[dakanao]

Up

 

[Deep Funk]

A recable makes a difference, I had a HD428 with a Mogami recable dual connected and the difference it made was astounding. I quite enjoyed the HD428...

 

[dakanao]

Quote:

A recable makes a difference, I had a HD428 with a Mogami recable dual connected and the difference it made was astounding. I quite enjoyed the HD428...

In terms of what?

 

[Deep Funk]

More forward presentation, the lows were present and the recabled HD428 was more sensitive in terms of amplification. In my blog here there are some notes... (WayTooCrazy did a good job with that recable.)

 

[Wobble]

just picked up my 428 on CL for $15 and found this mod, and it works great, it became more open and bass response did increase  to a very likable level  
Im thinking about redoing the cabling on the 428's because of just basic lack of quality, it seems cheap and when opened up i found two ends twisted together on the right side instead of just a solid cord. 
 
But great writeup and thanks!

 

[wje]

Quote:

just picked up my 428 on CL for $15 and found this mod, and it works great, it became more open and bass response did increase  to a very likable level  
Im thinking about redoing the cabling on the 428's because of just basic lack of quality, it seems cheap and when opened up i found two ends twisted together on the right side instead of just a solid cord. 
 
But great writeup and thanks!

 
Congratulations !!  $15.00 is a steal.  I'm not complaining about my $40.00 Craigslist purchase for $40.00, but $15.00 is very nice.  I'm pretty sure that with the mod, the HD-428 has to be about the only headphone from Sennheiser with the most bass.  Through my work with the Fostex headphone modifications, I've found that micropore tape, which is a paper-based surgical tape that they sell at the drug stores is a great alternative to adjusting the hole openings with various levels of openness.  If one wanted to calm down the bass a little, a single layer on one port and two layers on the two remaining ports might be a starting point.  Or, if the bass is still a bit too strong, one could put a 3rd layer of micropore tape over the two holes to see if it calms down a bit.  I'm pretty sure that with some patience, one can get these tuned quite well for an astounding bass level that will be a musical bass and get rid of a little flab that can be heard.
 
Best of luck !!   Keep us posted on where you end up with them.  I'm sure if I have some time this weekend, I'm going to seal the plastic housing on the back of the driver with a 1/8" layer of plasticine clay to dampen it a bit.  I'll be careful to keep the clay away from the 3 holes, though.  I also have a nice section of Mogami cable and a Neutrik 1/4" TRS connector that is crying out for use with these.  

 

[Wobble]

ok will do, i found that poking a hole just around the center and cutting that out is the perfect amount of bass for me, i doubt ill be adding more, but yea for what i paid these are great headphones, if only i could find these kind of deals on headfi

 

[wje]

I have a quick update regarding my modification to the HD-428 Sennheisers.  I've read through some other threads where others have attempted various modifications in the past.  However, some concluded that they were able to increase the bass output - but, at the expense of having the added bass present itself as "flabby" bass instead of tight bass.  I believed I've been able to circumvent that issue where I'm now able to get my bass response to present itself as tight bass.
 
The modifications consist of:
 

1. I totally removed the thin black rectangular "filter" tape that covered the 3 vent holes on the backs of the driver compartments.

 

1. I then covered the outer two holes with micropore tape.  This is the paper / medical (surgical) tape sold at your local drug store.  Keep in mind, this is micropore tape - not transpore tape.  There is a difference.  The micropore vents enough as it is a thinner product designed for sensitive skin following surgeries where you don't want to tear up someone's skin when you take it off.

 

1. I then applied a small, thin layer of plasticine clay around the exterior of the back and sides of of the rear side of the driver housing.  I stayed clear of the vent holes when forming the clay into place.  Also, I stayed clear of the sides where the driver enclosure mounts into the cup and the headphone swivels and headband mount wouldn't get gummed up with the clay.

 
The result?  Bass!!  Did I say quality bass?  Yes, the bass is not flabby, but it's of a good quality.  At times, I think the bass that I'm getting is slightly a notch more than the bass I'm getting from my Fostex T50RP with the BMF 8.1 mods.  
 
Weakness?  About the only weakness that I can come up with on this headphone is that I wish the mid-range were a bit warmer.  However, the highs are clear and the bass is spot on.  All in all, an amazing bargain for $40 and $1.00 worth of clay and some micropore tape and 30 minutes of time.

 

[wje]

I have a brief update regarding the weakness that I identified in my previous post.  Apparently, my Sennheiser HD-428 doesn't do as well with the amps that I use to drive my ortho headphones (Fostex and HifiMAN with).  With those amps, the HD-428 doesn't respond very well.
 
However, when I use the HD-428 with the iPod Classic (vers. 5) with the Wolfson DAC, the sound is wonderful !   The mids are back, and in a very nice way.  I'm realizing the same benefits when connecting the HD-428 to my stereo Yamaha receiver, which has a pretty good headphone stage on it.
 
I'm almost afraid to say how good these $40.00 headphones currently sound for fear of making an embarassment out of my higher-dollar headphones.
 
Next step?  I'm going to get rid of the cheesy, thin cheap cable that feeds into one cup.  I'm going with a Mogami Neglex cable that will feed into each cup.  I've read a post from another poster who indicated that the sound change (for the better) when updating to a better cable system with these headphones.  The current cable when the insulation is removed is barely thicker than a piece of thread.  Very cheap, very weak and possibly prone to easy damage resulting in non-functioning headphones.
 
I'm getting upper frequencies that are detailed like Grado, but a little more tamed, and bass that puts even the Grado / Magnum v.4 to shame.  All for $40 -- or, 1/10th the cost of a nice pair of Magnums in some beautiful wooden cups.  Granted, the Sennheiser isn't as attractive as the precious wooden cups, but they're about 100% more fun when listening to my music now.  Plus, I'd love to compare these to the HD-600 and 650.  I'm sure the modified HD-428 might please some listeners who decided the 600 and 650 wasn't right for them due to the rolled-off treble and somewhat laid-back sound signature.
 
Enjoy!

 

[Wobble]

where did you find the article about the recabling on both sides? i'm thinking about do thing the same thing to mine. almost literally the same mods, currently im in a small competition at my high school to prove to everyone that i can take $50 and turn it into something better than those $400+ beats pro. haha

 

[Pata]

hello, seeing that this thread is about the differences between the 429 and 428, i want to ask you something : are the hd 429's earpads replaceable? i know that the 428's are, but i cant find info about the 429's, thanks.

 

[samu]

Just wanna ask, I have the HD 429 and I want to try the bass mods modification like you've said. Do I have to do it in both earcups? *sorry if it sounds silly

 

[OverByter]

Yes, you definitely need to do both sides equally. Did my 428's a couple of weeks ago and am so far beyond amazed, especially considering the price was only $30 and f/s for first quality units.
OB

 

[pilez]

wje started up a new thread about this with pictures and more detail, plus expanded on his mod here;
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/646251/sennheiser-hd-428-hd-428s-modding-guide-january-2013