[Bostonears]

  To brag and boast, I just bought a second pair that comes with the good and clean looking, hopefully good sounding velours like here. The 250 Linear pads are not up to snuff in my opinion. Eventhough the low is a liiitle boosted it somehow sounds a bit off with those.

 
The earpads in your link are not the velours. Those are the original HD540 (i.e. mark I) pads. Both the black sides and white surface are made from woven fabric (slightly different types). The white area was originally covered by a pleather-like vinyl material that has flaked off with age, exposing the fabric beneath it.
 
The velour pads that people are describing are entirely covered in black velour, like these.

 

[moriez]

^ Aaah, like so. Was under the impression the ones with the white surface is velour too. They look very comfy without the pleather-like vinyl.
 
You might have missed it but I asked about your preference for a cable on the other page. Let us know please.

 

[Aulait]

Curio...

 

 

[moriez]

So, now with the second 540 at hand I have compared the 250 pads, the original ones without pleather layer and the velour ones. Also tried one and two innerrings. Verdict: prefer the velour ones by quite the margin.
One innerring does the trick in my opinion. Does anyone recognize the pad type?
 

 

 
 
By the way, fitting the mounting ring in the pad is sooo tedious!? The plastic edge is so freakin stiff. Obviously not made with padswapping in mind LoL

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

The earpads shown in the picture directly above this post are the default earpads on the HD540 Reference II. These are the best performing earpads for the HD540II and I use them with thin inner cloth as well. These pads provide the most spatially focussed and natural sonic presentation, as they are the closest thing to having the drivers at the ears without any earpads at all to colour the sound. They are an "open-air" capsule design after all, so are designed to be linear in an unconfined space. I have ten HD540IIs so I should know by now what works best. After using the HD540II for several months, there is no way that the HD800 is going to be any better than these. I should be able to confirm this prediction in a couple of months time as I should get opportunity to audition the HD800 and other headphones such as the LCD-2. Then I'll hear for myself the supposedly revolutionary development in sound engineering... What a joke... It's only considered revolutionary because design went backwards so that it could go forward again. That's business folks.

 

[moriez]

Thanks Cosmo for identifying the pads and explaining them a bit. The thin inner cloth that you speak of, is it this one or an other?
 
It would amuse me if you were to find the HD800 and LCD2 to be less interesting so to speak. Like to hear back from you about it. Personnally I feel I have found a gem in the 540. It's what the HD600 and even more so the HD650 could not give me in terms of enjoyment. So I have to thank Hairspray and it's knowledgeable contributors.
 
To the owners, and again I realise the subjectivism of such a matter, is the Reference II worth looking at when I'm already tremendously enjoying Ref. I ?

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

Just a quick note to inform any UK-based HD540 enthusiasts that I shall be attending the Graham Slee Roadshow in Aylesbury UK on the 29th May 2014 and I shall be taking my HD540II with me to the event. For those who don't already know, Graham Slee is a manufacturer of truly high-fidelity audio products and anyone can sign up to attend this event, free of charge. Please come along if you can and show your support for highest-fidelity audio. I will allow people to try out my HD540II at the venue. Anyone who is interested must sign up at GSPAudio to be sent a pass in the post. Those without a pass will not be permitted to enter the venue. Thanks.

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

Also, with regard to earpad experimentation, check out the HD250/HD540/HD560 thread I started several months ago.
 
http://audio-forum.gspaudio.co.uk/hd250-i-ii-hd540-ii-and-hd560-ii-ask-ash_topic2005_page21.html

 

[Hairspray]

.

 

[moriez]

  Also, with regard to earpad experimentation, check out the HD250/HD540/HD560 thread I started several months ago.
 
http://audio-forum.gspaudio.co.uk/hd250-i-ii-hd540-ii-and-hd560-ii-ask-ash_topic2005_page21.html

 
Another fine source of information. So are you currently selling Ref II at £195?
 
For anyone interested, the 250 pads can be bought from me at a low price so PM if interested. I'm keeping the rings as I might want to experiment with 560 pads.

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

I have spent a lot of money on my vintage Sennheisers and buying new parts to make them all look brand new. I suggested £195 so that I can start earning my spendings back although I do intend to only sell HD540II headphones to Graham Slee customers on his website because his equipment deserves to have this headphone paired with it. I do however have two excellent condition HD540Is for £130 each and two excellent condition HD560IIs for £160 each, which I will sell away from GSPAudio.

 

[Aulait]

HD 540 Reference II is available on Ebay.de for 60-110 euro, and pads are on thomann.de for 33 euro (Sennheiser 41299 Ear Pads). 

 

[moriez]

Copy that Cosmo. Good luck with the sales.
 
Just made the jump to hyperspace myself! Won an in apparently awesome condition Ref II in an eBay auction. Got it at €130 which I deem reasonable when compared to HD-600/650 prices and performance. Won't share my highest bid 

 
Check

 

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

Ah, I'm glad to see that someone from this forum got them. I had been watching that auction for several days but did not bid at all because someone I know on another forum wanted a shot at getting them. At least you didn't have me bidding against you. The condition looks excellent; like brand new. Change that inner foam to cloth and then this is one of the best headphones money can buy, IMO. Let me know what you think of them.

 

[moriez]

Yeah, will do! I have some new 540 foams handy but, is this the cloth that you speak of? Did you find any (dis)advantages of using one over the other?