[Benny-x]

I just bought the parts from HiFiMAN for the mod. I bought both the headband assembly + cups for the HE-400S(silver) and the headband assembly + cups for the HE-560. I'll see what looks best, then go ahead with them.
 
I kind of want to turn the HE-6 into a mini Stax SR-007 MkI looking set of phones, but at the same time I'm a fan of the "wood band" on the HE-560 as well. We'll see how it goes. I also want to compare the cup material of the stock HE-6 cups vs. the new ones.
 
This also opens the opportunity for adding some 70 durometer sorbothane a la Stax vibration damping thread~~ Fun times ahead.
 
I also bought the aluminum rings that are used to hold the drivers to the cups, hopefully they bring some benefit beyond just not feeling like schiit like the plastic ones do...

 

[jerg]

  I just bought the parts from HiFiMAN for the mod. I bought both the headband assembly + cups for the HE-400S(silver) and the headband assembly + cups for the HE-560. I'll see what looks best, then go ahead with them.
 
I kind of want to turn the HE-6 into a mini Stax SR-007 MkI looking set of phones, but at the same time I'm a fan of the "wood band" on the HE-560 as well. We'll see how it goes. I also want to compare the cup material of the stock HE-6 cups vs. the new ones.
 
This also opens the opportunity for adding some 70 durometer sorbothane a la Stax vibration damping thread~~ Fun times ahead.
 
I also bought the aluminum rings that are used to hold the drivers to the cups, hopefully they bring some benefit beyond just not feeling like schiit like the plastic ones do...

One thing I'm interested about is whether or not HE560 cups are lighter than HE400S cups, because of the wood veneer replacing a portion of the plastic volume. Do you happen to have a balance around to measure their masses?

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

One thing I'm interested about is whether or not HE560 cups are lighter than HE400S cups, because of the wood veneer replacing a portion of the plastic volume. Do you happen to have a balance around to measure their masses?

I only had the500s and 560s to compare against. The newerstock proved a bit lighter, but with Alpha Pads, it ended up being 56grams over its stock threshold of 500ish

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

I just bought the parts from HiFiMAN for the mod. I bought both the headband assembly + cups for the HE-400S(silver) and the headband assembly + cups for the HE-560. I'll see what looks best, then go ahead with them.

I kind of want to turn the HE-6 into a mini Stax SR-007 MkI looking set of phones, but at the same time I'm a fan of the "wood band" on the HE-560 as well. We'll see how it goes. I also want to compare the cup material of the stock HE-6 cups vs. the new ones.

This also opens the opportunity for adding some 70 durometer sorbothane a la Stax vibration damping thread~~ Fun times ahead.

I also bought the aluminum rings that are used to hold the drivers to the cups, hopefully they bring some benefit beyond just not feeling like schiit like the plastic ones do...

I rather like the HE6 cups, so i would keep them with a new headband.

 

[Benny-x]

  One thing I'm interested about is whether or not HE560 cups are lighter than HE400S cups, because of the wood veneer replacing a portion of the plastic volume. Do you happen to have a balance around to measure their masses?

I think if there's a difference in new stock cup weight it's going to be pretty small. But yeah, I've got one at work and that's where the parts are being sent, so I'll weigh them and let you know. Very happy to be able to help the ever so helpful Jerg

 

[Benny-x]

I rather like the HE6 cups, so i would keep them with a new headband.

Haha, you know that's what I'm really thinking anyway  I wanted the option to check out the new ones, even if I don't use them here I bet I'll find a place for them somewhere~
 
And hey, does anyone here happen to know what the original HE-6 cups are made of? The new ones are all painted plastic, but the original HE-6 cups have looked like they might be resin or wood or something non-plastic. Can anyone fill me in?

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

Haha, you know that's what I'm really thinking anyway  I wanted the option to check out the new ones, even if I don't use them here I bet I'll find a place for them somewhere~

And hey, does anyone here happen to know what the original HE-6 cups are made of? The new ones are all painted plastic, but the original HE-6 cups have looked like they might be resin or wood or something non-plastic. Can anyone fill me in?

The original HE5 was made of a wood, but due to its poor ergonomics, and tendencies of cracking rather easily, all future Hifiman Headphones cups were made of plastic

 

[Benny-x]

The original HE5 was made of a wood, but due to its poor ergonomics, and tendencies of cracking rather easily, all future Hifiman Headphones cups were made of plastic

Yeah, I saw those full teak cups in a review one time on the HE-560. Those did look nice, but I hear the varnishing process was also tough to control QC wise. 
 
Alright, so the HE-6 cups are also plastic. That's too bad, I wished they were epoxy resin or something like that. 
 
Thanks for letting me know.

 

[goforthepod]

Anyone's got the old hifiman headband that they are willing to part with? please pm me (CONUS)

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

Anyone's got the old hifiman headband that they are willing to part with? please pm me (CONUS)

Contact hifiman

 

[sinkingsteam]

After hammering the brass fitting for 10 minutes without success, I used the nuclear method: a 4mm metal drill will transmute the brass into fine pixie dust in less than 1 minute.
Clean, easy, doesn't damage the rest of the plastic cup.

 

[illitirit]

I know this is alot to ask but I hope someone who has done the mod can walk me through step by step as this is the first time I have ever done this sort of thing.
 
My HE500 headband has been falling apart and I want to replace the entire headphone with HE560 headband and earcups.

I am a bit confused about how the whole process should play out even with reading the original post instructions.
 
Here are a few questions hopefully someone can answer :
 
 
1.)  If I want to replace both headband and earcups, am I basically just taking out the HE500 drivers of the original HE500 and discarding the ENTIRE housing of the HE500?  Am I supposed to save anything / parts / connectors?
 
2.)  When I do take the drivers out of the HE500, since the drivers are magnetic, what am I supposed to expect?  If I am not careful are they going to violently clamp to each other and possibly break?  
 
3.)  Id really prefer not to pay for another cable, however since the HE560 comes with the new connectors, how exactly am I supposed to fit the old connectors in?  If this is a really annoying thing to do then I would not be against buying a new cable.
 
4.)  I know the original post was to only swap the headband, but could anybody that has done both the earcup + headband swap post in detail step by step and what I should watch out for?  Again, I know its alot to ask, but I would like to get a good picture of the entire process in my mind before I proceed.
 
5.)  I emailed hifiman about purchasing the headband + earcups,  What should I expect to be paying for this?  They have not responded to me yet.
 
Thank you for any responses.  This mod really will terrify me honestly.  I am pretty good at tinkering with things but this honestly takes it to a whole new level for me.  I love my HE500 and would like to give them new life if I can.

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

I know this is alot to ask but I hope someone who has done the mod can walk me through step by step as this is the first time I have ever done this sort of thing.

My HE500 headband has been falling apart and I want to replace the entire headphone with HE560 headband and earcups.


I am a bit confused about how the whole process should play out even with reading the original post instructions.

Here are a few questions hopefully someone can answer :


1.)  If I want to replace both headband and earcups, am I basically just taking out the HE500 drivers of the original HE500 and discarding the ENTIRE housing of the HE500?  Am I supposed to save anything / parts / connectors?

2.)  When I do take the drivers out of the HE500, since the drivers are magnetic, what am I supposed to expect?  If I am not careful are they going to violently clamp to each other and possibly break?  

3.)  Id really prefer not to pay for another cable, however since the HE560 comes with the new connectors, how exactly am I supposed to fit the old connectors in?  If this is a really annoying thing to do then I would not be against buying a new cable.

4.)  I know the original post was to only swap the headband, but could anybody that has done both the earcup + headband swap post in detail step by step and what I should watch out for?  Again, I know its alot to ask, but I would like to get a good picture of the entire process in my mind before I proceed.

5.)  I emailed hifiman about purchasing the headband + earcups,  What should I expect to be paying for this?  They have not responded to me yet.

Thank you for any responses.  This mod really will terrify me honestly.  I am pretty good at tinkering with things but this honestly takes it to a whole new level for me.  I love my HE500 and would like to give them new life if I can.

1. Removal is a requirment, whether you want to use a différent cup,or modify the original cups to fit the new headband (refer to beginning of post for the ladder). Dont throw anything out...

2. Put them on a towel so the magnetic popularity doesnt collect dust from your work space. I dont know about the drivers clamping against each other but yeah, keep them faaar away from eachother.

3. You can ask for new earcups without the 2.5mmconnectors, but even if you ask without the connectors, they still include the housing for a connection... It requires some modding to get them out, then thereafter you can put the SMC Connectors from your already existing headphones into them. Just to know, once they are tightened into the housing, they will have to be epoxied so they dont move.... EVER

4. The obvious risks are damaging the drivers. No matter what you will have to take the drivers out and expose them to the elements. Unless you're like me and had completely stripped screws holding the headband in the cups holding it together, get an old stock OR if you dont know how, or feel unformfortable doing this mod. Get someone who knows how to do this to help you.

5. 50 bucks in change give or take

 

[illitirit]

Has anyone had a problem with hifiman trying to procure a HE560 headband?
 
Over the weekend I was back and forth with their customer service and at first they tell me 50$ for the HE560 headband, gives me a pay link and tells me to tell her when I have paid.
 
Upon a whim, I just asked her if that price reflected is only for the headband and not the earcups because originally i wanted both headband + earcups.  I wanted to make sure before I paid them money.
 
 
 
The customer service rep in her next response email then tells me all of a sudden that this is what i'll be getting:
 
The exact photo she gave me :
 

 
What she said verbatim :
 
 
"The attachment is the headband of HE400i, which is similar with HE560.
It doesn;t have earcups."
 
 
So if i had paid without asking, she would have sent me this?  Whats even funnier is that the picture is not even of a HE400i headband.
 
Not sure what to do at this point, but im glad I didnt pay them.  They still have not responded to me from my last email which I simply asked, "So, if I pay you for a he560 headband, I'm not getting an HE560 headband?  Do you not have stock?"

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

Has anyone had a problem with hifiman trying to procure a HE560 headband?

Over the weekend I was back and forth with their customer service and at first they tell me 50$ for the HE560 headband, gives me a pay link and tells me to tell her when I have paid.

Upon a whim, I just asked her if that price reflected is only for the headband and not the earcups because originally i wanted both headband + earcups.  I wanted to make sure before I paid them money.



The customer service rep in her next response email then tells me all of a sudden that this is what i'll be getting:

The exact photo she gave me :




What she said verbatim :


[COLOR=222222]"The attachment is the headband of HE400i, which is similar with HE560.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]It doesn;t have earcups."[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]So if i had paid without asking, she would have sent me this?  Whats even funnier is that the picture is not even of a HE400i headband.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Not sure what to do at this point, but im glad I didnt pay them.  They still have not responded to me from my last email which I simply asked, "So, if I pay you for a he560 headband, I'm not getting an HE560 headband?  Do you not have stock?"[/COLOR]

I've ordered lots of parts over customer service. They are very good about the orders, usually. I think the person you got is new, or just dumb