[jsmiller58]

if published graphs are anything to go by, there is a dip at 2kHz and a small peak at 4kHz.
in practice , they seem to be correct.
if yours is not new , then resort to parametric equalizing at 4kHz just a couple of dB's. it is better than using anything on the front of the diaphragm. if it is new, just let them play for a few days, not listening to them.
When I get to put in the fazors , I shall report back.
btw , how do they compare to Sundaras ?

Thanks - I will let the 560s burn in for a few days, then I will compare them to the Sundaras and let you know!

 

[Kentajalli]

Eureka!
I did say I was a tinkerer, so I did tinker.
This is a preliminary report, but the mods I have implemented have improved, almost solved the issues I had with this headphone.
Read on.
The Aim:
We all know, HE-560 is a capable pair of headphones, but its tuning is not right. It is bright (too bright for me) and has peaks and suck-outs in the midrange, namely the suck-out at about 2kHz, peak at 4kHz and generally rising treble. There is also a wide-band gentle low-mid to bass roll off.
The headphones do get better with burning in, more than I had expected, but the core issues don't go away. I wondered if I could help the tuning.

This is the FR from a V2, but I doubt if V4 (mine) is much different. The gentle roll-off is there from 400Hz downwards, so are 2kHz and 4kHz anomolies. I am not too sure about the notch at 6kHz. The rising treble and the midrange peak sounded almost like distortion to me.
At any rate, the up & down curve above looks like interference pattern to me.
The Mod:

This is what HE560's driver looks like with the back cover removed. The parallel bars are the magnets, the case is metalized plastic, the driver is securely bolted to it, with good felt washers around the driver. The inside of the case is just shiny metalized plastic (very reflective). The back cover is a perforated steel, with a fine plastic mesh covering the underside to protect against fine particles getting inside and on the diaphragm.
I treated all three parts.
I cut a strip of soft thin real leather (from an old jacket!), used a very thin (0.3mm) gel type double sided tape to stick the shiny leather side to the inside of the case, covering that acoustically reflective plastic inner side wall.

The magnet-bar's cross section is a square , 4mm wide by 2mm thick, with sharp edges. Sound radiation coming through this grid is bound to get refracted.
Audeze, uses a technique called Fazor to reduce refraction.

Hifiman HE-1000 seems to have a half-round grid, similar to Fazors, curious!

So , I used some half-round 4mm brass bars (same width as the magnets), cut into little strips, carefully put a very thin (0.2mm) gel type double sided tape using a little jig I made to make a neat job, and stuck them on the back of the magnets. I did not have enough to cover all magnets, but I shall get some more soon.

I put my "Fazors" on the larger centre magnets for now. I was careful so that they lined up as well as I could. The gel tape is very sticky, but it can come off, leaving no residue, as it has no actual adhesive, it sticks by air pressure! The magnet-gel-brass laminate is acoustically dead by default! so this arrangement would kill any acoustic ringing on the magnet bars.
Lastly, I used the same thin gel tape on the underside of the back plate , not only to better stick the fine mesh to it, but also stop the steel plate vibrating. Hopefully the ridge pattern reduces any acoustic reflection from the steel plate.

Results:
- Bass is improved in quantity, not sure on quality! there is definitely more bass, specially upper bass, bass punch is improved, I have switched off my EQ on bass.
- Lower mid is boosted and cleaned up, there is more meat on the bones! that pesky 4kHz peak is gone! it was a distortion, I have switched off my EQ at 2kHz and 4Khz. Vocals are fuller, the rasp is gone.
- Upper treble at around 11kHz is boosted a little, I don't like bright treble, I have to EQ it out by 1.5dB only.
- Sound stage feels slightly reduced, perhaps because now I can pinpoint instruments a lot better, it is a lot less all-over-the-place if you know what I mean.
- Completely removing the back plate has no audible effect.
- I am contemplating extending the "Mod" to Focus pads too.

So far (still early days) I am very satisfied! I would have been happy with half of these results.

 

[SilverEars]

Any measurements of 560 from a GRA rig? I'm really curious if it shows the treble area I really disliked.

 

[Kentajalli]

Any measurements of 560 from a GRA rig? I'm really curious if it shows the treble area I really disliked.

I have nothing to test it with, sorry.

 

[Kentajalli]

Got some more brass bars to finish the job.

 

[SilverEars]

Interesting there are different kinds of fazors. I thought they were plastic thingys with openings that went over Audeze planars.

 

[jsmiller58]

Got some more brass bars to finish the job.

Really, really nice!

 

[Kentajalli]

Interesting there are different kinds of fazors. I thought they were plastic thingys with openings that went over Audeze planars.

I thought long before using these brass bars.
My thinking was as follows:
- For "Fazor" to work in the sense to limit sound refracting on the edges of the magnet, the Fazor has to sit flush on it, if not, refraction occurs but to a lesser degree. The less the gap, the better it works.
- Fazors should have no "sound" of their own, nor should they store much energy. I could have used plastic, but the plastic available could vibrate itself. This meant solid metal, or solid hard plastic, such as Perspex (Acrylic).
- It also occurred to me that, there must be an equal and opposite force on the magnet bars as there is on the diaphragm! the magnetic force pushes and pulls both the magnets and the diaphragm. What if the magnets were actually vibrating with music? in reality we were listening to both vibrations, the diaphragm and the magnets (whole assembly).
- I decided on metal half-round bars of the same width as the magnets, brass or Alu. didn't matter, couldn't get the right Alu! couldn't use steel, it is magnetic!
- The choice of glue was important. If I had used an adhesive that cured, it could produce fumes that could damage the diaphragm, I didn't know. So I decided on thinnest gel type double sided tape. They were strong, no curing, could get it in right width and only 0.2mm thick. They also have an acoustic dampening effect. Like chewing gum!
- The solid brass bars are very stiff, the tape holds it firmly on the magnet, they are not magnetic. The two metal sections with a gel laminate become sonically dead. So not only I had Fazors in place, but also stiffened and dampen the magnet assembly. Hopefully it would be just the diaphragms that vibrate.
- Using a leather strip on the side wall was an easy choice. Suede does not reflect sound, I had used it on speaker tweeter mods before, successfully.

My EQ before and after the Mod. On most quality recordings , I switch EQ off. But it is not just the tuning that has changed, everything is cleaner, less congested, less distorted - treble is resolving much better.

 

[Strat1117]

Just picked up an NOS pair of HE560 for $275 on flea bay, just to play around with. I immediately replaced the stock cord with mogami, and I have some thicker Audeze style all leather earpads on the way, but the truth is that (after only about 100 hours ‘break in’), I rather like them. No, they don’t have lcd-x bass, or sennheiser liquid midrange, but I rather enjoy the whole package. I find them much more interesting and dynamic than either the Sundara or the Ananda, both of which I bought and returned after two weeks because I found the bass response unacceptably soft and the overall presentation beautiful but boring. The he560 have no such issue, nor do I find my pair to be overly bright (using an old burson soloist class A amp) as some have said. We’ll see if the QC becomes an issue, but I say that only based upon reputation - my pair look perfect (I do like the look of the wood rings) and have no QC issues I can detect. I’m a happy camper.

 

[Za Warudo]

Does anyone have a solution to replace the headband strap (for the hybrid headband) other than buying the full headband assembly ($75) from HFM? Mine is on its last legs and the headband strap I see on Amazon/Aliexpress doesn't have the clip that slides into the headband.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Just picked up an NOS pair of HE560 for $275 on flea bay, just to play around with. I immediately replaced the stock cord with mogami, and I have some thicker Audeze style all leather earpads on the way, but the truth is that (after only about 100 hours ‘break in’), I rather like them. No, they don’t have lcd-x bass, or sennheiser liquid midrange, but I rather enjoy the whole package. I find them much more interesting and dynamic than either the Sundara or the Ananda, both of which I bought and returned after two weeks because I found the bass response unacceptably soft and the overall presentation beautiful but boring. The he560 have no such issue, nor do I find my pair to be overly bright (using an old burson soloist class A amp) as some have said. We’ll see if the QC becomes an issue, but I say that only based upon reputation - my pair look perfect (I do like the look of the wood rings) and have no QC issues I can detect. I’m a happy camper.

Pad rolling is certainly fun with 560s -- can definitely move the sound around a fair amount.

I (relatively) recently got some alt ZMF pads for my Auteur. One set were Universe Suede -- didn't like them at all w/ Auteur, but they work very well on my HE-560s. Bring up the mids a bit to reduce the V-shaped sound some, without 'damaging' either frequency extreme.

It'll be interesting to hear if the deeper Audeze pads will improve the sound or you.

 

[Strat1117]

Pad rolling is certainly fun with 560s -- can definitely move the sound around a fair amount.

I (relatively) recently got some alt ZMF pads for my Auteur. One set were Universe Suede -- didn't like them at all w/ Auteur, but they work very well on my HE-560s. Bring up the mids a bit to reduce the V-shaped sound some, without 'damaging' either frequency extreme.

It'll be interesting to hear if the deeper Audeze pads will improve the sound or you.

After a few days I am really liking these Defean all leather pads ($46 on Amazon). They’re not as dense and ‘viscous’ as the authentic Audeze stick-on pads, but they're also not as stiff and straight-edged as the Dekonis. They’re definitely more like the Audeze, which is to my personal preference. Not too hard, not too soft - comfort for me is excellent. The included plastic rings are a perfect fit, so installation is no more or less of a pain in the neck than the oem pads. Sonically, I’d say they bring the bass up just a tad, so it sounds both more extended and punchier. Above the bass they are as clear and speedy and well defined and precise as ever. I never heard the excessive upper midrange brightness on my pair, so I can’t say these pads ameliorated that, but I do not hear even a hint of brightness or sibilance, while the treble remains extended and crystalline. Very happy with these pads and with the he560 overall. Good stuff.

NB: My comments are based upon the sound with the oem cable. The aftermarket custom cable in the photo developed an intermittent connection in the left channel and was removed for the time being until it can be replaced or repaired.

 

[Strat1117]

Deleted double post.

 

[Kentajalli]

Eureka!
I did say I was a tinkerer, so I did tinker.
This is a preliminary report, but the mods I have implemented have improved, almost solved the issues I had with this headphone.
Read on.
The Aim:
We all know, HE-560 is a capable pair of headphones, but its tuning is not right. It is bright (too bright for me) and has peaks and suck-outs in the midrange, namely the suck-out at about 2kHz, peak at 4kHz and generally rising treble. There is also a wide-band gentle low-mid to bass roll off.
The headphones do get better with burning in, more than I had expected, but the core issues don't go away. I wondered if I could help the tuning.


This is the FR from a V2, but I doubt if V4 (mine) is much different. The gentle roll-off is there from 400Hz downwards, so are 2kHz and 4kHz anomolies. I am not too sure about the notch at 6kHz. The rising treble and the midrange peak sounded almost like distortion to me.
At any rate, the up & down curve above looks like interference pattern to me.
The Mod:


This is what HE560's driver looks like with the back cover removed. The parallel bars are the magnets, the case is metalized plastic, the driver is securely bolted to it, with good felt washers around the driver. The inside of the case is just shiny metalized plastic (very reflective). The back cover is a perforated steel, with a fine plastic mesh covering the underside to protect against fine particles getting inside and on the diaphragm.
I treated all three parts.
I cut a strip of soft thin real leather (from an old jacket!), used a very thin (0.3mm) gel type double sided tape to stick the shiny leather side to the inside of the case, covering that acoustically reflective plastic inner side wall.



The magnet-bar's cross section is a square , 4mm wide by 2mm thick, with sharp edges. Sound radiation coming through this grid is bound to get refracted.
Audeze, uses a technique called Fazor to reduce refraction.

Hifiman HE-1000 seems to have a half-round grid, similar to Fazors, curious!

So , I used some half-round 4mm brass bars (same width as the magnets), cut into little strips, carefully put a very thin (0.2mm) gel type double sided tape using a little jig I made to make a neat job, and stuck them on the back of the magnets. I did not have enough to cover all magnets, but I shall get some more soon.


I put my "Fazors" on the larger centre magnets for now. I was careful so that they lined up as well as I could. The gel tape is very sticky, but it can come off, leaving no residue, as it has no actual adhesive, it sticks by air pressure! The magnet-gel-brass laminate is acoustically dead by default! so this arrangement would kill any acoustic ringing on the magnet bars.
Lastly, I used the same thin gel tape on the underside of the back plate , not only to better stick the fine mesh to it, but also stop the steel plate vibrating. Hopefully the ridge pattern reduces any acoustic reflection from the steel plate.



Results:
- Bass is improved in quantity, not sure on quality! there is definitely more bass, specially upper bass, bass punch is improved, I have switched off my EQ on bass.
- Lower mid is boosted and cleaned up, there is more meat on the bones! that pesky 4kHz peak is gone! it was a distortion, I have switched off my EQ at 2kHz and 4Khz. Vocals are fuller, the rasp is gone.
- Upper treble at around 11kHz is boosted a little, I don't like bright treble, I have to EQ it out by 1.5dB only.
- Sound stage feels slightly reduced, perhaps because now I can pinpoint instruments a lot better, it is a lot less all-over-the-place if you know what I mean.
- Completely removing the back plate has no audible effect.
- I am contemplating extending the "Mod" to Focus pads too.

So far (still early days) I am very satisfied! I would have been happy with half of these results.

Update & Warning
One driver got damaged, NOT BY ANYTHING I DID!
Warning first
the diaphragm of HIFIMAN headphones can get seriously damaged, deformed even stuck to the magnets if the headphone is pushed with earcups against a flat surface, such as a table (my case) or for example, a speaker stand.
There is no air escape outlet for safety.
The earcups can trap air, a sudden press, the air has no where to go, it pushes the diaphragm to the magnets by a sizable force.
This alone can deform and distort the membrane, even cause tears and open circuit.
To my horror the metal foil is stuck-on the thin membrane using adhesive, some of that adhesive was still on the membrane, it caused my membrane to stick to the magnet assembly permanently. That driver was as good as dead.

The update and HIFIMAN response
I made the mistake of dismantling the driver to investigate, thereby voiding my warranty - I knew that anyway.
- I contacted HIFIMAN to see if I could buy a diaphragm. I explained how the problem had occured and included pictures. Saying there is no point in shipping the whole thing back to China.
- They said NO no diaphragm, but perhaps they could repair..
- I emailed again, asking if I could buy a whole driver.
- They said NO, no spare parts, but asked me if I re-consider sending the whole thing for repair, but offered $19 discount if I purchased a whole new pair.
- I emailed again, to get a price on repair if I shipped the whole thing back to China.
- They said Not really, reason being the cost of shipping to and from China + repair cost would be not worth it!
- I emailed back, asking them if they were serious! no after sales service, as it wouldn't be ecconomical?
- They came back saying the driver must be replaced and it will cost $129 (suddenly they found spare parts) but doubled down that adding cost of shipping to and from (& this time) import duties, I should re consider and accept the $19 discount.

What message is there?
Obviously parts are available, but HIFIMAN won't sell them, do their best to pursuade you to buy whole new headphone.
They not only won't help or facilitate service, they sabotage it. (By not sending parts out)
Additionally HIFIMAN have no service centre in the whole of Europe!
If You buy from HIFIMAN and you don't have warranty, should something go wrong, you have a fancy door-stop! Forgive me, if HIFIMAN had a stellar reputation for quality control then I could have overlooked this, but we all have heard stories about their quality control , they do have a reputation.
Is it just me? don't think so, see this.
Knowing the above, should I buy from them again? and use my $19 discount .....

Response from Hifiman
Hifiman representatives PM'ed me after seeing this post.
They kindly replaced the entire unit at no charge, stating the customer service agent who dealt with me originally was new and there was a lanhuage barrier.
So all is good, I got a replacement.
Thanx Hifiman

 

[TeamHiFiMAN]

Update & Warning
One driver got damaged, NOT BY ANYTHING I DID!
Warning first
the diaphragm of HIFIMAN headphones can get seriously damaged, deformed even stuck to the magnets if the headphone is pushed with earcups against a flat surface, such as a table (my case) or for example, a speaker stand.
There is no air escape outlet for safety.
The earcups can trap air, a sudden press, the air has no where to go, it pushes the diaphragm to the magnets by a sizable force.
This alone can deform and distort the membrane, even cause tears and open circuit.
To my horror the metal foil is stuck-on the thin membrane using adhesive, some of that adhesive was still on the membrane, it caused my membrane to stick to the magnet assembly permanently. That driver was as good as dead.

The update and HIFIMAN response
I made the mistake of dismantling the driver to investigate, thereby voiding my warranty - I knew that anyway.
- I contacted HIFIMAN to see if I could buy a diaphragm. I explained how the problem had occured and included pictures. Saying there is no point in shipping the whole thing back to China.
- They said NO no diaphragm, but perhaps they could repair..
- I emailed again, asking if I could buy a whole driver.
- They said NO, no spare parts, but asked me if I re-consider sending the whole thing for repair, but offered $19 discount if I purchased a whole new pair.
- I emailed again, to get a price on repair if I shipped the whole thing back to China.
- They said Not really, reason being the cost of shipping to and from China + repair cost would be not worth it!
- I emailed back, asking them if they were serious! no after sales service, as it wouldn't be ecconomical?
- They came back saying the driver must be replaced and it will cost $129 (suddenly they found spare parts) but doubled down that adding cost of shipping to and from (& this time) import duties, I should re consider and accept the $19 discount.

What message is there?
Obviously parts are available, but HIFIMAN won't sell them, do their best to pursuade you to buy whole new headphone.
They not only won't help or facilitate service, they sabotage it. (By not sending parts out)
Additionally HIFIMAN have no service centre in the whole of Europe!
If You buy from HIFIMAN and you don't have warranty, should something go wrong, you have a fancy door-stop! Forgive me, if HIFIMAN had a stellar reputation for quality control then I could have overlooked this, but we all have heard stories about their quality control , they do have a reputation.
Is it just me? don't think so, see this.
Knowing the above, should I buy from them again? and use my $19 discount .....

Hi there,

We are really sorry for the unpleasant experience. We have confirmed with our CS team and noticed that there might be some misunderstanding between us. Please be assured that we always stand behind our products and we can provide paid replacement when the warranty is invalid. If you could please kindly check the personal message we sent you. We will solve the problem for you asap.

Best regards,
HIFIMAN