[Ailurophile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif You can mod the pads, try to open a hole in the middle of felt, or take the felt out and replace it with some plastic net to protect the drivers from hair and so...

Hey. I'm new around here, but I have a pair of the RH 300s (love them) and they desperately need some new pads. I ordered some off e-bay that were the right size, but they looked cheap and generic. They should fit, but I'm not 100% sure they're going to be what I'm looking for.

My question is, where could I get some replacement parts, or parts to mod the pads like the ones you have in the picture? Would I have to make my own or is there some secret resource I might have overlooked in my searching? I would prefer to self install, and make them if I have to, rather then send them in to someone.

The ones I ordered certainly look more comfortable than the originals, but I'm not sure how long they will hold. I'm looking for something that will be very comfortable and more durable than the original fake leather material.

Any suggestions would be very helpful. I apologize for just jumping in here without introduction, but I saw the picture and I scoured the net for a good 2 hours earlier in search for something similar and have come up empty handed. I did not expect it to be so difficult.

Thanks in advance.

 

[1Time]

Roland U.S. - Contact Us

Welcome.

I don't own these headphones, but whatever pads you use or however you mod them surely will affect the sound.

 

[Ailurophile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif Roland U.S. - Contact Us Welcome. I don't own these headphones, but whatever pads you use or however you mod them surely will affect the sound.

Thank you.

Well I wanted to avoid Roland because I'm assuming if they do replacements they are going to ask me to ship them out, and/or will just reapply that very uncomfortable and cheap wannabe leather junk. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see what they have.

I'm also hoping adding a little more cushion won't impede on the output or what I hear too much, if at all. Honestly it would be nice if the padding created a more genuine closed fit around the ears. I have relatively small ears and the pads didn't go around them. They just pressed against my ears.

 

[1Time]

You very likely will be cutting new ground by modding the pads of the RH300. Again, change the pads, and you surely will change the sound. Meaning, you may or may not prefer the result. Odds are you won't.

If you can post measurements of the pads (headphones where the pads attach), maybe some pics, maybe post a new thread even, you should get input on possible pad replacements from other headphones that are more comfy.

 

[Ailurophile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif You very likely will be cutting new ground by modding the pads of the RH300. Again, change the pads, and you surely will change the sound. Meaning, you may or may not prefer the result. Odds are you won't. If you can post measurements of the pads (headphones where the pads attach), maybe some pics, maybe post a new thread even, you should get input on possible pad replacements from other headphones that are more comfy.

Alright, thank you for the advice. I will consider taking the time to do that and see what ideas spark.

In the meantime hopefully some more places to buy different types of replacement pads turn up.

 

[rayjuodas]

I have a bit of a bummer for all the Roland fans. My RH-300 ear pads are wearing thin and I started looking for some replacements pads. Unfortunately, THERE ARE NONE available anywhere. This is confirmed by a reply from Roland themselves, which reads: "Hello Ray, Unfortunately, replacement parts are not available for our headphone products. You can try third-party parts companies to see if might have some that would work as a substitute." Now, what kind of a reputable AUDIO company does things like that, especially concerning high end studio headhones??? I know it's an Audiotechnica knock off (in a good way), or maybe the other way around, and supposedly M50 pads should fit instead, and they do, apart from the fact that they don't sound exactly like Roland's original ones do... Roland's pads are shallower than AT's, probably that's why you get more mids, compared to M50s, with drivers being closer to your ears, maybe there are some other modifications in place, but the pads are a HUGE deal in the sound of headphones. I know that without a shadow of a doubt, as I have had 3 pairs of ATH-50s at one point at my disposal, with various degrees of wear on the pads, and if you try headphones with worn pads vs new pads, the sound is dramatically different. Not day and night, but there are certain trends that might sway your opinion about the headphones quite dramatically. I personally prefer worn pads to the new ones, as the headphones with new pads have more highs and less mids (the mids seem more distant). I first thought that it’s the headphones themselves sounding different, as I don’t expect them to sound 100% the same (different batches and so on), but then I changed the pads around and the same trends continued: headphones with new pads kept the signature I heard on the other pair, when it had this exact worn pad pair on, and the ones with worn pads sounded much more like the other pair with these pads on! So there’s no doubt – a huge amount of sound signature on headphones comes from the ear pads. And Roland, producing and selling 160 pounds high end headphones, encourages the buyers to “try third-party parts companies to see if might have some that would work as a substitute.” That’s unheard of, in my personal view, and will definitely change my view about this company’s priorities and views on their own products. They have a brilliant headphone (which, as The Pianist wrote, in many respects is a more refined version of the ATH-M50, although a more expensive one), and they are not providing the support it truly deserves. Shame on you, Roland!

 

[Mink]

Quote:

(sighs) Ok, so here are my final thoughts on Roland RH-300:

After about 30 hours of burn in, the sound began to shift toward the low end of the spectrum - it became noticeably fuller and warmer, but unfortunately also lost that initial sparkle and magic and in the upper mids/low treble. That's too bad - I expected that these would keep the same sound signature but would clear up and sound more controlled with more burn in, but that did not happen. Up until 30 hours, the sound did clear up and the bass tightened, but after that the sound signature seemed to have started changing quite significantly and became not quite suitable for my tastes.

In conclusion, I would say that if you like a warm sound with emphasized upper bass/low mids and a non-fatiguing, mellow, somewhat recessed treble, then these may just be your headphones. Unfortunately, they lose to similarly priced and even cheaper headphones like Hifiman RE0 and Shure SRH840 in overall detial resolution and clarity, but do have a more realistic tonality that the Shures (but not as realistic as my Hifiman RE0). I think that they are worth the price, if you like that kind of pleasant, warm, lush sound and don't mind or even prefer sacrificing a bit of analytical detail and clarity for a more musical and natural presentation (and also very dynamic BTW). These may also benefit from a good amp.

 
 
I agree, but "a somewhat recessed treble" is a big understatement. These are the first headphones I own/have listened to which I desperately feel the need to add more highs and that's funny because I am pretty sensitive to high frequencies. This is a pretty serious short-coming.
Luckily EQ-ing them is very easy and this doesn't distort the sound (which is usually the case when trying to alter the sound), iTunes pre-setting "more highs" just does the trick, I am not kidding.
Overall I find the sound (when EQ-ed) to be really excellent! A very natural tonal quality. In my opinion better than Audio Technica ATH-A500 and M40fs and Shure SRH-840 and many other headphones I listened to.
My Denon D5000's remain king though

 

[longuito]

Hello,
 
I've searched for the info on the web with no luck, but any idea o the driver size and type? Thanks in advance!

 

[rayjuodas]

Browse for Audio Technica ATH-M50, It's basically the same thing with some tuning/variation (less bottom end, less highs).

 

[zunehdrocks]

I wonder how these compare against the yamaha mt220

 

[ginetto61]

Hi !  just bought a pair after seeing this impressive distortion graph
 
 

 
here ...   http://www.geocities.jp/ryumatsuba/rh-300.html
 
They look also quite better built than Audiotechnica M50 
 

 
Found also some velour pads compatible here
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Velour-Ear-pads-cushion-for-Audio-Technica-ATH-M40-ATH-M50-ATH-DJ-Headphones-au-/251558882624?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&var=&hash=item3a9213ed40
 
Regards,  gino 

 

[ginetto61]

Sorry ... how can i delete a message please ?
Thanks a lot,  gino

 

[ginetto61]

Originally Posted by Mink /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree, but "a somewhat recessed treble" is a big understatement. These are the first headphones I own/have listened to which I desperately feel the need to add more highs and that's funny because I am pretty sensitive to high frequencies.
This is a pretty serious short-coming.
 
Hi ! you are quite right. The FR confirms the declining of the curve from mids up. 
 
Luckily EQ-ing them is very easy and this doesn't distort the sound (which is usually the case when trying to alter the sound), iTunes pre-setting "more highs" just does the trick, I am not kidding.
Overall I find the sound (when EQ-ed) to be really excellent! A very natural tonal quality. In my opinion better than Audio Technica ATH-A500 and M40fs and Shure SRH-840 and many other headphones I listened to.
 
 
i decided to buy a pair for the very low distortion figures actually. I see that you use iTunes. I wonder if there is anything for windows ...
 
My Denon D5000's remain king though
 
Very beautiful indeed.  But also very expensive.
Thanks a lot,   gino
 
 
 

 

[dyavuz]

I've been using the RH-300 for about a year now. Here my opinions, in case someone is interested in buying them: 
 
The first time I listened to them, I was completely amazed by the dynamics. Drums sounded really fantastic on these. Overall the sound was very flat, with slightly recessed trebles. Separation was extraordinary. But in my opinion they had a strange problem. Everything sounded either hard left, hard right, or in the middle. So for certain music styles I still preferred them a lot, for example vocal jazz, they sound really good. But usually I was using them only once in a while. Two months ago I decided to give another chance to these. I burned them for about 80 hours. And that did make a huge change!! After about 65-70 hours the L-R-M soundstage somehow melted together and now I have a very decent (not too big but wide and slightly deeper than before) soundstage. The sharp dynamics in the beginning got after burnin just a bit softer but not in a negative way. They are still very dynamic, have superb separation. The treble is less recessed than before burnin.. I think the overall frequency response became also better.Very flat...  Now they are definitely my favourite headphones. 
 
 
So in short: 
Very dynamic, need about 65-70 hours of burnin, fantastic separation, trebles slightly recessed but after burnin seem to flatten.  
Bass texture is good, more on the focused side but not too much, mids are very natural and don't stick out too much, trebles are also good but just lack a bit of magic, sparkle. 
Overall the frequency response is very flat and natural, I can listen to them forever, no ear fatiguing or whatsoever. They are also comfortable but can get a bit uncomfortable after a while if you wear glasses like me.
 
They deserve definitely more attention IMO, I would definitely recommend them but take the time to burn them.

 

[ginetto61]

I've been using the RH-300 for about a year now. Here my opinions, in case someone is interested in buying them: ....

 
Hi and thanks a lot for your very helpful review.
I have received my pair but just tried them very briefly and put them away because i was using the k501 much praised here.
Your words make me happy already by the way and i will listen to them carefully
I bought them from Japan and i had to pay customs ... but it looks like a great buy in the end.
However i miss which amp are you using to drive them.
In my opinion also the amp is important.  It must not be expensive ...
but it must be very good 

Thanks a lot again
Regards,  gino