[DIY] 15 minutes Angled Headphone Pad Mod

[creatip123]

Those of you who have seen Audeze headphones would know what an 'angled pad' is

 

 

This is an Audeze standard angled pad. One of the main function is to make headphone cups face your earlobes at an angle, tilted from front to back. 

 

This simple mod is about how to make standard flat angled pads tilted like that. This mod won't make the standard pad tilted at that much of an angle though, as they'd require more complicated mod (more inside stuffing, and stitching new cloth/leather).

 

Also, this mod is not applicable to all kind of standard pads. You gotta check your own pads to see if it's applicable to them or not. And check first to see if your headphone's drivers are already angled. If they are, then no need to do this mod, because the angle could become too much, then.

 

This is inspired by a mod I read, the 'rope mod'. You can google '940 rope mod' to see the original mod.

 

First, to see if your standard pads can be modded or not:

 

 

Try pulling the pad from the inside a bit, and gently. If it got some slack, like in the picture, then it's applicable.

 

 

My pad (Hifiman) is easily detachable. You can see the arrow area there, that's the slack I can utilize for this mod.

 

 

Next you'd need a foam padding like in the picture. That one is scrape materials I found lying around. You can get some of that at handycraft stores. You won't need much (that sheet on the picture is massively overkill), just 2 thin strips.

 

 

Cut 2 thin strips. Height should depends on the slack your pad can go. Mine is 1 cm tall. The length is about half the circumference of the pads.

 

 

Stuff the foam strips under the pads, like in the picture. You'd wanna go for back half circle part of the pad. My pad is rotatable, so I stuffed it first, then rotate it to the desired place.

 

 

This is how it should look like when finished. You can see the pads are now angled from front (bottom of picture) to the back (top of picture). Like I said, it's nothing compared to the angle of Audeze pads, but even this little angle gives an instant difference on the sounds, at least for my planar HE400.

 

The impression I got, the sound got more reverbs to it (good kinds, not crappy virtual reverbs kind), giving the illusion of wider soundstage. Also, string instruments (guitars, pianos, etc) sounds better because of the reverbs. Needless to say, results may vary between different headphones.

[Manny Calavera]

How is it for gaming? Much difference in positioning?

[Epis]

I'll definitely have to try this out. Not for sound reasons but for comfort reasons - my ears just barely touch the driver on my Sennheiser U320s because of the thin padding.

 

EDIT: Just tried it. It works wonders for my issue! 

[Rorgash]

i will try this, been having issues with my V-Moda M-100´s, my ears touching the driver and giving me some really painful sores after 16 hour days

 

Not sure it will work tho, not very mobile but its really just 1mm or 3 needed to make a difference for me.

 

edit, did a quick test with some stuff i had handy and i can see a big difference, now to see if it will save my ears

[creatip123]

How is it for gaming? Much difference in positioning?

 

Got more reverb, but good. Doesn't add more in term of positioning, but sounds better.

 

 

I'll definitely have to try this out. Not for sound reasons but for comfort reasons - my ears just barely touch the driver on my Sennheiser U320s because of the thin padding.

 

EDIT: Just tried it. It works wonders for my issue! 

 

i will try this, been having issues with my V-Moda M-100´s, my ears touching the driver and giving me some really painful sores after 16 hour days

 

Not sure it will work tho, not very mobile but its really just 1mm or 3 needed to make a difference for me.

 

edit, did a quick test with some stuff i had handy and i can see a big difference, now to see if it will save my ears

 

Glad it's useful. If the slack isn't too much, you can use ropes or thick cables