Added: 1 year ago
From: skikarl
Views: 157,221
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:
see all

All Comments (733)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • I just got a new headphone after this tut! The bass is much better I think! Thanks Man!;)

  • This was awesome! Thanks for the tip :)

  • Do you think this would work on the HD 518's?

  • how do i get this black glue thing ?

  • tried this with skrillex. sounds so sick now!

  • Thank you for this helpful video :)

  • it took me less than 5 mis to do it.Cheers mate !

  • Lol I'm using the 280's right now, and they were mentioned in the video.

  • Thanks to you, I repaired my HD595. I didn't know how to open the headset, and the speaker was unclipped from inside and the sound was awful in the right ear.

  • can you do this to the 558's as well? just wondering

  • @98761joey I read its the same mod

  • I have just done this. It took several minutes. I don't think it make a difference that I could confidently say I could perceive. I want it do make a difference but really, no.

  • i love when you spazz out haha

  • Have you opened up a set of 595's to prove that this is in fact a mod to upgrade the 555 to the 595?

  • teehee he said retard

    

  • So should i get the hd 555 or 558 then?

  • ok this is going to maybe but a stupid question but what the hell

    what do you recomend? this headphones or the SOLO HD i listen to electro, house, dubstep. rock, industrial metal ( A LOT) ETC so yeah

    this ones or the solo hd? or are the some good headphones for 200 bukcs or less that you recomend

  • I just tried this on 515s and I'm sorry to say it doesn't work. Different construction.

  • Sweet, just sweet...Thanks for the mod tip!!!! This mod put some real life back into my HD-555

    Cheers!

  • PLEASE! Will this work on HD515? I mean will it ruin sound quality?

  • Thanks so much! This helped me to mod my hd 558

  • I moded them 3 minutes ago :D

  • Does this work with the 558 as well?

  • You have a great headse.. I mean headphones! ;)

    Awsome video man, thanks.

  • I actually dont know if i think the sound got better or worse.. hmm.. if i just had a pair of a unmodded 555 to compare them.. hehe :)

  • This actually does make them sound better, I was half expecting it to do nothing. Thanks, I am pleased.

  • I'm thinking I could do this to my hd 558, the thing that holding me back though, would it void the warrantry?

  • @Andy20799 Yeah but it's easy to un-mod it.

  • @Andy20799 yeah it would.

  • Thanks, dude. Worked perfectly.

  • The different models of cars by porche for the most part, only differ in weight. Why people are discussing porche on a headphone review.. no idea. Anyone see the new lambo, the Adventador? Can you say new best car!!!

  • The HD555 and HD595 use the EXACT same drivers and resonators... if you don't believe me search google for "Sennheiser HD 555 to HD 595 Mod"

  • @tuskenc You're right. They have completely the same driver, as they actually sell a replacement driver for these "for 555 and 595". There's small differences in the structure, the foam, etc.

  • i cant get the screws out-.- im already using really small phillips screwdriver

  • my friend jimmy!

  • I didnt notice that big of a difference, i do think it sounds better but only just

  • to all those who doubt this makes a difference just ask yourself - why would sennheiser bother to put it there if it didn't ?

  • @g1981c lolnope, the reason its there i to make more money. If they just limit one and sell it for how much its worth, you can get way more prophet in the more expensave ones.

  • @5windlz i know. porsche does the same thing. look at how many models they have and they all share the same basic flat six cylinder engine design but with prices ranging from 60 grand to 200 grand. they could consolidate their model range down from about 30 cars to maybe 3 cars no problem, but they like to be able to have a car at every single price point in about 5 grand to 10 grand increments.

  • the only models they should keep are GT3 RS, GT2 RS and 911 Turbo S. all of the other 30 or so models just fill up space in their lineup.

  • @g1981c not really. all the models you just named are nealry 100k+ porsches. It's smart of them to have the cayman and the boxter (lower priced models) for people who dont make a ton ton of money but still want a luxury sports car.

  • ok i performed this mod on my 555. i would say the sound is not better but it is different. it is darker but more transparent and less fatiguing. i guess it depends on what you're looking for - it definitely makes a difference though.

  • sennheiser could make a $100 headphone sound like HD800 if they wanted to, but they will never do that - because then nobody will pay $1500 for HD800. fucking market segmentation.

  • Question, I'm about to purchase an HD558 (updated HD555) - does it have more or less the same structure, etc and moddable to sound like an HD598 (updated HD595) ?

    Thanks :)

  • @Xuvial hit me up if you know more on this

  • @ChillEatSleep I found out a bit more about it, the difference between a 558 and 598 is more than just the bit of foam (frame and grill is different). So modding a 558 like this will result in better mids - but it still won't sound as good as a 598.

    The engineers at Sennheiser know what they're doing :P

    I've just burned-in my 558 for about 50 hours and it sounds pretty awesome coupled with my Xonar STX. May mod it later, see how it sounds :D

  • @Xuvial The 558 sounds like a laid back 598.

  • is it my understanding that 137k people bought the 555 or is going to buy it more or less?

  • Thanks man I had hd 555 and this really does work amazingly much improved sound. thanks bro

  • holy f.ck!!

    i was like what how can this possibly make the sound better pfft

    and i tried it and THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENT!!!! BASS IS BETTER, sound is more transparent and it sounds SO MUCH BETTER!!! thank you!!

  • My opinion about 'honest german engineering' was to overstated. It's all about maximising shareholders' wealth.

    Everyone should do this mod

  • I did he mod, and it sounds pretty good. Defo more bass, but I can't compare to the 595s since I don't have em. But I did listen to my own music and I noticed a touch up in the low frequencies.

  • Nice video, I got a pair today and did the mod in about 10 mins, and yes it does make a difference. Bass is noticeably improved :D

  • @skikarl I'm looking to buy a good pair of headphones for my quiet room. I like rock and bassy songs. Would the 280 HD's or the 555's with this mod be better?

  • Comment removed

  • @Jake951716 Get the 555's if your room is quiet, if not get 555's und turn the sound up )

  • After maybe a year with this mod, the left side started to rattle a bit when pushed. I've had the headphones for like five years and only started having a problem recently. So I just put the pads back in and haven't heard anything like that since.. also the bass does seem "tighter". I see merits to taking out the pads, but I think I'll be leaving them in.

  • This mod definitely worked for me. Now my cans more closely approximate the low end which I typically hear from my monitor speakers. Thanks for this excellent vid!

  • there is a difference but I cant rly say much cause I was at a gig last night ;)

  • Transcribe audio, 3:27

  • Did this to one ear and not the other, didn't notice shit...

  • @sausagelamo kinda hard to notice a change if the same thing is played in the other ear?

  • Most comfortable headphones EVER

  • It's unlikely that Sennheiser added the foam to make the headphones sound worse than the 595's. It's more likely that the foam was added to dampen a resonance peak in the treble end. If true, that would account for why some folks who tried the mod ended up with harsher sounding headphones. BTW, my daughter has these... I prefer the Grado SR80s, even though they are not as comfortable.

  • @flatspinach The replacement part for 555 & 595 headphones are the same exact part from sennheiser.

    There is definitely an improvement in low end in terms of what frequencies can be reproduces when you remove those foam pieces.

  • @flatspinach im thinking about doing this, what are your thoughts?

  • If you paint your 555s to look like 595s, then that mod will make your headphones be more similar than this mod does.

  • THanks for this video. Very clear and to the point. I thought I had a good ear, but I can't honetly say I've noticed a massive difference. I have noticed that low end notes don't distort as much. I still think it is a complete con that Sennheiser charge all that extra money for 595s and the only real difference is the lack of foam.

  • Hmm... Does it really make the sound better? Common sense says that foam is there for a reason oO

  • Does it work with the Sennheiser HD 558?

  • @TheTikKwun Yes, but dont expect a big difference. This mod changes the sound quality by like 1%. Trust me, its a placebo effect. You will barely notice the difference. I have both HD558's and HD598's, and i know that mod does very very little, and HD598's still sound better than HD558's in A-B tests. People who say its a big difference are over-exaggerating things, and things like "much better" mean "a tiny little bit better". I actually prefer stock 558's because they sound tighter.

  • Thanks. Finally did the mod now that I have a proper sound card. Improved, yes. Day and night? No. Feels much more open and improved the bass indeed.

    Instructions in your video were excellent

  • I...I'm scarred :(

  • nice! i will do this as soon as i get them £30 saving!!! =P

    what do people think of these modded 555s and an astro mixamp?

  • Confirmed by me, it works!

    Protips:

    1) When you take off the earcup it may sound like it's being ripped but it's not don't worry :D

    2) Make sure you have a small Phillips screw driver.

    3) Don't have the small screws scattered all over the place (that's what I did and one of them managed to teleport onto the magnet that's in the speaker cone, it was hassle getting it out again and it made a tiny dent in the plastic bubble bit).

    4) Use this test song 'Phace and Misanthrop - Desert Orgy'

  • Definitely a difference. Do the mod onto just one side if you don't believe the video.

    Bass is definitely deeper, and the soundstage has improved. However, I'm noticing that the treble is little more harsh. I'll try the headphones for week this way, and see if I like it better overall. Thanks for posting the video!

  • @SnoopKatt gave it a bit of time, and the treble calmed down. great mod, thanks!

  • Now if I could get a headband with "595", the deception...I mean "upgrade"...would be complete! Great vid!! Many thanks! :)

  • haha thnks I just got this for my gf and did the mod!! Thanks A LOT!!!

  • @hawaiiancerveza seriously?....lol a ported box sound better SOUND QUALITY wise than a non ported box. Same principe with the HP...IF you want BOOMier bass=muddy than go get beats.

  • This is a horrible mod LOL. freeing up more holes makes bass worse. Everyone knows closed back headphones have better bass, and you made those even MORE open.

    The drivers are different in the headphones.

  • @ApoC552 no he closed it more so that less air can get in

  • @ApoC552 this is true. I did the mod and the treble gave my ears a piercing pain. dont waste yo time.

  • @aquinshire whats your source? I did the mod and the sound stage opened up and the bass got fuller. Treble didn't change much. Only Treble I didn't like were on the HD25-1 ii...

  • @ApoC552 @ApoC552 Same drivers in 555 as 595! See Mike Beauchamp's website. I also just checked an Australian parts site.

    Besides, I really doubt Sennheiser would bother to make two different drivers for same sized opening with a rather small difference in frequency response. That wouldn't be cost effective.

    (How can closed back headphones have better bass? Doesn't the driver need free moving air for the longer driver excursion, for a bass note?? Not arguing but I'd appreciate an explanation.)

  • @MrTheZKS

    No raczej że od pieca

  • It did work for me, great video.

  • This mod really doesn't do anything other than make the sound worse. I just tried it.

  • This mod really doesn't do anything other than make the sound worse.

  • thanks man, I removed the entire piece of foam and they sound better, they have like a cleaner sound.

  • Just to clear something up; the HD555's and 595's are NOT the same, this isn't the only difference, out of all the audio units tested, the highest grade ones (ones in which test to be better than the majority of others) are used in the 595's, that foam is there to help 'boost' the bass in 555's, because they have worse bass reproduction, by doing this you'll gain very little compared to actually using 595's, but is well worth 10 minutes to remove some foam. Sennheiser are good they don't scam.

  • pretty fucked that they add 100 dollars to the price and these actually cost 2 cents more to make in foam cost. Assholes.

  • @MasterTaters These ones are cheaper, asshat

  • @63517489 Im talking about the 595's, dumbass.

  • Oh wow... And I have been using my HD555 for 3 years without knowing this. Will bring this little sucker to the modbench later today. Thanks mate.

  • wow this totally blew my mind. People talk about the HD 595s being extremely amazing and the 555 not quite as good but OK. I was choosing between the 555s and grados but if I can mod a 555 into a 595 this easily I'd rather have the better well rounded headphones

  • @TrantaLocked

    Can't tell you why, but having compared modded 555s and 595s, there is still is noticeable difference. The highs in particular tend to stand out more in the 595s. If the price was $100 apart certainly get the 555s, but recently I saw the 595s for $90 refurb'd on Amazon. Not to mention, the 595s are a good deal sexier.

  • Future Shop has them 50% off for 125 I got a pair

  • Dude you're awesome thank you for making this video.

  • 339?! wtf i got mine for 250 ._. i dunno if it just what they cost when last year or something but ya

  • You can snag a pair for $139 right now at Amazon. 555s are only $100.

  • Do you need a good sound card for this headset to sound good?

  • @Agnes135 no, but it will sound better with a good one

  • Great video! Informative, thorough, and easy. As a basshead I couldn't be happier. I'm about 95% sure that my headphones now sound more open, and the bass definitely has more oomph than before.

  • dude u suck.

  • I prefer the Sony MDR-V6.

  • No disrespect but those rectangles are sound dampening. They make sure the back waves don't get back to the front so you won't get interference in the higher freq range. It will have a higher sensitivity and more lows but you sacrifice max SPL and high-midfrequencies.

  • No difference before and after... Sorry, it's all in your heads. Placebo effect.

  • @kinnoinen Your hearing is most likely bad.

  • Comment removed

  • well really idk i dont see whats wrong with calling it a headset because its a 'set' of headphones.

  • Well, I was a bit skeptical of the mod, but it's been about 5 and a half hours of listening post-mod and I am very happy overall. Sound is definitely better. Not a massive improvement, but a solid one nonetheless. As others have said, more sound does leak out after the mod, but I say it's worth it. Do be careful when pulling out the actual speaker to not pull it out too hard as it obviously has a wire attached to it. It's easy to forget about and you could easily snap it.

  • @jgcfc58 That's a bit of tape to hold the wire in place, just incase it gets pulled on a little...

  • glorious grado master race

  • I can't get past step 1. Removing the headcup. When trying to remove it, the first sound of anything I stop in fear of damaging or tearing it.

  • yes, i just got mine today and have been wondering is it really worth it? without any exaggeration how much difference there is (from someone who has done it)?

  • i have had these for 6 years great headphones.

  • Hi skikari, thanks for the upload. at 4:22 in the video where you show where the foam once was, there seems to be a little piece of foam still there? Now is that underneath the foam? or did you take out all the foam, then put a little bit back in? Hope you see this

  • @jgcfc58 i think you'll find that it's just a black mark.. not foam

  • @jgcfc58 I just did this myself not 10 minutes ago. It appears it was painted black in that spot for me. I would've looked closer if I read this comment first but that's not foam. In fact, you can see on both pieces of foam where they sat on teh spot.

    It's hard to explain but no, its actually just black there. At least that's the case with mine.

    And oh god, I didn't think these would sound any more amazing but dammit, I was wrong. Moar bass!

  • @jgcfc58 that's not foam that's just the black foam having discolored the plastic it was glued to.

  • Can anyone compare the modded 555's vs the 595's? Any real difference?

  • @skikarl Hey I found the HD595's on Amazon for about $148. Do the HD595's also have the sticky paddings in them? Please answer!

  • @TheMildThing No, they don't.

  • Excuse me if this question has been asked before: What if you cut the foam in half and only remove one of the halves? Would that still make the low volume sound like 595s and retain high-volume quality? Thanks.

  • Sorry I must disagree. Not to be rude, the 555's are a very low impedance set of headphones. The 595s are not. When comparing them without a headphone amplifier these headphones will sound near identical. The 595s are an overall better built piece and is capable of far cleaner (and louder) bass, mids and trebles. The sound stage is also noticeably wider. You just need the external power to drive them. Get an amplifier and you will hear the difference. =) 

  • @Disinf3ctant You just sound mad cause you spent 200 dollars more then the 555 buyers for virtually the same headphones + Foam piece

  • @TheMoparDrvr

    The 595s are about $40 more expensive. And I was only pointing out a fact. I do not own them.

  • @Disinf3ctant when they 1st came out they wernt 40 more and yea sure o.-

  • @TheMoparDrvr

    Yes there was quite a price gap, but this was more because the 595s were a new model and the 555s had been around for a very long time. I assure you I don't own any sennheiser head phones. I've simply demo'd all of them. I'm still saving up for the HD 800s and In the meantime I'm using Yamaha speakers and a $20 headset for late night.

  • Whatre the odds they added the foam so they could charge more for the 'high end' model?

  • @loosecannon991 its cheaper to produce the same headphones for 2 different models and just impede the lower model... then produce to entirely different models in the factory... sounds like a smart scam to me

  • @TheMoparDrvr They do this with every processor and video card as well. They benchmark the individual product and the ones that mark high such as a video card are sold as "overclocked" and similar thing with processors is that they tune them down when they are capable of running faster without any risk of damage.

  • @TheYoutubslayer so true.. same with cars... all all a lexus IS is, is a overtuned camry engine... same for a Nissan truck its the same engine as the nissan 350Z but with more torque to tow lol

  • Very nicely done, sir.

  • Anyone know if this works for HD515s?

  • hahaha... he actually used "retard" in a sentence.

  • @DJJunglemunky retard has different meanings, the word also applies to aircraft landings you dimwit

  • Fuckin thumbs up for Primus and an informative vid. Nice one!

  • "pull out. its gonna take quite a bit of force, more than you'd be comfortable with" thats what she said.

  • Uhm... not quiet 595 quality, but sound quality increase? YES

  • Wow, really easy and I notice the difference. Thank you!

  • just did it! great work thx man!

  • Does anyone know if there is any modification to help reduce bleeding?....these things are totally loud?

  • @PartyCatAwesome you will need to close the headphone holes...wich is contrary to this mod. Some headphones sound ok with closed cans but those are designed for opened one...maybe it could work but with quality sacrifice imo.

  • This news came to me a couple hours late I just bought the 595s :(

  • @sk8200 Then take them back to the store..

  • Amazing! i just did this to my 555s follwing your instructions, and i gotta say even though it looked abit voilent when you pulled the velvet off, it really doesn't take alot of force to get them off and my sound has definatly improved! TY :)

  • WOW I did it and there way better than you so much.

  • You rawk! and now so do my HD555's!

  • wait wait wait...... This works?

    And after popping off the cushion, is there any breaking or looseness when taking off it off or putting it back on? Is there a big risk in breaking them while doing this?

  • I have two 555s and did the mod to one them. I did some testing and I really can't notice any difference between the two. I tried high volumes, low volumes, bass test, everything, I just couldn't notice anything. If there is a difference then it is so minor that it is pretty much pointless. Or you need golden ears to hear it... :)

  • @skikarl can you explain how to pop off the outer black mesh part of the headphones? I want to put carbon fiber on them

  • Just did the mod today :D

  • How much does this affect isolation?

  • @DTKA1109 insulation on these with and without is the same IMO (i JUST did the modification). either or these headphones start leaking sound like a speaker once it goes over 50/60% (atleast based on my motherboards onboard sound).

    This modification is easy i would like to note to others, i just did it as worrysome as i was, while fending off my cat who wanted to paw the screws around = |

    it increased bass a slight bit, i'll keep the mod IMO

  • This is great, thanks for the tip!

  • Too bad these dont work for the hd558s to make them the 598 :( dont worry I tried)

  • thanks man, HAH EVERYONE HAS HD555's here..HIGH FIVE ^_^

  • BIGTHXMAN! Sounds good without mod, but more open-ended with mod and a deeper bass. keep it up. credz from Sweden

  • It works! Perfect man thanks for the upload! Bass increased in clarity and the mids and highs are much more cleaner. Props to you bro

  • Done. Thanks bro

  • "dawahaha I dropped it!"

  • I just opened my mid 2010 555's brought straight from sennheiser, THE MOD WAS ALREADY THERE :O ....... just shows sennheiser do listen !!!

  • i bought the 555s last week and did this mod. it took all of 5 minutes. easy as cake. did it make a difference? i can't say for sure, but i'll take it on faith that more air flow will mean better sound.

  • @peskypesky Should have used them without the mod for a month or so then done it. It makes a dramatic difference.

  • Great video dude.

  • The HD598's look uber sexy though :P

  • I just did the mod. It took about 10 minutes and went smoothly because of the thorough description in the video. It was very satisfying tearing the foam inserts out.

  • Just did the mod. the sound finally sounds "open" instead of contained. thanks for the vid!

  • Awesome, I will SO do this. i'm not a household hacker, but this tutorial was very good, and I can probably do that too! :D

  • done. thanks

  • Just did it to mine. Fucking awesome. Sounds way more clear and the bass is much more potent. Thanks for the guide. And if anyone is wondering-- it is as easy as it looked in the guide, I'm usually skeptical about doing stuff like this to my new hardware, but it's really hard to mess up.

  • niiiice thanks

  • i will be doing this soo when I get mine tomorrow

  • i haven't done the mod but are there like 2 pieces of foam on the driver and if there is 2 would i only take out the bigger one help?

  • @kingdomjames1 Yes only remove the larger piece.