[Soundsgoodtome]

How does it sound vs an open grill or no grill?

Here is my spin on the grill mod, thanks to my wife who donated some old stockings!

Stretch the stockings over the cup and hook it over the edge of the adjustment slider to give it a bit of tension.



Put back the retention clip



Snip off with scissors



End product

 

[daerron]

How does it sound vs an open grill or no grill?

 
Its not a new mod, just added some photos to show how easy it is to do. HFM cans leak lots of sound by default, with the grill mod its like a true mini dipole. Its the most open I've heard these headphones sound before. My wife had a listen as well and she really liked the effect. Its a more relaxing listen. If one can angle the drivers a touch more I reckon this would come very close to the effect of listening to speakers.
 
I made some notes here, though I would have to listen a bit longer to form a firm opinion on it. http://www.head-fi.org/t/551345/hifiman-he-500-he-as-in-high-end-proving-to-be-an-enjoyable-experience-in-listening/14925#post_10988180
 
@Wildcatsare1 we don't have 7-11s here, so apologies, not familiar with saying. So far I was just curious what the removal of the grills does to the sound signature without leaving the driver exposed to dust. Likely I'll go the same route as @ThurstonX and order some custom grills and use the stockings only as a dust filter. At least this is very easy mod and quick to undo.

 

[ThurstonX]

  Its not a new mod, just added some photos to show how easy it is to do. HFM cans leak lots of sound by default, with the grill mod its like a true mini dipole. Its the most open I've heard these headphones sound before. My wife had a listen as well and she really liked the effect. Its a more relaxing listen. If one can angle the drivers a touch more I reckon this would come very close to the effect of listening to speakers.
 
I made some notes here, though I would have to listen a bit longer to form a firm opinion on it. http://www.head-fi.org/t/551345/hifiman-he-500-he-as-in-high-end-proving-to-be-an-enjoyable-experience-in-listening/14925#post_10988180
 
@Wildcatsare1 we don't have 7-11s here, so apologies, not familiar with saying. So far I was just curious what the removal of the grills does to the sound signature without leaving the driver exposed to dust. Likely I'll go the same route as @ThurstonX and order some custom grills and use the stockings only as a dust filter. At least this is very easy mod and quick to undo.

 
Well, it's hose, so it's kinda sexy 

 
re: crazy Cat and his Yankee humor (which is funny in itself, as he's in the "southern" US; Yankees being northerners; aspects of the Civil War live on), 7-11 is a convenience store chain, though I can't recall one being robbed by a pair of headphones.
 
If I'm seeing your mod correctly, I think the acrylic fan grills I used would slot in nicely, as long as the hose isn't so elastic as to push them back out.  That seems unlikely, and I honed mine to the point where they're held in by tension.  You'll probably get a run in the hose, though 

  HFM cups are manufactured consistently enough that @jexby was able to insert the pair I sold him with no problem.  He needs to post some pix.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

@Darron, sorry about that, as Thurston mentioned 7-11 is a convenance store here in the States. "Knock over" is slang for "rob", criminals in the States often wear pantyhose over their heads to disguise their appearance, the lesson for today in American slang.

Thurston is also correct, we Southerners refer to those who reside North of the Mason Dixon Line, as Yankees, blue bellies, Scaliwags, Carpet Baggers, and a few other choice things I dare not repeat on Head Fi.

 

[jexby]

   
 hose, though 

  HFM cups are manufactured consistently enough that @jexby was able to insert the pair I sold him with no problem.  He needs to post some pix.

 
 
thanks to ThurstonX I was very happy to NOT touch panty hose material.
and indeed, the grills from him were SO easy to press-n-install, it actually felt like too simple of a process to be labelled a legit "mod".
 
hope this photo shows the quality fit:
 

 

[Wildcatsare1]

^ Man those Rangy Special Grills are sharp!!!

 

[daerron]

@Darron, sorry about that, as Thurston mentioned 7-11 is a convenance store here in the States. "Knock over" is slang for "rob", criminals in the States often wear pantyhose over their heads to disguise their appearance, the lesson for today in American slang.

Thurston is also correct, we Southerners refer to those who reside North of the Mason Dixon Line, as Yankees, blue bellies, Scaliwags, Carpet Baggers, and a few other choice things I dare not repeat on Head Fi.

Lol, thanks for explaining! There were a couple of 7-11s in South Africa at some stage, but I think they closed down a couple of years ago. Criminals here are so brazen they don't worry about disguises at all. I'm sure you would be a be to knock somebody over with the weight of the HE-500! 

 
I'll post another photo again sometime later, it looks lighter in real life and not as noticeable as with the photos, quite nice to be able to see the magnet array from outside. Those Rangy grills look pretty cool, though I'd pick a different colour for the mesh. Maybe I should check to see if I manage something with perspex?

 

[ThurstonX]

@Darron, sorry about that, as Thurston mentioned 7-11 is a convenance store here in the States. "Knock over" is slang for "rob", criminals in the States often wear pantyhose over their heads to disguise their appearance, the lesson for today in American slang.

Thurston is also correct, we Southerners refer to those who reside North of the Mason Dixon Line, as Yankees, blue bellies, Scaliwags, Carpet Baggers, and a few other choice things I dare not repeat on Head Fi.

 
@ThurstonX nervously checks the map... PHEW! Still in the South. No carpet bagging here 

 
"Carpet baggers??" we hear you ask.  Yankees who came south after the Civil War to exploit the po' Southerners during the Reconstruction (and no, that's no Fable of... ... so called because the made large bags (DIY suitcases) out of... you guessed it, cut up carpets.  Never buy a custom grill from a carpet bagger.  And no, not all Yankees were carpet baggers.  I've got too many ties to New York to go that far 

 

[ThurstonX]

  Lol, thanks for explaining! There were a couple of 7-11s in South Africa at some stage, but I think they closed down a couple of years ago. Criminals here are so brazen they don't worry about disguises at all. I'm sure you would be a be to knock somebody over with the weight of the HE-500! 

 
I'll post another photo again sometime later, it looks lighter in real life and not as noticeable as with the photos, quite nice to be able to see the magnet array from outside. Those Rangy grills look pretty cool, though I'd pick a different colour for the mesh. Maybe I should check to see if I manage something with perspex?

 
I'll try to find the pix of my other pair of grills that use a different color.
 
Perspex.... uh oh.  Time for you to do the 'splainin'.  I know what it is (had to learn, being a fan of Robyn Hitchcock; see, Perspex Island).  Most Yanks won't know.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

^Thurston, thank you for translating my regional Americana! Back to the Thread, how do your Rangy Custom Pads, compare to the Jerg modified variety?

 

[ThurstonX]

^Thurston, thank you for translating my regional Americana! Back to the Thread, how do your Rangy Custom Pads, compare to the Jerg modified variety?

 
Happy to help.  We talk funny sometimes, eh?
 
re: pads, I'll know once I have time to do his latest mods.  That'll be a few weeks most likely.  Too many projects, one of which should probably be learning to juggle 

  I really like my pads on the HE-560s.  I made jerpads, but don't find them particularly comfortable.  Nice sound though.  I'm going to try the new HM5 pleathers on the 560s, but like the velours I don't think they'll fit under the yokes, thus inhibiting movement, resulting in a poor fit.  We shall see.
 
Ever swap out a laptop screen?  I'm dying to jump from 1600x900 to 1920x1080, and the screen is only $85.  Could make a lot of grills with that.  Fortunately, I'm all set.

 

[hemipowered007]

Pads for hifimans? You can consider shure 1540 pads. I few of us have put them on the he4 with great results. Just thought I'd jump in with that. Also to say man those fan grills are good looking, mine are grill-less right now but I'm tempted to add those for a tiny bit of protection against my 2 year old.

 

[ThurstonX]

Pads for hifimans? You can consider shure 1540 pads. I few of us have put them on the he4 with great results. Just thought I'd jump in with that. Also to say man those fan grills are good looking, mine are grill-less right now but I'm tempted to add those for a tiny bit of protection against my 2 year old.

 
Your 2-year-old will destroy the delicate acrylic... j/k 

  I doubt I'll ever remove mine.
 
re: Shure Alcantara 1540 pads, they're too small for my ears, and produced a nasty glare at frequencies to which, apparently, I'm sensitive.  Got a basically new pair, if someone wants to give 'em a shot.  They are super comfortable, and don't let the "glare" comment influence you.  Others use or have tried them and never mentioned it.  I've tried a few that produced that effect, like the original HM5 pads.  Fortunately they "fixed" that for me 

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Pads for hifimans? You can consider shure 1540 pads. I few of us have put them on the he4 with great results. Just thought I'd jump in with that. Also to say man those fan grills are good looking, mine are grill-less right now but I'm tempted to add those for a tiny bit of protection against my 2 year old.

Grill less, I have car grills in mine, actually come too think of it, they were a recommendation from Thurston! I did really like my 560's naked, but for safety sake I added open grills. What do you prefer about the open grill sound?

Thurston, good luck on changing laptop screens, definitely out of my league, unless it comes as a whole and you just have to wire it together (or since your a fellow Southerner Duct Tape will do) , and attach the hinges, then I might give it a shot. Let me know how it goes, my youngest Daughter spilled something on mine, and one of the corners is a wee bit funky, so if it's not difficult, I'll give it a shot.

 

[hemipowered007]

Grill less, I have car grills in mine, actually come too think of it, they were a recommendation from Thurston! I did really like my 560's naked, but for safety sake I added open grills. What do you prefer about the open grill sound?

Open grill just added slightly more "openness" to the he4. I had some grills made from a paper tray on for a while but they started giving this light rattling sound from vibrations so I removed them. Its a little nerve racking having them naked but they sound great and look even better! But since these pc fan grills started getting posted I've been very interested in buying some.