[OldDude04]

Can't wait to see your tricked out set, though! Did your experiments with the rear dampening have any positive results?

Once the weather warms up in my neck of the woods I'll get them painted, I'm really looking forward to it. As for the dampening experiments, nothing has been monumental as of yet. Everything has been a compromise, gaining one thing at the cost of another. But I'm determined to find a material/layout that adds more bass without messing with the treble or the great sound stage.

 

[theangelboy]

Ordered 3/14 @ 745pm; received FedEx 3/24 am

Replaced headband of my M1570 a few days ago with Ali Express clone of Hifiman Sundara headband + 3D printed yokes. Can't even begin to describe how much of an improvement this is over stock headband. Plan to post photos soon. Already ordered same headband & yokes for M1570C.

Now, I'm thinking of ordering one of the Ali Express cables, though I'm not as dissatisfied with the stock cable as some others here. I listen exclusively at my desk with the amp only a couple feet away, so once the stock cables were finished relaxing / unfurling, I don't really find them all that irritating

How do you get the yoke pins out on the headband? I opened mine because the one cup was making a grinding noise when it was being rotated and I couldn't see a way to remove the yoke pins. They look like use screw shafts for the rotation stops but no screw heads.

Its weird, my M1070 headband is way better than my M1570C since it's not lopsided and both cups had the same rotation resistance (and no grinding noise). So, I'm considering changing the headband on the 1570C if it can be done without destroying it since the qc is so poor.

 

[Thomasr]

Replaced headband of my M1570 a few days ago with Ali Express clone of Hifiman Sundara headband + 3D printed yokes.

Link?

 

[dstarr3]

Some immediate observations:

The M1570C fits me much better than the M1570 did. I assume the only difference is my M1570C happened to ship with the headband bent to clamp harder, because I doubt there are any actual differences between the two.

First amp I connected this to was my little Liquid Spark. 1W of power. The highs are super airy and sweet, instantly loving that. But a little bass-light without EQ for my taste, so I put a 10db shelf from 100hz and lower, and for that much of a boost to the sub-bass, I really wasn't feeling an expected amount of slam. Then I saw on the first page of this thread, the M1570C differs from the M1570 in ways that implies that instead of the open's 96db of sensitivity, the M1570C is only 90db sensitivity, which is pretty low.

Fortunately, as an owner of the Hifiman HE6se V2, I am equipped with a couple solutions for low-sensitivity planars. I moved the headphone over to my Emotiva BasX A2m which, in direct drive mode like I have it configured, is good for 8W@50ohms. And voila, that bass slam I was expecting magically appeared.

So, while 8W is absolutely 100% insane overkill, the M1570C does benefit from a bit of brute force. There's a wide variety of headphone amps that provide +2W for under $500, (well under $500 in some cases), and I suspect any of them are completely adequate. But suffice it to say, the 1W out of my Liquid Spark turned out to not quite cut it to get some rumble and slam out of these.

I look forward to these getting into the hands of more people after the recent sale so we can hopefully can some EQ talent to look at this. With the M1570, oratory's EQ is basically mandatory. I imagine a good EQ will elevate these to absurd heights like it did for the open, as well.

 

[hallsvt]

How do you get the yoke pins out on the headband? I opened mine because the one cup was making a grinding noise when it was being rotated and I couldn't see a way to remove the yoke pins. They look like use screw shafts for the rotation stops but no screw heads.

Its weird, my M1070 headband is way better than my M1570C since it's not lopsided and both cups had the same rotation resistance (and no grinding noise). So, I'm considering changing the headband on the 1570C if it can be done without destroying it since the qc is so poor.

I'd be pretty surprised if there is any difference whatsoever between the M1570 headband and the headband on the M1570C. Perceived difference might be attributable clamp, but since (1) the headband steel is so malleable / flexible, and (2) Monoprice's QC on headbands is not exactly legendary, I suspect that even a difference in clamping force could be random from the factory (or Monoprice tightened the initial clamp in response to complaints about M1570 sliding off listeners' heads, or to offset the increased weight (approx 50g) of the M1570C) . . . choose one of the above

On the one hand, before I received them, based on reviews and comments from other owners, I was prepared for the M1570 & M1570C (and their headbands) to be way more uncomfortable than they are actually feel in daily use. On the other hand, I don't think the headband design is appropriate for cans that weight at least 645 grams.

The weight of the M1570 & M1570C is made worse, of course, by Monoprice's puzzling decision to use a Focal-style headband versus a suspension strap system. You would think they'd pay attention to how people had been modding their prior planar headphones -- I mean, was anyone --ANYONE? -- using cushion headbands to mod their M1060 / M1060Cs?

And, yes, the M1570 headband design is much, much better than the terrible stock headband on the M1060 & M1060C . . . but, that's not saying much. Sure, it's easy to find feedback from reviewers & consumers commenting on how comfortable the Utopia, Clear, Radiance, Elegia/Elex are for long listening sessions, despite the fact that the Focals weigh 450g. I suspect the designers at Monoprice, conceding that the M1060 / M1060C headband was a fail, thought to themselves, "Hey, folks seem to like these Focal headbands. Let's go with something like that for the M1570 / M1570C." Which, in theory, was not a bad thought . . . except that they obviously failed to consider what adding an additional 200g would do to the legendary Focal comfort.

So, I knew, before they even arrived on my doorstep, that I was going to need to mod the M1570 headband. Gave some thought to buying an Audeze LCD2C headband, or even the carbon fiber version, but balked at spending $150-250 on a headband upgrade for the M1570s that I had only paid $360 to purchase new.

So, after researching the options, I went with this clone of the Hifiman Sundara / HE560 suspension headband from Ali Express. (The old Adorama $10 deal on the original HE-560 headbands has long since vanished.) Several vendors on AE sell this headband at varying prices, I've bought mine from this store: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...cfCb23n&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US. My verdict, after completing the M1570 headband swap? I think the Ali Express clone is surprisingly good.

Some of these AE vendors will claim that this Hifiman clone headband fits the M1570. NOT EVEN CLOSE. So, you will also need to replace the (removable) metal yokes with these 3D printed yokes, designed by u/stealthwang to fit the larger diameter M1570 / M1570C 106mm earcups and discussed on this Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/xhpkmg/m1570_replacement_headband_3d_printed_yokes/. The STL file is available here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5519570. I don't own a 3D printer, so I had my yokes fabricated by JawsTec in Idaho (https://www.jawstec.com). I specified black, vapor-polished MJF Nylon 12. Inexpensive, strong and they fit the Hifiman clone headband perfectly. Remember: you need to order two yokes.

When you're ready to replace the headband / yokes, you'll find that those two tiny threaded yoke pins are easily removable by pulling them straight up & out with needle nose pliers. They do have a tiny Allen socket on one end, but it doesn't seem as though they're actually threaded into place (in fact, you're likely to find that Allen-socket end is inserted the wrong way.) In effect, they're really just miniscule retaining dowels glued in to hold the yoke pins in place. You can find very helpful instructions and photos for removing these pins and replacing the headband by Head-Fier Jotaku here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mon...ack-balanced-planar-headphones.915053/page-18 and also here: https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/monolith-m1570/7630/30 (starting at post 28). Overall, this was a MUCH easier, and less nerve-wracking, headband swap than dealing with the tiny e-clips on the M1060.

I'll post a photo of the completd mod as soon as I get a chance, but the difference in comfort is huge -- the Sundara headband design (including initial bending of the spring steel to dial in the proper clamp for your size head) eliminates the hotspot issue with the M1570 / M1570C stock Focal-style headband and goes pretty far to neutralize the weight issue. When I wear them now, I'm never conscious of the weight, and because the clamp is dialed in, they're not sliding around (as did the stock Focal-style headband). They have, easily, become multi-hour headphones, which seems a fairly astonishing thing to say about a set of cans that weighs 645+ grams! In contrast, before the mod, when I was still using the stock headband, I was ALWAYS aware that the M1570s were on my head, and that I was needing to shift them every so often when I started to feel a hotspot.

Thanks and kudos to u/stealthwang, Jotaku and samshaver @ hifiguides.

And, fingers-crossed, maybe Monoprice will equip their next generation planars with headbands that are as well-designed as the drivers. It sure would be nice to finally own a set of headphones that I didn't have to mod to fix the design issues.

 

[theangelboy]

I'd be pretty surprised if there is any difference whatsoever between the M1570 headband and the headband on the M1570C. Perceived difference might be attributable clamp, but since (1) the headband steel is so malleable / flexible, and (2) Monoprice's QC on headbands is not exactly legendary, I suspect that even a difference in clamping force could be random from the factory (or Monoprice tightened the initial clamp in response to complaints about M1570 sliding off listeners' heads, or to offset the increased weight (approx 50g) of the M1570C) . . . choose one of the above

On the one hand, before I received them, based on reviews and comments from other owners, I was prepared for the M1570 & M1570C (and their headbands) to be way more uncomfortable than they are actually feel in daily use. On the other hand, I don't think the headband design is appropriate for cans that weight at least 645 grams.

The weight of the M1570 & M1570C is made worse, of course, by Monoprice's puzzling decision to use a Focal-style headband versus a suspension strap system. You would think they'd pay attention to how people had been modding their prior planar headphones -- I mean, was anyone --ANYONE? -- using cushion headbands to mod their M1060 / M1060Cs?

And, yes, the M1570 headband design is much, much better than the terrible stock headband on the M1060 & M1060C . . . but, that's not saying much. Sure, it's easy to find feedback from reviewers & consumers commenting on how comfortable the Utopia, Clear, Radiance, Elegia/Elex are for long listening sessions, despite the fact that the Focals weigh 450g. I suspect the designers at Monoprice, conceding that the M1060 / M1060C headband was a fail, thought to themselves, "Hey, folks seem to like these Focal headbands. Let's go with something like that for the M1570 / M1570C." Which, in theory, was not a bad thought . . . except that they obviously failed to consider what adding an additional 200g would do to the legendary Focal comfort.

So, I knew, before they even arrived on my doorstep, that I was going to need to mod the M1570 headband. Gave some thought to buying an Audeze LCD2C headband, or even the carbon fiber version, but balked at spending $150-250 on a headband upgrade for the M1570s that I had only paid $360 to purchase new.

So, after researching the options, I went with this clone of the Hifiman Sundara / HE560 suspension headband from Ali Express. (The old Adorama $10 deal on the original HE-560 headbands has long since vanished.) Several vendors on AE sell this headband at varying prices, I've bought mine from this store: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...cfCb23n&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US. My verdict, after completing the M1570 headband swap? I think the Ali Express clone is surprisingly good.

Some of these AE vendors will claim that this Hifiman clone headband fits the M1570. NOT EVEN CLOSE. So, you will also need to replace the (removable) metal yokes with these 3D printed yokes, designed by u/stealthwang to fit the larger diameter M1570 / M1570C 106mm earcups and discussed on this Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/xhpkmg/m1570_replacement_headband_3d_printed_yokes/. The STL file is available here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5519570. I don't own a 3D printer, so I had my yokes fabricated by JawsTec in Idaho (https://www.jawstec.com). I specified black, vapor-polished MJF Nylon 12. Inexpensive, strong and they fit the Hifiman clone headband perfectly. Remember: you need to order two yokes.

When you're ready to replace the headband / yokes, you'll find that those two tiny threaded yoke pins are easily removable by pulling them straight up & out with needle nose pliers. They do have a tiny Allen socket on one end, but it doesn't seem as though they're actually threaded into place (in fact, you're likely to find that Allen-socket end is inserted the wrong way.) In effect, they're really just miniscule retaining dowels glued in to hold the yoke pins in place. You can find very helpful instructions and photos for removing these pins and replacing the headband by Head-Fier Jotaku here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mon...ack-balanced-planar-headphones.915053/page-18 and also here: https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/monolith-m1570/7630/30 (starting at post 28). Overall, this was a MUCH easier, and less nerve-wracking, headband swap than dealing with the tiny e-clips on the M1060.

I'll post a photo of the completd mod as soon as I get a chance, but the difference in comfort is huge -- the Sundara headband design (including initial bending of the spring steel to dial in the proper clamp for your size head) eliminates the hotspot issue with the M1570 / M1570C stock Focal-style headband and goes pretty far to neutralize the weight issue. When I wear them now, I'm never conscious of the weight, and because the clamp is dialed in, they're not sliding around (as did the stock Focal-style headband). They have, easily, become multi-hour headphones, which seems a fairly astonishing thing to say about a set of cans that weighs 645+ grams! In contrast, before the mod, when I was still using the stock headband, I was ALWAYS aware that the M1570s were on my head, and that I was needing to shift them every so often when I started to feel a hotspot.

Thanks and kudos to u/stealthwang, Jotaku and samshaver @ hifiguides.

And, fingers-crossed, maybe Monoprice will equip their next generation planars with headbands that are as well-designed as the drivers. It sure would be nice to finally own a set of headphones that I didn't have to mod to fix the design issues.

Oh my! Thank you so much for the detailed write up with the links! This seems very doable.

The weight doesn't really bother me (everything is lighter than my Pickering Ph-4955! Lol) and I don't get hot spots so I probably won't try to change it right away but the qc is so bad on my partular set that it feels like it might fall apart so it's reassuring to have an option like this in my back pocket.

 

[hallsvt]

I'd be pretty surprised if there is any difference whatsoever between the M1570 headband and the headband on the M1570C. Perceived difference might be attributable clamp, but since (1) the headband steel is so malleable / flexible, and (2) Monoprice's QC on headbands is not exactly legendary, I suspect that even a difference in clamping force could be random from the factory (or Monoprice tightened the initial clamp in response to complaints about M1570 sliding off listeners' heads, or to offset the increased weight (approx 50g) of the M1570C) . . . choose one of the above

On the one hand, before I received them, based on reviews and comments from other owners, I was prepared for the M1570 & M1570C (and their headbands) to be way more uncomfortable than they are actually feel in daily use. On the other hand, I don't think the headband design is appropriate for cans that weight at least 645 grams.

The weight of the M1570 & M1570C is made worse, of course, by Monoprice's puzzling decision to use a Focal-style headband versus a suspension strap system. You would think they'd pay attention to how people had been modding their prior planar headphones -- I mean, was anyone --ANYONE? -- using cushion headbands to mod their M1060 / M1060Cs?

And, yes, the M1570 headband design is much, much better than the terrible stock headband on the M1060 & M1060C . . . but, that's not saying much. Sure, it's easy to find feedback from reviewers & consumers commenting on how comfortable the Utopia, Clear, Radiance, Elegia/Elex are for long listening sessions, despite the fact that the Focals weigh 450g. I suspect the designers at Monoprice, conceding that the M1060 / M1060C headband was a fail, thought to themselves, "Hey, folks seem to like these Focal headbands. Let's go with something like that for the M1570 / M1570C." Which, in theory, was not a bad thought . . . except that they obviously failed to consider what adding an additional 200g would do to the legendary Focal comfort.

So, I knew, before they even arrived on my doorstep, that I was going to need to mod the M1570 headband. Gave some thought to buying an Audeze LCD2C headband, or even the carbon fiber version, but balked at spending $150-250 on a headband upgrade for the M1570s that I had only paid $360 to purchase new.

So, after researching the options, I went with this clone of the Hifiman Sundara / HE560 suspension headband from Ali Express. (The old Adorama $10 deal on the original HE-560 headbands has long since vanished.) Several vendors on AE sell this headband at varying prices, I've bought mine from this store: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...cfCb23n&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US. My verdict, after completing the M1570 headband swap? I think the Ali Express clone is surprisingly good.

Some of these AE vendors will claim that this Hifiman clone headband fits the M1570. NOT EVEN CLOSE. So, you will also need to replace the (removable) metal yokes with these 3D printed yokes, designed by u/stealthwang to fit the larger diameter M1570 / M1570C 106mm earcups and discussed on this Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/xhpkmg/m1570_replacement_headband_3d_printed_yokes/. The STL file is available here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5519570. I don't own a 3D printer, so I had my yokes fabricated by JawsTec in Idaho (https://www.jawstec.com). I specified black, vapor-polished MJF Nylon 12. Inexpensive, strong and they fit the Hifiman clone headband perfectly. Remember: you need to order two yokes.

When you're ready to replace the headband / yokes, you'll find that those two tiny threaded yoke pins are easily removable by pulling them straight up & out with needle nose pliers. They do have a tiny Allen socket on one end, but it doesn't seem as though they're actually threaded into place (in fact, you're likely to find that Allen-socket end is inserted the wrong way.) In effect, they're really just miniscule retaining dowels glued in to hold the yoke pins in place. You can find very helpful instructions and photos for removing these pins and replacing the headband by Head-Fier Jotaku here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mon...ack-balanced-planar-headphones.915053/page-18 and also here: https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/monolith-m1570/7630/30 (starting at post 28). Overall, this was a MUCH easier, and less nerve-wracking, headband swap than dealing with the tiny e-clips on the M1060.

I'll post a photo of the completd mod as soon as I get a chance, but the difference in comfort is huge -- the Sundara headband design (including initial bending of the spring steel to dial in the proper clamp for your size head) eliminates the hotspot issue with the M1570 / M1570C stock Focal-style headband and goes pretty far to neutralize the weight issue. When I wear them now, I'm never conscious of the weight, and because the clamp is dialed in, they're not sliding around (as did the stock Focal-style headband). They have, easily, become multi-hour headphones, which seems a fairly astonishing thing to say about a set of cans that weighs 645+ grams! In contrast, before the mod, when I was still using the stock headband, I was ALWAYS aware that the M1570s were on my head, and that I was needing to shift them every so often when I started to feel a hotspot.

Thanks and kudos to u/stealthwang, Jotaku and samshaver @ hifiguides.

And, fingers-crossed, maybe Monoprice will equip their next generation planars with headbands that are as well-designed as the drivers. It sure would be nice to finally own a set of headphones that I didn't have to mod to fix the design issues.

Quick snapshot of new nylon yoke(s). More photos coming soon.

 

[hallsvt]

Quick snapshot of new nylon yoke(s). More photos coming soon.

For those folks ordering the Ali Express Hifiman clone headband, right off the bat you'll need to decide if it needs to be adjusted (i.e., bent; opened up) to give you the right amount of clamp for your size head.

I imagine that for some folks they'll decide that it's fine "as is". Myself? I have a really big head (XXL hat size), so I absolutely needed to adjust the headband to make it comfortable. Fortunately, this is pretty easy,

First, you'll disassemble the slider assemblies on each side (which also hold the suspension strap). The parts just slide together, so just pull them apart, take note of how they fit together, then set them aside.

Now, with the headband in the shape of a horseshoe with the arch on top and the two "legs" pointing down, grasp the end of each leg and start bending the legs upwards, as if you are trying to invert the horseshoe. The spring steel is very sturdy (one reason why I like this Hifiman clone) so you're not really at risk of damaging it. Keep bending / inverting the spring steel strap until you've opened up & relaxed the headband enough to give you a good fit: comfortable to wear, but just tight enough to give you a good seal. You don't have to get it right all at once -- it can be a trial & error deal till you get it just how you want it. And you can always readjust it later to either loosen or tighten the clamp.

Note this is definitely NOT like the excessively flexible / bendable metal that the M1570C headband is made from -- the spring steel used in the Ali Express clone headband is high quality and resilient, but you can certainly bend it to your liking without much trouble, and without fear of breaking it. And once you've bent it to where you want it, rest assured that it'll stay that way until / unless you decide to make further adjustments in the future. Hope this helps.

 

[ultraman31]

welp, my order just got cancelled... congrats to those who got them!

 

[theangelboy]

It's really unfortunate that Monoprice oversold them to such an extreme at this price without hope of restock sooner than 6 months from now. ...And that it took them so long to notify people that they oversold them. I mean, the oversight is somewhat understandable; I can only imagine that it's chaos right now for them with the EU branch shutting down. But it still really sucks for those that thought they got their order locked in only to have it cancelled over a week later.

 

[bwcgrx]

welp, my order just got cancelled... congrats to those who got them!

Same here... In a way I'm kind of okay with it as I don't need another pair of headphones and it was kind of an impulse buy when I received the re-stock alert. Perhaps I'll buy them in the Fall if they do end up honoring the sale price. Hopefully I'll have sold off a few under utilized headphones by then.

 

[xSDMx]

I have a suspicion it's just a placeholder date and that they'll never come back in stock. I think this firesale was likely them clearing out warehouse inventory of discontinued items as part of their warehouse move.

 

[maheeinfy]

Looking to get a balanced xlr cable from Etsy for m1570c
If anyone has any suggestions for a good quality cable, pls let me know. ty!

 

[corgifall]

I attempted to chill out whatever in the upper mids was trying to murder me with some Dan Clark Audio’s tuning kits which just consists of rectangular felt materials for adjusting tuning. By running the black felt horizontal and the two notch white felt vertically, I was able to calm down the upper mids and in return increase bass output with maybe a slight loss upper treble detail. I’m interested to keep playing with tuning filter combinations before I do a review of these and possibly sell them.

 

[corgifall]

An update after a few hours of listening. While it doesn’t quite fix the upper mid brightness fully. It take it down quite a bit all without affecting mids or vocals heavily. Treble feels a more relaxed but it still has an ok amount of detail. The bass actually slams fairly well now and overall, this has been a nice physical mod that’s easily removable and I have no ear touching of the material on the leather pads. I ended up going with the two notch horizontal and single notch vertical.