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Spent quite a bit of time pad rolling and comparing the non-perforated Ori to the perforated Ori last night (both with the foam insert mod) using the same set of tracks at the same volume to see which was truly superior. In stock form with a couple of hours playtime, they sounded good, but not great pretty much across the board, which is why I got modding immediately. It's worth noting, as I outlined in a previous thread, that these 4XXs also have the grill mod using paper tray mesh and no dust screen along with having over 170 hours worth of play time. They also are using a custom silver-plated 22-gauge OFC cable from Amplifier Surgery. Equipment used in this comparison: straight from my XDP-100R playing the first few tracks from Steve Turre's Woody's Delight (mainly for balance, imaging, sibilance testing) and various tracks from Tame Impala's Currents (mainly for balance and soundstage testing). Updated Ratings after Ori pad comparison: 4XX (non-perforated Ori + grill mod + foam pad mod): treble 0 / mids -1 / lows +1 / soundstage -1.5 / imaging -1 / detail -1 4XX (perforated Ori + grill mod + foam pad mod): treble +0.25 / mids 0 / lows 0 / soundstage -0.5 / imaging 0 / detail -0.5 I started this comparison because I started feeling as though the perforated pads introduced a touch more treble tipping it into the warning zone for near-harshness. After the comparison though I came to the realization that the recording and volume must have influenced this thinking, as switching back to the non-perforated pads (neutral-dark) they exhibited an almost indistinguishable difference in harshness (which is to say very minimal, again depending on the recording.) The highest brass notes on Woody's Delight inspired only a single wince or two and when it happened it felt appropriate for the recording's intent and intensity. In this back and forth though I did notice that the non-perforated pads seemed a bit congested which I hadn't noticed without comparing and switching over to the perforated pads the sound opened up with more air/space and better imaging. Jazz recordings can get busy sounding and the perforated pads handled this with ease. The swirling synths on Current's showed the perforated pads to have improved the soundstage to very satisfying levels. Since I felt that bass was too anemic without the foam pad mod (and previously the hair roller mod), but also slightly too prominent with the foam pad mod and the non-perforated Ori, I was happy to realize that the perforated pads tamed the bass ever so slightly so that a perfect Goldilocks amount of bass tightness/impact/detail/amount was achieved. The juicy distorted synth groove on the tail end of Tame Impala's Let It Happen sent a chill down my body and the upright bass on Woody's Delight had just enough heft and body to seem very real. To briefly explain, the foam (pads or rollers) was used to distance the driver farther from the ears which made a noticeable increase in all things bass and are fit in the ring pocket between the Ori's foam and mounting ring. For a frame of reference, my bass port modded Q701s seem to be putting out a similar bass amount (although slightly more body not being as neutral) with the 4XX+Perforated Ori+foam pad mod pulling ahead of the Q701's low end in terms of response, detail, impact, and sub bass. In going back and forth I also realized just how much more I prefer the modded 4XX over my previously loved Q701s. The soundstage on the AKGs by comparison now makes them seem almost unnatural and odd while the perforated pads and grill mod brought the 4XX to a natural, pleasing soundstage somewhere between the Elear and HD800. Imaging is also quite good and I can easily tell where instruments are in the space. In terms of neutrality, I feel as though the perforated pads improved even further on the non-perforated Ori and am now able to easily focus on whatever instrument I want in the mix without it getting lost or overshadowed. Superb balance indeed. It's worth mentioning that since my previous cans were the Q701, your mileage may vary in terms of treble on this series of 4XX mods although I should say that it is less strident and smoother than the AKGs while never feeling even slightly veiled or losing detail/microdetail. If you can't tell already, I am loving the 4XXs with this combo of mods and feel as though this might be it for new cans for a while given my high level of satisfaction at this point. Even off of the DAP I was getting goosebumps at the sheer amount of pleasure and technical prowess these things were putting out. There was also a bit of disbelief given how relatively cheap these things were even with the mods ($325 total). So if you have the 4XXs, do yourself a favor and make the same changes. I'm sure you'll be quite impressed as well.
ZMF Ear Pads for Fostex, Audeze & More
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ZMF Ear Pads for Fostex, Audeze & More
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Product Description
With these pads from ZMF Headphones, every listening session becomes more enjoyable. They're made of premium memory foam wrapped in thick natural lambskin or perforated lambskin, with a hand-stitched design that provides a soft, pliable feel Read More
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ZMFheadphones
420
ZMF Headphones
Mar 23, 2017
We didn't' receive labels from MassDrop until about 10 days ago. We then immediately shipped half the sets of pads, and the rest (or close to it) of them will go out tomorrow. If your tracking doesn't update tomorrow, then it will go out monday or tuesday next week.
Selfish_Android
215
Jul 13, 2017
I have the Hifiman HE400i's and i must say the ZMF Ori pads are the best earpads on the market for Hifiman cans, i have tried the following: Shitty velour HIFIMAN earpads, Focuspads (stock 400i earpads), Brainwavz HM5 Angled pleather, HM5 Angled Hybrids and finally Dekoni earpads.
Now I'm gonna describe my experience with each pair of earpads, Comfort, sound, fit (of the earpads on the headphones), construction quality and looks.
Hifiman velours: By far the worst of the bunch and the cheapest off course, i'd say there is no reason to buy one of these besides ripping the mounting ring off, the mounting rings costs the same so buying the earpads is better even tho they are shit, maybe they are good for emergency replacement pair Comfort: stiff foam, like really stiff cheap foam, velour feels cheap and itchy 3/10 Sound: Loss of lower end, kinda boring to listen, a little brighter than stock. 5/10 Fit: as intended, they are made by Hifiman. 10/10 Construction Quality: Cheeeeap 1/10 Looks: They are ugly, they make the headphones look cheaper 4/10
Focupads: These are the stock pads, and to be honest they are very good, if i wasn't so courious a would probably didn't have to switch these, but hey modding and earpad rolling is part of the fun. They are barely angled and kinda shallow, i like deep and very angled ear pads but that's my preference after all. Comfort: They feel good, they are hybrid so the part that touches your face has velour, and a good one this time, one gripe i have with them is that they are kinda shallow so the tip of your ears can touch the driver, another problem with these earpads is their earhole, it's round so your ears don't fit easily without touching the edges of the earhole which is kinda annoying. 7/10 Sound: Sound as intended i guess, this is the base sound and i like it, the other earpads improve overall certain areas, with these earpads i think they sound the flatter, but soundstage is the smallest too. 8/10 Fit: Perfect 10/10 Construction quality: very good overall i have no complains, good quality pleather and velour, stitching is nice. 9/10 Looks: They look nice but they look small on the headphones, i like big earpads but that's subjective and you may like the opposite. 7/10
Brainwavz HM5 Angled pleather: These are a very popular option among Hifiman users, they feel nice and pricing is good they are very angled as i like but they have some flaws. Comfort: They feel nice, earhole is oval but quite tiny there is a chance your ears will touch the edges of the earhole, they are full pleather so you may sweat a little in summer, they are made of memory foam so they are comfortable and plushy. Sound: Improved bass and midbass, treble takes a hit, soundstage improved a little. 8/10 Fit: This is the weakest point of these earpads, they are oval earpads and Hifiman cans are round so you have to stretch them to fit, you should take your time stretching them or you may break the mounting ring, it is quite a pain in the ass to mount these earpads to be honest, once you mounted them they look weird, i mean fit is far from perfect some parts of the earpads will be stretched and they won't fill the cups entirely, other issue is clearance under the yokes it's a tight fit. 4/10 Construction Quality: One earpad is slightly bigger and more angled than the other, not a big deal, overall they are well constructed. 8/10 Looks: As i said before they don't fit right on the headphones so they obviously don't look that good, if you are not too picky they are fine but i'm very ocd with these kind of things. 7/10
Brainwavz HM5 Angled Hybrids: Well they are exactly the same earpads, the difference is these have velour on the inner part of the earhole and in the part that makes contact with your face. Comfort: the same as the pleathers but a little different because of the velour they can be better for hot weather but velour can get a little itchy. Sound: Treble goes away even more, there is not a huge difference but to my taste i would stick to the pleathers if you want HM5's, 7/10 Fit: Same as HM5's pleathers. 4/10 Construction quality: Same as above. 8/10 Looks: ^^^^^
Dekoni sheepskin: Very good earpads overall, i have heard some issues with them and Fostex headphones, but they work fine on the HE400i. Comfort: Glorious memory foam, earholes should be a little bigger but still they are better than the ones on the HM5's, sheepskin is smooth and very thin. 9/10 Sound: Good overall, improved bass, mids are almost untouched high end is controlled but they miss some of the glare nothing dramatic tho, soundstage is slightly bigger. Fit: they fit all right. Construction quality: sheepskin feels great, memory foam is very nice, but they have some irregularities on the stitching (these can be a particular case tho, maybe yours are perfect) Looks: they look very nice and headphones look premium but stitching could be better.
ZMF Ori earpads: best quality of the pack, but packaging is ugly just a plain brown box, they should improve in that area these are quite expensive earpads, they are angled maybe a little more than the Dekoni but not as much as the HM5's i think size is perfect, yokes can rotate freely to a certain point, clearance is about right and they wont cause any issue under normal use. Comfort: As good as the Dekoni pads but a little better, earhole is oval and the bigger of all i the earpads i have tested, they fit tremendously well in my ears, these are the most comfortable hands down. Sound: they more or less improve the sound on every area, Bass is much better, mids clear and treble detailed and controlled (i'm a treble head so this is important.) Soundstage is improved too, (i did remove the fabric on the inside of the Ori's to have more of those juicy highs.) Fit: like a glove, very easy to install. Construction quality: Materials are great, excellent quality all around, stitching is consistent and both earpads are the same size (looking at you HM5's). Looks: they look amazing on the headphones they feel more premium with the Ori's installed.
This is all just my opinion, and some issues can be isolated cases like stitching on the Dekonis and irregular sizes on the HM5's (even tho the pleathers and the hybrids present the same issue)
Now I'm gonna describe my experience with each pair of earpads, Comfort, sound, fit (of the earpads on the headphones), construction quality and looks.
Hifiman velours: By far the worst of the bunch and the cheapest off course, i'd say there is no reason to buy one of these besides ripping the mounting ring off, the mounting rings costs the same so buying the earpads is better even tho they are shit, maybe they are good for emergency replacement pair Comfort: stiff foam, like really stiff cheap foam, velour feels cheap and itchy 3/10 Sound: Loss of lower end, kinda boring to listen, a little brighter than stock. 5/10 Fit: as intended, they are made by Hifiman. 10/10 Construction Quality: Cheeeeap 1/10 Looks: They are ugly, they make the headphones look cheaper 4/10
Focupads: These are the stock pads, and to be honest they are very good, if i wasn't so courious a would probably didn't have to switch these, but hey modding and earpad rolling is part of the fun. They are barely angled and kinda shallow, i like deep and very angled ear pads but that's my preference after all. Comfort: They feel good, they are hybrid so the part that touches your face has velour, and a good one this time, one gripe i have with them is that they are kinda shallow so the tip of your ears can touch the driver, another problem with these earpads is their earhole, it's round so your ears don't fit easily without touching the edges of the earhole which is kinda annoying. 7/10 Sound: Sound as intended i guess, this is the base sound and i like it, the other earpads improve overall certain areas, with these earpads i think they sound the flatter, but soundstage is the smallest too. 8/10 Fit: Perfect 10/10 Construction quality: very good overall i have no complains, good quality pleather and velour, stitching is nice. 9/10 Looks: They look nice but they look small on the headphones, i like big earpads but that's subjective and you may like the opposite. 7/10
Brainwavz HM5 Angled pleather: These are a very popular option among Hifiman users, they feel nice and pricing is good they are very angled as i like but they have some flaws. Comfort: They feel nice, earhole is oval but quite tiny there is a chance your ears will touch the edges of the earhole, they are full pleather so you may sweat a little in summer, they are made of memory foam so they are comfortable and plushy. Sound: Improved bass and midbass, treble takes a hit, soundstage improved a little. 8/10 Fit: This is the weakest point of these earpads, they are oval earpads and Hifiman cans are round so you have to stretch them to fit, you should take your time stretching them or you may break the mounting ring, it is quite a pain in the ass to mount these earpads to be honest, once you mounted them they look weird, i mean fit is far from perfect some parts of the earpads will be stretched and they won't fill the cups entirely, other issue is clearance under the yokes it's a tight fit. 4/10 Construction Quality: One earpad is slightly bigger and more angled than the other, not a big deal, overall they are well constructed. 8/10 Looks: As i said before they don't fit right on the headphones so they obviously don't look that good, if you are not too picky they are fine but i'm very ocd with these kind of things. 7/10
Brainwavz HM5 Angled Hybrids: Well they are exactly the same earpads, the difference is these have velour on the inner part of the earhole and in the part that makes contact with your face. Comfort: the same as the pleathers but a little different because of the velour they can be better for hot weather but velour can get a little itchy. Sound: Treble goes away even more, there is not a huge difference but to my taste i would stick to the pleathers if you want HM5's, 7/10 Fit: Same as HM5's pleathers. 4/10 Construction quality: Same as above. 8/10 Looks: ^^^^^
Dekoni sheepskin: Very good earpads overall, i have heard some issues with them and Fostex headphones, but they work fine on the HE400i. Comfort: Glorious memory foam, earholes should be a little bigger but still they are better than the ones on the HM5's, sheepskin is smooth and very thin. 9/10 Sound: Good overall, improved bass, mids are almost untouched high end is controlled but they miss some of the glare nothing dramatic tho, soundstage is slightly bigger. Fit: they fit all right. Construction quality: sheepskin feels great, memory foam is very nice, but they have some irregularities on the stitching (these can be a particular case tho, maybe yours are perfect) Looks: they look very nice and headphones look premium but stitching could be better.
ZMF Ori earpads: best quality of the pack, but packaging is ugly just a plain brown box, they should improve in that area these are quite expensive earpads, they are angled maybe a little more than the Dekoni but not as much as the HM5's i think size is perfect, yokes can rotate freely to a certain point, clearance is about right and they wont cause any issue under normal use. Comfort: As good as the Dekoni pads but a little better, earhole is oval and the bigger of all i the earpads i have tested, they fit tremendously well in my ears, these are the most comfortable hands down. Sound: they more or less improve the sound on every area, Bass is much better, mids clear and treble detailed and controlled (i'm a treble head so this is important.) Soundstage is improved too, (i did remove the fabric on the inside of the Ori's to have more of those juicy highs.) Fit: like a glove, very easy to install. Construction quality: Materials are great, excellent quality all around, stitching is consistent and both earpads are the same size (looking at you HM5's). Looks: they look amazing on the headphones they feel more premium with the Ori's installed.
This is all just my opinion, and some issues can be isolated cases like stitching on the Dekonis and irregular sizes on the HM5's (even tho the pleathers and the hybrids present the same issue)
elau
81
Jul 17, 2017
Selfish_Android+ @b3wannabe I currently have the dekoni sheepskin pads for my he-400s which sound great but would like the oval ears since the round openings touch my ears. Did you guys prefer pleather or sheepskin? Did the pilot pad fit?
b3wannabe
37
Jul 17, 2017
elauI tried sheepskin only and can't comment on pleather. Pleather can be good or bad, so I'd check reviews on Amazon or somewhere to see what can be learned.
Rokugan
7
Apr 10, 2018
Hi, which ones would be adequate for the Monoprice Monolith M1060 headphone? I was told to grab the ZMF Suede Eikon but not sure if any of these models will be suitable as well. Thank you in advance :)
stanleymoise
43
Apr 11, 2018
RokuganThe Auteur is the same size as the Eikon but with a larger ear opening. You'd better off with the Auteur pad for your M1060.
Rokugan
7
Apr 11, 2018
stanleymoiseTYVM, but tbh I´m not convinced, as the Auteur pads are much thinner that the stock ones or the Audeze Vegan pads. I think my ears would touch the inner part and I´d find that uncomfortable. I measured the stock pads from my M1060 yesterday and the thickest/thinnest part are aprox. 40/25 cm vs 25/19 cm in the Auteurs.
hyperz2
1
Apr 1, 2017
I buy eikon pads. for replace audeze pads.
but terrible quality
I can't use it. it is go to trash. I buy $ 80 price of garbage.
I can't use it. it is go to trash. I buy $ 80 price of garbage.
ZMFheadphones
420
ZMF Headphones
Apr 1, 2017
hyperz2We stand by our product and will happily replace them if you'd send them in for us to inspect. We do not use highly processed lambskin and our natural material may have wrinkles as it is thicker true lambskin instead of very thin stretched material. You can contact me at contactzmf@gmail.com
udauda
46
Mar 19, 2017
Disclaimer: I ain't being sponsored, or being paid by any vendors/parties who would benefit from my review. Everything's been paid at my own expense, so just chill.
So I finally received a pair of ZMF Ori pads from the drop to use in conjunction with my TH-X00 Ebony. And since I have Fostex stock pads, Dekoni THX00 sheepskin pads, and Chinese 30 mm pads, I thought I would do a quick comparison analysis for everybody. All of analytical observations disclosed here are based on measurements acquired from my Head-And-Torso-Simulator as well as my own auditory experience. I might post some graphs and all on my blog later on, but that is probaly when I am completely done with analysis.
Comfort & Fit
Comfort-wise, I think Dekoni and ZMF are more or less the same, but Dekoni wins in term of fitting unless you have a big pair of ears. The gripping sensation on the head from Ori pads feels somewhat not as uniform as Dekoni's, maybe due to slight density or geometric difference between left and right pads. Dekoni's pair matching is really exceptional, IMHO, because I could get a channel matching within 1 dB between left and right channel from 20~20 kHz whereas other pads did give off some degree of measurement variances.
I won't talk about comfort & fit of neither the stock pads nor the Chinese pads simply because they do suck balls. And the Chinese 30 mm pads don't really fit well onto a human head due to good amount of nasty creases on the pad itself.
Sound Quality
The purpose of Fostex's attenuator rings First of all, it is important to know what purpose the stock attenuator rings(aka Fostex acoustic guides) serve. They are placed in between the pad and the baffle, and work like low-shelf filters that affect below 1 kHz. They boost the sound pressure level up to 7 dB @ 20 Hz. This, in my opinion, is a BIG difference and is caused by:
1. Driver having to deal with less amount of radiation impedance due to decreased volume in front of the baffle
2. Acoustic guides perfectly sealing the dense foam ring situated at the driver's opening
Acoustic leak becomes extremely well-controlled, leaving the porous foam material as the only controlled leak between the pad and the driver. The other important element, acoustic leak between the head and the pad, is still present, but the resulting sound pressure level difference below 1 kHz is now substantial, sustaining a lot more bass even with a good amount of head to pad leak.
Fostex Stock Fostex TH-X00 is well-known for its characteristic brassy treble and a recessed mid-range. And thanks to the attenuator rings, the stock pads do bring out a good amount of bass. The resulting stock sound is perhaps highly refined representation of V-shaped tonality, which is very popular in Japanese headphone industry. Yet, it is also notable to mention that some serious audiophiles do consider such tonality to be very non-HiFi. Oh well, I like it at least.
Dekoni THX00 vs Fostex Stock You do need the rings to get the most out of Dekoni pads, and sonically, yes they are the closest replication of the Stock pads except with the peaks in the high frequency range. Resonances in the upper treble above 3.5 kHz are pulled down slightly downward, shifting the signature(or problematic) peak at 10 kHz to about 9 kHz, due to slight angle&depth difference in how the pads place the driver on to the ear. With those rings detached, the headphone kind of sounds like Sony MDR-CD3000 to me.
ZMF Ori vs Fostex Stock Surprisingly, ZMF Ori pads do not really benefit from using the rings; they only boost the low-frequency range ~2 dB below 100 Hz when attached. Since the POM plate sleeves stitched to the pads are quite large in size, they actually partially cover the foam rings when the POM plates are attached to the baffle. Thus it can be assumed Oris do not actually need those attenuator rings. And without the rings, the lower mid-range from 100 Hz to 700 Hz is slightly less emphasized for about -3 dB with a very low Q. In the frequency range above 3.5 kHz, resonances are being shifted downward just like Dekoni's, but with subdued peaks and deep nulls. As a result, ZMF Ori pads do boost the low frequency range without the help from the attenuators, and flatten out the mid-to-treble, and turn TH-X00 into a totally different kind of beast. For those who do not like Fostex's stock sound signature and prefer more balanced sound, they would definitely enjoy the sonic change ZMF Oris make.
And it is notable that Oris have large ear openings, and they open up the sound stage little wider. However, it may be little difficult for a listener with small-to-normal sized ears to get the right "sweet spot" to obtain an optimum acoustic characteristic due to the size of the spot remaining largely unchanged from Fostex's Stock pads. Here is how I obtained my own spot: I tuck the earpads under my earlobes and pull the headphone towards the back of my head, and you will immediately notice less sibilant. People with larger ears will find this procedure lot easier.
Chinese 30mm Unlike other pads that are angled, these are made flat. With proper seal, the Chinese 30 mm pads do show some good linearity from the low to mid range without the rings. However, with bass gone, uncontrolled treble induces very fatiguing sound. The rings can be used, of course, to boost the low-end, but then the mid-range becomes all dry. My $20 well-wasted.
In summary
ZMF Ori pads do not necessarily need the attenuator rings, and sound more airy and linear compared to the stock or to Dekoni's. However, Oris are quite far from Fostex's signature sound quality; neither superior nor inferior, just quite different. And they are hard to get the right acoustic "sweet spot" due to their unique design unless your ears are big enough. That being said, Dekonis are still probably the closest third party ear pads to the signature sound of stock TH-X00 with improved comfort, but with a bit more sibilance. The chinese 30 mm pads do show the driver's true nature, and expose opportunity for future modding, but they are definitely not for personal listening.
And finally, please don't use any kind of foam material (anything denser than earbud-covers) between the pad and the driver to control upper peaks, because you can not. This includes shelf liners too. Rather, they attenuate the low-to-mid for at least -3 dB, and make the sound more sibilant yet dull.
So I finally received a pair of ZMF Ori pads from the drop to use in conjunction with my TH-X00 Ebony. And since I have Fostex stock pads, Dekoni THX00 sheepskin pads, and Chinese 30 mm pads, I thought I would do a quick comparison analysis for everybody. All of analytical observations disclosed here are based on measurements acquired from my Head-And-Torso-Simulator as well as my own auditory experience. I might post some graphs and all on my blog later on, but that is probaly when I am completely done with analysis.
Comfort & Fit
Comfort-wise, I think Dekoni and ZMF are more or less the same, but Dekoni wins in term of fitting unless you have a big pair of ears. The gripping sensation on the head from Ori pads feels somewhat not as uniform as Dekoni's, maybe due to slight density or geometric difference between left and right pads. Dekoni's pair matching is really exceptional, IMHO, because I could get a channel matching within 1 dB between left and right channel from 20~20 kHz whereas other pads did give off some degree of measurement variances.
I won't talk about comfort & fit of neither the stock pads nor the Chinese pads simply because they do suck balls. And the Chinese 30 mm pads don't really fit well onto a human head due to good amount of nasty creases on the pad itself.
Sound Quality
The purpose of Fostex's attenuator rings First of all, it is important to know what purpose the stock attenuator rings(aka Fostex acoustic guides) serve. They are placed in between the pad and the baffle, and work like low-shelf filters that affect below 1 kHz. They boost the sound pressure level up to 7 dB @ 20 Hz. This, in my opinion, is a BIG difference and is caused by:
1. Driver having to deal with less amount of radiation impedance due to decreased volume in front of the baffle
2. Acoustic guides perfectly sealing the dense foam ring situated at the driver's opening
Acoustic leak becomes extremely well-controlled, leaving the porous foam material as the only controlled leak between the pad and the driver. The other important element, acoustic leak between the head and the pad, is still present, but the resulting sound pressure level difference below 1 kHz is now substantial, sustaining a lot more bass even with a good amount of head to pad leak.
Fostex Stock Fostex TH-X00 is well-known for its characteristic brassy treble and a recessed mid-range. And thanks to the attenuator rings, the stock pads do bring out a good amount of bass. The resulting stock sound is perhaps highly refined representation of V-shaped tonality, which is very popular in Japanese headphone industry. Yet, it is also notable to mention that some serious audiophiles do consider such tonality to be very non-HiFi. Oh well, I like it at least.
Dekoni THX00 vs Fostex Stock You do need the rings to get the most out of Dekoni pads, and sonically, yes they are the closest replication of the Stock pads except with the peaks in the high frequency range. Resonances in the upper treble above 3.5 kHz are pulled down slightly downward, shifting the signature(or problematic) peak at 10 kHz to about 9 kHz, due to slight angle&depth difference in how the pads place the driver on to the ear. With those rings detached, the headphone kind of sounds like Sony MDR-CD3000 to me.
ZMF Ori vs Fostex Stock Surprisingly, ZMF Ori pads do not really benefit from using the rings; they only boost the low-frequency range ~2 dB below 100 Hz when attached. Since the POM plate sleeves stitched to the pads are quite large in size, they actually partially cover the foam rings when the POM plates are attached to the baffle. Thus it can be assumed Oris do not actually need those attenuator rings. And without the rings, the lower mid-range from 100 Hz to 700 Hz is slightly less emphasized for about -3 dB with a very low Q. In the frequency range above 3.5 kHz, resonances are being shifted downward just like Dekoni's, but with subdued peaks and deep nulls. As a result, ZMF Ori pads do boost the low frequency range without the help from the attenuators, and flatten out the mid-to-treble, and turn TH-X00 into a totally different kind of beast. For those who do not like Fostex's stock sound signature and prefer more balanced sound, they would definitely enjoy the sonic change ZMF Oris make.
And it is notable that Oris have large ear openings, and they open up the sound stage little wider. However, it may be little difficult for a listener with small-to-normal sized ears to get the right "sweet spot" to obtain an optimum acoustic characteristic due to the size of the spot remaining largely unchanged from Fostex's Stock pads. Here is how I obtained my own spot: I tuck the earpads under my earlobes and pull the headphone towards the back of my head, and you will immediately notice less sibilant. People with larger ears will find this procedure lot easier.
Chinese 30mm Unlike other pads that are angled, these are made flat. With proper seal, the Chinese 30 mm pads do show some good linearity from the low to mid range without the rings. However, with bass gone, uncontrolled treble induces very fatiguing sound. The rings can be used, of course, to boost the low-end, but then the mid-range becomes all dry. My $20 well-wasted.
In summary
ZMF Ori pads do not necessarily need the attenuator rings, and sound more airy and linear compared to the stock or to Dekoni's. However, Oris are quite far from Fostex's signature sound quality; neither superior nor inferior, just quite different. And they are hard to get the right acoustic "sweet spot" due to their unique design unless your ears are big enough. That being said, Dekonis are still probably the closest third party ear pads to the signature sound of stock TH-X00 with improved comfort, but with a bit more sibilance. The chinese 30 mm pads do show the driver's true nature, and expose opportunity for future modding, but they are definitely not for personal listening.
And finally, please don't use any kind of foam material (anything denser than earbud-covers) between the pad and the driver to control upper peaks, because you can not. This includes shelf liners too. Rather, they attenuate the low-to-mid for at least -3 dB, and make the sound more sibilant yet dull.
Wastefish
3
Apr 4, 2017
udaudaThank you for your great reviews and help in this area. I can probably surmise from some of your detailed descriptions, but I wonder if you would elaborate on any differences between the Dekoni TH-900 pads vs the ZMF Oris with TH-X00 phones? I really like the stock sound (mahogany), but the wider soundstage also seems appealing (As well as some added comfort). Thanks.
neoclassicaldan
14
Apr 10, 2018
Are the Universe Pads similar to the Ori Pads? I‘ve heard good things about the HifiMan HE-4XX and Lambskin Ori combination, but haven’t heard anything about the Universe pads
lwbanerjee
0
Apr 11, 2018
Hi I am also deciding on which pads to go for before the drop ends. I'm mainly interested in maximising the bass for my HE400i's, i'm not so bothered about the treble as I can EQ that down. Which of all the pad variations will offer me that? Tyvm
neoclassicaldan
14
Apr 13, 2018
lwbanerjeeFrom everything i’ve read online, the Ori non-perforated lambskin leather pads seem to be the best bet for the HE400i’s. Unlike a lot of headphones I own, I’ve found my hifimans gain MORE bass the further away the ears are from the drivers so the deeper Oris will most likely elicit a better bass response than the Universe.
ZMFheadphones
420
ZMF Headphones
Sep 13, 2017
A few thoughts on perforated ("perf") vs non perforated pads here:
Typically perforated pads increase airflow and will lessen the bass. A headphone should somewhat be tuned for them for them to work best. Best rule of thumb is if the original headphone has perf pads or velour then perf will work well without a change in sound sig too much, if the original pads don't have perf or have some sort of solid material then non perf will change the sound sig less.
Then, if you want a decrease in bass or more neutral/spacious sound then the original sig, perf will do well for that as well on a headphone that originally has non perforated pads(and vice-versa). I tried to not put too many perforations on these as too let "all" the air through to lessen impact too much on non perf cans, but it will surely lessen bass.
On open headphones perforated pads should have less of an impact on bass regardless of the original pads.
Typically perforated pads increase airflow and will lessen the bass. A headphone should somewhat be tuned for them for them to work best. Best rule of thumb is if the original headphone has perf pads or velour then perf will work well without a change in sound sig too much, if the original pads don't have perf or have some sort of solid material then non perf will change the sound sig less.
Then, if you want a decrease in bass or more neutral/spacious sound then the original sig, perf will do well for that as well on a headphone that originally has non perforated pads(and vice-versa). I tried to not put too many perforations on these as too let "all" the air through to lessen impact too much on non perf cans, but it will surely lessen bass.
On open headphones perforated pads should have less of an impact on bass regardless of the original pads.
guybkt
46
Sep 13, 2017
ZMFheadphonesJumped on board for a pair of perforated Ori's for my HE-560's. They were plenty bassy with their stock Focus pads, so I'm looking forward to giving these a go!
dimensi_id
68
Feb 22, 2017
I'm in! Looking forward to upgrade my HE-500 with the ZMF Ori Pads!
Damnation
89
Jul 9, 2017
dimensi_idDo you think the ori will increase sound quality of the 400i ? Over time the lambskin still good? Thanks
m4t3y
3
Dec 12, 2017
I've been reading all the 4xx threads around for few days now and still couldn't decide which ori to get for my 4xx which are about to arrive any day now so I got all of them - lambskin, lambskin perf and suede ;o]
seems stupid to spend almost as much on pads as the cans itself but since I am also buying a new dac/pre-amp for them (and my PreSonus Sceptre S8) I can justify spending a little more. Ordered a Pioneer U-05, hope it will be a good match, not many options under 1000 when I want balanced XLR4 phone out and variable pre-amp with balanced XLR3 outs for my speakers.
also got a nice balanced XLR cable for the 4xx, some 2mm and 4mm foam pad discs off aliexpress, hifiman rings from audiophonics.fr and a nice new XLR cables for the speakers since I am using balanced TRRS cables now
seems stupid to spend almost as much on pads as the cans itself but since I am also buying a new dac/pre-amp for them (and my PreSonus Sceptre S8) I can justify spending a little more. Ordered a Pioneer U-05, hope it will be a good match, not many options under 1000 when I want balanced XLR4 phone out and variable pre-amp with balanced XLR3 outs for my speakers.
also got a nice balanced XLR cable for the 4xx, some 2mm and 4mm foam pad discs off aliexpress, hifiman rings from audiophonics.fr and a nice new XLR cables for the speakers since I am using balanced TRRS cables now
beaucauchemar
41
Jan 11, 2018
Spent quite a bit of time pad rolling and comparing the non-perforated Ori to the perforated Ori last night (both with the foam insert mod) using the same set of tracks at the same volume to see which was truly superior. In stock form with a couple of hours playtime, they sounded good, but not great pretty much across the board, which is why I got modding immediately. It's worth noting, as I outlined in a previous thread, that these 4XXs also have the grill mod using paper tray mesh and no dust screen along with having over 170 hours worth of play time. They also are using a custom silver-plated 22-gauge OFC cable from Amplifier Surgery. Equipment used in this comparison: straight from my XDP-100R playing the first few tracks from Steve Turre's Woody's Delight (mainly for balance, imaging, sibilance testing) and various tracks from Tame Impala's Currents (mainly for balance and soundstage testing). Updated Ratings after Ori pad comparison: 4XX (non-perforated Ori + grill mod + foam pad mod): treble 0 / mids -1 / lows +1 / soundstage -1.5 / imaging -1 / detail -1 4XX (perforated Ori + grill mod + foam pad mod): treble +0.25 / mids 0 / lows 0 / soundstage -0.5 / imaging 0 / detail -0.5 I started this comparison because I started feeling as though the perforated pads introduced a touch more treble tipping it into the warning zone for near-harshness. After the comparison though I came to the realization that the recording and volume must have influenced this thinking, as switching back to the non-perforated pads (neutral-dark) they exhibited an almost indistinguishable difference in harshness (which is to say very minimal, again depending on the recording.) The highest brass notes on Woody's Delight inspired only a single wince or two and when it happened it felt appropriate for the recording's intent and intensity. In this back and forth though I did notice that the non-perforated pads seemed a bit congested which I hadn't noticed without comparing and switching over to the perforated pads the sound opened up with more air/space and better imaging. Jazz recordings can get busy sounding and the perforated pads handled this with ease. The swirling synths on Current's showed the perforated pads to have improved the soundstage to very satisfying levels. Since I felt that bass was too anemic without the foam pad mod (and previously the hair roller mod), but also slightly too prominent with the foam pad mod and the non-perforated Ori, I was happy to realize that the perforated pads tamed the bass ever so slightly so that a perfect Goldilocks amount of bass tightness/impact/detail/amount was achieved. The juicy distorted synth groove on the tail end of Tame Impala's Let It Happen sent a chill down my body and the upright bass on Woody's Delight had just enough heft and body to seem very real. To briefly explain, the foam (pads or rollers) was used to distance the driver farther from the ears which made a noticeable increase in all things bass and are fit in the ring pocket between the Ori's foam and mounting ring. For a frame of reference, my bass port modded Q701s seem to be putting out a similar bass amount (although slightly more body not being as neutral) with the 4XX+Perforated Ori+foam pad mod pulling ahead of the Q701's low end in terms of response, detail, impact, and sub bass. In going back and forth I also realized just how much more I prefer the modded 4XX over my previously loved Q701s. The soundstage on the AKGs by comparison now makes them seem almost unnatural and odd while the perforated pads and grill mod brought the 4XX to a natural, pleasing soundstage somewhere between the Elear and HD800. Imaging is also quite good and I can easily tell where instruments are in the space. In terms of neutrality, I feel as though the perforated pads improved even further on the non-perforated Ori and am now able to easily focus on whatever instrument I want in the mix without it getting lost or overshadowed. Superb balance indeed. It's worth mentioning that since my previous cans were the Q701, your mileage may vary in terms of treble on this series of 4XX mods although I should say that it is less strident and smoother than the AKGs while never feeling even slightly veiled or losing detail/microdetail. If you can't tell already, I am loving the 4XXs with this combo of mods and feel as though this might be it for new cans for a while given my high level of satisfaction at this point. Even off of the DAP I was getting goosebumps at the sheer amount of pleasure and technical prowess these things were putting out. There was also a bit of disbelief given how relatively cheap these things were even with the mods ($325 total). So if you have the 4XXs, do yourself a favor and make the same changes. I'm sure you'll be quite impressed as well.
Surenintendo
1
Jan 11, 2018
beaucauchemarOmg I'm just salivating from reading this! Thank you for the insightful and detailed review. Not many people have the perforated pads, so I think the folks at headfi would love to hear your impressions if you haven't already posted there, heh :)
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