HD800 (S) Ultimate Mod

I wouldn't say it's hard, but it requires a bit of effort. After pulling off the bulk of it, you can use a ball of it to remove the bits that are stuck on, similar to the technique used to remove tape residue with a bit of tape. I mass loaded my T50RPs with Dynamat Xtreme and was able to return them to stock. The corners of the baffle were the hardest parts to clean up, so a flat surface should be easier to deal with. A plastic surface has more texture and the Dynamat will stick to it more. A smooth metal surface should be easier to clean up.

Edit: I live in a warmer climate, so maybe that's why it was goopier for me to deal with than it seems to be for u guys.

 

I have very similar dynamat damping mods to you, and find they make the most difference, but the pad swap helps get rid of the pverly large headstage and also flattens out bass significantly and generally smooths treble peaks and valleys. I am of the opinion that a mire solid sidewalk tyoe material helps act almost like a soundtube for the hd800, and the additional cup volume reduces cup resonance by shifting where and how much the sound can bounce around. I might try comparing your tape modded pads to mine and see what the diff is.

 

If the desnsity (mass) of the HD800 design were increased,
I don't believe we would be having these discussions,
but then the HD800 would not be so light (think LCD weight lol)

 

How have you placed your Dynamat?
Is it the "Extreme" version?

If you are still getting excessive (diffused) headstage,
then that is proof your damping is innefective..

Another problem with signature to even out, is you don't necessarily want a flat response.
Measurement rigs are known to exagerate bass and not be as accurate in trebles...

I myself prefer to preserve the signature HD800 upper end sound and not have a "flat" sound,
Because in doing so (excessive treble absorbtion) ,
Can have a side effect of muting the transients.

 

My initial mods were identical to yours. They measure flat after compensation. I prefer a slightly laid back presence region because I have to listen to music for my job all day, which can be fatiguing.

That said, I did exactly your mods, but found i preferred also damping the outter plastic ABS ring. I also tried slathering synamat everywhere, which as you noted, doesn’t work. And yes Imm using dynamat extreme.

My HD800 does not have diffuse, unfocused treble, its a very focused transient sound. I’ve altered it slightly for more bass and a sightly sweeter, slightly laid back presence range because that is my taste.

 

This is good, because doing one side only (rear), can produce added energy to the front.
Like a ball hitting a (padded) wall (dynamat) , yet still bouncing back in(!) at a lesser strength, and adding to the overall vibrations...

Look at the dynamat, as "padded" walls for bouncing balls (vibrations)

The black side will attenuate, but not same the silver side.

You will enevitably be both slowing down and boucing back the "ball" depending how it is configured.

That said, I would appreciate and value you posting any your Dynamat work and experience here.
I would link it to first page.
More the merrier as I would like to make known its importance to the mods.

IMHO...
Every HD800 & 800S, no matter which "mod" version,
needs to be Dynamat moded.

 

Excellent write up OP. I am getting ready to install the SDR. Your S mod sure looks tempting too. thanks for the nice write up.

 

It easy to just try the Sennheiser material I used in place of the SDR which will basically turn your 800 close to an 800S if you desire.

Also update I returned to the 800 again to test two more new mods in next weeks so will update then.

 

Can we combine the more open pad with the SDR mod to completely kill the peak? neither of them seem to completely eliminate it by themselves. Then there's the problem of bringing up the upper mids.

 

Sounds interesting idea to try.

You can atrenuate the trebles all you want but you will not solve the 6k ring diffuse sound regardless..

 

6 months later, this thread is still just a lot of talk.

 

Your in denial of the obvious measurements posted.
Blindbat.

 

If a challenge is what it takes for before/after measurements to pop up (CDSs with higher resolutions please), then hey, that'd be great.

I eventually settled on not getting an HD800 after years of wanting one, mostly because I snagged a pair of cans that trades blows with em and has better bass to boot, but that doesn't mean I'm not as interested to see new ways to improve upon the HD800, as I assume many others are. Subjective impressions matter, but as per a recent thread measurements are what help keep things from going to poop.

 

Ok, I just check the thread to make sure it has measurements.
It does which is why I can't understand the rediculous position that I didn't provide data or proof..
I even see people liking frenchbat post(!).

Although I posted this mod as a gift to the community, I have been met with silence, crickets, and rude ungratefullness.

Still I do realize negative posters always account for a very small minority in any community.

Regardless, I spill my jewels of discovery to the world so others can benifit.
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

I have slowly leaked out more info for modders to use their head here and on headfi.

Yet if you think thats all that I have, you would be very mistaken.
The truth is I am way way way past this with the HD800.
I have solved the HD800 in every way, improving upon it in every way, including soundstage.

My posted mod was a year old even before I posted it to the mases..

If you take onto yourself the work of doing this mod, it is actually a stepping stone to what is achievable with this unit.

For those of you who don't know me, I am an extremely positive friendly person, but online tend to tell it like it is, which seems to attract the trolls.
Yet I am not known to BS.

 

When’s the newer mod gonna get posted?

 

Hi Max,

Pardon, but it looks to me like you're comparing measurements of HD800s from other people's rigs to measurements of your own modded HD800s (e.g. ultrabike's impulse response and what looks like purr1n's CSDs of an unreleased Anax mod). While I do think it's possible to get close to someone else's rig (after putting in some effort), comparing measurements on the same rig would be best for an assortment of reasons.

As for the mods themselves, I remember reading this thread way back but looked it over again just now. The mods proposed seem well-considered and reports of improved imaging etc. over stock are exciting, nearly as much so as claims of having "completely solved" the HD800. That said, your tone now comes across as a bit punitive, which isn't to your benefit. I'm also actually curious to hear what rig @coinmaster compared the Senns out of.

 

Fair enough. The reason I liked his post was because despite there being some soundness to the engineering principles of mass-damping the frames of drivers/transducers, and changing the way the back wave of the driver interacts with the airmass outside of the headphones or reflects back into the driver/baffle, the way you're presenting any evidence that what you've done actually accomplishes what you're claiming your mods do to the impulse response and frequency response amounts to AudioAsylum-style handwaving about magic pebbles and quantum chips.

Edit: Would like to add: a critique of method, or a critique of judgement should not be confused with a critique of character.

Is Sennheiser hiring?

 

Apoligies guys, everyone has there "testosterone filled" moments lol.
This being a community for like minded members to help each other.

I will be around future meets for others to hear my HD800 and judge for themselves.

I will also continue to give future updates.