[ArChaos]

Yes, good sound would be a great achievement. I have some of those Beyer Dynamic velour pads, with the single holes in the back, due any day now. They will likely go onto the second HD540 pair, not as my main 'phones.

I'm holding fingers for you and really hope you actually get them. As you know, when I ordered for the second time, he sent me the wrong pads (Black2 variant). I'm still waiting myself for the reshipping of the right ones. On his site they are now showed as "out of stock". Let's be optimistic...

 

[sennsay]

I'm holding fingers for you and really hope you actually get them. As you know, when I ordered for the second time, he sent me the wrong pads (Black2 variant). I'm still waiting myself for the reshipping of the right ones. On his site they are now showed as "out of stock". Let's be optimistic...

Apparently(!) they are somewhere at the 'destination'. I almost always find that the 'tracking' goes as far as 'On it's way' them nothing happens after that and the item just turns up in the mail some time later.
In the words of a certain small round character with big ears, "Optimistic, I am".
Although tracking says, actually, "Arrived at destination hub" on June 1st, meanwhile ...... 10 days later nothing has turned up here. I expect they will just 'turn up' sometime within the delivery date of June 19th.
I would certainly like to see and hear what they are like, good or not. I bought two sets, so one of them I could block the holes to hear what difference that might make.
Currently, I am busy trialing a Burson Vivid V6 HDAM/discrete opamp in Frankie, and will be doing a write up soonish once it has run in some more. Results so far are excellent! The HD540 Refs show up every detail of any changes, as does the terrific Magni 3+ amplifier in partnership.

 

[Backsplash7]

Thought I'd give a mini update, as I've made an interesting observation on the polyurethane foam. Whilst I was copying the old black cloth shape to cut new foam for the back of the cups, I noticed that the "firm blue" or high density foam was quite a lot softer than the new "soft white" or low density foam. By the time I had gotten around to using the blue foam, it had spent some time being exposed to sunlight during the day and discoloured to a yellowy green. It seems that this process might make the foam softer as well, and the discolouration certainly doesn't take very long. Not only is the blue foam softer than the white foam, if I bring pieces of equal thickness to my lips and try to blow air through it, the warm air travels much quicker through the blue, and the blue also rebounds more slowly than the white when I am squeezing it between my fingers.

I'd born the discolouring in mind, and have kept the white foam away from direct sunlight so far, but decided to test today with a scrap piece I'd cut and left it on a windowsil.
This is the colour difference after just one day of direct exposure (or half a day, by the time the sun had gone round) with the unexposed foam being at the top of the image.

I'm going to leave this test strip on the windowsil and see what colour it ends up being in a week or two, and then judge the difference in firmness. It seems like a lot of my test results up to date, are compromised, due to this degradation. So I do appologise if this has led anybody astray. I'd suggest that this be stored in a cupboard, or wrapped in something for protection, if possible, especially if you're going to need time to get to the job and know it will be sat around for a while

 

[IgorUA]

Hi. Today I tried to restore the original HD540 pads. Replaced foam with a similar, but new. I cut it in half and put this silk ribbon in the way as in the original pads. Stitch this white circle with thread outside and inside. And after all there is no bass at all. Just awful. There are medium frequencies and high frequencies and very clear, but there is no bass. What was I able to do wrong?

 

[Backsplash7]

Hi. Today I tried to restore the original HD540 pads. Replaced foam with a similar, but new. I cut it in half and put this silk ribbon in the way as in the original pads. Stitch this white circle with thread outside and inside. And after all there is no bass at all. Just awful. There are medium frequencies and high frequencies and very clear, but there is no bass. What was I able to do wrong?

I had this when I did my ref 1 pads, and it was to do with the height of the foam not being quite enough to keep the material under tension. I re-did the foam, but made it like an extra 2mm tall and an extra 2mm wide to make sure that they were a nice snug fit, and the bass frequencies came back

 

[IgorUA]

Thanks for the advice! Do you think if I glue this ribbon on both sides, it will do something? To make the rings solid. Because I have two rings of foam (inner and outer) floating on top of each other, and they do not fit tightly. Also, the diameter of the pads is slightly smaller, as can be seen in the photo. I have larger extra foam rings, but they are made from the memory foam, which looks denser and even heavier in weight. Do you think they will fit? Thanks!

 

[Backsplash7]

Thanks for the advice! Do you think if I glue this ribbon on both sides, it will do something? To make the rings solid. Because I have two rings of foam (inner and outer) floating on top of each other, and they do not fit tightly. Also, the diameter of the pads is slightly smaller, as can be seen in the photo. I have larger extra foam rings, but they are made from the memory foam, which looks denser and even heavier in weight. Do you think they will fit? Thanks!

It would help to know how you cut the foam, to visualise what's happening. I didn't have an overlapping problem when I did mine, but I cut strips for these and used the two pieces of foam with that cut I'd made inbetween them, so that the cut inbetween those two strips would naturally match up. If you've cut the foam straight with a square edge, that might be doing it?
I'd be very wary of adding any of type of glue to the equation, because that will alter how the sounds reflect around it, and air doesn't pass through glue.
As for memory foam, I've not tried using it, but I have heard heard third party earpads on the 540 which used that in there, and none of them sounded right to me, tended to constrict the soundstage and overemphasise the bass

 

[IgorUA]

I cut through one thick circle of foam with a sharp scalpel-type knife. I'll try to make a second neater version for next weekend. Thanks again! Which pads do you like the most that I can buy online? I like the sound signature of the Sennheiser HD580 (paper buffle version) the most. The HD540 already gives me a much clearer sound with better stereo image, but I haven't yet found pads that would give me about the same frequency response as my HD580 with the original new pads. This is my suffering.

 

[Backsplash7]

I cut through one thick circle of foam with a sharp scalpel-type knife. I'll try to make a second neater version for next weekend. Thanks again! Which pads do you like the most that I can buy online? I like the sound signature of the Sennheiser HD580 (paper buffle version) the most. The HD540 already gives me a much clearer sound with better stereo image, but I haven't yet found pads that would give me about the same frequency response as my HD580 with the original new pads. This is my suffering.

The original foam in my ref 1 pads was angled, so that was something that I tried to copy when I did mine. I don't think it was necessarily the same angle, but the idea is similar to what I've posted on the previous page or two. I know the pads look like straight cut foam would work fine, but I found that straight cut foam would twist a bit, so presumably those angles were there for a reason to begin with.
I dont particularly rate any of the third party earpads I've tried so far, but the wang yifei pleather pads that others on here will recommend, I can say for me that they were the least bad of the bunch haha, but I'm looking for something different than you are, so that's all good.

I've not heard the 580, but I do have a 600, which I assume to be fairly similar? Quite dark and bassy for me, as well as narrow. Of the pads I have tried, the ones that would most lend themselves to that tuning were protein leather with memory foam, but they do reduce a lot of the soundstage and openness at the same time. Here's a link

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385601427187?hash=item59c7a2d6f3:g:UBkAAOSwPGRkWZ1e&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAA4HGyGh2tKd6aDHU69YjUQcOaJ7Msog3QtabiZ+fJBRBlvczDJwjHuF8S1EEeLV7U2DTDcL4swV/zgWihOCv7xUAWRvyhv4oe/PtJzTiEbRoQ5FD9X2hog6gSdKG3y2rEzVSWzNqJfg4zfKj/LmFmibor4eA0ehnAa4EFIQWIP7ry0khVTJKnzdcL1/cBrBzLvh7DhfVDMptDu33iaypYloNYQs8KoB0aVEHzUACI854LUkrHerYbs040+HUUDMfw40uIR7vjH2MSao7pj3YS2W39GmGoShV0OLbJqLuvZOZH|tkp:Bk9SR5jHuMiVYg

These are the wang pleather pads, which aren't quite as hemmed-in with the stage, and aren't quite as bassy, and most people on this thread really like these pads. I'd say this is best all-rounder option for most users, and a good middleground option between the protein leather and original sennheiser pads.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251387223412?hash=item3a87d89d74:g:bXoAAOSwG-1WweDy

I haven't heard these ones myself, but if I had to make an educated guess, I imagine these might be a good option for what you're after too: sheepskin with memory foam.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254705203992?var=554480135199

 

[IgorUA]

I also have my lovely HD540 II headphones with non-original DT990 pads and these headphones sound really good. But these pads don't fit so well with the HD540 600 ohms: there's a lack of midranges. All I want is to add a midrange to what I have on the HD540 600ohm. These 2 models of headphones are just great, but the 1 version of 600 ohms has some magic in the sound and I want to get a more linear frequency response, without dips at midranges, because they sound deaf.

 

[Backsplash7]

I also have my lovely HD540 II headphones with non-original DT990 pads and these headphones sound really good. But these pads don't fit so well with the HD540 600 ohms: there's a lack of midranges. All I want is to add a midrange to what I have on the HD540 600ohm. These 2 models of headphones are just great, but the 1 version of 600 ohms has some magic in the sound and I want to get a more linear frequency response, without dips at midranges, because they sound deaf.

I hope my current attempt to re-foam my ref 2 pads ends up looking as good as those beyedynamic pads! Its certainly tough, this earpad dilemma. But what cables are you using for them both?

 

[IgorUA]

I've not heard the 580, but I do have a 600, which I assume to be fairly similar? Quite dark and bassy for me, as well as narrow. Of the pads I have tried, the ones that would most lend themselves to that tuning were protein leather with memory foam, but they do reduce a lot of the soundstage and openness at the same time. Here's a link

The eary versions of 580 and 600 are better and more like the 540. When they changed the buffle on metal (around 2004-2005 I think) they killed all the midrange, but added some bass. I had the metal 600 and sold it.

I haven't heard these ones myself, but if I had to make an educated guess, I imagine these might be a good option for what you're after too: sheepskin with memory foam.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254705203992?var=554480135199

I think I had these pads. They sounded very dull and had a very powerful bass and very sharp high frequencies. Mid-frequencies completely muted. Maybe trance music can be so listened to. It's just like I don't want headphones to sound.

 

[Backsplash7]

The eary versions of 580 and 600 are better and more like the 540. When they changed the buffle on metal (around 2004-2005 I think) they killed all the midrange, but added some bass. I had the metal 600 and sold it.

I think I had these pads. They sounded very dull and had a very powerful bass and very sharp high frequencies. Mid-frequencies completely muted. Maybe trance music can be so listened to. It's just like I don't want headphones to sound.

I'm not sure what iteration of 600 I have, all I know is that I'm not the original owner. I dont think there's metal in it, apart from the rear grill thing but I could be wrong, never tried to get them ID'd before.
Mmm, sharp high frequencies are pretty exhausting, maybe I wont try the sheepskin ones

 

[IgorUA]

I hope my current attempt to re-foam my ref 2 pads ends up looking as good as those beyedynamic pads! Its certainly tough, this earpad dilemma. But what cables are you using for them both?

I have an original copper cable from the 540 II that is soldered to a balance jack and connected to the Moondrop Dawn.

I will follow your progress Do you like the 540 II more?

 

[Backsplash7]

I have an original copper cable from the 540 II that is soldered to a balance jack and connected to the Moondrop Dawn.

I will follow your progress Do you like the 540 II more?

You could try getting a better cable. There is quite a lot of potential that can be had from an upgrade, whether balanced or single ended.
I don't have a pair of 540 ref 1's, so I can't comment, but I was very kindly donated a pair of the original pads to play with on my ref 2. They have quite different presentations, but on the whole I prefer the sound of the ref 2 pads. The ref 1 pads are less comfortable and completely grab hold of my ears; if I put those earpads on my ears without the headphones, they'd stay there all day. And I don't even have big ears