[Agnostic]

I just put the new silver pads on my old 600ohm DT990 and guess what...
They completely spoil the sound. Bass becomes boomy, the treble harsh and the mids a tad recessed. I had no idea that just changing pads could make such a huge difference.
The problem with the pads is that they remove the drivers too much from the ear, if I press on the cups to bring them closer they sound better again. So now I have the new pads stacked under a pile of books to flatten them. Lets see if that works...

As an aside this made me wonder if burn in can be partly attributed to softening of earpads which changes isolation and especially brings the drivers closer to the ear...

 

[NoXter]

Beyerdynamic headphones are really sensitive on any changes.

Maybe you try to get replacemnt directly from Beyerdynamic. Their support for older phones is really good.

 

[Shahrose]

i'm pretty sure they don't sell the black pads anymore, so you're stuck with the silver ones. let us know how flattening the pads affects the sound; i definitely noticed the differences you described in terms of the driver being closer or farther away from the ears.

 

[Agnostic]

Will report back on the pad flatening results

If it doesn't work I'll just put back the old black pads.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agnostic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just put the new silver pads on my old 600ohm DT990 and guess what... They completely spoil the sound. Bass becomes boomy, the treble harsh and the mids a tad recessed. I had no idea that just changing pads could make such a huge difference. The problem with the pads is that they remove the drivers too much from the ear, if I press on the cups to bring them closer they sound better again. So now I have the new pads stacked under a pile of books to flatten them. Lets see if that works... As an aside this made me wonder if burn in can be partly attributed to softening of earpads which changes isolation and especially brings the drivers closer to the ear...

I could've told you. I had the same experience.
I'm afraid you used the EDT770 pads, since they are the only ones that fits the classic DT990. But those 770 pads are for closed headphones.
Not finding new pads was the main reason for me selling my classic DT990.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoXter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Beyerdynamic headphones are really sensitive on any changes. Maybe you try to get replacemnt directly from Beyerdynamic. Their support for older phones is really good.

No, it's not good at all. A Dutch Beyer salesman adviced the audio shop to sell the DT770 earpads for my classic DT990

When I emailed BeyerDynamc Germany directly, I got really stupid answers.

 

[Agnostic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiemen /img/forum/go_quote.gif No, it's not good at all. A Dutch Beyer salesman adviced the audio shop to sell the DT770 earpads for my classic DT990 When I emailed BeyerDynamc Germany directly, I got really stupid answers.

Actually the manual with the new pads says they are for the DT511/770/880/990 and they look the same as the pads on the pictures of the new DT990. I think beyer uses the same pads for all new models with the same size cups.

Anyway they look a bit flatter after 8 hours under a stack of dictionaries. Will leave them there a bit longer. I can also refil the old pads if I need to. Did that with a previous pair of classic DT990s which I sold to a friend and that worked fine.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Just curious...I know we're talking Beyers here, but has anyone ever modded Senn pads? Like, I'm thinking leather covers for 650's instead of itchy velour...I wonder what that would sound like? Probably too "reflecty"...

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agnostic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually the manual with the new pads says they are for the DT511/770/880/990 and they look the same as the pads on the pictures of the new DT990. I think beyer uses the same pads for all new models with the same size cups. Anyway they look a bit flatter after 8 hours under a stack of dictionaries. Will leave them there a bit longer. I can also refil the old pads if I need to. Did that with a previous pair of classic DT990s which I sold to a friend and that worked fine.

I'm sure that the pads for the DT770 are different than the pads for the DT880/DT990. They look the same though.

 

[Headdie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agnostic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can also refil the old pads if I need to. Did that with a previous pair of classic DT990s which I sold to a friend and that worked fine.

I refil mine with Poly Sponge, by two cuts in the screen behind. How do you do it and what material do you use? Thanks,

 

[tk3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agnostic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bass becomes boomy, the treble harsh and the mids a tad recessed.

Isn't that how the DT990 normally sounds?

 

[Agnostic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Headdie /img/forum/go_quote.gif I refil mine with Poly Sponge, by two cuts in the screen behind. How do you do it and what material do you use? Thanks,

I cut open the pad along the inner lining where the fabric and the backing material join, then I sow them up along that same line afterward. Not sure what you call the foam I used. I had a piece very similar to the stuff beyer uses to cover the driver from which I cut two rings.

 

[Agnostic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Isn't that how the DT990 normally sounds?

Only if you use the wrong pads it seems

I was really quite shocked by the difference!

 

[ericj]

I am quite certain that the DT990 and the DT770 take different pads. The 770 pads are stiffer. Anyone telling you they use the same pads is misinformed - even if they work for beyerdynamic.

I am also certain that new and old full-size beyers all have the same 100mm flange and thus can all wear each-others pads with varying levels of success.

If you're sure that you want the oldschool style black pads, I'm pretty sure that the stock pads on the MB-Quart QP55x are pretty much identical to the old black dt990 pads. They were probably made in the same factory, too. MB/Q and Beyerdynamic were arch-nemisises for decades, and competed directly, and since they're both in germany they had the same local manufacturing resources to work with. You can probably find a used QP55x in the for-sale forums for about the price of some new DT990 velours.

For a DT990 you want part number 926.679 aka EDT990V. It's specified for DT 531 /811/ 880 M/ 911/ 931/ 990/ 990 PRO/ IRS 690

For a DT770 you should get 926.660 aka EDT770V. Specified for DT 511/ 770/ 770 PRO/ 801/ 831/ 901

If anybody knows a cheap US source for EDT550S, btw, I need a pair to return my DT880-S (Edition 1980) to stock configuration. These are the same pads that are on the 770M.

 

[Kilane]

I've noticed the same thing with my pads... maybe I'll give throwing them under some dictionaries for an evening a shot.