[Trevor spencer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hugz /img/forum/go_quote.gif please dont hotlink images off my server (edit your post please)

oops sorry

 

[hugz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor spencer /img/forum/go_quote.gif oops sorry

No worries

I do agree that they're a nice looking pair of headphones. For a while i was trying to decide what was uglier: the grilles of the hd580 or the fake marble of the hd600. The 580 with 600 grilles is the best of both worlds.. it looks really solid. The hd650 cable also helps because its much nicer made than the hd580 cable

 

[ldj325]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor spencer /img/forum/go_quote.gif anyone got a pic of there modded 580's ? also is the 650 cable interchangable with the 580's without modding ? So i could use this 650 cable on a set of 580's without having to mod anything ?

That cable will snap right in.

For those concerned about "modding" 580s:

Don't let the lable "Mod" intimidate you. With the 580 this just means a modification from the stock parts, No special tools or cutting is required.

Swapping the cable is considered to be one of the mods,albeit a very simple one to do. Pull old cable out (sometimes takes a little tugging depending on the age of the 580) and plug the 650 cable in. Simple. If you do get the 650 cable (terminates in 1'4" adapter) do your self a favor and get the Senn 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. Otherwise if you have to order later its $5 shipping for an approx. $4.82 part.

To mod the grills (the outside plastic cover on the 580) with the metal 600 grill you just need to use a spoon or nail file to slip off the cover where it meets the base plastic. Start at about the 11 o'clock position (looking at the HP from the side) and gently work the grill up a little bit, then move to 12, and usually you can pull them off by hand by the time you get to 1 o'clock. Pull out from the top. There are no screws or clips holding the grills on. Then as you slip on the 600 grill, do it fron the botton and it just snaps onto the earphone main assembly. The bottom of the new grill is easily identified as it has a cut out that will only fit the bottom of the assembly. The grill fits on the assembly like a cap, and tight fit is the only thing keeping it on.

If you want assurances before getting the 600 grills, just slip off the 580 grills. And it is fine to listen to them that way. This will give you an idea of the SQ difference with the 600 grills, which are more "open" than the 580 grills. And keep the old cable and grills just in case you sell the 580 or as I did use the cable to upgrade a lower grade Senn.

The foam mod is a little trickier to describe in words. But you just have to pull off the ear pads (they fit onto a plastic base in turn snaps into the inside of the plastic speaker assembly. This takes a little tugging towards the center as you have to pull that base out for under a small plastic lip. The ear pad stays attached to the plastic base (a ring of plastic). Then the faom just cam be removed and left out or cut a quarter size hold in it over the center of the driver and sanp the ear pads & base back in over it, or replace the foam material with pantyhose material. Unlike one of the other posters on this thread, my foam mod of total removal, while making a SQ difference, was the yielded the smallest SQ improvement.

If you do these mods, I recommend ordering the 650 cable, adapter, and grills all at once so you only pay the $5 shipping once.

All of this is harder to describe in words than it is to do. Sorry I can't suppply pictures--no camera.

 

[ecclesand]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hugz /img/forum/go_quote.gif please dont hotlink images off my server (edit your post please)

Mmmmm...purdy....I can't wait for my grills/cable. Curse you Sennheiser!

 

[MatsudaMan]

IGNORANCE and PLACEBO. Whatever it takes to get your headfi fix. Really funny stuff. I think I'm done reading about people that are addicted to upgrades. I'm out.

 

[Trevor spencer]

is there anywher in the UK i can get these grills , cant find the parts on the sen webpage

 

[Rob80b]

Regarding the HD650 cable we eliminate one more connection, the stock HD580/600 cable terminates in a mini plug, which is fine if that’s what you require.
Whenever and wherever we remove a non-hardwired connection we improve the path of the electrical signal, this is usually heard in audio as better highs (less distortion) and tighter bass.
The difference between the two cables is minimal but all the same it is there.

 

[blessingx]

These HD580 mods threads are so out of hand. Besides the sheer quantity of threads, we have people posting simultaneously (in other threads) that no grills on the HD580 has little effect, but magically reintroducing the HD600 grills makes the sound better? As mentioned earlier, the stock HD580 and HD600 (or Jubilee HD580) sounds nearly indistinguishable. Unless a large number of members have been wrong for years now, no mods are necessary for that. Even Headphile whose open wood grills are vastly different than any Senns, says his are for aesthetics purposes only. Now there are several good reasons to replace the cable (mine broken on first day), and the HD600 grills certainly look much better then the HD580s, but people temper the expections. Seriously.

ldj325 I had touble understanding your post. Did you try the grills on separate occasions on both phones (so you could exclude the age and hours difference). Also did you take the HD650 cable out of the equation to test the grills only?

 

[Rob80b]

I believe it comes down to pride of ownership, for many myself included, the HD580’s with the HD600 grill and HD650 cable just looks like a nicer (pricier) phone.
The mod which made the most obvious for me was removing the foam, the grills maybe and the cable, who knows.
We all like at some point beat the system, and that’s taking the HD580 (which at one point was Senn’s pedestrian audiophile phone) at the bargain price they are available today and psychologically turning it into a current day Diva (well not quite).

 

[ldj325]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx /img/forum/go_quote.gif These HD580 mods threads are so out of hand. Besides the sheer quantity of threads, we have people posting simultaneously (in other threads) that no grills on the HD580 has little effect, but magically reintroducing the HD600 grills makes the sound better? As mentioned earlier, the stock HD580 and HD600 (or Jubilee HD580) sounds nearly indistinguishable. Unless a large number of members have been wrong for years now, no mods are necessary for that. Even Headphile whose open wood grills are vastly different than any Senns, says his are for aesthetics purposes only. Now there are several good reasons to replace the cable (mine broken on first day), and the HD600 grills certainly look much better then the HD580s, but people temper the expections. Seriously. ldj325 I had touble understanding your post. Did you try the grills on separate occasions on both phones (so you could exclude the age and hours difference). Also did you take the HD650 cable out of the equation to test the grills only?

In terms of my experience, I had my old set of 580 and a new set. I tried almost every variation (except cuttingf the hole or using pantyhose) testing them against themselves (stock then modded) and against each other. And I swapped back and forth.

I gave the example of taking off the grills entirely, not as a recommended mod, but as a way for people to hear for themselves that grilled vs ungrilled make a difference (in case they want to get a sense of how the mod will affect the sound before mazking the time/$investment). If you can't hear the difference there, then the mod is likely a waste for you, cause you can't hear a difference that is very obvious to me. The differences are subtle, but discernable, and in the audiophile world subtlety is usually the level that is being accessed.

This is not directed at you, but others have made comments that appear to be little more than opinion as there is no indication that they have tried any of this for themselves. That's what I call prejudicial opinion. I choose to go with my experience over someones opinion. And it is important to keep in mind that ears are different and some have different sensitivity. I don't know if that is in play, I just know that I hear a difference.

 

[donunus]

I have had hd600s and right now I have some hd580s. I seem to remember that the hd600 had a little more bass. Maybe the hd600 grills actually give the backwave a little more compression making them bassier. Maybe it is not just a matter of grilles vs no grilles. Maybe the hd600 grilles actually make them a little more sealed than the 580s if that makes sense. As far as the cables are concerned, I like the mids of the stock 580 cables more than the hd650 ones. The bass is more hefty on the hd650 cables though.

 

[wali]

The stock HD580 has clearly audible resonance at higher frequencies and with HD600 grills that resonance is no longer audible.

But the plastic housing of HD580 with its annoying monophonic characteristics still remains so HD600 is the way to go with its carbon fiber housing.