[ninjapirate9901]

Quote:

Cheap answer: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/886679-REG/Sennheiser_549375_HD_580_Headband.html with 2 strips of double sided permanent tape from any local store. Will have to replace headband pad eventually depending on use. Cheap foam deflates
 
More involved answer: Remove threading from leather pad, remove bottom replace current foam with much thicker denser open cell memory foam or some equivalent, restitch and never have to replace again. May or may not void warranty. As it does not physically do anything with the drivers, I'd say no. But asking head-direct may be best.
 
Doing the latter suggestion here soon, just haven't decide if I'm going to replace the leather entirely with some other color. Will post results when I do finish the project however!
 
As for earpads. After trying a few different pads. I settled on DT 770 pads. 1mm size difference from stock pads so assembly takes minimal stretching. Also I very much like the sound without the dust cover between my ears. Just sounds better to me. Less veiled. Slightly similar to removing the outter dust cover as some has tried. Just not quite as strong a difference. My 2 cents. Ears always very!

 
Thanks for the suggestions NoEars. I have actually tried the foam strip from the HD 600 already and while initially they weren't bad. After some extended use, the foam compresses (like you say) and actually becomes quite annoying as you can feel the individual pads touching your head. I have since taken the foam strip off and am back to just the plain headband. I'd be interested to see how your modifications go as it sounds pretty interesting.

 

[Bogatyr]

Any word on using Beyer velours on HE-400? I'd like more comfort without sacrificing sound quality too much.
 
Stock pads a bit too small and pleather seems to get sweaty for me. Thank you.

 

[ninjapirate9901]

Quote:

Any word on using Beyer velours on HE-400? I'd like more comfort without sacrificing sound quality too much.
 
Stock pads a bit too small and pleather seems to get sweaty for me. Thank you.

There is a fair bit of discussion at the start of this thread. Do a search within this thread on Beyer and I'm sure you will find the info you need.

 

[conquerator2]

Quote:

Any word on using Beyer velours on HE-400? I'd like more comfort without sacrificing sound quality too much.
 
Stock pads a bit too small and pleather seems to get sweaty for me. Thank you.

 
I have. Unfortunately the beyer middle ring (mesh - the thing in the middle part of the ring that protects the drivers) is too thick and it affects the sound negatively.
If you could get a thinner and more transparent one (something like the HiFiMAN use or thin stockings, etc) it should be quite okay.
I tried the DT990 (softest) gray velours and thought the comfort was nice.
 

 

 

 

[Bogatyr]

 

There is a fair bit of discussion at the start of this thread. Do a search within this thread on Beyer and I'm sure you will find the info you need.

 

 
Thanks for the heads up.
 
Quote:

 
I have. Unfortunately the beyer middle ring (mest - the thing in the middle part of the ring ring/protects the drivers) is too thick and it affects the sound negatively.
If you could get a thinner and more transparent one (something like the HiFiMAN use or thin stockings, etc) it should be quite okay.
I tried the DT990 (softest) gray velours and thought the comfort was nice.

 
Ah! That makes sense, I had another person PM with the same kind of response. How exactly did the thick fabric affect the sound if you remember?

 

[jerg]

Quote:

 
I have. Unfortunately the beyer middle ring (mesh - the thing in the middle part of the ring that protects the drivers) is too thick and it affects the sound negatively.
If you could get a thinner and more transparent one (something like the HiFiMAN use or thin stockings, etc) it should be quite okay.
I tried the DT990 (softest) gray velours and thought the comfort was nice.
 

 

 

I would disagree about what you think of the Beyer disc with regards to HE400 though. If anything, you want the dust cover to be somewhat thick so that HE400's treble peak is attenuated.

 

[Bogatyr]

I would disagree about what you think of the Beyer disc with regards to HE400 though. If anything, you want the dust cover to be somewhat thick so that HE400's treble peak is attenuated, at least somewhat.
 

 
Hi Jerg, I've sent you few PMs with a couple of questions, but you're probably too busy to respond. Have you tried Beyers on HE-400 and what do you think? Also, have you tried the foam rings from pleathers inserted into stock hifiman velours?

 

[jerg]

Quote:

 
 
Hi Jerg, I've sent you few PMs with a couple of questions, but you're probably too busy to respond. Have you tried Beyers on HE-400 and what do you think? Also, have you tried the foam rings from pleathers inserted into stock hifiman velours?

Nah didn't hear the Beyerdynamic velour earpads myself. The only Beyer pads I have tried (and still own) are the J$ leather Beyer earpads, and those are great, just a bit too deep so the sound gets kinda thinned out / bright.
 
The foam rings are kept in the pleather earpads only because they make those pads about as deep as velour pads, so the tonal balance in the midrange gets similar. If you put it in velour pads they would be too deep which would make their already bright sound signature even brighter.
 
All in all I really think you want the darkest-sounding earpads for HE400 to offset its peculiar sound signature. The alpha pads might be great in that regard, though I haven't had the chance to try em yet.

 

[Bogatyr]

Quote:

Nah didn't hear the Beyerdynamic velour earpads myself. The only Beyer pads I have tried (and still own) are the J$ leather Beyer earpads, and those are great, just a bit too deep so the sound gets kinda thinned out / bright.
 
The foam rings are kept in the pleather earpads only because they make those pads about as deep as velour pads, so the tonal balance in the midrange gets similar. If you put it in velour pads they would be too deep which would make their already bright sound signature even brighter.
 
All in all I really think you want the darkest-sounding earpads for HE400 to offset its peculiar sound signature. The alpha pads might be great in that regard, though I haven't had the chance to try em yet.

 
I really like the feel of velours, but coming from Q701 the stock Hifiman velours feel 20% too small.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

 
I really like the feel of velours, but coming from Q701 the stock Hifiman velours feel 20% too small.

Yeah some custom earpad maker really needs to make some jumbo-sized velour/felt earpads, kinda like the HD800 pads, that'd be a best-seller.

 

[NoEars]

If someone made velour-ish angled pads for the Hifi HP I would be all over that. I'm tempted to go after the vegan eventually if nothing comes around.

 

[conquerator2]

I am still very happy with the HM5 pads + HFM foam rings mod.
I might have been lucky with my pair I would not exchange them for anything (unless I had to)
The SQ + comfort is just supreme 

 

[georgelai57]

I'm expecting my HE-400 soon and I knew the stock pads will not fit me as I have large ears. I made the mistake (!) of reading this thread so now I am thinking of getting Denon, JLawton, LCD pads after reading 17 pages of this thread. However I also see that MrSpeakers Mad Dogs Alpha Angled Pads are also supposed to fit the HE-400/500. Another choice.

Does anyone have experience with the Alphas?

 

[TMRaven]

The opening to the pads are huge and deep, I don't see your ears not having enough space.  In comparison, the opening to the Alpha Pads are tiny.
 

 

[georgelai57]

Thanks. Decisions decisions!