[OldSkool]

   
Compared to the pads I made based on jerg's design and modulor's guide, the Q701 pads give me more room.  I felt like the drivers were closer to my ears with the jerg pads.  I have no idea if the angling of the Q701 pads helps the sound, but I'm pretty sure that, plus the type of foam (slightly stiffer), helps with the spacing issue.
 
Give me a day or so and I'll do a quick comparison.  I'll try to give some subjective sense of the difference in sound, too.  I did not slice and dice the AKG pads.  I did attached the HE-500 mounting ring using the double-stick photo tabs (per modulor's guide), as well as the back vent using Creatology foam.  Depending on how the mounting rings look after I remove the pads, I may skip all that and just switch between pads.  I'd say it's a safe bet I will do that, as it speeds up the process.

Thurston, any pics of the Q701 pads mounted on your HE500?
 
I sold my K702s a while back, but really don't remember the pads being angled. Maybe they were and I just don't remember...

 

[ThurstonX]

Thurston, any pics of the Q701 pads mounted on your HE500?
 
I sold my K702s a while back, but really don't remember the pads being angled. Maybe they were and I just don't remember...

 
I'll try to remember to snap a few when I have time to do all the switching.  I can't snap pix of the Q701 pads sans mounting rings, as they are pretty permanently adhered with carpet tape.  But it's that simple, so it shouldn't be hard to imagine.  Tape on Q701 pads, stick to mounting rings, done... unless you plan to do the vent mod, then some consideration must be taken.  I wrote it up somewhere, maybe this thread.
 
The angle isn't severe, but it's certainly there.

 

[Mandala]

Well, as much as I wanted to hold out until March for the release of the 560, the potential for QC issues with the new model (as with any newly released product), coupled with the way too tempting reduced price of the 500 led me to pull the trigger on a pair last night. I'm really excited.

 

[koiloco]

  Well, as much as I wanted to hold out until March for the release of the 560, the potential for QC issues with the new model (as with any newly released product), coupled with the way too tempting reduced price of the 500 led me to pull the trigger on a pair last night. I'm really excited.

I think you made a very good choice.  Sometimes, we get carried away too much with new products/toy hypes these days.  It's a never ending cycle!

 

[jerrick85]

I think you made a very good choice.  Sometimes, we get carried away too much with new products/toy hypes these days.  It's a never ending cycle!

Well said. I bought mine only after the he-560 announcement. Honestly I don't have the patience to wait till march to he-560 get released, so went with he-500 instead and so far I'm really enjoying my cans without worrying too much about it's successor.

 

[headphonatic]

I recently purchased a pair of alpha pads for my He-500's, and have been tweaking them for the last couple days. I enjoy what the alpha pads can do for the He-500's, giving them superb bass extension and impact, and very impressive mid texture and overall coherency (not to mention they're stupidly comfortable). But when paired with the He-500's I felt as if they had a lack of air and treble presence, along with a slightly loose bass presentation; due to driver size and pad shape (since they were designed for the t50rp's). At the time I believed they had massive potential for tweaking, and from my t50rp modding roots, I felt that cotton stuffing could help stiffen the pads and clean up the sound.
It turned out to be quite the learning experience; the cotton's fluffiness, how spread out the cotton is when applied, where it was applied, the distance between two pieces of cotton, the thickness and of course total amount of cotton applied proved to be important factors when tweaking. Being angled pads, they don't take too kindly to slight misplacement, or cursory detail. All in all, it has been a really fun experience and I encourage those who own alpha pads to try it out. Also if your interested in how I stuffed my pads I can send pictures through pm.

 

[M-13]

Well said. I bought mine only after the he-560 announcement. Honestly I don't have the patience to wait till march to he-560 get released, so went with he-500 instead and so far I'm really enjoying my cans without worrying too much about it's successor.

Make sure you stop coming to Head-Fi around March. Haha. Otherwise you'll have many sleepless nights as the hype train rolls full steam ahead.

 

[Mandala]

I figured that since I plan on buying a Lyr later this month, that between tube rolling, cable swapping,  and possibly mods, whatever small tweaks I need to make to the sound signature I can achieve progressively through experimentation.

 

[jerrick85]

Make sure you stop coming to Head-Fi around March. Haha. Otherwise you'll have many sleepless nights as the hype train rolls full steam ahead. :evil:

Looks like I have to stay away from all the threads that mentions the new model for a while, at least till i'm looking for an upgrade.

 

[Angelbelow]

  I think you made a very good choice.  Sometimes, we get carried away too much with new products/toy hypes these days.  It's a never ending cycle!

 
Agreed.
 
I'm not going to bother with the he560. The updated HE6 model however..

 

[koiloco]

   
Agreed.
 
I'm not going to bother with the he560. The updated HE6 model however..

You are a bad bad man.  I am trying to self-control here.  

 

[ethan7000]

Do you think there will be an HE-6 upgrade though? Since the 560 is supposed to have a similar sound...

 

[koiloco]

^ I think it's in the working but for sure, it will take a lot of effort + R&D to improve the HE-6 SQ.  Typically, flagship upgrade cycle is little longer?

 

[StanD]

  ^ I think it's in the working but for sure, it will take a lot of effort + R&D to improve the HE-6 SQ.  Typically, flagship upgrade cycle is little longer?

That'll give you a little more time to save up.

 

[Angelbelow]

  You are a bad bad man.  I am trying to self-control here.  

 
^_^ Would be hard to resist for me. I originally wanted the HE6s but went with the 500s because I had the WA7 as my main amp.
 

  Do you think there will be an HE-6 upgrade though? Since the 560 is supposed to have a similar sound...

 
Just rumors so far..