[superpronker]

The solution........here on the Pro900

I have a few noobie questions about pad modding...
 
Does anyone know how easy it is to mod the signature pros with alpha dog pads? I know that the pro 900s are super easy to mod because you can screw the pads on and off but the same doesn't seem to be the case with the sig pros. 
 
Also, are the Alpha Dogs just "one size fits all" or do you need to ask them to mod the pads specifically for your phone? 

 

[Oregonian]

I have a few noobie questions about pad modding...

Does anyone know how easy it is to mod the signature pros with alpha dog pads? I know that the pro 900s are super easy to mod because you can screw the pads on and off but the same doesn't seem to be the case with the sig pros. 

Also, are the Alpha Dogs just "one size fits all" or do you need to ask them to mod the pads specifically for your phone? 

Alpha pads are one size fits all, only one model. What you're thinking about would make this headphone perfect, as the only issue I had was pad comfort. Keep us posted.

 

[Dumbleroar]

So how do the ear pads hold up on this headphone? Just seen that replacement pads for these are $199!! 

 
I assume though that under the warranty period, if the ear pads go funny you can get them replaced for free?  They seem to have a long warranty ...5 years.

 

[pietcux]

And did yours go funny?

 

[radioscott1]

Hello fellow Head-Fi'ers...
 
In line with my comment on http://www.head-fi.org/t/569107/ultrasone-fan-club-roll-call/2025#post_9987375 and http://www.head-fi.org/t/534029/fight-the-beats-hype-ultrasone-hfi-580-hfi-580-appreciation-thread/645#post_9987461, I have some questions that I'm hoping you can answer.
 
I am a very satisfied customer when it comes to my HFI-580's. Not only have they impressed me with their sheer endurance (4+ years of heavy, daily usage), they have also impressed me with a sound that still catches me off guard at times. They have been worth what I paid for them, twiceover. However, four years of the same sound is getting pretty old... I'm ready for something with a MUCH more refined sound while maintaining the same excellent durability. Enter the Signature Pro.
 
A troublesome area for me with the 580's is the 2-6 kHz range... I currently have to EQ it down by about 2 dB to become bearable at louder volumes. Sometimes I also find the bass amount to be too much for my ears, often leading me to EQ the bass down by a decibel as well to control the sound pressure a bit. I am also not that fond of the metal cups as I feel they may let more sound through than plastic would. (Edit: Apparently it's just fake metal, coated plastic.) The last con in my eyes (ears?) are the pleather ear pads... given the heavy usage over the years, they are now basically in shreds (no pleather left, fabric ripping) leaving them generally uncomfortable on the ears and more susceptible to ambient noise.
 
No pros, aside from what I have already mentioned as the 580's are still my first hi-fi headphones... I have nothing to compare to, making my next headphone purchase a bit tricky. Enter YOU FINE FOLKS!
 
The qualities I desire in my next headphone are: smoother, "tamer" bass with absolutely crystal clear (up to extremely high khz) treble while maintaining clearly defined mids and lower-mids. Which of those desires do you think would be satisfied with on the Sig Pro?
 
S-Logic is also a big focal point of mine... can anyone tell me the differences in sound between the 580's and the Sig Pro's S-Logic technologies?
 
I know I won't be able to get all of the qualities I want, but I need to figure out which Signature headphone will get me the closest. Can you help me?
 
Thanks and more questions may come later on!

 

[Kernmac]

Dumbleroar-Leather pads should last a virtual lifetime, I see know need to replace them
 
radioscott1, I would doubt that there is any significant difference between  S-Logic and S-Logic plus beyond marketing, however the Sig Pro does a fine job of imaging and soundstage presentation.  I haven't heard the 580s, however the Sig Pro is in another class to the Pro550 and DJ1 Pro and Pro900 that I have owned.
 
The Signature Pro is very well balanced, almost neutral in presentation, with an ability to render instruments and vocals in a convincing way.  The most natural sounding of the Ultrasone line-up I have heard and amongst the most neutral/natural sounding headphones regardless of type.  The Sig Pro is a dynamic headphone, with energy to its sound signature, music sounds intense and alive, very punchy, crisp, clean, and detailed.   Drums have a “thwack” and "thump" to them, hi-hats crash, cymbals "clank and ping" when they should (not just a one note tish), and guitars are full bodied from the twang of the strings, slide of the fingers, to the resonance of the wood.  Imaging and instrument separation is superb, never congested or blended, good positional sound-stage, not overly airy but not closed and claustrophobic in any way.  This detailed and lively sound helps the Sig Pro achieve the balance between being quite neutral but also being a fun engaging headphone.  The Sig Pro does benefit from home source components, however it performs and outperforms from a humble DAP.  A great all-rounder, certainly one of the best closed headphones available and in my opinion clearly in the same league as the top tier open headphones of today, and King of the portables.

 

[Craigster75]

  Dumbleroar-Leather pads should last a virtual lifetime, I see know need to replace them
 
radioscott1, I would doubt that there is any significant difference between  S-Logic and S-Logic plus beyond marketing, however the Sig Pro does a fine job of imaging and soundstage presentation.  I haven't heard the 580s, however the Sig Pro is in another class to the Pro550 and DJ1 Pro and Pro900 that I have owned.
 
The Signature Pro is very well balanced, almost neutral in presentation, with an ability to render instruments and vocals in a convincing way.  The most natural sounding of the Ultrasone line-up I have heard and amongst the most neutral/natural sounding headphones regardless of type.  The Sig Pro is a dynamic headphone, with energy to its sound signature, music sounds intense and alive, very punchy, crisp, clean, and detailed.   Drums have a “thwack” and "thump" to them, hi-hats crash, cymbals "clank and ping" when they should (not just a one note tish), and guitars are full bodied from the twang of the strings, slide of the fingers, to the resonance of the wood.  Imaging and instrument separation is superb, never congested or blended, good positional sound-stage, not overly airy but not closed and claustrophobic in any way.  This detailed and lively sound helps the Sig Pro achieve the balance between being quite neutral but also being a fun engaging headphone.  The Sig Pro does benefit from home source components, however it performs and outperforms from a humble DAP.  A great all-rounder, certainly one of the best closed headphones available and in my opinion clearly in the same league as the top tier open headphones of today, and King of the portables.

Great summary.  

 

[superpronker]

Alpha pads are one size fits all, only one model. What you're thinking about would make this headphone perfect, as the only issue I had was pad comfort. Keep us posted.

Ok, but do you think they would fit? Are Alpha pads the same size as Lawton or J$? I'm considering going for the first set I see used and then just looking at them and maybe going for it. I just wish I could find a youtube or some pictures of someone else disassembling a pair of sig pros - I have no idea what to expect beneath the stock pads. It seems like I can rotate the plastic ring they are mounted on but I don't know how/if it comes off without destroying some plastic thingy keeping it in place... 
 
But the comfort on the stock pads is just awful! And I'm not worried about them getting more bass (which is what I understand from pro 900 modders will typically happen...). 

 

[superpronker]

It is actually quite easy. Not as easy as the PRO SERIES pads. You need to carefully pull the pad sideways and bring it off the edge that holds it. It is flexible enough. Threst is like chaging a bicycle tyre. Please also note that the fabic covering the driver is a seprate part that lies inside the pad.

Could you explain a little more in detail how you got the pads off? Also, do you think it would be possible to somehow get alpha/J$/Lawton pads mounted instead?

 

[pietcux]

  Could you explain a little more in detail how you got the pads off? Also, do you think it would be possible to somehow get alpha/J$/Lawton pads mounted instead?

Just put one or two finger between the baffle board and the ear pad rim and push the pad slightly outwards. This frees a small part of the rim . The rest is like removing a bicycle tire.
 

 

 

 

 

I honestly have no clue about the ~~alpha/J$/Lawton pads, as I do not have them. But be careful, any different pad will alter the sound signature of the headphone. I  own the HFI 580/680/780 vinyl pads and yes they easily fit the Signatures, as the housing has the same Basic measurements. But they sound really off with These pads, so I would not recommend this at all.
Hope this helps
 

 

[Kernmac]

Before you start buying and rolling pads, my advice is to do an ATH "Phat" pad mod.  Get some small rubber tubing (long enough to form a circle approximate same size as circumference of the Sig Pro cup) and simply place it underneath the inside edge of the pad - between the metal baffle board (covered by the black mesh see Pietcux's pictures) and the underside of the pad.  You will find that it will extend the leather pad out more and provide greater comfort, at no cost and at no expense to the sound signature.
If you haven't got access to some suitable rubber tubing, simply remove the electrical wiring from a power cord or similar and use the casing.  It stays in place, has no impact on the value of the headphone, it is simple and it works.

 

[superpronker]

 
Just put one or two finger between the baffle board and the ear pad rim and push the pad slightly outwards. This frees a small part of the rim . The rest is like removing a bicycle tire.
 
I honestly have no clue about the ~~alpha/J$/Lawton pads, as I do not have them. But be careful, any different pad will alter the sound signature of the headphone. I  own the HFI 580/680/780 vinyl pads and yes they easily fit the Signatures, as the housing has the same Basic measurements. But they sound really off with These pads, so I would not recommend this at all.
Hope this helps
 

 
Wow thanks, that was precisely what I needed! I would feel much more comfortable playing around with it now. 
 

  Before you start buying and rolling pads, my advice is to do an ATH "Phat" pad mod.  Get some small rubber tubing (long enough to form a circle approximate same size as circumference of the Sig Pro cup) and simply place it underneath the inside edge of the pad - between the metal baffle board (covered by the black mesh see Pietcux's pictures) and the underside of the pad.  You will find that it will extend the leather pad out more and provide greater comfort, at no cost and at no expense to the sound signature.
If you haven't got access to some suitable rubber tubing, simply remove the electrical wiring from a power cord or similar and use the casing.  It stays in place, has no impact on the value of the headphone, it is simple and it works.
 

 
Thanks, that's awesome advice. I'll give that mod a try before pushing ahead with a bigger restructuring of the pads. 

 

[superpronker]

I've tried an improvised version of the PhatPad mod here and it worked WONDERS for the comfort of the phones! I feel like it also gave a slight lift in the bottom which makes me all the more psyched

 

[radioscott1]

Drums have a “thwack” and "thump" to them, hi-hats crash, cymbals "clank and ping" when they should (not just a one note tish), and guitars are full bodied from the twang of the strings, slide of the fingers, to the resonance of the wood.  Imaging and instrument separation is superb, never congested or blended, good positional sound-stage, not overly airy but not closed and claustrophobic in any way.  This detailed and lively sound helps the Sig Pro achieve the balance between being quite neutral but also being a fun engaging headphone.

Thank you for your thoughts Kernmac.
 
What you said fills in quite a few blanks and will greatly assist me in my decision between the Signature Pro and Signature DJ.
 
As far as it goes right now, I am leaning towards the Signature Pro as they may offer the "truer", more balanced sound... a very good one at that. What I am looking for is superb resolution and a nicely balanced sound that performs well when used in various radio production applications and can also WOW me like-never-before during a listening session. Your last sentence, Kernmac, sums that up nicely.
 
Thanks!

 

[musicmaker]

i am still torn between the Pro vs DJ vs a used Edition 8.
 
They're all around the same price ballpark. Decisions !