[catchup]

  Has anyone tried to bend the headband into a more rounded shape?
 
I just got these today I'm feeling a lot of pressure on the top of my head, even with the headband fully extended.  I don't think my head is particularly long or pointy so this is perplexing.  Then again, I don't have a Herman Munster shaped head either (I bet the HP50s would be a perfect fit for him).

Yes, I think I've found a way to adjust it.
 
The middle part of the headband is quite bendy, thus stretching it wouldn't do you any good.
 
At about 2 inches from each end of the headband, you could feel the end of a tube connected to the band. That's where you should bend it. Just do a little bending, the headband will be a lot loosened. So the middle part won't become too flat when you stretch it, leaving the top of your head untouched..
 
But this will weaken the isolation of the headphone, easing the pressure on your ears.
 
After the adjustment, HP50 is almost perfect for me.

 

[s0ckpupp3t]

Yes, I think I've found a way to adjust it.

The middle part of the headband is quite bendy, thus stretching it wouldn't do you any good.

At about 2 inches from each end of the headband, you could feel the end of a tube connected to the band. That's where you should bend it. Just do a little bending, the headband will be a lot loosened. So the middle part won't become too flat when you stretch it, leaving the top of your head untouched..

But this will weaken the isolation of the headphone, easing the pressure on your ears.

After the adjustment, HP50 is almost perfect for me.

Thanks but my problem is not with the clamping force of the earcups but rather with the pressure of the headband on the very top of my head. It kind of feels like someone is pressing down on my head with their finger.

From your description it sounds like I can't really do anything to adjust the shape of the top of the headband to something more rounded.

 

[deltasun]

Thanks but my problem is not with the clamping force of the earcups but rather with the pressure of the headband on the very top of my head. It kind of feels like someone is pressing down on my head with their finger.

From your description it sounds like I can't really do anything to adjust the shape of the top of the headband to something more rounded.

No, it'll always have a straight bar across your noggin'...part of the reason these guys aren't so flattering to wear.

 

[BucketInABucket]

Sorry guys, but I'm leaving the HP50 club. After various months of indecisiveness and the introduction of a new pair of cans (Q40), I've finally decided to sell my pair.

 

[s0ckpupp3t]

No, it'll always have a straight bar across your noggin'...part of the reason these guys aren't so flattering to wear.

That's too bad.  I don't mind the looks but having that sore spot on the top of my head after extended use is a deal killer which is a shame since they sound so good.
 
Edit: Also, is anyone else experiencing creaking or "thunking" sounds when moving their head around?  It's not even a big motion but a turn or tilt of my head 60 degrees or so.  I think some part must be rubbing against each other (maybe the headband stem and the base) and amplifying that sound through the earcup.

 

[catchup]

Thanks but my problem is not with the clamping force of the earcups but rather with the pressure of the headband on the very top of my head. It kind of feels like someone is pressing down on my head with their finger.

From your description it sounds like I can't really do anything to adjust the shape of the top of the headband to something more rounded.

 
Actually I had the same problem as you are having. The headband will become almost flat when you put on the cans, pressing against your head. My way is not to ease the clamping force, but to decrease the deformation of middle part of headband by pre-deforming the ends of it. And the change of clamping force is due to less deformation of the headband, which means the middle part will be more rounded, producing less pressure on top of your head.

 

[s0ckpupp3t]

Thanks catchup, makes sense.

 

[Luvdac]

Hi , this is my first post here. Got a friend to bring over the red hps from Amazon USA to me in India after hearing all the rave reviews. Wasn't too impressed straight out of the box and decided to burn them in . After about 80 hours,I still wasn't satisfied and put on another 120 hours or so.....the result is just sublime. But here's the caveat. When the cord is plugged in to the left side, they sound great, but when I plug the cord into the right side the stereo separation gets really wide, like you hit a wide switch on one of those old 70's amps. So then I thought it had something to do with the burn in ( it was plugged in to the left side during burn in) and proceeded to burn in for another 100 hours with the cable plugged into the right cup. No change, still the same 'wide' effect tho when plugged into the left cup the phones sounded even better due to the added burn in! Anyone else have this experience or do I have a defective right cup connector? Bummer is my friend ditched the packaging, so returns aren't possible and sitting here in India would probably make that prohibitively expensive. Yes, they sound great out of the left side connector but it definitelys bums me out that a 300$ phone has this defect. Do you think I should write in to nad and tell them about this. Btw, I'm using FLAC player on iPod touch outputting 24/96 files to sony pha-1. A great combo. The sound gets event better (tighter bass, detail, separation) when the pha-1 is used as an external sound card for my laptop. My other phones are stax portables and etymotic 4s.
Any inputs on the connector issue would be most welcome. Thanks!

 

[BaTou069]

Hi , this is my first post here. Got a friend to bring over the red hps from Amazon USA to me in India after hearing all the rave reviews. Wasn't too impressed straight out of the box and decided to burn them in . After about 80 hours,I still wasn't satisfied and put on another 120 hours or so.....the result is just sublime. But here's the caveat. When the cord is plugged in to the left side, they sound great, but when I plug the cord into the right side the stereo separation gets really wide, like you hit a wide switch on one of those old 70's amps. So then I thought it had something to do with the burn in ( it was plugged in to the left side during burn in) and proceeded to burn in for another 100 hours with the cable plugged into the right cup. No change, still the same 'wide' effect tho when plugged into the left cup the phones sounded even better due to the added burn in! Anyone else have this experience or do I have a defective right cup connector? Bummer is my friend ditched the packaging, so returns aren't possible and sitting here in India would probably make that prohibitively expensive. Yes, they sound great out of the left side connector but it definitelys bums me out that a 300$ phone has this defect. Do you think I should write in to nad and tell them about this. Btw, I'm using FLAC player on iPod touch outputting 24/96 files to sony pha-1. A great combo. The sound gets event better (tighter bass, detail, separation) when the pha-1 is used as an external sound card for my laptop. My other phones are stax portables and etymotic 4s.
Any inputs on the connector issue would be most welcome. Thanks!

So are you telling me, that you just placed these HPs besides for 4-5 days playing music trough them but not listening, and then again 4-5 days with the cable plugged on the other side?
And...Will you ever use the other side?
Me for example only use the left side, because I'm used to it. My phone is on the left side too, so the cable also goes to the left.
I could test the difference from the ride side plugged in, but I really don;t care since I won't use it. Even if it's defect and won't work from the right side plugged in, I wouldn't care....unless I had to sell them

 

[bixby]

Hi , this is my first post here. Got a friend to bring over the red hps from Amazon USA to me in India after hearing all the rave reviews. Wasn't too impressed straight out of the box and decided to burn them in . After about 80 hours,I still wasn't satisfied and put on another 120 hours or so.....the result is just sublime. But here's the caveat. When the cord is plugged in to the left side, they sound great, but when I plug the cord into the right side the stereo separation gets really wide, like you hit a wide switch on one of those old 70's amps. So then I thought it had something to do with the burn in ( it was plugged in to the left side during burn in) and proceeded to burn in for another 100 hours with the cable plugged into the right cup. No change, still the same 'wide' effect tho when plugged into the left cup the phones sounded even better due to the added burn in! Anyone else have this experience or do I have a defective right cup connector? Bummer is my friend ditched the packaging, so returns aren't possible and sitting here in India would probably make that prohibitively expensive. Yes, they sound great out of the left side connector but it definitelys bums me out that a 300$ phone has this defect. Do you think I should write in to nad and tell them about this. Btw, I'm using FLAC player on iPod touch outputting 24/96 files to sony pha-1. A great combo. The sound gets event better (tighter bass, detail, separation) when the pha-1 is used as an external sound card for my laptop. My other phones are stax portables and etymotic 4s.
Any inputs on the connector issue would be most welcome. Thanks!

the right side may be wired out of phase.  Do you have a recording with voice firmly focused in the middle you can test it with?  If the voice becomes diffuse and hard to pinpoint exactly in the middle when using the right side, it is wired out of phase.

 

[ballard3]

 http://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php

 

[Luvdac]

Thanks ballard3 for that link. I'll run the tests and post the results in due time. Meanwhile I continue to burn in the suspect right side so that it reaches the same number of hours as the left. So far another 50 hours to go. Then the phones should have burnt in for a whopping 400 hours ( connect iPod touch to wall socket, plug in phones, hit play and repeat and forget for a few days). No, I don't think they are connected out of phase. The voices are pretty much centered from both connections, it's just that the sound is Different. I can only describe it as wider.... Whatever the result of the burn in, guess I'm keeping them. These are the first phones in this price range that have outdone the stax portables. The stax lack a lot in the bass dept. in comparison. The ety 4s sound harsh in the upper registers, as well as lacking bass. The NADs lend that oomph and sexiness to the music I've been missing in my other phones.

 

[Tracer Bullet]

Well, I pulled the trigger on a pair of Mad Dogs today and anxiously await their arrival. I have to send the NAD’s back. The sound is exquisite, I absolutely love it, they are just too uncomfortable to keep. They pinch too hard right below my ears and fatigue my jaw. I find when listening for long periods of time I am constantly playing with the fit to make them comfortable and they just aren’t. I have a jaw/headache when I take them off. I am really bummed because they sound so nice. I am not panning these to be a prick, I am hoping NAD will see my comments and take action to correct this fit issue. So I am giving the Mad Dogs a try. Same price, same rave reviews. Comfort appears to be stressed with the Mad Dogs, so hopefully I won’t be disappointed.

 

[bixby]

The dogs are very good cans. Strange that the nads were so uncomfortable for you, but that is a big factor in what is right for you. Be aware though the dogs are quite a bit heavier, but have comfy pads.

Let us know how you like them.

 

[Luvdac]

Hi Folks, my final thoughts on the discrepancies I was noting with the sound depending on which side was connected.
Ran the tests ballrd3 suggested but everything seemed fine from a technical point of view (left/ right balance, bass, treble, voice phase etc).
Finally it comes down to the tonal character of each connector. I no longer say that the right side is defective, it just has more headroom and is more open and room feely while the left side has a more closed signature as a classic closed can has. In fact I'm preferring the right side now, particularly with jazz recordings which sound live and have that being there feel. ( listening to Charlie Haden' private collection as I write this)
So take a pick of the following:
1) I have super sensitive ears
2) the connectors somehow are burn in sensitive, and/or NAD is using a crossover or some such to create the room feel....basically that there are other components between the sound signal and the speakers which introduce anomalies.
3) I'm imagining things and should stop this and get a life! ( ok, scratch that, I'm definitely not imagining this.....!)

Anyways, like I said before, I'm keeping them and I hope I've created enough ripples here for everyone to run their nad's thru some tests of their own!