[Thujone]

Quote:

I guess the reason that high end headphones seem to have better pads with most of these modifications is the manufacture cost and effort. A lot of headphones would probably benefit from these mods?

I've been curious about cutting extra holes in my 840 pads for my T50RP's to mellow out the highs. Apparently it's been done before.

 

[modulor]

Quote:

I've been curious about cutting extra holes in my 840 pads for my T50RP's to mellow out the highs. Apparently it's been done before.

Yeah, you could technically add holes to dampen any pad that doesn't have them already.  This looks like a job for science! 

 

[Alexein Aner]

I can't use OP's recommended link [headband accessory] because I live in Canada. Is there an alternative to paying $35 CAN?:
 
 http://www.amazon.ca/Replacement-Leatherette-Universal-Sennheiser-Beyerdynamic/dp/B00AXE7XVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375901651&sr=8-1&keywords=universal+Headband+Comfort+Cushion
 
Seems a little shady...

 

[Thujone]

Quote:

I can't use OP's recommended link [headband accessory] because I live in Canada. Is there an alternative to paying $35 CAN?:
 
 http://www.amazon.ca/Replacement-Leatherette-Universal-Sennheiser-Beyerdynamic/dp/B00AXE7XVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375901651&sr=8-1&keywords=universal+Headband+Comfort+Cushion
 
Seems a little shady...

Look for them on ebay.

 

[kstuart]

Quote:

I guess the reason that high end headphones seem to have better pads with most of these modifications is the manufacture cost and effort. A lot of headphones would probably benefit from these mods?

The concept is exactly the same as room treatment.
 
When you are wearing headphones, the "speakers" (drivers) are in a "room" with your ears that only consists of the pads.
 
If you carpet the walls of your listening room, or cover the walls with wood paneling, then your speakers sound darker or brighter respectively.
 
Similar changes in ear pads affect the headphone sound in the same way.
 
( So who is going to be the first to try wooden ear pads ? 

)

 

[nicholars]

Yes but most pads are not optimal in that case, because most pads on any headphones under about £500 do not have mods similar to jergpad... Maybe they do not need them or are tuned around the pads... Or maybe they would improve but it was too tricky to manufacture and lowered profit margins...

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Yes but most pads are not optimal in that case, because most pads on any headphones under about £500 do not have mods similar to jergpad... Maybe they do not need them or are tuned around the pads... Or maybe they would improve but it was too tricky to manufacture and lowered profit margins...

Or maybe the transducers in most mid~low-fi headphones are not transparent / detailed enough to be significantly impacted by small changes in their pads.

 

[modulor]

Quote:

Or maybe the transducers in most mid~low-fi headphones are not transparent / detailed enough to be significantly impacted by small changes in their pads.

Possibly, though I've read of people changing up the pads on the PortaPro with Grado/Senn foam pads or Senn pleathers alters the sound presentation quite a bit.  Different type of pads in this instance, but I suspect that any material that would absorb/dampen the sound would alter it for better or worse depending.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Possibly, though I've read of people changing up the pads on the PortaPro with Grado/Senn foam pads or Senn pleathers alters the sound presentation quite a bit.  Different type of pads in this instance, but I suspect that any material that would absorb/dampen the sound would alter it for better or worse depending.

Yeah but those are pretty drastic changes, ofc the sound would change.
 
What I mean is, subtle modifications (poking a few holes on the undersides of earpads, or taping the pads to the driver cup, or tucking a few pieces of hard foam under the pads, etc) aren't going to be noticeable, or will be significantly less noticeable, with "lesser" transducers.

 

[nicholars]

Although the mids, bass and treble are better with the part 1 of the mod... I would still like to improve the treble.... Do any of the other mods affect the treble?

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Although the mids, bass and treble are better with the part 1 of the mod... I would still like to improve the treble.... Do any of the other mods affect the treble?

Treble is hard to mess with, apart from pad-rolling and some degree of pad modifications (i.e. what you have done thus far). I have tried various foam/fabric materials directly layered on the drivers for attenuating HE400's treble, and have had various levels of success.
 
The gist is that it is hard to push down the treble with those methods without messing up something else (e.g. introducing cupped reverberations). In the end if treble is still not tolerable you might wanna just switch to another headphone.

 

[steste1122]

Hi, long time lurker, first time poster.  UPS man just dropped off my HE-400's and he will be back Friday with my Magni/Modi combo.  So far I am really enjoying these.  Till my Schitt gets here I am using my computers onboard soundcard.  It has a TI NE5532 Premium Headset Amplifier built into the motherboard.  Its getting the job done for now.  I been reading parts of this thread however its kinda hard as its over 800 pages now.  Anyway, just saying hi.

 

[kstuart]

Quote:

Quote:

Yes but most pads are not optimal in that case, because most pads on any headphones under about £500 do not have mods similar to jergpad... Maybe they do not need them or are tuned around the pads... Or maybe they would improve but it was too tricky to manufacture and lowered profit margins...

Or maybe the transducers in most mid~low-fi headphones are not transparent / detailed enough to be significantly impacted by small changes in their pads.

No, I think the "profit margins" comment is closer.
 
Companies that have multiple products at multiple price points, tend to include improvements only in the more expensive items, just to make sure that the cheaper ones aren't too good and reduce sales of the expensive ones.
 
For example, Sennheiser HD518 have crappy plastic pads, while the HD558 have nice velour ones.   The velour ones, in quantities needed for world-wide distribution, barely cost any more.   But it helps to give people reasons to buy the HD558 instead.
 
Note that the head of HiFiMan has had surprisingly negative comments about the sound signature of the HE-400 - indicating that the bass response is designed to please crowds of unsophisticated buyers.   I doubt that he would be inclined to create anything like Jergpads that would add only a few dollars to the cost, but would lower sales of the HE-500s....

 

[Zuckfun]

Note that the head of HiFiMan has had surprisingly negative comments about the sound signature of the HE-400 - indicating that the bass response is designed to please crowds of unsophisticated buyers.   I doubt that he would be inclined to create anything like Jergpads that would add only a few dollars to the cost, but would lower sales of the HE-500s....

Is there a link or a source for these comments from HiFiMan? I'm interested to read more about this...

 

[nicholars]

Personally I think people who associate good bass response with "unsophisticated buyers" are idiots. Really annoys me when I say I like bass and people suggest beats or bose or similar...