'm not sure if soundstage is wider but I think it's deeper.
 
4. Bass seems tighter and hits harder. Better controlled than the stock.  Very detailed and reveals more layers.
 
5. In general, the mod gives HE-400i a little for sparkle than the stock. It's a bit brighter but nowhere as bright as my T1 of 325e. I still don't feel any fatigue after 3 hours straight and counting.
 
When I get the time to get the materials I will try the mod as documented by Jerg. From the initial results I got so far, I'm very happy. Considering I like how the stock HE-400i sound.

 

Thanks for this - i tried this mod on my own 400i, and i *think* bass quantity was increased, as well as the highs and overall volume, but i also found it a little more etched/harsh. Im afraid it could just be expectation bias. Would love for measurements to be done using this method - it would make the bass seal stupid easy to completely reverse.

 

[headwhacker]

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

Thanks for this - i tried this mod on my own 400i, and i *think* bass quantity was increased, as well as the highs and overall volume, but i also found it a little more etched/harsh. 

 
Yeah I agree it makes the sound a bit harsh on badly recorded music. But imo it improves the detail retrieval for properly recorded music, specially strings and acoustic music. When I put the stock pads now, it feels like something is missing (or it's just my bias telling me).