[frank2908]

That's helpful, thanks

 

[98664c3yijh]

I did the mod by cutting the white foam from 007 mk i pads. Surprisingly this little mod did increase broadly understood resolution. I did only one few hours listening so far. The change is not big but I could detect it. On the immediate change the sound opened up esp the heights, sometimes perhaps too agressive even but might be I hear the system/recording more truthfull. Base sounds like there is less of it but at the same time more resolved-on low bow instruments i can hear sometimes the bow friction wow! Soundstage got some extra depth and/or width depending on the material. All in all an interesting change in the nice direction (anti hi fi sound). I want to listen more. I do miss a bit if body but might be it was artificial (my cart is known to be thin).
Thank you for this mod!

 

[98664c3yijh]

Listened to Joan Sutherland singing Haendel. Superb pressing, Decca ED1. I know it very well as I use it for some critical listening. It's an "old school" of presenting early music with massive strings. The harpsichord, which is a quiet instrument, usually struggles to get through. Now after the Zolkis mod of a simple removing the white dense foam I could hear and locate it perfectly, also could follow sometimes the dynamics of how the player hit the keys. I did not do A/B with the regular pads (life is too short for endless A/B), so I speak of my memory.

 

[98664c3yijh]

So, I got the 009 earpads (my wallet is still crying). But the white, dense foam is now attached to the earpad (glued to the black synthetic leather) So I cut it from both the black material and the sparse foam to remove completely?
Thanks in advance for help
Jarek

 

[98664c3yijh]

Ping Zolkis

I did the 007 pads mod and I want more
This is 009 pad I got. The stuffing is attached to the leather shell via the black ring at the bottom of the white dense foam.
Please instruct how to proceed now.
Thanks!

 

[zolkis]

Well, I described earlier that you need to cut off the white part.
1. Take off the leather (on the right), by gently and gradually pulling from outside, around the perimeter. It has a sticky glue that remains sticky after this. The remains of the glue will be both on the white ring and the leather flap. This will help if you will want to undo the mod.
2. When the foam inlet is separated from the leather shell, take a sharp knife (I used a Kyocera ceramic knife) and make a small cut between the white ring and the foam. Then pull them apart and make another small cut, a bit deeper. In this stage you cut through the whole depth, making a 2-2.5 cm wide cut-through.
3. Pull apart the foam and white ring, and make small (1-2-3 mm at once) cuts in radial line (across the width), advancing around the perimeter. I managed to make a so clean cut that the glue remained both on the white ring and the foam, helping if one wanted to undo the mod. After the cut they would still stick together.
4. When the white ring is separated, put the foam part back into the leather shell. If it became too shallow for your ears/head, raise it with pieces of foam (with similar density or structure to the pads foam) where needed. You might notice this will change the sound.

The result is my universal best pad for nearly every headphone I tried. It is pleasant even on the SR-009, but on other headphones it makes a big difference IME.
Keep the white ring around, stuck to both sides of e.g. a plastic sheet in order to keep the glue alive if you will need to reassemble (e.g. in the case you don't like the result and decide to sell the pads - which I doubt would happen, but anyway, YMMV).

 

[98664c3yijh]

Zolkis, your angelic patience will be for sure rewarded, thank you very much! I was unsure about point 1. Now I know what to do and will report. The effect of 007 mod is simply great as I have described above, realy surprising how considerable improvement (I love open direct sound)
this little mod can make.
Thank you
jarek

 

[98664c3yijh]

So I tried the modded 009 pads on my Mk1. If there is a change compared to the modded 007 pads, then it is very slight. Perhaps a slight bit more open on some occasions and I think with more controlled bass...but it's all rather slight. The 009 pads are to me less comfortable than the 007. I have small ears so no prob here (provided the center part of the spring is oriented towards the elevated part of the pad). Rather they feel stiffer compared to the soft leather of 007 pads. I still learn how to orient them properly. The feeling is also they seal worse but in fact they seal *better* as measured by the frequency of Stax farts whenever I move the pads slightly. I don't think I'm going to waste life on A/B and will stay with 009 pads. Even a hint on more openess and directness is a win for me.
Thanks Zolkis!

 

[zolkis]

I though the same, I liked the shift towards (even) more openness. Also the sound stage increased for me.
Note that with the 009 pads I made a less tight fit (adjusting the headbands so that in initial position the drivers are about 5-10 mm more apart than before). In addition, I have bent the drivers more inwards, so they pressed slightly more in the bottom part of the pads. Shaping the headbands like this just sounded better to me. But this depends on head shape, so might not work for everyone.

 

[98664c3yijh]

Ive been moving in that direction too angling the drivers more. But I must say it wasnot so much for the sound as I didnt perceive any difference but rather „it felt better”. I need more listening, lately I have not much tome for that. But all in all I can wholeheartedly recommend the Zolkis mod on 007mk1. Either with the original pads or accepting the law of diminishing returns moving to 009 modded pads.

 

[98664c3yijh]

I've lived a bit more with the Zolkis 007MkI pads mod (using modded 009 pads). I've always felt my system had some upper bass - lower mids deficiency. I still felt it even after introduction of BHSE and changing tubes to GT EL34M. I had even some plan on what actions to undertake. After the mod...I forgot about it Only recalled it today and realized I feel no more any deficiency, e.g. a large scale orchestral music (Bruckner etc) has the proper fundament and drive to my ears. Really great mod, thank you Zolkis again!!

 

[robo24]

I though the same, I liked the shift towards (even) more openness. Also the sound stage increased for me.
Note that with the 009 pads I made a less tight fit (adjusting the headbands so that in initial position the drivers are about 5-10 mm more apart than before). In addition, I have bent the drivers more inwards, so they pressed slightly more in the bottom part of the pads. Shaping the headbands like this just sounded better to me. But this depends on head shape, so might not work for everyone.

Zolkis, just wanted to thank you for all this info! Recently got the 007 MK2.5 and saw your posts here and on that other forum about using the 009 pads, which arrived yesterday. Clear improvement (and I haven't even modded them), even above the Brainwavz hybrid. Most noticeable change is the increase in treble. The 009 pads are also much easier to put on than the Brainwavz or even stock 007 pads. Additionally, the 009 are synthetic leather, which I always prefer in terms of feel to animal leather.

 

[statfi]

Nice thread! 'Just saw it, and have not read through it yet, so please excuse this if it is a stupid question. Has anyone gotten rid of the beautiful Stax leather covers? I have done a few experiments, and I believe I can hear sound reflecting from their sides facing in towards the ears. I made a partially informed decision to use foams with the leather covers over them.

 

[Hubert481]

Do you have a pic of th900 + 009-pad ? - would be great
i find th900-original Pads best - but after 2 Yea2rs they will be destroyed again - that sucks