[Hairspray]

  I have the HD 540 I  300 Ohms and 540 I 600 Ohms.. 600 Ohm version is much better!

 
I guess the damping factor might improve the bass quality with the 250 pads? right?
(because this is a common complaint with the Ref I 300 ohms + 250 pads: more quantity but less quality).
edit:
my complaint with the Ref II is the almost uncontrolled mid-bass, kinda shouty mids and average imaging, so i've never understood that complaint.

 

[Aulait]

  beautiful CD player btw...

Marantz?

Yes...This is Tube, NOS DAC (TDA1541) Marantz, with beautiful natural analogue sound 

 

[Aulait]

   
I guess the damping factor might improve the bass quality with the 250 pads? right?
(because this is a common complaint with the Ref I 300 ohms + 250 pads: more quantity but less quality).
edit:
my complaint with the Ref II is the almost uncontrolled mid-bass, kinda shouty mids and average imaging, so i've never understood that complaint.

It's better, but I prefer original pads for HD 540 I (DIY-renovated)

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

When I used them, I did not consider the original HD540 Reference I pads to be "closed". I thought that they were somewhat sound porous, especially compared to the HD250 pleather pads, which seal very well.
 
Thanks everyone for your contributions to this thread. I'm glad that high-fidelity enthusiasts have collected here.

 

[Aulait]

I've got AKG K701 but without modding (I really like it)

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

By the way Hairspray, are you using the HD540II with HD250 pleather pads? If you are then I can understand why you're not 100% satisfied with the HD540II. HD250 pads on the HD540II greatly diminishes its performance, IMO. Even adapted HD560 pads on it is a compromise IMO.

 

[Aulait]

 Anyway, all the HD 540 are very photogenic. It's very nice that they are still good quality headphones, and many of people really liked them.

 

[Hairspray]

  Yes...This is Tube, NOS DAC (TDA1541) Marantz, with beautiful natural analogue sound 

 
haha, TDA1541, the mythical Philips DAC from the '80 (used by Marantz),
 
if you check my profile:
SOURCE: Philips CD650 CD player (TDA1541 DAC)
 
the first dual 16 bits DAC if i'm not wrong, and still considered as one of the most musical converter.
at that time, "the very first dual 16 bit dac" was the ultimate marketing argument, and that's why i probably bought it (around $900?), without really understanding how digital music worked, oh well...
 
oh, and i like both the modded Q701 and the regular Q701 (for different reasons). great headphones.

 

[Hairspray]

  By the way Hairspray, are you using the HD540II with HD250 pleather pads? If you are then I can understand why you're not 100% satisfied with the HD540II. HD250 pads on the HD540II greatly diminishes its performance, IMO. Even adapted HD560 pads on it is a compromise IMO.

 
since i'm a pad-rolling freak, i'm using my Ref II with:
- original velour 540 II pads (probably worn out and too shallow)
- 250 pads (not ideal with the Ref II imo)
- 430 pads (my favourite pads with the Ref II, kinda compromise between 250 and original shallow velour pads)

 

[Bostonears]

  Anyone have any experience replacing the contact springs in the HD540 II? Can it be done? I know Tyll made a video about replacing the springs on the HD600, but I can't even figure out how to open the HD540 II driver enclosure, much less figure out which contact springs it needs or how to replace them.

I don't see how you could detach the tiny driver coil wires from the springs and reattach them to new springs without breaking the wires.
 
If you're having problems with the contact springs intermittently losing contact with the cable ends, you could just open up the earpieces and bend the springs as needed. (I've done that multiple times on the various Sennheiser cans I've owned.)  Unless the springs are covered in rust, I can't think of a reason they would need to be replaced.

 

[Mjolnir125]

  I don't see how you could detach the tiny driver coil wires from the springs and reattach them to new springs without breaking the wires.
 
If you're having problems with the contact springs intermittently losing contact with the cable ends, you could just open up the earpieces and bend the springs as needed. (I've done that multiple times on the various Sennheiser cans I've owned.)  Unless the springs are covered in rust, I can't think of a reason they would need to be replaced.

Do you know how to open up the HD540 II though? I can't seem to find any screws or anything.

 

[Bostonears]

 
Do you know how to open up the HD540 II though? I can't seem to find any screws or anything.

There aren't any screws. The HD540 phones are built from parts that just snap together, and they can be disassembled with your bare hands. (Just proceed slowly and carefully, so you don't break any of the parts.)
 
Here's what the spring area looks like when the earcups are taken apart.
 
Edit: If you fiddle around with the springs, be extremely careful not to damage those tiny copper wires between the springs and the voice coils. If you break one of those, you might as well throw away the driver.

 

[vid]

 
"Open-back", "closed-back", semi-open, semi-closed or whatever...
Imo, the same amount of air cannot pass throught such different earcups designs (not only the design but also the material are completely different)?
 
530

 
You're keen on the HD 530 II, but let's see what's inside the HD 530.
 

 

 

  HD 540 and HD 530 I are semi-open because  their earpiece are open, but the pads are closed.

 
Which is interesting, because, as far as I know, the two '70s Unipolar models are Sennheiser's only truly open headphones, given that they're open both on the back and on the front. (Sennheiser did do one or two obscure, specialty dynamic headphones using the Unipolar shell, but I'm not sure if they kept the front open or not. These weren't in the mainstream as far as I know, anyway. And actually, now that I think about it, the Unipolar 2002 might not be truly open on the front like the earlier version.)

 

[Aulait]

   
haha, TDA1541, the mythical Philips DAC from the '80 (used by Marantz),
 
if you check my profile:
SOURCE: Philips CD650 CD player (TDA1541 DAC)
 
the first dual 16 bits DAC if i'm not wrong, and still considered as one of the most musical converter.
at that time, "the very first dual 16 bit dac" was the ultimate marketing argument, and that's why i probably bought it (around $900?), without really understanding how digital music worked, oh well...
 
oh, and i like both the modded Q701 and the regular Q701 (for different reasons). great headphones.

Philips CD 650 it's exactly the same inside like Marantz CD94, very good CD player with a beautiful analog sound! 

 

 

[raidenwolff]

How did you make an O2 stack like that? I don't get it!
And I love the 90 degree jack for the power switch!