[jackson1]

Yeah Mike, you're lucky to have numb earlobes, apparently 

 

 

[groovyd]

I also noticed perhaps less bass and more pronounced highs and perhaps even siblance using the velour pads.  I assumed it was just something I was imagining but now that you mention it I do agree.  Perhaps the original pads with the added neoprene surround  stuffed between the pad and earcup is the best combination.  The velour is much more comfortable all around though and gives a more open feel.  Perhaps the seal that the leather pads provide from airflow through the pads themselves is what tunes the bass and highs differently.

 

[head-hi]

Reading thru this thread on the pad differences, I think I'll stick with the stocks. They're comfortable to me, as well. They stay cooler than others I have at work, like the HP50, and they sound great with the Aune T1/7308 tube and C&C BH2 combo. Thanks for the impressions.

 

[campj]

I cut the mesh out of the original pads and had my wife sew in some pantie hose... there's no change in sound and I don't experience the sandpaper-on-my-ears sensation anymore.
 
The only thing I don't like about the original pads (now that I've modified them) is that replacements are FIFTY BUCKS! 

 

[dudlew]

Just asking a general question to all the owners of the 7520 out there..... for portable use, what amp do you use? I have a PA2 v2 and will use that for the time being, but just curious as to what my amp upgrade options could be on the portable front. I have no real intention of upgrading my touch anytime soon so not going to go the route of DAPs like the Fiio X3 or X5 for the time being.
 
Also, for a home setup, what would be a good affordable amp..... I am seriously eyeing the Magni as the low end and the M-Stage HPA2 possibly with DAC as the upper end of my amp search.. any comments on an amp in this price range for home use is also welcome.
 
Thanks

 

[jackson1]

  Just asking a general question to all the owners of the 7520 out there..... for portable use, what amp do you use?

 
I've used an iBasso D12 Anaconda. Awesome combo.

 

[starfly]

   
I think starfly had the same experience if I remember correctly.. Whether the change is good or bad is, as you say, individual. However, my personal feeling is that the original Sony pads are a deliberate part of the design and that changing them is likely to be detrimental to the sound. Fortunately I have no comfort issues with the original pads. In fact, I actually find them very comfortable despite having largish ears.

I'm still using the Shure 840 pads every day. Mostly because of comfort. The main difference in sound vs. the stock pads is a slightly more emphasized bass (I suppose the mid-bass). Otherwise it doesn't sound too different to my ears. But yeah, YMMV. Didn't like the sound of the 940 pads, really takes away most of the low end of the 7520, although it does seem to improve the soundstage a bit.

 

[Darner]

My 7520's often seem boomy to me. The best explanation of the sound that I can come up with is this: imagine you take a recording, and process it so that it sounds like it's coming from the next room, or a room above or below you one floor, like the sound of a rock club before you actually get into the building. Then take that recording and overlay it with the original recording, so that you have both together. You still hear the details of the original, but they are somewhat swallowed in the boom of the other. You want to turn it up to regain those details, but then the boom and rumble also get louder too, so you can't win.
 
My 7520's don't do this with all my recordings, but with a very good majority of them, especially those where there's a constant presence of bass frequencies. I'm listening to a lot of metal (90s death metal), and I know it can sound clearer and less swallowed up by the lows. I did a test switching to mono, and trying each earpad on each ear one at a time (upside down when on the wrong ear), and there doesn't seem to be any R/L discrepancy that I can tell. I thought maybe one of the channels could be the culprit. The boominess is often suffocating, and significantly takes away from the airiness and space. Does anyone have this issue?
 
I live in Albany, CA near Berkeley, and would love to A/B someone else's 7520s on a couple recordings. A latte's in it for anyone in my area who'd be willing.

 

[bixby]

  My 7520's often seem boomy to me. The best explanation of the sound that I can come up with is this: imagine you take a recording, and process it so that it sounds like it's coming from the next room, or a room above or below you one floor, like the sound of a rock club before you actually get into the building. Then take that recording and overlay it with the original recording, so that you have both together. You still hear the details of the original, but they are somewhat swallowed in the boom of the other. You want to turn it up to regain those details, but then the boom and rumble also get louder too, so you can't win.
 
My 7520's don't do this with all my recordings, but with a very good majority of them, especially those where there's a constant presence of bass frequencies. I'm listening to a lot of metal (90s death metal), and I know it can sound clearer and less swallowed up by the lows. I did a test switching to mono, and trying each earpad on each ear one at a time (upside down when on the wrong ear), and there doesn't seem to be any R/L discrepancy that I can tell. I thought maybe one of the channels could be the culprit. The boominess is often suffocating, and significantly takes away from the airiness and space. Does anyone have this issue?
 
I live in Albany, CA near Berkeley, and would love to A/B someone else's 7520s on a couple recordings. A latte's in it for anyone in my area who'd be willing.

very strange, have you tried another source?  

 

[dudlew]

ARRGGGGHHH!!!!
 
Our regional airline is messing up my enjoyment of this headphone

!!
 
UPS uses the regional airline LIAT, in the Caribbean to transport the packages from island to Island.... Now imagine after the package got to Antigua on Tuesday morning and left the same afternoon, It still has not gotten to St. Vincent!!! I should have been clearing it out of customs now.... but have to hopefully wait until tomorrow.......
 
I'm sad

 

 

[Mike F]

  My 7520's often seem boomy to me. The best explanation of the sound that I can come up with is this: imagine you take a recording, and process it so that it sounds like it's coming from the next room, or a room above or below you one floor, like the sound of a rock club before you actually get into the building. Then take that recording and overlay it with the original recording, so that you have both together. You still hear the details of the original, but they are somewhat swallowed in the boom of the other. You want to turn it up to regain those details, but then the boom and rumble also get louder too, so you can't win.
 
My 7520's don't do this with all my recordings, but with a very good majority of them, especially those where there's a constant presence of bass frequencies. I'm listening to a lot of metal (90s death metal), and I know it can sound clearer and less swallowed up by the lows. I did a test switching to mono, and trying each earpad on each ear one at a time (upside down when on the wrong ear), and there doesn't seem to be any R/L discrepancy that I can tell. I thought maybe one of the channels could be the culprit. The boominess is often suffocating, and significantly takes away from the airiness and space. Does anyone have this issue?
 
I live in Albany, CA near Berkeley, and would love to A/B someone else's 7520s on a couple recordings. A latte's in it for anyone in my area who'd be willing.

 
The 7520's certainly have plenty of bass! and although I love mine I can understand your analogy. 
 
I think there's two or three things going on here.
 
First, I think it's a matter of comparison. I was listening to mine yesterday quite a bit, and then today, after a long break from them, I listened to my HD800's. My initial reaction was, 'where's the bass gone?' They sounded bright and lacking bass by comparison, but, after about 30 mins my ears had adjusted and they sounded normal again. If your not used to phones with a really strong bass presence, the 7520's certainly could seem boomy, especially if.....
 
Second, you music has a lot of bass in it. I don't listen to 90's death metal, but I suspect that it has lots of (exaggerated) bass in the recordings. The 7520's excel at reproducing what's on a recording, and do especially well with good live recordings, so if there's loads of bass in the recording, that's what you will hear.
 
Third, it could just be, as bixby has suggested, a source problem.

 

[irablumberg]

  Just asking a general question to all the owners of the 7520 out there..... for portable use, what amp do you use? I have a PA2 v2 and will use that for the time being, but just curious as to what my amp upgrade options could be on the portable front. I have no real intention of upgrading my touch anytime soon so not going to go the route of DAPs like the Fiio X3 or X5 for the time being.
 
Also, for a home setup, what would be a good affordable amp..... I am seriously eyeing the Magni as the low end and the M-Stage HPA2 possibly with DAC as the upper end of my amp search.. any comments on an amp in this price range for home use is also welcome.
 
Thanks

For portable use, I use an O2 and an iCan Nano. Sounds great with either one.

 

[Darner]

Thanks Mike F and Bixby. I should be getting a JDS C5 amp soon, a move up from the PA2V2 (which I use out of an iPod Nano 5g). I also go out of my laptop when I'm working, either directly or through the PA2V2. But so far it's a pretty consistent issue, and one I don't face on my IEMs. It might not be relevant, but I also have a fairly good aftermarket car stereo without these issues. I should have mentioned that my 7520s are Sony B-stock, though they came with a manufacturer warranty and guarantee of 100% perfect working order.
 
The point about comparison is compelling. I had noticed that there was often a period of adjustment when first putting on the 7520s. An initial feeling that they were boomy and claustrophobic, followed by my conscious effort to note the parts I was hearing, the various frequencies, textures, and melodic lines. During this attentive listening that initial sense often evaporates. The problem is that it keeps coming back and nagging me. Like you said Mike, this leaves me unsure as to whether it's not just a subjective response on my part.
 
The process is like going to read in a little room with a table, chair, and a weak lamp. The first thing you notice is the low ceiling and weak light, and you think, I can't read in here! You sit at the table and pull out your book, and eventually you forget the room size and the low light. But every time you set the book down and look around, you're reminded, not to mention when you get up and leave the room.
 
Still, there are other times when the 7520s amaze me. Even with the tracks that give the boominess, the rest of what's there in the sonic field is much richer than with my IEMs. So it's occurred to me that they might just be more advanced and capable than whatever was used to record the albums I'm listening to.
 
In any case, I'd still love to A/B someone else's 7520s with mine, in Berkeley. A latte and a scone and some listening?

 

[latenlazy]

  Thanks Mike F and Bixby. I should be getting a JDS C5 amp soon, a move up from the PA2V2 (which I use out of an iPod Nano 5g). I also go out of my laptop when I'm working, either directly or through the PA2V2. But so far it's a pretty consistent issue, and one I don't face on my IEMs. It might not be relevant, but I also have a fairly good aftermarket car stereo without these issues. I should have mentioned that my 7520s are Sony B-stock, though they came with a manufacturer warranty and guarantee of 100% perfect working order.
 
The point about comparison is compelling. I had noticed that there was often a period of adjustment when first putting on the 7520s. An initial feeling that they were boomy and claustrophobic, followed by my conscious effort to note the parts I was hearing, the various frequencies, textures, and melodic lines. During this attentive listening that initial sense often evaporates. The problem is that it keeps coming back and nagging me. Like you said Mike, this leaves me unsure as to whether it's not just a subjective response on my part.
 
The process is like going to read in a little room with a table, chair, and a weak lamp. The first thing you notice is the low ceiling and weak light, and you think, I can't read in here! You sit at the table and pull out your book, and eventually you forget the room size and the low light. But every time you set the book down and look around, you're reminded, not to mention when you get up and leave the room.
 
Still, there are other times when the 7520s amaze me. Even with the tracks that give the boominess, the rest of what's there in the sonic field is much richer than with my IEMs. So it's occurred to me that they might just be more advanced and capable than whatever was used to record the albums I'm listening to.
 
In any case, I'd still love to A/B someone else's 7520s with mine, in Berkeley. A latte and a scone and some listening?

I'd be interested in A/Bing with a different pair. I just got the 7520s from someone in Oakland two or three weeks back. Apparently the guy only had 20 hours or so on it, so I'm still in the process of burning them in (maybe have 100-150 hours on them). I live in SJ, but went to UC Berkeley, and visit frequently to see friends. Weekends work best for me (I'm actually making a trip up today).

 

[Mike F]

  In any case, I'd still love to A/B someone else's 7520s with mine, in Berkeley. A latte and a scone and some listening?

 
 

  I'd be interested in A/Bing with a different pair. I just got the 7520s from someone in Oakland two or three weeks back. Apparently the guy only had 20 hours or so on it, so I'm still in the process of burning them in (maybe have 100-150 hours on them). I live in SJ, but went to UC Berkeley, and visit frequently to see friends. Weekends work best for me (I'm actually making a trip up today).

 
 
Please let us know how it goes! I'd be very interested, at least.