[Tuneslover]

Just chiming in here, I personally found the headband rather than the pads to be the area responsible for the majority of comfort. To that end I modded mine by thickening out the padding (and using a nicer material) to give it a better hold on my head. Once this was done the pads became secondary as the weight they were bearing was evened out nicely. 

Awesome headband modification! I have a smallish and narrow head and find that my HE500's droop down even after making the headphones as small as possible. Then the weight of them makes it difficult to get a good quality seal. I received the Focus pads for Christmas and I'm finding that it's even more difficult to get a good seal now. However if I could thicken up the headband I should be able to reduce the droop factor and get a better seal (and improve the comfort on my bald head...yeah multi challenges). Could you share with us how you made the headband cushion?

Also, could anyone provide some advice on how to change ear pads on the HE500's? I think I installed the Focus pads correctly but they seem to freely spin on the headphones so I need to constantly spin them into proper position before putting them on. Is this normal because I don't recall the original pleather pads freely spinning around?

 

[Terja]

The HE-560 has a lock in construction for the pads but the HE-500 does not (same for all pre-560 Hifiman phones). The pads spin freely around the recessed notch. I have focus pads on my HE-500 and they do not spin as much. You could try bending the tabs outwards (not too much) before reinstalling the pads, that might hold them in place more firmly.

 

[Tuneslover]

i got the g109s few days ago and brain absolutely exploded.
its meh when you like something for the first 10 min and then get used to it, but its a whole level above when you literally say wow from every sec of this setup, i literally say to myself.... holy **** man this is ******* amazing.
i enjoy every ******* second of it, and my god i didn't even started to talk about movies...:basshead:  

I'm glad you went for the G109S...sounds like you're pleased with it and your HE500's. Do you have the HD650's as well? They also sound great with the Lake People amp. Incidentally I also have a Bifrost feeding my 109.

 

[TeamHiFiMAN]

Hi,
(Sorry for the interruption.) First of all what a great year HIFIMAN just had in 2014, and 2015 is looking to be even better in every way. Thanks everyone for your support. 
 
Everyone here is very busy at preparing for the CES show starting next Tuesday in Las Vegas. This year we have built a brand new booth to show off our products. It is absolutely gorgeous!
 
How to find us you ask? You can find us at Convention Center South Hall 21806 (see map below) as well as Venetian Hotel room 30-219. 
 

 
  At either location you will have a chance to try ALL of our products ranging from full size headphones to IEMs, from portable music players to headphone amplifiers. If you run into Dr. Fang, talk to him about anything audio related (or not). You won't regret it.
 
Looking forward to meet everyone at the show. Oh...don't worry if you can't make it. We will bring you the latest news here, so stay tuned. 
 
BTW, there is ONE MORE THING! Here are a few pictures of why this show will be VERY special for us and hopefully for you.
 
 

 

[Hansotek]

 

It would be really helpful to photographic people like me. If real life could be figured out like a LEGO set, I'd be a millionaire. Go ahead and do it if you want, I'd be grateful! 

Sure! I will have them at home for a couple of days over New Year's to demo for a friend, so I will take some pics then and post something later this week.

 
I've posted a tutorial for my FocusPad-A mod, complete with pictures! You can check it out here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/748467/hansotek-s-focuspad-a-mod

 

[intlsubband]

  Hi,
(Sorry for the interruption.) First of all what a great year HIFIMAN just had in 2014, and 2015 is looking to be even better in every way. Thanks everyone for your support. 
 
Everyone here is very busy at preparing for the CES show starting next Tuesday in Las Vegas. This year we have built a brand new booth to show off our products. It is absolutely gorgeous!
 
How to find us you ask? You can find us at Convention Center South Hall 21806 (see map below) as well as Venetian Hotel room 30-219. 
 

 
  At either location you will have a chance to try ALL of our products ranging from full size headphones to IEMs, from portable music players to headphone amplifiers. If you run into Dr. Fang, talk to him about anything audio related (or not). You won't regret it.
 
Looking forward to meet everyone at the show. Oh...don't worry if you can't make it. We will bring you the latest news here, so stay tuned. 
 
BTW, there is ONE MORE THING! Here are a few pictures of why this show will be VERY special for us and hopefully for you.
 
 

 
 
Really looking forward to reading more about the HE-1000, looks gorgeous!

 

[thug behram]

[COLOR=FF0000]How do these pair with the [/COLOR][COLOR=FF0000]NFB-1[/COLOR][COLOR=FF0000]5?[/COLOR]

Anyone ?

 

[BeatsWork]

WTT: HE-500 and one Kidney for
 

 

[amigastar]

Hello,
 
I want to buy new velour pads for my HE-500 but i don't know if i should go with traditional Verlour pads or with Focus Pads.
I've heard that the Focus Pads are inspired by the Jergmod, is that true?
 
So could somebody tell me the differences between those, please? Or maybe some advice?
 
thanks.

 

[julzd]

Awesome headband modification! I have a smallish and narrow head and find that my HE500's droop down even after making the headphones as small as possible. Then the weight of them makes it difficult to get a good quality seal. I received the Focus pads for Christmas and I'm finding that it's even more difficult to get a good seal now. However if I could thicken up the headband I should be able to reduce the droop factor and get a better seal (and improve the comfort on my bald head...yeah multi challenges). Could you share with us how you made the headband cushion?

Also, could anyone provide some advice on how to change ear pads on the HE500's? I think I installed the Focus pads correctly but they seem to freely spin on the headphones so I need to constantly spin them into proper position before putting them on. Is this normal because I don't recall the original pleather pads freely spinning around?

Thanks! I was having somewhat of a similar issue too and this completely fixed it. Also, as it is built around the original headband it is completely reversible. Unfortunately I didn't take step by step pictures, but it is basically made with two overlaid strips of straight cut neoprene (as wide as the widest part of the headband) sourced from a new beer stubby holder. I tested a huge variety of materials (eg generic memory foam, harder foams, knitted cloth etc) and found this to be best for comfort and to eliminate heat patches. The 'inner' strip is cut about 2cm shorter to make up for the curve of the headband and the strips are then glued together. At this point I tested it for about 2 weeks by just wrapping it onto the inner side of the headband with strips of cloth, and it completely changed the listening experience for me. I achieved a snug, sealed and comfortable fit that proved so elusive before. It was particularly beneficial as, because the neoprene was cut without the taper of the hifiman headband, it widened the headband towards the edges so a much larger surface was connected with my head, making it more secure, tightening fit up to a comfortable level and reducing perceived weight. At this point I wanted to make the basic mod more permanent, so I removed the headband assembly and all screws I could undo on the headband. I then cut a piece of crushed velvet to fit the curve of the headband, and sewed it tightly around the entire headband assembly, while cutting two small slits to allow the plastic sections to be exposed. In this way the neoprene/velvet is not attached (so leaves no trace if it is removed). I then put the earcup pieces back on to complete it. 
 
Another more practical option I devised is to use self-adhesive cloth strip to attach the neoprene. Using this, you would just wrap it around the neoprene and the headband to achieve a similar but 'bandaged' effect. If you want the mod to be reversible and want to use this method you must first lay a thin strip of cloth on the top of the headband, so sticky residue is not left upon removal. This however is much easier than working to sew around the headband.  

 

[Tuneslover]

Thanks! I was having somewhat of a similar issue too and this completely fixed it. Also, as it is built around the original headband it is completely reversible. Unfortunately I didn't take step by step pictures, but it is basically made with two overlaid strips of straight cut neoprene (as wide as the widest part of the headband) sourced from a new beer stubby holder. I tested a huge variety of materials (eg generic memory foam, harder foams, knitted cloth etc) and found this to be best for comfort and to eliminate heat patches. The 'inner' strip is cut about 2cm shorter to make up for the curve of the headband and the strips are then glued together. At this point I tested it for about 2 weeks by just wrapping it onto the inner side of the headband with strips of cloth, and it completely changed the listening experience for me. I achieved a snug, sealed and comfortable fit that proved so elusive before. It was particularly beneficial as, because the neoprene was cut without the taper of the hifiman headband, it widened the headband towards the edges so a much larger surface was connected with my head, making it more secure, tightening fit up to a comfortable level and reducing perceived weight. At this point I wanted to make the basic mod more permanent, so I removed the headband assembly and all screws I could undo on the headband. I then cut a piece of crushed velvet to fit the curve of the headband, and sewed it tightly around the entire headband assembly, while cutting two small slits to allow the plastic sections to be exposed. In this way the neoprene/velvet is not attached (so leaves no trace if it is removed). I then put the earcup pieces back on to complete it. 

Another more practical option I devised is to use self-adhesive cloth strip to attach the neoprene. Using this, you would just wrap it around the neoprene and the headband to achieve a similar but 'bandaged' effect. If you want the mod to be reversible and want to use this method you must first lay a thin strip of cloth on the top of the headband, so sticky residue is not left upon removal. This however is much easier than working to sew around the headband.  

Thanks for the feedback, I will definitely try to rig something up. I used a small folded hand towel between my head and the headband and that definitely fixed the drooping and seal problem. Although it looked silly it certainly was comfortable...LOL. Most importantly the more accurate positioning and improved seal of the Focus pads has opened up the soundstage beautifully. The bass isn't muddy anymore, instead tight and deep. Better than the pleather pads. Love it.

 

[Tuneslover]

The HE-560 has a lock in construction for the pads but the HE-500 does not (same for all pre-560 Hifiman phones). The pads spin freely around the recessed notch. I have focus pads on my HE-500 and they do not spin as much. You could try bending the tabs outwards (not too much) before reinstalling the pads, that might hold them in place more firmly.

Thanks for your feedback, I suspect that the pleather pads spun freely all along as well but I didn't realize it because they were round and evenly flat all the way around. Obviously it's much more evident due to the thickness variation of the Focus pads, ensuring that the thicker section is at the back of the phones. It's no big deal, just a quick check of the pad position, make a minor adjustment if necessary, verify that both pads are positioned exactly the same (align the pad seam of both pads) and you're good to go.

 

[Pirakaphile]

Just got my 500s in the mail today, and I know they say at least 150 hours of burn in, but I'm listening to them already, and I like what I hear. No formal review or impressions yet, but I can say they already have more energy than my Beyer DT990s, and the bass texture is much more realistic. I can't wait for them to break in a little more.

 

[Hansotek]

Just got my 500s in the mail today, and I know they say at least 150 hours of burn in, but I'm listening to them already, and I like what I hear. No formal review or impressions yet, but I can say they already have more energy than my Beyer DT990s, and the bass texture is much more realistic. I can't wait for them to break in a little more.

Nice! That's great news!

Did you see I posted a tutorial to the FocusPad-A mod?

 

[StanD]

  Just got my 500s in the mail today, and I know they say at least 150 hours of burn in, but I'm listening to them already, and I like what I hear. No formal review or impressions yet, but I can say they already have more energy than my Beyer DT990s, and the bass texture is much more realistic. I can't wait for them to break in a little more.

Just go ahead and enjoy them. I don't believe that burn in is going to radically change the SQ, I think that's more of a belief system and it's us that burns in,