[jbarrentine]

Silk modded these tonight and there is notable improvement. Yes, these 490 can be even better. Highs are unleashed to a greater extent. There's more air and bit more of a laser focused texture to the sound.

I'm going to end up buying one of these things at some point and telling you or Hengstenberg off, because your opinions are polar opposites. ;P

 

[equalspeace]

I'm going to end up buying one of these things at some point and telling you or Hengstenberg off, because your opinions are polar opposites. ;P

I think Hengstenberg may regret getting rid of his pair, if he's done so already. I believe this mod fixes the problem he did not like. I found it an issue to a lesser degree. I think the foam inserts causes the fine details to be slightly frosty or diffuse as some have said. So the foams add some veil. This mod I believe fixes that. Timbre, leading edge and fine details are improved.

Still on the velour pads btw. The fabric ones remove too much upper bass/lower mid texture, which leads to reduced note weight. Thus velour on these 490 is the way for me. When Senn starts selling the pads for this HP individually I will purchase extra sets.

 

[Moukkis]

Silk modded these tonight and there is notable improvement. Yes, these 490 can be even better. Highs are unleashed to a greater extent. There's more air and bit more of a laser focused texture to the sound.

can you explain or link to video how to do this? im kinda new to this and quick googling didn't help me

 

[MadHiFi]

Cayin HA-3A - but even a "Little Dot MKII" would be enough for the beginning, to get a little taste
DAC´s: Audio-GD R2R R1/R28 - D/S mytek liberty dac II

Greetings from my wife: she hates you!

 

[Hengstenberg]

I think Hengstenberg may regret getting rid of his pair, if he's done so already. I believe this mod fixes the problem he did not like. I found it an issue to a lesser degree. I think the foam inserts causes the fine details to be slightly frosty or diffuse as some have said. So the foams add some veil. This mod I believe fixes that. Timbre, leading edge and fine details are improved.

Still on the velour pads btw. The fabric ones remove too much upper bass/lower mid texture, which leads to reduced note weight. Thus velour on these 490 is the way for me. When Senn starts selling the pads for this HP individually I will purchase extra sets.

I´ve already sent them back.
What kind of mod is this? Only remove the R/L inlays and the magic will appear?
I doubt that, because that would mean Sennheiser engineers were amateurs.

 

[bagwell359]

If I can't get it out of solid state I don't want it. Tubes are widely expensive for good ones and the amps are space heaters. Just never gonna happen for me. Others can do what they want. Those are my objections.

I didn't mean to imply you should buy one. I listen to all sorts of gear that I am not interested in buying or can afford - for information purposes. That's how I got exposed to the Bottlehead Crack OTL amp. After decades of not being interested in tube amplification - the HD-600 on that loaned piece induced me to buy my own kit. The 800 and 800S which I don't own also sound far better on my BHC than on two SS desktop amps I know well - Ragnarok 1 ($1695) and Bryston BHA-1 ($2495), and better than on the V281 ($1889).

The basic BHC kit costs $369, and the very solid XDUOO T-26 $319 (no assembly required).

FYI

 

[TheFritz]

Since the right driver of my HD490pro failed one week ago after about 2 days of use and I had to RMA it, I now have the second set which works well (up to now). That gives me and you the opportunity to have a brief look at unit variation. Here a miniDSP EARS HPN compensated measurement of my new HD490pro with mixing/cloth pads vs. the averaged measurement of my 1st set (after approx. the same time of use) in bright green. I tried to replicate the measurement conditions (position on the EARS etc. - I took a picture at that time) as far as possible and normalized the two at 500 Hz.

My first set looks actually a bit brighter. Independent of the measurements I have the impression that my second set seems to have slightly less energy in the highs.

But of course this is not a professional measurement and my perception is not very accurate. Many factors like compression of pads etc. will also play a significant role in possible differences. One of them is that the right driver of my original set may have had some problems already at the time of the first measurements.

 

[equalspeace]

can you explain or link to video how to do this? im kinda new to this and quick googling didn't help me

Basically, you buy silk mesh. I use a fine one (100 mesh) like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Yards-Screen...d=1706990044&sprefix=slik+mesh,aps,186&sr=8-4

Cut it to the shape of the earcups but size it so there's a bit of overlap w the clips around the driver.

Place it over the driver and clips and snap in the earpads. Easy peasy.

If you don't have some overlap over the clips, the mesh will move around or fall out, as there's nothing there to keep it in place. The trick is to cut the mesh to a size that fits over the clips enough but isn't so big it hangs outside of the earcup once the earpads are snapped back on.

Here's some picks. Good luck to those who try this. It's a super simple mod


Clips circled





Only thing w this mod to note is you lose a bit of cup space as the mesh kind of hovers a few millimeters over the diaphragm. It's not a drastic difference and the sound is improved so I hardly mind.

I´ve already sent them back.
What kind of mod is this? Only remove the R/L inlays and the magic will appear?
I doubt that, because that would mean Sennheiser engineers were amateurs.

It's not just that lol. See above. I've done a version of this on my 6 series headphones btw

 

[MadHiFi]

I've made a decision. I had ordered a second pair of 490s, which were significantly cheaper, and was determined to keep them and perhaps even add the 600s. However, I found the second pair to be significantly worse than the first. I found myself listening to the 490s for shorter periods and increasingly switching to the 600s. The 600 with the MK2 is just rock 'n' roll. Therefore, the second 490 is also going back, and I'll be getting a better tube amp soon. Thanks for everything I've been able to learn here and for what this combination triggers in me!

 

[Moukkis]

Basically, you buy silk mesh. I use a fine one (100 mesh) like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Yards-Screen-Printing-Fabric-Count/dp/B00G43RSQG/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=3C8FFMLO43QXV&keywords=silk+mesh&qid=1706990044&sprefix=slik+mesh,aps,186&sr=8-4

Cut it to the shape of the earcups but size it so there's a bit of overlap w the clips around the driver.

Place it over the driver and clips and snap in the earpads. Easy peasy.

If you don't have some overlap over the clips, the mesh will move around or fall out, as there's nothing there to keep it in place. The trick is to cut the mesh to a size that fits over the clips enough but isn't so big it hangs outside of the earcup once the earpads are snapped back on.

Here's some picks. Good luck to those who try this. It's a super simple mod


Clips circled





Only thing w this mod to note is you lose a bit of cup space as the mesh kind of hovers a few millimeters over the diaphragm. It's not a drastic difference and the sound is improved so I hardly mind.



It's not just that lol. See above. I've done a version of this on my 6 series headphones btw

nice thanks for proper instructions! i have already some ideas to do that, just have to try find proper materials

 

[jbarrentine]

I didn't mean to imply you should buy one. I listen to all sorts of gear that I am not interested in buying or can afford - for information purposes.

Man I live in the rural south. I don't have the ability to just randomly go out and listen to product like many other people do. Everything has to be bought and shipped, absolutely everything. It would be super nice to have a store or something nearby to listen to product, but it's just not to be. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[bagwell359]

Man I live in the rural south. I don't have the ability to just randomly go out and listen to product like many other people do. Everything has to be bought and shipped, absolutely everything. It would be super nice to have a store or something nearby to listen to product, but it's just not to be. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Any meets nearby? I've heard a lot of great stuff at those.

 

[IXOYE]

Sennheiser never seems to succeed in surpassing the HD600, with a good amp and some PEQ to personal liking they are very hard to beat.

 

[Shane D]

Man I live in the rural south. I don't have the ability to just randomly go out and listen to product like many other people do. Everything has to be bought and shipped, absolutely everything. It would be super nice to have a store or something nearby to listen to product, but it's just not to be. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I hear you! I have to buy every single thing I try out.

 

[Shane D]

Sennheiser never seems to succeed in surpassing the HD600, with a good amp and some PEQ to personal liking they are very hard to beat.

Personal preference. I think the HD660S2's are Much better. But...personal preference.