[mikoss]

   
I can't believe some people are removing that "plastic spider". It's pretty obvious what that is, if you have any common sense that is. It's a very important structural element that makes the entire driver assembly stiffer, keeps the magnet securely in it's place and enables the dampening foam to be secured above the hole and give the driver an optimal amount of airflow on top of that. Removing that can only hurt the sound and in the long run reduce the reliability of the headphone because now the only thing holding the magnet in place is a little bit of glue. The diaphragm of the driver vibrates in a very precise way, and in order to do that, the structure it's attached to has to be as solid as possible. Making it less solid can't possible improve the sound, if you do hear an improvement, then it's just placebo because you want to hear an improvement.
 
I still don't understand how people think they can improve the sound by removing pieces off a headphone that are there for a very good reason. People who developed these headphones know infinitely more about engineering and acoustics than you do, so don't insult their work and intelligence by claiming you can "improve" the headphones by doing these mods that literally do nothing else but ruin the original state of the headphone. You're not improving them with "coin mods" or removing the foams, removing the structural elements, or doing any other think that goes against logic and common sense when we're talking about acoustics, you're making their sound more uneven and taking them further away from what they were meant to do in their original form. They don't sound the way they do by accident, they were designed that way.
 
I'm sorry for being this direct, but the amount of false science on this web site has reached intolerable levels, and it will literally make some people ruin their headphones after reading some of the ******** around here. 

I don't understand why it seems like you're angry that people are modifying headphones to suit their tastes.
 
There can be benefits modifying headphones from stock... as mentioned by others, HFM developed the FocusPad based on @jerg's mods. Sennheiser developed the HD-800S based on the sound signature of the mods by @Anaxilus and @JaZZ... there are numerous ways of creating a frequency response that sounds better to an individual, and modding is just one.
 
Would it make you feel better to know that there are also people who mod and take measurements? The coin mod in particular changes the FR barely... a few dB here and there, to bring about a sound that some people prefer. I've had a couple pairs of HD-650's, and they've been my primary headphone for over 5 years... I myself prefer the coin mod.
 
If you were to hear the modified 650's, would your opinion change? Or are you angry on principal, because Sennheiser engineered the headphones to sound differently? What exactly is the agenda of your angry rant... just wondering. I'll ship you my foam if you prefer them stock, but I have my doubts that you will

 

[joespride]

Thank you both, (Matt / Boos)  as I have a prime account I will be ordering from them thanks alot.  I assume the replacement is straight forward.  I just removed the oem and washed them out, very dirty and a bit worn so new pads are in order

 

[DaemonSire]

   
I recommend these for the same price:
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFDX4YO/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1459097866&sr=1&keywords=brainwavz+hm5
 
I don't think I'll ever go back to stock pads on the 650. 

Are these the same ones (direct from mp4nation):  http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-velor-memory-foam-earpad-suitable-for-large-over-the-ear-headphones-black
 
Based on the pics, they look to be.
 
Being in Canada, they aren't available on Amazon.ca so looking to buy direct from them (the free shipping is nice too).
 
Also, what is the process in replacing them?

 

[Rob49]

  I don't understand why it seems like you're angry that people are modifying headphones to suit their tastes.
 
There can be benefits modifying headphones from stock... as mentioned by others, HFM developed the FocusPad based on @jerg's mods. Sennheiser developed the HD-800S based on the sound signature of the mods by @Anaxilus and @JaZZ... there are numerous ways of creating a frequency response that sounds better to an individual, and modding is just one.
 
Would it make you feel better to know that there are also people who mod and take measurements? The coin mod in particular changes the FR barely... a few dB here and there, to bring about a sound that some people prefer. I've had a couple pairs of HD-650's, and they've been my primary headphone for over 5 years... I myself prefer the coin mod.
 
If you were to hear the modified 650's, would your opinion change? Or are you angry on principal, because Sennheiser engineered the headphones to sound differently? What exactly is the agenda of your angry rant... just wondering. I'll ship you my foam if you prefer them stock, but I have my doubts that you will

 
Until I joined this forum, I never dreamt that people mod headphones. I get the strong impression, that people that tend to mod, are compulsive modders, i.e. they have to mod everything, possible ! ( basically, they're never "satisfied"....a bit like someone constantly altering a TV picture, ( Which my partner does. )
 
Why can't "modders" just BUY a headphone ( without the "need" to modify ) "to suit their tastes" ???

 

[joespride]

   
Until I joined this forum, I never dreamt that people mod headphones. I get the strong impression, that people that tend to mod, are compulsive modders, i.e. they have to mod everything, possible !
 
Why can't "modders" just BUY a headphone ( without the "need" to modify ) "to suit their tastes" ???

I seriously doubt such an animal exists.  No speaker nor headphone I have had in over 30 years of audio has ever been perfect

 

[Rob49]

  I seriously doubt such an animal exists.  No speaker nor headphone I have had in over 30 years of audio has ever been perfect

 
Modding, isn't going to solve the issue then ! ? You hit the nail on the head....a need for "perfection". Which you can never find. I don't see the pleasure or joy, in purchasing ANY product, to take it a part & modify it.

 

[Tuneslover]

I can't believe some people are removing that "plastic spider". It's pretty obvious what that is, if you have any common sense that is. It's a very important structural element that makes the entire driver assembly stiffer, keeps the magnet securely in it's place and enables the dampening foam to be secured above the hole and give the driver an optimal amount of airflow on top of that. Removing that can only hurt the sound and in the long run reduce the reliability of the headphone because now the only thing holding the magnet in place is a little bit of glue. The diaphragm of the driver vibrates in a very precise way, and in order to do that, the structure it's attached to has to be as solid as possible. Making it less solid can't possible improve the sound, if you do hear an improvement, then it's just placebo because you want to hear an improvement.

I still don't understand how people think they can improve the sound by removing pieces off a headphone that are there for a very good reason. People who developed these headphones know infinitely more about engineering and acoustics than you do, so don't insult their work and intelligence by claiming you can "improve" the headphones by doing these mods that literally do nothing else but ruin the original state of the headphone. You're not improving them with "coin mods" or removing the foams, removing the structural elements, or doing any other think that goes against logic and common sense when we're talking about acoustics, you're making their sound more uneven and taking them further away from what they were meant to do in their original form. They don't sound the way they do by accident, they were designed that way.

I'm sorry for being this direct, but the amount of false science on this web site has reached intolerable levels, and it will literally make some people ruin their headphones after reading some of the ******** around here. 

I must admit that I have had similar thoughts about the high degree of modding but then it's their headphones and if they are comfortable mucking with them then all the power to them...which includes not only the good but perhaps also the potential bad the mod has caused. Me, I'm quite content with what the manufacturer has designed and engineered. I'm okay with ear pad and cable replacements.

 

[iancraig10]

I don't think modding is about 'perfection' since that doesn't exist.

Having just modified a T50 and got an improved model as a result, I'm pretty chuffed. I have got a lot of enjoyment from playing around with it and learned something about how they work acoustically in the process.

The mods weren't started just for the sake of mods, but to try to improve what I felt was lacking in the headphone. In my case, it was a great success and I have gained a lot of pleasurable listening from it as a result.

So I've discovered the pleasure of modding but don't intend to turn it into some kind of addiction. Just a means to an end. Birds of a feather tend to flock together which is why perhaps some think that headphone modders are addicts. Well, there are plenty of modders who aren't in the flock too; just not as vocal.

Also, assuming that the headphone has been designed as good as it can get is possibly slightly flawed too. The hd800 was reconfigured slightly to produce an hd800S. If the hd800 was designed like that on purpose, why did they slightly change it? They felt that it could be modded?

There are sometimes some small gains to be had by playing around with them. The biggest problem are those people that play around and don't measure what they are doing followed by putting it in a public place like this.

 

[Rob49]

I don't think modding is about 'perfection' since that doesn't exist.

Having just modified a T50 and got an improved model as a resilt, I'm pretty chuffed. I have got a lot of enjoyment from playing around with it and learned something about how they work acoustically in the process.

The mods weren't started just for the sake of mods, but to try to improve what I felt was lacking in the headphone. In my case, it was a great success and I have gained a lot of pleasurable listening from it as a result.

So I've discovered the pleasure of modding but don't intend to turn it into some kind of addiction. Just a means to an end.

Also, assuming thatt the headphone has been designed as good as it can get is possibly slightly flawed too. The hd800 was reconfigured slightly to produce an hd800S. If the hd800 was designed like that on purpose, why did they slightly change it? They felt that it could be modded?fI​

 

I don't think modding is about 'perfection' since that doesn't exist.

Having just modified a T50 and got an improved model as a resilt, I'm pretty chuffed. I have got a lot of enjoyment from playing around with it and learned something about how they work acoustically in the process.

The mods weren't started just for the sake of mods, but to try to improve what I felt was lacking in the headphone. In my case, it was a great success and I have gained a lot of pleasurable listening from it as a result.

So I've discovered the pleasure of modding but don't intend to turn it into some kind of addiction. Just a means to an end.

Also, assuming thatt the headphone has been designed as good as it can get is possibly slightly flawed too. The hd800 was reconfigured slightly to produce an hd800S. If the hd800 was designed like that on purpose, why did they slightly change it? They felt that it could be modded?

There are sometimes some small gains to be had by playing around with them. The biggest problem are those people that play aroumd and don't measure what they are doing, and then putting it in a public place like this.

 
As I edited my post, it's not about perfection, but more about "never being satisfied". ( for the compulsive "modder" ) I do feel to a degree, that it is modding, just for the sake of it & the fact that some people can do it. ( I couldn't & wouldn't know how, or where to start ! )
 
If you weren't satisfied with your T50's, then why didn't you return them & buy something else ?? I'm not having a go at people that mod, it's entirely up to them, but if I had to mod everything I bought, it would take all the joy out of, ( what should just be a "listening" experience. )

 

[iancraig10]

Because not much else sounds like my T50 mk3 tbh. Especially at the price.

Doesn't mean I'm some kind of fanatic, but designers don't always get it right. I only modded them as a result of listening and identifying what could be improved.

I have proper sub bass on my hd650 now. Can't be done by modding it, but actually I don't like the lack of sub bass on the hd650. Maybe that should have gone back?

I don't like the treble on the Dt990. Perhaps that should go too?

I don't like the bass resonances in the DT150.

I don't like the mids on the th900.

The hd800 treble is, well .......

None of them are right really. They are a compromise. Some can be improved and measured to have been improved.

Modding my T50 brought me an enormous amount of pleasure and that's it now. It's done so time for lots of listening.

 

[joespride]

If you send back everything that does not fully meet your expectations I fear you will have an empty house.  Thinking about it I can not think of a single product that I have not found some fault with from my toaster to my television there is always something I feel like could have been better
 
Manufacturers build EVERYTHING to a compromise price point.  some things we learn to accept / live with others we mod to meet our expectations.  My televisions speakers suck so I use external, My truck has idiot lights I prefer gauges so I add a set. Everything in life is a compromise to some degree or another

 

[iancraig10]

It is, but if you could improve it, you do. Like your speakers for the tv.

It is after all a hobby and some are quite happy to buy and rest easy with their goods, while others will modify as a part of a learning process and a 'hobby'. No problem with either view since you don't miss what you're not aware of I guess.

I must admit though, after hearing the improvements to the T50, I might well look at some others now since the difference in that case has been magical.

 

[MattTCG]

  Are these the same ones (direct from mp4nation):  http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-velor-memory-foam-earpad-suitable-for-large-over-the-ear-headphones-black
 
Based on the pics, they look to be.
 
Being in Canada, they aren't available on Amazon.ca so looking to buy direct from them (the free shipping is nice too).
 
Also, what is the process in replacing them?

 
The process is fairly simple and straightforward. You'll need to harvest the rings from the old pair of pads. Just cut them out carefully. You can reuse the old foam that goes against the drivers. Insert the rings you harvested to the inside of the pads. Put the foam over the foam and then gently but firmly pop the new pads into place. 
 
PLEASE be carefully when pressing firmly not to dent the grills.
 
All this sounds complicated until you've done it once, then it's easy. The hm5 pads are thicker and will require some convincing to get to snap it place. But that's it. I really do love the hm5 pads on the 650. Thicker, more cushion and IMO sounds better. 

 

[Rob49]

Because not much else sounds like my T50 mk3 tbh. Especially at the price.

Doesn't mean I'm some kind of fanatic, but designers don't always get it right. I only modded them as a result of listening and identifying what could be improved.

I have proper sub bass on my hd650 now. Can't be done by modding it, but actually I don't like the lack of sub bass on the hd650. Maybe that should have gone back?

I don't like the treble on the Dt990. Perhaps that should go too?

I don't like the bass resonances in the DT150.

I don't like the mids on the th900.

The hd800 treble is, well .......

None of them are right really. They are a compromise. Some can be improved and measured to have been improved.

Modding my T50 brought me an enormous amount of pleasure and that's it now. It's done so time for lots of listening.

 
As I said...."never being satisfied" lol
 
"but designers don't always get it right".......but what IS right ! ?? ( When as you imply, all headphones are different & "none of them are right really" ) I would rather go by the conclusion of what my ears indicate, rather than a measurement. ( With all due respect ! )
 
Enjoy your listening.....and to any "compulsive modder", I hope you find the time, to do just that !

 

[iancraig10]

I would rather use my ears followed by a measurement because people are easily fooled. It is easier to just accept what you get though I guess.