[seeberg]

Yo, Sean H, I'm feelin' the cowbell

WE NEED MORE COWBELL!!!
Yeah, since I tried them last year, I've always said that the easiest and certainly cheapest way to tune up the performance of a Grado headphone was through the HD414 replacement pads. Imagine getting a entry model VW Corrado with a 4cyl. engine and adding one part to make it a top of the line Corrado VR6. That's the difference to me, IMHO.

Man, the Corrado was such an awesome hot-hatch!

Oh, and Naruto, it looks like you came to the same conclusion about RS pads as I did. They just don't get significantly better when modded. The stock pads do get moderately better, but the 414 pads just blow them away. If I get to this upcoming Portland HeadFi meet, I might be able to test the flats, though. The new Jack Johnson and Queens Of The Stone Age albums could use a trip on those.

I

'cause I'm

,
Abe

 

[Helter Skelter]

My niece was wearing my K271S earlier, but she decided she likes the SR-60 better. I also may have promised her a pair as a gift at some point. Six years old and already a fan.

 

[seeberg]

You're lucky man... All my neices and nephews are stuck on Pokemon. I'm trying to ween them towards Bit Char-G at present, and some really love mini R/C's! I'm just about the only headphone freak in my family...

 

[jabberbox]

helter, your niece is adorable. i have a nephew that's a bit younger than her..i'm gonna wait until he's a bit older to let him try me headphones on. he'd probably stomp on them, if i gave him the chance.

 

[apnk]

Hey Helter Skelter the yellow 414 pads match her shirt.

 

[Sottilde]

So would you guys recommend the 414 pads (I'd probably dye them) over the RS pads? I know a forum member sells dyed 414 pads for about $15... so would it be worth the $15 over the RS pads... or would it be best to run straight to flats?

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sottilde So would you guys recommend the 414 pads (I'd probably dye them) over the RS pads? I know a forum member sells dyed 414 pads for about $15... so would it be worth the $15 over the RS pads... or would it be best to run straight to flats?

I would recommend the 414 pads over the RS, but you don't need to pay $15 for them. Go here and then dye them with black shoe polish or something. That worked for me, I just had to let the pads sit for a day or two to dry and then they were good to go. Then, using an exacto-knife and a quarter, you can cut a center hole out of the pad very easily and get GREAT sound out of the 414 pads.

For future's sake, I might consider linking where you can get the 414 pads in my signature, if it helps anyone.
Stay

ing my babys,
Abe

 

[eight08]

i didnt like the RS pads at all, they were a bit too thin. thin enough that i can feel the plastic beneath the pads.

bought them so i could try the quater mod.

i prefer the stock comfies sound - i like the "veil". i think the stock pads are really comfortable, but out of curiosity, i ordered some senn pads to try out. i wonder what the shipping time is like (ordered on sunday night).

 

[seeberg]

I'd say your wait on the Sennheiser pads would be like a week or a week and a half. No big deal, not like I got with iRiver. I ordered defective batteries that took 3 months out of backorder to reach me, and I had to send them back for a refund. Good thing my SlimX 350 is a reliable CD player

I loves it.

 

[quackattack]

Alright guys, I think you got me. I am going to have to go pick up some of these baby's tonight or tomorrow.

One quick questions before I take the plunge. Can anyone speak to how much they improve with an amp? Thanks!

 

[gsferrari]

They do sound clearer, bassier and less strident without an amp but I love it straight out of my portable...

 

[dallasstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by quackattack Alright guys, I think you got me. I am going to have to go pick up some of these baby's tonight or tomorrow. One quick questions before I take the plunge. Can anyone speak to how much they improve with an amp? Thanks!

The bass becomes much better and sounds closer to a subwoofer-like sound than before (though, of course, they don't actually ever end up sounding like one; they just get closer). Other than that, I didn't notice much of an improvement in mids or highs, but I hypothesize that if you were to use a tube amp, you'd get some nice colorations that would tame the highs to the point where they wouldn't sometimes be shrill as they can be.

 

[gsferrari]

my most awe-inspiring moment with the SR-60 was out of a vintage Marantz 1060 (I think...not sure which model) receiver.


It had a separate Bass and Treble tone control and when I cranked up the bass!!

OMG...UNBELIEVABLE bass!! Just stunning...without flapping!!

The HD-595s that I had at the same time were creaking and popping...

Thats what made me decide that the SR-60s were for life. You dont have to worry about FOTM with these...I am not selling mine and I dont think anyone would sell something that costs $60.00 and sounds almost as good as headphones that cost a LOT more.

 

[dallasstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsferrari my most awe-inspiring moment with the SR-60 was out of a vintage Marantz 1060 (I think...not sure which model) receiver. It had a separate Bass and Treble tone control and when I cranked up the bass!! OMG...UNBELIEVABLE bass!! Just stunning...without flapping!! The HD-595s that I had at the same time were creaking and popping... Thats what made me decide that the SR-60s were for life. You dont have to worry about FOTM with these...I am not selling mine and I dont think anyone would sell something that costs $60.00 and sounds almost as good as headphones that cost a LOT more.

I broke mine in a modding experiment

. I unsoldered the wires attached to one channel, and just had a look around etc (was trying to get to the driver to uncrease it), but when I resoldered the wires, no sound came out

.

 

[quackattack]

Thanks guys. I just went and demoed some of these at a local stereo shop. I was really impressed.

Loved the bass, these things definately rock! They had much more detail and clarity than I was expecting based on reviews. I figured that they may only be good for rock or "fun" music. But I see this isn't the case.

They had some SR-125 that I a/bed them with for a while. There was a noticable difference in clarity and tightness. For me I think I will still be better off with the 60. While there was a difference I think that if I can get the Grado sound for $70, I will cut my losses and not spend nearly twice as much. I think I will get nearly as much satisfaction from them.

It was hard to walk out of the store empty-handed, but I always try and make a habit of sleeping of this sort of thing. I will tell you right now, I will be back tomorrow. After a few days with them I will have much more to contribute to this great thread! Thanks again guys, these cans definately deserve this kind of attention.