[VR6ofpain]

I am a big fan of the way my HF-1's sound with my Todd flat pads, but as many have noted they are not very comfortable. After listening over my K601's for a while now, these Flat pads feel even more uncomfortable. I already have my headband bent out so the cups sit vertical (like the HP-1000 series and the SR-100/200/300). So I have tried to make them work. The skin oil thing is also not an issue, because I used these pads for months before I purchased the K601.

I always liked the comfort of the bowl pads, but can't stand the sound. My reversed HD414 pads are also very comfy (more comfy than the bowls), but they still don't sound as good as the flats. When I want to listen to rock or blues nothing beats the bass punch and somewhat rolled off/smoothed top end that the Flats give me.

Who has tried the Headphile Z-Flats? I saw someone selling them on some SR-225's:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...ghlight=z-flat
but other than that, the search function wasn't bring up much.

I don't have any interest in the Z-bowls/cpads obviously.

THANKS

 

[VR6ofpain]

So no one has the Z-flat or Z-flat port huh?

 

[sonance]

These are also called C Pads - I know there are several variations with holes and various modifications which affect the amount of bass and / or the distance from the ear. Depending on which Grados you have, and the presentation you are looking for, you might pick different pads.
Sounds like the z-flat moves the driver very close to the ear, which is not my personal favorite sort of presentation with the RS-1 or SR-225. Your mileage will most like vary.
If you do a search for C Pads you should find more threads with impressions.

Here's a link to page on headphile with the options for C Pads:
http://www.headphile.com/page16.html

 

[blessingx]

As mentioned try "c-pads" and you'll get a lot more results.

I have flat ports on my HF1.

 

[Jahn]

I use the Zeta Flat Port CPads on my HP2, and there are scattered reviews over the meet impression threads about how folks seem to dig the combo. I know I do!

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn I use the Zeta Flat Port CPads on my HP2, and there are scattered reviews over the meet impression threads about how folks seem to dig the combo. I know I do!

I'd imagine, with your ear closer to the driver like that, that it would be much closer to the original sound with a flat or a bowl, right?

 

[DrOctagon]

I have the latest ported Zeta Flat C-Pads, and I can't imagine using my RS-1s without them.

 

[VR6ofpain]

Yes I have see the site, sorry I said I didn't want a C-pad, seems people usually are refering to the Z-bowls, when they say C-pad.

Those of you who own the Z-flats, do you think they sound similar to the Todd Flats (or Grado Flats)? As I said, I can't stand the Bowls sound, but I am getting tired of the Flats lack of comfort.

Also to those of you who own Z-flats, did you get the ported version with plugs or the non-ported version (which does have small ports, though no plugs)? I swore I saw one without ports, but I wonder if that is a special order product from headphile? I would think the lack of any ports would give even more bass (similarly to taping the bowls).

I might just have to bite the $119 bullet for some Mahogany Z-flats.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio I'd imagine, with your ear closer to the driver like that, that it would be much closer to the original sound with a flat or a bowl, right?

Yep, the zeta ("Z-Flat) is closer to the sound of a flat, and the alpha (do they still call it that? oops nope they call it a "Z-Bowl" now) is closer to the sound of a bowl. I used to have the unported zetas (back then they were called betas, now called Z-flats) and man the bass was BOOMIN but maybe a bit too much for me, hehe. those didn't have ANY ports, not even miniports.

i prefer mine the way they are now, with ports. Mine have the 4 miniports, and the 4 big ports you can plug - but i leave all 8 open. still plenty of bass for me, and i feel that the sound is less congested that way too. But by nature, a circumaural pad is going to give you a bit more congestion than an open spongy pad like that supraaural grado bowl or flat.

 

[VR6ofpain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn But by nature, a circumaural pad is going to give you a bit more congestion than an open spongy pad like that supraaural grado bowl or flat.

Could you explain this please? I don't find my K601's congested by any stretch of the imagination...in fact they resolve so much more of the music than my HF-1's do...and they use a very similar circumaural pad.

 

[Salt Peanuts]

Here's what Wayne had said about my HF-1's w/ zeta flat c-pads(ported) at the NYC meet this past November.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Next, I listened to the Grado HF-1 with the Headphile comfy pad mod and the Hornet (i.e., the Ray Samuels XP-7 "mini me") with Allison Krause still singing away! Again, these gave up a lot of resolution as compared to the HP3000 but the modded HF-1 has a LOT more body and depth than what I'm used to hearing with my unmodded HF-1. The comfy pads make the HF-1 even more musical and gives them an almost Senn-like smooth and easy presentation except that the vocals are still forward as you would expect from Grado phones. Very interesting and worth exploring!

*The original post - http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showp...&postcount=180

My opinion on them pretty much mirrors that of Wayne's, though it could get bit too smooth, IMO, depending on recordings. Unfortunately, I can't do any comparison with and without them since I don't own the HF-1's anymore.

 

[VR6ofpain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salt Peanuts Here's what Wayne had said about my HF-1's w/ zeta flat c-pads(ported) at the NYC meet this past November. *The original post - http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showp...&postcount=180 My opinion on them pretty much mirrors that of Wayne's, though it could get bit too smooth, IMO, depending on recordings. Unfortunately, I can't do any comparison with and without them since I don't own the HF-1's anymore.

So are you saying that it smooths out the aggressiveness of the Grado's? I like my Flats because they take the edge/bite off my HF-1's...plus give them nice and punch bass. I can't even listen to my HF-1's with bowls anymore, after about 2 minutes I am fatigued. So smoothness is a good thing.

 

[Salt Peanuts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VR6ofpain So are you saying that it smooths out the aggressiveness of the Grado's? I like my Flats because they take the edge/bite off my HF-1's...plus give them nice and punch bass. I can't even listen to my HF-1's with bowls anymore, after about 2 minutes I am fatigued. So smoothness is a good thing.

This is from memory, so take it with the usual grain of salt, but I personally experienced no listening fatigue with HF-1's using the c-pads, and I usually used them for at least for an hour each time I used them.