For the record, I haven’t mod mine just yet. The sound signature is not the abomination it is made out to be.
Official Unofficial 8XX Discussion Thread - UPDATE SENNHEISER HAS BEEN SOLD!!! GT(heck)IH
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Your taste in music is a big part of it. Instrumental music, unmodded does great. Anything with vocals is where I found the issue - vocals were just sucked right out. Not just recessed, but like the singer was backstage singing through a pillow.
aldinho878
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Has anyone compared the Hd800s directly with the 8xx after sticker mod? Is there any discernable difference? Do they use the same driver?
It's still quite audibly different. 8XX has damping material behind the driver which is not removable without taking the entire housing apart.
jotaku
100+ Head-Fier
The originator of this mod @tranqfx did this exact comparison?
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/drop-sennheiser-hd-8xx.25588/reviews
It may just be in my head but the HD8XX seem to sound better with ES DAC's. The AK DAC that I have on hand doesn't sound as great with the warmer sounding HD8XX, but the AK does sound really good with my more neutral sounding AKG K3003 earbud.
@jotaku, a poster shared some graphs a few pages back showing frequency responses with 1; 2; no stickers removed. The differences in frequency responses were minimal but there is more to sound quality than frequency response curves and I don't doubt the reports that there is some improvement. I am personally looking to exhaust all other low hanging options before using the sledge hammer.
@jotaku, a poster shared some graphs a few pages back showing frequency responses with 1; 2; no stickers removed. The differences in frequency responses were minimal but there is more to sound quality than frequency response curves and I don't doubt the reports that there is some improvement. I am personally looking to exhaust all other low hanging options before using the sledge hammer.
So I was fairly happy with the 8XX and some EQ. but I was very curious about the sticker mod so I gave it a shot.
I peeled the black mesh off with my fingers. Then I used 99% isopropyl and Goo Gone with Q-Tips to remove the remaining adhesive, which is very thick. I found the Goo Gone to be quite difficult to clean off after, so for the second cup I only used isopropyl. It took a little longer but worked well. I recommend against using Goo Gone, due to the difficulty of cleaning it off. My one ear cup still smells like it.
To my ears the difference in sound is minor. They are slightly more open sounding, and the "narrow corridor" effect on voices is slightly reduced. The mid dip is still there, but doesn't seem as bad.
I took some measurements as I went along.
Stock
Bottom Sticker Removed
Top and Bottom Stickers Removed
Overlaid
Interestingly, the mid dip is still very much there, and it's actually slightly worse. It has shifted from 1.6k to 1.3k. Bass extension seems to be about the same. My measurements show some fluctuation but I think this is attributed to the positioning of the headphones on the test rig. The high peaks are now quite a bit higher but also evened out slightly, and more closely resemble the 800S.
I haven't tried removing the last sticker. It doesn't seem worth it, as the difference is so minor.
I think it is fair to say that the driver changes are the main difference to the sound and not the stickers in the ear cups, like people have been suggesting.
For those curious, the rig is this project that I modified to fit a UMIK-1. Probably not particularly accurate, but good enough to measure changes.
Overall, I don't think the mod is worth it. I will continue to use EQ.
Here is the post with the frequency response curves.
jotaku
100+ Head-Fier
Totally get you. I haven't done the mod yet either, due to wanting to normalize my brain to the stock tuning first. But I definitely plan to. I personally don't think taking off pads to removing some foam stickers as a sledge hammer (even though removing the adhesive is apparently a pain), but I know that would give some people pause.
If you are happy with the performance with just EQ; great! You shouldn't feel compelled to do the mod. No one should make people feel bad about doing a mod or not; EQing or not; buying something or not. Liking something or not. Except drugs...drugs are bad...also murder...murder is also bad.
My personal take is if a product doesn't show problems in the first 30 - 90 days it probably won't. So I don't care that much about warranty. Also, given the fact that I picked the 8XX up at the crazy sales price I think of them more like a used pair of 800S than a new unit, which makes me more open to modding them than if they were $1600 new. So since this mod won't damage the headphone in anyway and no-one has reported it doing anything negative to the sound, there isn't that much "risk" in doing it if you are curious about it. I personally like the idea of small mods to maximize performance like this and pad swaps. I know some people don't want to void their warranty by doing something that can't be reversed.
But then again...
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It’s not difficult to get the adhesive off, just a little time consuming. Rubbing alcohol and about ten minutes per pad did it for me.Totally get you. I haven't done the mod yet either, due to wanting to normalize my brain to the stock tuning first. But I definitely plan to. I personally don't think taking off pads to removing some foam stickers as a sledge hammer (even though removing the adhesive is apparently a pain), but I know that would give some people pause.
If you are happy with the performance with just EQ; great! You shouldn't feel compelled to do the mod. No one should make people feel bad about doing a mod or not; EQing or not; buying something or not. Liking something or not. Except drugs...drugs are bad...also murder...murder is also bad.
My personal take is if a product doesn't show problems in the first 30 - 90 days it probably won't. So I don't care that much about warranty. Also, given the fact that I picked the 8XX up at the crazy sales price I think of them more like a used pair of 800S than a new unit, which makes me more open to modding them than if they were $1600 new. So since this mod won't damage the headphone in anyway and no-one has reported it doing anything negative to the sound, there isn't that much "risk" in doing it if you are curious about it. I personally like the idea of small mods to maximize performance like this and pad swaps. I know some people don't want to void their warranty by doing something that can't be reversed.
But then again...
ColSaulTigh
Headphoneus Supremus
By any chance did you use a hair dryer/heat gun to soften the adhesive beforehand?
Just curious.
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