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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 8, 2010 22:28:40 GMT
Well.... here they are folks..... the HD-681 "RedPhones"           First off, anyone contemplating fitting these red leather pads, be sure NOT to fit the foam insert pads that come with them..... I did and, initially, thought the headphones had blown..... what a CRAP sound, it was like music piped into my ears via a baked bean can (yes, THAT bad!).... the pads are totally air proof (ie, they won't let sound through) and the only sound that does come through is via 6 small holes cut into the foam.... these insert pads seriously bugger the SQ up in a bad way and the original Superlux insert pads should remain in place. The red leather looks very nice, the photos don't do it justice, it's more of a "salmon" red in reality and not a bright red as the photos suggest. The pads are not as soft as I expected and the centre hole is only 50mm (compared to 60mm on the original Superlux pads) so may not prove as comfortable as the stock pads if you have large ears..... I must admit, the leather pads are a lot "cooler" running on the ears but I feel, like all pads, they will require a period of "bed in" before giving that old glove like feel.... the leather is quite rough grained and the inner foam pretty firm, so don't think "soft and sumptuous"..... hard wearing, yes, and, like a pair of leather boots, will take some bedding in..... these are no soft leather moccasins...... The leather pads alter the presentation slightly, my first thoughts when I initially had a listen was "brighter" with "tighter" bass..... after a prolonged listen I would say they have made the sound slightly more "neutral", which is not a bad thing, and I can only put that down to the 10mm reduction in the hole size...... one thing's for sure, the HD-681 are VERY sensitive to change (be it fitting rings, changing the cable, or the pads) and you really are aware of any changes you make..... this is great news for tweakers but I'd imagine it would be very easy to over egg the pudding and end up with something totally alien to the original in SQ..... I think, as I write, that I prefer the sound with the stock pads.... it just seemed to have more "balls" to it but, if my love of headphones has taught me anything over the years, it's never a good idea to "instantly" judge and always prudent to allow any changes a good week or two before passing final judgement. What may appear not to your liking today could well prove the opposite after a few weeks. Actually, just after I wrote that last paragraph, I played one of my reference tracks "Junior B" by Yello and it's absolutely SPOT ON!..... the 'phones have only been on my ears tonight for 40 minutes and the pads were cold when I first put them on (-15C outside!)..... seems things are getting better the warmer they become (another factor I appreciate.... materials have a tendency to perform better / loosen up when they reach body temperature) Have you ever put a pair of leather gloves on in the freezing cold? Stiff as fck' but after an hour on your hands as supple as a nun's arse ;D "Appearance" wise, I'm glad I went with the the red leather instead of the black leather pads.... it may look OTT in the photos but it isn't and is a welcome change from the obligatory "black"..... the 'phones actually look like they cost a serious amount of money (they "feel" it too, the leather pads are heavier than the stock pads and, in conjunction with the alu rings, add a bit of mass / weight to the proceedings) ..... A red leather (or any colour leather) headband would be nice and if there's any leather experts out there following this thread then please get your tools out and make a few These 'phones are are a STEAL at the £18 entry price and for a few quid more can be transformed into good "looking" (as well as awesome sounding) 'phones too. If the SQ was shite to start with then you'd be spending money trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear (which is always a wasted exercise, you can polish a turd but it remains a turd) the fact that the stock 'phones are superb sounding (and just fine left as they are) is a license for the DIY tweaker to go mad and throw another £20 into them to make them look as good as they sound. I will be trying Fran's filter mods at the weekend (offboard to start with) and will report back then. Mike. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2010 22:52:40 GMT
They look quite raunchy!
The sort of 'phones you keep hidden in a special box under the bed, then slip on when no one is around.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 8, 2010 23:11:25 GMT
Yeh, sex on a stick  Special box under the bed? what, exactly, do you "slip them on" to? am I missing something here?  I obviously "am" missing something here  |
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Will
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Post by Will on Jan 9, 2010 0:56:54 GMT
I've got to agree with Chris here. With the red ear pads, they look like the sort of headphones that Ann Summers would sell !
Definitely different!
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Post by cege on Jan 9, 2010 5:31:23 GMT
Hi folks! I am very happy owner of a HD 681. I listen to it everyday with my TV. Before i used Sennheiser HD 590, 595 and 555, but 681´s is the best But, i can´t stand the sharp Sssss..sound, now i wamt to build a adapter but is hard to get inductors with a low resistance in Sweden. Can i use a inductors with a resistance 7-9 Ohm? I have found a inductors on Conrad (09P-series) with a low resistance, can i use this? Thanks headfellows  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2010 9:56:51 GMT
Hi Cege,
Why not give me a PM ?
I can supply you with the needed components.
You cannot use inductors with an R higher than 2.5 Ohm.
Preferably only smaller R's as bigger R's affect the filter in a bad way
Solderdude
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2010 11:06:08 GMT
Well they certainly look "cool" Mike, but i think you need to listen to them for a few more hours to make a decision on the SQ side of this mod.  Ive gone back to the original pads on my ones, after using the AKG leather ones for a while, and to be honest, to my ears, the overall SQ is better than the AKG`s, but not quiet as comfortable, on extended listen times. Im looking forward to your opinion on the filter "solderdude" mod. This guy certainly knows his headphone electronics, and feel this could be a very worth while mod, and not to difficult for non- competent electricians like me to do ;D |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 9, 2010 15:27:00 GMT
Hold off on fitting those rings for a couple of hours guys.... I've come up with a good mod that costs only 4 pence Will post details later........ |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 9, 2010 16:38:38 GMT
OK..... here we go..... Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce the "4 pence" copper mods These mods add copper (or is it brass?) to the 'phones which adds mass (much in the same way as Mick's rings do) For this mod you will need to remove the two outer sides you will notice a slight "lip" on the outer edges:  Sand this down on a flat surface and remove the lip:  It will look like this:  Now fit the alu rings:  Now for the secret ingredient............. The copper! (or is it brass?):  Yes, a 2 pence piece.... it is a PERFECT fit..... glue it into position (with the end pieces screwed back onto the headphones) with some araldite. If you really want to go the extra mile you could deface the two pence piece and polish it up so it would look like a plain copper disc.... I chose to fit it as is but did polish the two pence pieces with some brasso before fitting. The pictures don't do this mod any justice and make the 'phones look like cheap tarts but in reality they look very good  ..... it's early days yet but an initial listen suggests the copper mods have enhanced the ring mods and there seems to be more space around the presentation. I will have a good listen later on but, whatever, you really cannot go wrong for 4 pence and a squirt of glue I will be happy to ship polished two pence pieces around the globe for the price of shipping...... £5 Next up the Pink Pimp Feather mod!        |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2010 19:05:26 GMT
Ok, Euro Land, we don't have 2 pence pieces. Despair not! We DO have 2 Euro pieces, they are brass coloured centres and nickel ring outers. They also have the following advantages; 1) variation of designs 2) bi-metal, non conductive design of brass centre and nickel outer ring (so you don't risk "facing the music" while listening to it) 3) weigh 1.38g more than 2p see below...(crap photo, only had mobile phone)  So the enhanced version of the 2p mod shall be dubbed the 4 Euro mod. Available now, mail order, ONLY 45 Euros Worldwide FreePost. Contact:- Puss Ka-ching Andrews @ UPRAT.com  PS Mike, you gotta think bigger if you're gonna compete with Russ! |
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Post by dean0 on Jan 9, 2010 19:09:08 GMT
Nice idea. I did notice resting my finger on these end-caps improved bass response, maybe because these caps are not held on securley (2 small pins), and tend to vibrate on heavy bass tracks. You could glue the end-caps over the 2p coin, to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing |
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Post by dean0 on Jan 9, 2010 19:10:52 GMT
Ok, Euro Land, we don't have 2 pence pieces. Despair not! We DO have 2 Euro pieces, they are brass coloured centres and nickel ring outers. They also have the following advantages; 1) variation of designs 2) bi-metal, non conductive design of brass centre and nickel outer ring (so you don't risk "facing the music" while listening to it) 3) weigh 1.38g more than 2p see below...(crap photo, only had mobile phone) So the enhanced version of the 2p mod shall be dubbed the 4 Euro mod. Available now, mail order, ONLY 45 Euros Worldwide FreePost. Contact:- Puss Ka-ching Andrews @ UPRAT.com PS Mike, you gotta think bigger if you're gonna compete with Russ! I'll take 2 |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 9, 2010 20:49:06 GMT
Nice idea. I did notice resting my finger on these end-caps improved bass response, maybe because these caps are not held on securley (2 small pins), and tend to vibrate on heavy bass tracks. You could glue the end-caps over the 2p coin, to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing Brilliant idea Dean  The end caps fit PERFECTLY into the ridge of the two pence coin.... I glued them into position with some araldite and the end result is fantastic!. So now, we have the advantage of "mass", we've got rid of any vibration problems "and" the mod actually looks good! As to sound quality, I totally agree with you, which is why I came up with this mod and "2 pence" seemed the cheapest solution to the problem (I also had 5 of them in my pocket so have six pence left over for sweets ) I'm sitting here right now listening to Mike Oldfield's "songs of distant earth" at high volume and there is ZERO vibration.... the bass is a lot cleaner with no vibration induced artifacts of any kind. I hope this mod didn't, initially, come across as a "joke" cause it wasn't intended as one, this is a serious tweak that, not only improves SQ but also adds to the cosmetics IMO and for an outlay of "4 pence" one of the cheapest tweaks I have ever come up with..... PLUS, it adds to the overall value of the 'phones by "4 pence" and, if you're ever hard up, you can chisel the 4 pence off and go spend it The fact that the two pence piece is a precision fit means that anybody can perform this mod and be guaranteed success.... no funky angling required, no drills, no soldering irons..... just a two pence piece, a blob of araldite and a sheet of sandpaper. I hope some of you try this and provide feedback.... you'll soon see / hear that this is no joke ;D Mike.    |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 9, 2010 20:55:13 GMT
Hi folks! I am very happy owner of a HD 681. I listen to it everyday with my TV. Before i used Sennheiser HD 590, 595 and 555, but 681´s is the best But, i can´t stand the sharp Sssss..sound, now i wamt to build a adapter but is hard to get inductors with a low resistance in Sweden. Can i use a inductors with a resistance 7-9 Ohm? I have found a inductors on Conrad (09P-series) with a low resistance, can i use this? Thanks headfellows Hi Cege, Sharp "Sssss" sound? have you got them plugged directly into your TV? or are you amping them via a sky box or something? I don't hear any hiss with my HD-681 (apple lossless into Aune amp / DAC) just "music"..... it could be the TV signal that's producing the hiss? Mike. |
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Post by andy on Jan 9, 2010 21:38:43 GMT
Mike,
have you put any laquer onto the 2 pence peices as they will tarnish over time and not shine so brightly?
I may try the 4 euro mod as the edge of the 2 euro will be more of a match to the alloy rings
Andy
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 9, 2010 22:58:26 GMT
Mike, have you put any laquer onto the 2 pence peices as they will tarnish over time and not shine so brightly? No Andy.... I don't mind a bit of "patina" it shows honest to goodness ageing and adds a certain degree of charm.... with the end caps on top there is only a couple of mm of "coin" edge showing anyway..... I suppose, if you're really OCD / Anal you "could" laquer the edges but, C'mon...... £14.99 headphones.... let's not get carried away A more "expensive" mod Frans saw this post and has e-mailed me a pic with an Irish 2 Euro coin in place:  Seems a good enough fit and is certainly "thicker" than a two pence coin so I can see no problems going down the 4 Euros route.... from what I can see, the end caps should also be a pretty tight fit on the Euro coins. If we really wanted to get silly we could "stack" coins (much the same as they stack buffers)..... howzabout 20 pence worth (per side) of two pences glued in parallel? (10 per side)..... it would only cost 20 pence for a big chunk of "brass estate" whereas a "stack" of euros would be 500 times the price ;D Let's keep it "real" and use the necessary to do the job..... no point spending 4 Euros when you can get the same results with four pence |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2010 23:32:56 GMT
Mike, No, I wasn't taking the rise out of the mod. There are good reasons why it may be beneficial. It was your comment... ...that set me off, coupled to recent 'Russ' comments. I even checked that the 2Euro piece was the right size and marginally heavier PLUS, the Euro mod will make the headphones more valueble than the pence mod |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 9, 2010 23:46:59 GMT
Mike, No, I wasn't taking the rise out of the mod. There are good reasons why it may be beneficial. It was your comment... ...that set me off, coupled to recent 'Russ' comments. Have you ever polished a two pence piece Chris? Takes a fair bit of elbow grease.... you need the Brasso, you need kitchen roll (absorbent paper), and you need the "time" to do it. To send a couple of two pence coins across the globe you need a Jiffy bag, you need a printer with ink, you need paper to print onto, you need to go to the post office (for me a 30 minute bus trip), you need to stand in a queue in the post office (for god knows how long)..... I could go on....... £5 "shipped" for two prepared 2 pence coins was no joke..... Mike. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2010 23:51:37 GMT
Oops! Sorry Mike, I thought you were joking on that one Chris |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jan 10, 2010 0:06:58 GMT
Oops! Sorry Mike, I thought you were joking on that one Chris I was After thinking about it, in detail, it's more likely to be £7 shipped ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2010 0:24:59 GMT
Oops! Sorry Mike, I thought you were joking on that one Chris I was After thinking about it, in detail, it's more likely to be £7 shipped ;D I would want more than 7GBP just to get out of bed with all that snow and ice around ! |
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Post by cege on Jan 10, 2010 7:23:17 GMT
Hi Cege, Sharp "Sssss" sound? have you got them plugged directly into your TV? or are you amping them via a sky box or something? I don't hear any hiss with my HD-681 (apple lossless into Aune amp / DAC) just "music"..... it could be the TV signal that's producing the hiss? Mike. Hi Mike, Yes, i plugged them directly and i have also use the phones with a amp, Corda 3move but it same ssss-sound. I use IPTV for moment and i going to check how 681 sounded with my stereo too. Maybe, it could be my hearingloss since born? I am a little more sensitive against hights treble sonund. I also remember when my Sennheiser HD595 was new, they was the same problem with them, but after 6-8 monhts sounded they more softer. Sorry, for my little bad English cege |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2010 7:52:20 GMT
Hi Cege, Sharp "Sssss" sound? have you got them plugged directly into your TV? or are you amping them via a sky box or something? I don't hear any hiss with my HD-681 (apple lossless into Aune amp / DAC) just "music"..... it could be the TV signal that's producing the hiss? Mike. Hi Mike, Yes, i plugged them directly and i have also use the phones with a amp, Corda 3move but it same ssss-sound. I use IPTV for moment and i going to check how 681 sounded with my stereo too. Maybe, it could be my hearingloss since born? I am a little more sensitive against hights treble sonund. I also remember when my Sennheiser HD595 was new, they was the same problem with them, but after 6-8 monhts sounded they more softer. Sorry, for my little bad English cege cege Are you talking about a continuous hiss, or sibilance on certain words, especially with the letter "s" ? If it is sibilance, then "solderdudes" filter is likely to assist in that respect. SandyK |
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Will
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Post by Will on Jan 10, 2010 10:20:46 GMT
Have you ever polished a two pence piece Chris? Takes a fair bit of elbow grease.... you need the Brasso, you need kitchen roll (absorbent paper), and you need the "time" to do it. Try leaving the coins covered in brown sauce over night, it'll do most of the work for you Can I claim this as most bizarre advice given on an audio forum? |
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Post by puffin on Jan 10, 2010 10:30:21 GMT
In addition to winning a pair of these, I bought a pair to play around with. I thought I would see what re-cabling would do. I could only find an old piece of cable just long enough to stretch to the lap top. The cable is Vann Damme LC-OFC268-062 Balance Patch Cable (120ohms)
Whilst having them apart I modded the plastic covers and stuck the 2 pence pieces on (with double sided tape) as I intend to wire each phone separately at some stage. Impressions. Definitely sweeter highs and have others have said, more air around instruments. Bass seems a litte tighter, but these are very early days and I will need to see how they change (if they do) over the next few days.  |
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..... it's early days yet but an initial listen suggests the copper mods have enhanced the ring mods and there seems to be more space around the presentation.
The end caps fit PERFECTLY into the ridge of the two pence coin.... I glued them into position with some araldite and the end result is fantastic!.