'Neutralizing' my HD800

Discussion in 'DIY' started by stratocaster, Mar 11, 2016.

  1. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    While waiting for Sorrodje's SD resonator to try on my newly acquired HD800, I got nothing else to do, so I thought why not tinkering with it in the meantime.
    This is all very preliminary, but I think this is well worth sharing. So here is just a very early tease for you guys. When modding, it is always my aim to achieve a flat FR, since with all my setups this has yieled the best listening experience, at least to my ears. So, might it possible to flatten the HD800 frequency response out? Look at the measurements ;-)

    Overlay in REW:
    Overlay.jpg
    Zoomed overlay in ARTA:
    Overlay_zoom.jpg

    CSD:
    CSD.jpg
     
  2. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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    Strat, you big tease you...Come on, out with what you did|\/|
     
  3. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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    Was it EQ, or actual physical modding?
    I need to measure mine.
     
  4. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    No EQ, mod is purely physical.

    Comparison HD650 vs modded HD800:
    650vs800.jpg
     
  5. chakku

    chakku Friend

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    Consider me curious! \/
     
  6. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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    Kinda goes to show that one could buy the 650 and not chase the 800 or the 800S....
     
  7. Hekeli

    Hekeli Facebook Friend

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    I guess 650 works for people who listen to vocals and triangles.. ;) I took my 600 out for a listen after a long time, only to be freshly shocked how it has zero subbass and pretty much congested immediately trying to play any "serious" music. Off to box it went again.
     
  8. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    HD6X0 are excellent. As for me and my sonic tastes, unmodded I would take the 600 over the 650, modded (though differently from what Marv suggested) I would prefer the H650. But the HD800 driver is simply fantastic. I have never worked with a better driver, period. The bass, soundstage and detail retrieval is a clear step up. Even with the 6kHz peak I would prefer the HD800 over the 6X0s. But I can easily see how others might find this peak troublesome. It bothers me, but not that much. I am looking forward to hearing what Sorrodje's resonator does to the peak.
     
  9. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    Hi Stratocaster.

    For sure , The result of my little mod won(t be as spectacular as yours. My purpose was only to mimic the HD800S with a HD800 though. Not to flatten it to measure like a HD6X0.

    I'm sincerely looking forward you mod . Measurements suggest a stellar work :bow:
     
  10. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    Well, actually this is not a spectacular mod. There is no voodoo or whatever, it is just a simple thing everybody can do in a heartbeat. As I said earlier, this is all very early and I will have to evaluate all this by careful listening tests.

    I have just had my HD800 for 2 days now and all I can say is that I hold the driver and the chassis/frame in very high esteem. But I am of the opinion that what kind of fucks it up is the PADS! At this point I simply cannot understand why Sennheiser has not revised the pads!?!

    Out of boredom I used my old HM5 velours as replacement (see pic) and measured it. Voila, there was a dramatic change in the frequency response. No damping, front or back, no rugliner or whatever was needed. Since then I have used and measured different pads, all with interesting results.

    Here you go with the pics:
    DSC02401.JPG

    DSC02403.JPG

    Pad measurements: All made with the same SPL

    Stock vs. HM5 Velours:
    stkvshm5velours.jpg

    Stock vs Hifiman Focus pads:
    stkvshfmfp.jpg

    Stock vs HM5 Pleather:
    stkvshm5p.jpg

    Stock vs an old Sennheiser 560 Ovation velour pad:
    stkvssholdvel5p.jpg

    Stock vs. Hifiman HE500 Velours:
    stockvshfm500vel.jpg
     
  11. Ash1412

    Ash1412 Friend

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    Did those pads just delete the 6khz peak???? You gotta give us some impressions |\/|
     
  12. Lurker

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    Hm. Being a fully open headphone you have controlled leakage infront and in the back of the transducer. The nice thing about the 800s design is that this leakage stays constant, resillient to compression or decomposition due to moisture like on the HD6X0 series.
    The "pad" in that sense is the steel mesh, the foamy alcantara thing only acts like a thermal paste between heatsink and processor.
    But whatever works for you I guess.
     
  13. Ash1412

    Ash1412 Friend

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    So your definition of pads are simply whatever controls leakage?
     
  14. Lurker

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    Ya. Having a leaky pad is a common technique for getting rid of ram pressure inside your headphone. Very leaky pads like on the HD580 series also help getting rid of resonances at higher frequencys.
    Headphones that can't push alot of air like planars or estats are usually constructed in an open back (not fully open) fashion where the front is sealed and the back fully open to get the basslevel up.
     
  15. Ash1412

    Ash1412 Friend

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    I don't think pads are simply meant to control leakage. The inner wall of the pads also act as absorbers/reflectors that prevent/cause resonances. An example of this is the HE-560 with its focus pad. Many people, Marv included I think, prefer the Focus pad-A to the Focus pad. As far as I know, the only difference between them is that the Focus pad-A has a velour innel wall instead of pleather that alleviates the HE560's treble issues somewhat. @Audio Zenith even did a video on the subject of reflections within the inner pad.
    EDIT: added link to the Hifiman pads
    http://store.hifiman.com/index.php/accessories/focuspad.html
    http://store.hifiman.com/index.php/accessories/focuspad-a.html
     
  16. firev1

    firev1 Friend

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    Whats with all the modders and HM5 velour, pretty f'ing genius though.
     
  17. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    You pretty much deleted the 6kHz peak with a pair of pads? Intriguing....

    How is the soundstage and intimacy now? Is there a sense of the headphones being veiled compared to stock?

    Also - how did you fit them in there? You just jammed them in there?
     
  18. Lurker

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    I didn't mention it because I was just praising Senn like I usually do, but of course absorbing and reflecting materials can be used to tune FR.
    I think the HM5 Velour does just that. Eat up some resonances like a funnel. Looks strange but hey, if it works :bow:
     
  19. Hekeli

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    So how's the distortion figures?
     
  20. frenchbat

    frenchbat Almost "Made"

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    This I wanna know.
     

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