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derzulya
126
Apr 26, 2018
Finally got them today. They fit to MSR7 and are a lot bigger than the stock pads. Very well made, fits well, comfortable, same as expected.
However, as @tolis626 mentioned; the lows are missing. I'm not a basshead and using my MSR7 since its release. MSR7 is not popular because of its bass response though. Soundstage get a little wider, just a little bit. Don't expect too much.
Pros against stock pads: comfort, price, size Cons against stock pads: bass response
tolis626
80
Apr 26, 2018
derzulyaThanks for confirming what I said mate! Gonna be receiving mine hopefully early next week (they're already in the country, so it's a matter of the post office not taking their sweet time) and I'll be testing it out too! If I find them THAT much more comfortable, I may try modding the MSR7 a bit to see if I can get them to sound close to stock with the HM5 pads. I'm gonna try filling the cup behind the driver with cotton wool or some similar material, covering the driver with some low loft batting fleece as someone suggested to me on Head-Fi (he said Vlieseline 249 works great) or with some medical tape and then whatever else I can manage without messing with the headphone TOO much. I hope I can get it right. If I do, I'll post my findings here!
derzulya
126
Apr 26, 2018
tolis626Great! I'd like to hear more about this modding. I've never tried anything like that, so I've no idea how it's done. I hope it goes well for you!
tolis626
80
May 2, 2018
derzulyaHi! So, my pads arrived earlier today, and my first impressions are exactly what I expected. Comfort is on another level (although I still find it weird that my ear floats in the pad rather than fitting snuggly in there, but it's a good kind of weird), but the sound was, well, obliterated. Like, no bass at all (even with my Fiio Q1's bass boost it's still less than stock) and the highs are accentuated even further. I played some metal music that I usually hear and it was almost unbearable. It didn't work half bad for classical music, so go figure (just don't play something with cellos, drums or anything that plays in low frequencies). I mean, the extra soundstage was nice, so there's that. Now, I don't have the time or materials to stard modding today, but what I tried is an idea I took from T50rp modding, where they put the pad over the whole cup instead of fitting its elastic band in the groove for the stock pads. Look at the image below, the pads hug the whole thing. This kind of helps a little bit. You get some of the bass back. I don't know if it's because it seals the ring better or because it squishes the pad against the driver, but hey, it does something and it's not so unbearable. Doesn't even desperately need bass boost.
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One thing I noticed with the HM5 is how much higher I have to turn my volume knob. I mean, it went from 6 to 7 on my Q1 on low gain, which is a lot because the volume curve gets steep closer to the max. I suppose it's because the drivers sit farther away from my head, but it was curious to see. Hope I don't go deaf. :D Did you notice that too or is it just me?
derzulya
126
May 2, 2018
tolis626I can confirm everything you wrote about the sound. My guess is also the same. I think the distance between the ear and the drivers causes the difference. The placement you did as seen on the picture seems weird, however if it functions nothing is important :D As long as I use them indoors of course. Gonna try this evening. Thanks for sharing your experience :)
tolis626
80
May 6, 2018
derzulyaHey, been experimenting more with the MSR7 and HM5 pads and I finally did something that really works. So, if you're comfortable with modding, all you have to do is take off the pads, undo the 8 screws, lift the baffle, gently remove the adhesive strip that holds down the wire, wiggle and lift the midplate and then access the back of the cup. There, on the back side of the midplate you'll see a small circle of adhered felt that covers a hole in the midplate. Remove that, save it somewhere so you can revert to stock and then put everything back together. The result? More bass. Like, really, I thought I had left the bass boost on on my Fiio Q1, but nope. I guess the driver gets more air to work with and that increases the low frequencies. So now, even with HM5 pads, I get at least as much bass as stock, but probably even a bit more. Haven't tried the stock pads, but will do at some point, when the excitement fades away! You can find my original post with more details in the bottom of this page in head-fi if you want! https://www.head-fi.org/threads/audio-technica-ath-msr7-discussion-thread.738758/page-161
derzulya
126
May 7, 2018
tolis626I really can't even think about that :D Not only really creative but also brave! Needless to say, I'd think twice before even attempt. Great as usual, thanks a lot!
tolis626
80
May 7, 2018
derzulyaWhy thank you sir for your kind words! :D Don't be afraid, it's really easy. The only thing you have to be careful about is the wire. Pay attention to it and you'll be a-okay. And the improvement is worth it, IMO! Have fun!
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