[TMRaven]

Angling the drivers isn't a known science to give better imaging.  It's a hit or miss thing.  The HD800 pulls it off well, the AD700 sounds spacy, but has piss-poor definition.  The M50 is completely lackluster, and the LCD2 is below-average for being an open headphone.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

its a hit or miss thing for what?  you can't compare one headphone to another in that matter.  you have to compare a headphone to itself being angled and not being angled. 

 

[TMRaven]

I know what you mean about comparing apples to apples, but I'm also saying that angling the drivers through the drivers themselves or the pads won't make a headphone magically spacious and defined sounding.
 
I highly doubt there's any science behind it either-- only subjective impressions.  If you showed me data that proved otherwise I'd **** my pants.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

cause there's graphs that show how a headphone images..
every company that sells angled driver headphones says it's to get the best imaging.  So  while i don't know the exact science behind it i'm sure there is.
But while not trying to sound rude, why would all the high-end models angle the driver whether it be with pads or in the enclosure itself?
Denon's, audeze, beyerdynamic, sennheiser,  
Did you mod your jerg pads?  if so did you do the last step?

 

[ben_r_]

Well it looks like I own a pair of HE-500's now too. Jumped on a deal I just couldnt pass up. Now I need a proper amp to do some real comparisons between these two. I will only keep one, but WHICH one is the question Itll be a couple weeks before I get the HE-500 and some proper amping though. Thinking of ordering the Emotiva Mini-X A-100 now, but Im still thinking about going the Schiit Asgard 2 route...

 

[manbear]

 
every company that sells angled driver headphones says it's to get the best imaging.  So  while i don't know the exact science behind it i'm sure there is.
But while not trying to sound rude, why would all the high-end models angle the driver whether it be with pads or in the enclosure itself?
Denon's, audeze, beyerdynamic, sennheiser,  
 

I'm just being facetious, but one possible reason that all the high-end models angle the drivers is that it is the fad of the day.

I tried jerg's method of angling the pads, but I had difficulty getting the plastic rings to clip in and gave up on it. The jergpad thread suggests that angling the pads makes some difference in soundstage and imaging, so you may be right, but IDK. Something about changing the reflections on the exterior of the ear? 

 

[MattTCG]

  Well it looks like I own a pair of HE-500's now too. Jumped on a deal I just couldnt pass up. Now I need a proper amp to do some real comparisons between these two. I will only keep one, but WHICH one is the question Itll be a couple weeks before I get the HE-500 and some proper amping though. Thinking of ordering the Emotiva X-100 A1 now, but Im still thinking about going the Schiit Asgard 2 route...

 
The A2/he500 combo is pretty good. I had this setup for a couple of months and enjoyed it quite a bit. The he500 works also with the lyr which will add dynamics and some potent punch and slam in the bass region, but it will come at a premium with the lyr being about 2x as expensive as the A2. 
 
For a wildcard you could grab a vintage receiver off a local CL deal. 

 

[DoctaCosmos]

hey it could be lol.  If i were to guess i imagine that you can increase the distance of the driver to the ear by angling it thus not having a headphone that you have turn to turn side ways to walk through a door with<exaggeration
and yes the reflection of the exterior of the ear thing but its been a while since i've seen the reading on it. 
Personally, i feel that just the added distance of the driver to the ear is why i'm having great results with the denon pad.  Might be the additional angling of the pads, might not.

 

[TMRaven]

There are no graphs that show imaging of a headphone.  First off headphones never truly image in the first place.  There are factors like frequency response, clean decay, driver matching etc that help the headphone convey a really crisp stereo image.  Anything else is a component of psychoacoustics, and it just so happens that the open-ness and frequency response of the HE-400 allows to have a sound that can extend out rather deeply and layered at times.
 
I'm sure distancing the driver a bit has something to do with these companies' choices for their headphones, but I'm also pretty positive that fit has a lot to do with it as well.  Oval shaped angled pads that are thicker in the back just fit better than round, flat pads like on the HE series.  Our ears are naturally oval shape and thicker in the back.  The HD800 is really the only headphone I know of that has a very expansive sound that also doesn't give up on definition and clarity.  I've not heard any of the Stax though.
 
Yes I tried fully modding a pair of pleather pads I didn't use anymore into jergs.

 

[beaver316]

  Well it looks like I own a pair of HE-500's now too. Jumped on a deal I just couldnt pass up. Now I need a proper amp to do some real comparisons between these two. I will only keep one, but WHICH one is the question Itll be a couple weeks before I get the HE-500 and some proper amping though. Thinking of ordering the Emotiva X-100 A1 now, but Im still thinking about going the Schiit Asgard 2 route...

 
Audio-GD has some wicked powerful amps for really competitive prices. You should take a look at their site, plenty of options.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

i'm guessing my definition of dark is different/or wrong lol than what you guys see it as.  When i first put on the velour pads, the sound was airier and there was no restricting domain that the sound came from. A more open sounding headphone.  Switch back to the pleather and the sound seams to have a darker domain that the sound comes from and is less airy.
Warm is how i describe a bassier headphone

 

[DoctaCosmos]

  As manbear pointed out, it has to do with the reflections of the ear.  I have seen this too.  You can't say that it's not true if you don't know the science behind it.  Just like i can't say that it does.  On the other hand i have read that it does make for better imaging and seeing that other companies use it in their flagships says something to me. 

 

[DoctaCosmos]

i don't see how frequency response can effect stereo image.  You can get a stereo image with just one note

 

[manbear]

  Well it looks like I own a pair of HE-500's now too. Jumped on a deal I just couldnt pass up. Now I need a proper amp to do some real comparisons between these two. I will only keep one, but WHICH one is the question Itll be a couple weeks before I get the HE-500 and some proper amping though. Thinking of ordering the Emotiva X-100 A1 now, but Im still thinking about going the Schiit Asgard 2 route...

 If you get the Emotiva and decide to keep the HE-400 instead of the 500, you'll be in the same boat as me  

 I'm pretty happy with it, but I've never heard the A2 so IDK about which of those two you should get. One thing to keep in mind is that the Emotiva is a bad choice if you want to use dynamic cans with it, due to resistors screwing up the damping factor. No problem for planars though. Of course, you don't have to use resistors, but then you might have noise floor or volume travel issues depending on the headphone sensitivity. PM me if you want some details about adapters and resistors for the Emotiva. 

 

[TMRaven]

Frequency response doesn't affect stereo imaging, it affects how open sounding people perceive their headphones to be.  
 
Edit:  And yes it's not a definite thing just like the angled pads.  I've heard some exceptions here and there as well when it comes to the frequency response affecting the perceived open-ness of a headphone.