[rocksteady65]

Indeed, confirmed 600 ohms, just like my 1989 pair. And I've sold off two sets of HD650 and stayed with the HD540 Ref1s, there's just something more organically alive about them. I've also gone through two sets of original velour/cloth pads, but much prefer the Wang pleathers ... and I'm going to need to order another set of those now too, there are a few cracks appearing in the pleather, which probably means I will also have to order the velour versions from the same seller, as I need the inner foams discs from them, as opposed to the much thicker foams with the pleather pads. A spare set is a good idea ... and I get another set of velour pads if I or someone else needs them - I've still got a brand new pair of velour pads from the last time.

Hi Sennsay. I would be interested to try the Velour pads on my HD 540/600, but since I'm located in Europe, I expect that the postage costs from Australia would be prohibitive?

 

[rocksteady65]

Indeed, confirmed 600 ohms, just like my 1989 pair. And I've sold off two sets of HD650 and stayed with the HD540 Ref1s, there's just something more organically alive about them.

Very much agreed. I have found the HD 650 mediocre in comparison. Dull and veiled...

 

[sennsay]

Hi Sennsay. I would be interested to try the Velour pads on my HD 540/600, but since I'm located in Europe, I expect that the postage costs from Australia would be prohibitive?

Or, you could just buy them from the seller directly, I think the postage is 'free': https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Replace...var=560432574135&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

If you like velour pads, these are ok, I'm not a fan of them on the HD540s, it's not that they're bad pads - I certainly prefer them over the far more expensive Dekoni pads - but they don't have the sheer intimacy, bass depth and 3D imaging of the pleather pads, or the evenness of frequency balance. Some folks like them though and they're comfortable, but as I say, not bad sounding at all and they're rather good on the HD250s. They are also ok on the HD430s.

 

[rocksteady65]

Or, you could just buy them from the seller directly, I think the postage is 'free': https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Replacement-Ear-Pads-Cushion-For-HD520-HD530-HD-HD530-II-HD-520-530-Headphones/261338110308?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=560432574135&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

If you like velour pads, these are ok, I'm not a fan of them on the HD540s, it's not that they're bad pads - I certainly prefer them over the far more expensive Dekoni pads - but they don't have the sheer intimacy, bass depth and 3D imaging of the pleather pads, or the evenness of frequency balance. Some folks like them though and they're comfortable, but as I say, not bad sounding at all and they're rather good on the HD250s. They are also ok on the HD430s.

Thank you for the suggestion. Actually, postage is not Free or that cheap for that matter, being at over €5. Altogether, it's not that cheap for a fairly generic Chinese product. If I had the guarantee that they would perform well, I wouldn't hesitate...

 

[sennsay]

Thank you for the suggestion. Actually, postage is not Free or that cheap for that matter, being at over €5. Altogether, it's not that cheap for a fairly generic Chinese product. If I had the guarantee that they would perform well, I wouldn't hesitate...

I'm fairly sure I didn't pay any postage a couple of years ago, but that's beside the point for you. There are certainly cheaper pads around, if not by much. I bought some German orhpolsters and didn't like them, didn't like the pleather pads that came with a pair of German HD430s either, too hard. For me the Wang pleathers have the goods for the Ref1s and by some measure the best overall performance, from lowest bass to the very top end, all other pads on this h/phone for me alter the tonal balance to some form of un-balance. The beauty of the combo for me is the apparent disappearance of the headphones themselves from the soundfield. Others may find it just a little too intimate, however the sound is far from being just in head, it seems to come from all around in height, width and depth. As I've mentioned previously, it's like stepping into the studio, not just observing from the mixing desk. The Wang pleathers seem to have just that right depth of pad for me, plus the fact that they have oval ear openings and I much prefer that to round openings, the oval space seems to allow for a deeper soundstage in height. Obviously I have found the right ones for me, it was an experiment that brought brilliant results that I love greatly to this day, particularly with the thinner inner foams from the Wang velour pads! The extra cost of buying both sets of pads is no drama for me because the end results are so worth it sonically.
I did get to try a set of pleather pads that came with a set of HD540 IIs (300 ohm) that I borrowed for a while, these were deeper with round openings and while they focused the mids a little more, they added a slight thickness and weight to the mid bass, spoiling the superb balance I'm used to without any noticeable peaks and dips (although I'm sure they're probably there, just nothing dramatic that might cause me to not dissolve into the music so effortlessly). They were good, probably the best I've heard Wang-less and I could live with them if I had to, 'cept the owner has no idea where they came from, since they were attached to the cans when he bought them.
Each to their own and all the best on your hunt for new pads.

 

[myusernameislove]

I am still listening to music and movies on hd540 ref1 with original used h560 velour pads on r2r11 low gain around 11 clock as my primary sound aparature. It is just perfect combination - dark liquid like sounding warmer amp with such bright airy headphone becomes something in the middle, and it is perfect. For movies DTS headphone:X from microsoft store or without it, both is great. Hd250 linear 1 with used soft pleather pads is also good, similar tonality, closed back, less amount of bass, but harder hitting. Album recommendations: Pink floyd delicate sound of thunder live and Jan Garbarek Visible world, Van Halen's You really got me tests overdriven guitar rock capabilities, Neil Young's Harvest (Heart of gold) sounds well, Phil Upchurch's Love is Strange is insanely freaking amazing on these. Hd540 is suited best for good recordings, that use space also build atmosphere, from calmer genres.

 

[vippolito]

Hi,
ok I read all but now I don't know what to do.......

I HAVE AN HD540 REFERENCE.....
1) NOW 16/12/2019 SOMEONE KNOW IF SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD I CAN FIND ONE NOS PAIR OF COMPLETE EARPADS WITH DISCS?
2) SENNHEISER TOLD ME THERE ARE ONLY 560 EARPADS, OK...... BUT WHAT IS EXACTLY THE WORK I HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THEY FIT ON MY 540? IT'S REALLY STRANGE THAT SENNHEISER TELL YOU HD560 IS OK FOR 540 AND SOMEONE TOLD I HAVE TO MODIFY THEM.... PLEASE SOMEONE CAN EXPLAIN?
3) ARE THERE SOME EBAY PADS THAT CAN GIVE ME BACK THE ORIGINAL SOUND OF HD540? I ALSO HAVE 1X580 AND 1X600..... BUT 540 IS SOMETHING MAGIC.

LET'S HELP ME. VINCENZO

 

[lithiumnk]

Hi,
ok I read all but now I don't know what to do.......

I HAVE AN HD540 REFERENCE.....
1) NOW 16/12/2019 SOMEONE KNOW IF SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD I CAN FIND ONE NOS PAIR OF COMPLETE EARPADS WITH DISCS?
2) SENNHEISER TOLD ME THERE ARE ONLY 560 EARPADS, OK...... BUT WHAT IS EXACTLY THE WORK I HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THEY FIT ON MY 540? IT'S REALLY STRANGE THAT SENNHEISER TELL YOU HD560 IS OK FOR 540 AND SOMEONE TOLD I HAVE TO MODIFY THEM.... PLEASE SOMEONE CAN EXPLAIN?
3) ARE THERE SOME EBAY PADS THAT CAN GIVE ME BACK THE ORIGINAL SOUND OF HD540? I ALSO HAVE 1X580 AND 1X600..... BUT 540 IS SOMETHING MAGIC.

LET'S HELP ME. VINCENZO

I got these for my hd540 & hd250. The plastic ring which comes with hd540 is required for these leatherette pads. They also come with 2 pairs of foams.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32647688054.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.2ec34c4d8QzL6E

 

[rocksteady65]

I got these for my hd540 & hd250. The plastic ring which comes with hd540 is required for these leatherette pads. They also come with 2 pairs of foams.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32647688054.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.2ec34c4d8QzL6E

I would advise against this purchase. Not only they will alter the HD 540's sound signature, which make them so special, they can be had on eBay for a third of the price. I have tried them and while they're OK as a temporary solution, they simply aren't good enough for the task...

 

[lithiumnk]

I would advise against this purchase. Not only they will alter the HD 540's sound signature, which make them so special, they can be had on eBay for a third of the price. I have tried them and while they're OK as a temporary solution, they simply aren't good enough for the task...

Thanks
Do you have any recommendations?




These are the stock pads which came with my hd540. They are made of some fabric I guess. Not sure about the exact material.

 

[vippolito]

Hi boys, I saw the photos, and I know because of mine also have a pair like this, but they are no more in production..... wait for alternative solution well seen that the chinese solution is not the one I perfer.... please help.....
Dear

lithiumnk
do you know where to find a pair of original? If you know send me to +393389732511 on watzapp.

 

[jon parker]

Congrats on owning one the finest headphones ever made
ALL the questions you could ever have are contained in this thread - PLEASE scroll through past pages and you will find your answers, otherwise we just have to write out the answers over and over again every time a new owner asks!

 

[vippolito]

The problem is that they are too much pages..... too much....

It's faster that someone really inside the argument tell what he think again......

Please help.

 

[rocksteady65]

Who says chinese products are inherently inferior to German or Austrian products? You have no idea what quality control standards are being upheld in the chinese plant where AKG manufactures their products. Just because they are made in china doesn't mean that AKG is reducing the standards for them. You are assuming that they are of inferior quality simply because they are made by chinese workers instead of german or austrian workers. That is what we call RACISM.

And Sennheiser build quality isn't any better than anything else. My HD280's died due to a broken cable between left and right drivers, and the headband attachment system is severely flawed and starts coming apart almost by design. My HD540 II's have had the same issues with the horrible, faulty contact spring that the later HD580 and HD600 had; how long did it take Sennheiser to fix that? I am not even sure it is completely removed as a problem today. Compare this to the K702, which has a robust mini XLR connector.

I have no problem with people judging products made in china to be of inferior quality if they ACTUALLY ARE of inferior quality, but saying because something is made in china it MUST Be of inferior quality is pretty close minded.

Labor prices are lower in China. Therefore, if a chinese headphone costs more than a headphone made in Europe, where did the cost savings on the EU made headphone come from? It could be that there are compromises elsewhere in terms of materials or something else that are not present on the chinese made product. Or the chinese made product could just be overpriced. Either way, you should judge a product based on how it is made. I can understand choosing to support products that are made in your own country because of more nationalistic reasons, but assuming that quality is inherently worse in other countries is not really fair.

Tons of headphones in and above this price range are made in china. And the fact that you can get a beyerdynamic headphone for "half as much" doesn't mean ANYTHING; what $100 beyerdynamic headphone can compare to the K702 headphones in terms of sound quality? The DT880 costs just as much as the K702 does, at least in the US.

Racism?! What the hell!? I know this is a very old post, but you are completely off base!

 

[rocksteady65]

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