Turning the Sennheiser HD 800 into a HD 800S (SuperDupont mod and Paint Job)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- DIY project where I take apart the classic Sennheiser HD 800 headphones and install the SuperDupont resonator as well as a new black paint job. I absolutely prefer the modded version to stock!
Big thanks to Sorrodje for his work on the SuperDupont mod.
*Note that taking apart the HD800 is totally NOT necessary if you just want to install the SuperDupont mod. It's only done for painting purposes and info.
Lots more info on the SuperDupont mod can be found here:
www.innerfideli...
That is one hell of a job, you did! Look just like 800s
Binh Tran thanks!!
15:00 Don't lie, that is a cheerio! hahaha Great video man!
Great video, man. I'm really liking your reviews and tutorials. Honest, down to earth, and very informative. Keep 'em coming!
BeniGuma1337 My pleasure! Thanks for watching them
one of the best modding videos I've seen so far. You just earned one more sub!
Looking forward to your next video!
Thank you kindly!
i thought they were aluminum for the longest time, turns out it was plastic lol.
@Ewan Goss its would be fine if it was a thinner aluminum, maybe a little hollow.
Well alloy does tend to refine the upper-mids to high-end.
But full alloys are denser and would not reverberate, messing with the upper-mids to high-end. Am I correct? Also adding dynamat is a whole another universe.
Hmmm plastic? I'd nope that because plastic just makes the sound sound like well, plastic. The Mid-Bass just eats into the mids and the high-end just gets splashy, I am talking about ABS and all those types of plastics. There are plastics that do not reverb or vibrate. Now talking about metal and specifically aluminium in my experience of building aluminium parts for headphones is that they tend to tighten up the bass, prevent vibrations to a good degree and Yes you are semi-right about alloys tending to reverb but with specific materials and mods cut down on the reverbs and WOLA you got your self a headphone that wont crack or break easily depending on the construction. Wood is an amazing material for a NICE warm sound and a smooth mid-range.
+Ewan Goss Sure you can use plastic on an open back, I was pointing at a closed back design earlier and ik I had a Minecraft profile but I forgot to change it out for 6 years, so I wouldn't consider myself "young". For an open back design plastic is fine because the back of the driver doesn't have to react with it. Check out the LCD-2C closed, the back of the headphones are aluminium. But at the end of the day the dampen is one of the most important thing in a closed back, open back abs or poly is fine. When I said I do not prefer Plastic I was referring to ABS and not polycarbornate.
Great job! The paint job really came out good. Nice Work and enjoy!
The three bumps are in fact the universal Braille symbol for the letter L. L for left in this case.
So you're aware, the SuperDupont mod still doesn't reduce the 6khz peak as much as the HD800S does, nor does it add the same roughly 2.5db added bass presence.
Which is better, the HD 800 or the HD 800S? And i'm not talking about the mod, but apparently the HD 800S has worse bass distortion? I need someones input because i'm on the fence on either gettiong the noraml HD 800 or the HD 800 S. I know full well that the normal HD 800 is source reliant so I need your input lol
innerfidelity(dot)com/images/SennheiserHD800SmeasurementB.pdf
I've heard the extra "bass presence" of HD800S is fake, it's achieved through significantly increased 2nd harmonic of low frequencies, not through improving the base tone's frequency response.
I only know that there are a number of complaints of people disliking the high frequencies of HD800, and there aren't as many complaints about the HD800S.
An sdr modded hd800 sounds better to me than an hd800s. The hd800s may have *slightly* less 6khz, but the sdr hd800 doesnt have any 2nd harmonic distortion causing wooly and loose sounding bass.
Thanks for posting this video. It taught me how to install the mod. Very very helpful!
@Alexander Xavior I followed the same steps as you did in this video to give my HD 800 a paint and superdupont mod. They look and sound great. Thanks for the upload!
Megha Sandesh sweet! I'm glad the video was a decent guide. Enjoy!!
Holy shit, they look as if they where the 800S and I can tell cuz i won them..... Good shit bro !!
Very cool. I just got my HD800 for a great price used but the plastic is a bit scuffed, so I was thinking about also painting mine black (I have the SDR mod already installed)
2:09 anyone else hoping he was going to say "but you're going to want to make sure they are all knocked off and loose like this" *shakes bits*. haha
Great overview, thanks a lot for sharing!
great tutorial man. added to favorites. I'm definitely doing this on the pair I'm getting, except I'm gonna take some "creative freedom" with the paint job.
again, this was really helpful.
Abheer Beastie Rai that's awesome man! I'm really happy to hear that my video is of some help! There's something special about customizing these and making them your own. I buy and sell high end headphones at a sometimes ridiculous rate, but these will never go. I'm actually listening to them right now on my balanced DNA Sonett 2 and they are just fantastic ;)
I have been looking for a video exactly like this for the longest time. Thank you for taking your time to show this process. I cannot wait to re-create it!
sean mckenna glad you found it useful!
Now I am tempting to paint my 2 months old HD800 but I am scared to disassemble it. LOL Great video. Very informative.
I would wait until your warranty runs out first, as painting/disassembly would void the 2 year Sennheiser warranty. The only reason I did this was because my HD 800 is now several years old and way past it's warranty period.
+Alexander Xavior you're right. i didn't thought of that. lol
thank you for the video!
I am wierd that I love the HD800 non S bright treble
Amazing stuff gonna go ahead and do mine soon Thanks
Work of a genuis...subscribed ....
There is a way to take off the original paint? Like a substance or with something else?
What paint did you used?
I have the SD ready to apply, but before I would like to paint them super cool :D
Thanks!
*Bizarre*... My *Headphone* piece *came* off so I had to *jimmy* the *Whole thing* open with the *screwdriver and I *found* Upon *Discovery* that My *Sennheiser's HD800* has the same exact *Dupont Mod.* You have.
So My *Sennheiser's* where the *Sennheiser's HD800S!* this *Whole* Time and I didn't even know it !
It's *Crazy* how You *Discover* New things out of an *Accident.*
@12:40 bumps = Braille for "L"
I think the inner hole in the furniture pad is supposed to be bigger!? (at least from what i've read) 6mm in black foam and 10mm in white pad.
I came upon your video in an auto play session. I freaked out because I thoutght it was me at first. our voices are no joke identical. great video to help the audio community. I'm looking at the lcd2 or el8 by audeze if you have any thoughts on those I'd be thrilled to hear them.
Y’all sound like kip from Napoleon Dynamite
Thank you very much for this awesome video. I'm thinking about upgrading to an HD-800. My Current setup is a Audeze LCD-2 with a Corda Jazz as amp and the ifi micro iDSD as dac. Since I've read that the HD-800 is very picky with the headphone amplifier I'm curious which one you use to drive them. Is it essential to use a tube amp like Woo WA7?
More like you need to be picky with your amp once you own this. This pair, this... chameleon is gonna sound like whatever amp they are plugged in to. After trying the HD800 with many amps and DACs out there I'm not even sure anymore how it's supposed to sound like. So in the end it boils down to whichever amp gives off the sound you like the most, tube or not.
Unfortunately not yet. Not much Schiit product available around where I live. Tried it with the Ragnarok-Yggdrasil pair at an event though, and it sounded very good.
Great work! Thank you
great
Hi does anyone know If I tighten the screws at 9:12 in the hinge will that make the cup pivot tighter on my head? Cheers
So nothing hold those rings in place other than the sticky mesh over the driver?
Very nice. I have an old pair of HD800 and the paint has started to come off as well. Did you sand paper the parts before you painted them? Would love some painting tips here if you have any!
StandingNomad I very lightly sanded just the yolks for a few seconds with very fine sand paper to get any dirt or crud off them, that's all.
Well done on a very informative and engaging video. Could you tell me if you washed the earpads also? If not, do you think they'd be ok to wash? I've been scouring ebay lately, but I'm being held back by the thought of having to wear overly-funky pads.
Thanks for your kind words. Yes, I've washed the pads and it is ok to use a light soap such as Soft Soap. Just shake them out really good and let them air dry for 24hrs. You can also lightly pray them with Febreeze afterwards and they will smell like new.
Link to French Mods... superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/superdupont-resonator-summary-and-interest-check.1558/
So the 800s comes with the mod already done basically vs the 800 which does not? Or am I totally misunderstanding?
It is more refined but pretty much the same, yes.
How is the paint improving the sound? Seams like a lot more work just to paint it black? Wouldn't the SuperDupont install be much faster and easier if you skipped a few decembling parts?
Daniel Filippus the paint actually makes the soundstage more expansive. Just kidding. It does nothing, the point was to make it black like the HD 800S, nothing more. You don't have to disassemble at all if you just want the mod. :)
@Alexander Xavior Thank you very much for sharing this vid. I found that it is hard to get materials for super-dupont in my country. What happens if I just use thick Soborthane with donut shape? Will it be too different to original super-dupont material in terms of sound?
I've experimented with different materials and sorbothane was one that I tried for the top ring (the foam ring). I found that the material created too much dampening effect, bass was not as accurate, and it also stuck out too far from the inner ring. You don't have to use Creatology brand foam, really any slightly dense foam should do the trick...but I can't recommend sorbothane.
Thank you very much. Will these do? For foam sheet) www.amazon.com/Foam-Sheet-X12-2mm-Black-pack/dp/B005M2Q9MO/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1465881006&sr=1-1&keywords=foam+sheet For floor protector) www.amazon.com/Self-Stick-Furniture-Surfaces-Oatmeal-48-Piece/dp/B001WAK5X4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1465881069&sr=8-3&keywords=chair+leg+floor+protectors Again, thank you so much...
Jim Kim yes, that would work as well!
What’s that mount you have the eather’s on?
Is there any online store that sells modded HD 800?
What kind of paint did you use? Looks good man!
+Neil Manalo Thanks! I used Satin Black 2X coverage by Rustolium. Dried very evenly, pleased with how it came out.
Deez Canz after you lightly sanded it (I assume it was to get dust and crap off, and less of removing paint), you just sprayed the rustoleum on? No priming and no top coats?
Really good job! Uh...could you do my HD800s?
Pretty sure the three dots on the left are for blind people. Nice touch. Also, great video, thanks!
Nothing beats an HD600 - nothing!
In terms of graininess and lack of sub freqs? sure
@@auxtone1332 you're right. It's not as good as I thought it was. Now I can delete this thread
So the difference between un modded and modded is night and day? Is this better than anax mod?
I wouldn't go so far to say the the difference is so night and day that it's jarring, but if you're familiar with the classic sound on your gear, it's definitely noticeable without a doubt.
I've never heard the Anax mod, so I can really say how these compare. I can say that Tyll's measurements show that the anax actually measured worse than both the stock and modded HD 800.
Why not just buy an equalizer or use a software equalizer like APO
the mod i saw done was like yours but just the 2 felt like rings and no paper glued on the rings
I believe that was the earlier version of this mod...this version (at least at this point in time) is the most recent and refined version from Sorroje
yea i think your right , it seems the paper would block too much detail but i guess not
Are those outer chassis really made of plastic??? Thats very disappointing on headphones at this price point. Even my AD2000x are magnesium and titanium chassis to keep it light. I'm sure plastic gets the job done but it should really feel absolute premium.
so now you have to be careful when u buy used HD800s might be just HD800 moded :))
thanks but i dont think i have the balls to modify and paint a 1500 buck headphone
the chipped paint is not common. Its carelessness...
JohnnyTron you may be somewhat right about carelessness, but almost every HD800 I've ever encountered has had some form of minute scratches or chipped paint. It's not the most durable for sure.
I can not phantom anyone taking furniture pad and tearing down their $1k head phones based on you knowing how to tear down a set of cans. But I've been wrong before...
No Sriracha sauce? :(
Damn the build quality of the hd 800 is not the best... especially considering how pricey they are
I have to disagree, this pair is dang near 10 years old and they are still solid as a new pair. I've owned several top of the line headphones and I feel that the HD 800 outclasses most of them in built quality and engineering. Hell even the $3,000 HE-1000 build quality was down right offensive to me, the pair I had squeaked really loud when you moved the cups in and out...very cheap feeling for the asking price.
What about all that plastic though? I would have preferred a bit more metal but I guess they wanted to make it lighter?
Bingo...part of why these are light as a feather on your head are the materials. If it were metal they would be too heavy and much less comfortable. That's why I has to sell my Audeze LCD-3...way too heavy for long uses with all the wood and metal. I suppose they could have gone with carbon fiber like the ETHER-C, but that would make them even more expensive.
The only thing I dont like about the HD800 is the paint quality. It can chip over time. Mine are less than two years old and are in excellent condition so far. That said, the plastics are of a quality that can't be beat. Everything is solid; fading and cracking probably shouldn't be an issue long term.
If there are any issues, the headphones are modular and replacement parts are available through Sennheiser.
That said, the SD mod is surprisingly effective. It provides a small change in the overall sound, but hardly affects the air and soundstage of the headphone. It makes the headphone ever so slightly more listenable for daily use, for those who have had issues with the stock HD800.
My only concern is if the felt material will deteriorate over time and cause an undesired sound change; it might be a good idea to replace resonators on a yearly basis.
Can i send my HD800 to Sennheiser(Or somewhere) to get them modded to the HD800s ?
It was quite annoying when you kept fiddling and turning the headphone around. Lol
Yeah I tend to fiddle a lot. Sadly that's the price to pay if you watch my videos haha
Dismantling is slightly painful to watch. Lol
But how do we even verify if this works lol
Addison Kwong sometimes all you have is trust, friend ;)
Addison Kwong . Because God gave you two ears and a brain to tell the difference if you have the ears that can pick it up. The highs to some peoples sensitive ears are a little too shrill to stand for a great lengths of time. But if you throw the HD 800 on certain tube amps with the right combination of tubes you can also tame that strong high notes.
t lech honestly do not understand tube amps, just because they use a lot of pwer and get hot and glow doesnt means its sound will get "warm". That's called variable distortion. A amp, tube or not should not change the sound, but deliver it in an unbiased way with low noise floor, an well, enough power
By "warm" people mean bassy, and nobody thinks it's because the tubes get warm and glow. It's because of distortion and other changes that the tubes add to the audio signal that change the overall soundscape.
4.12 lol!!
Even with the mod, the HD 800S is still better. Sennheiser's approach is better, and also the 800S has more bass because of the lower frequency.
what is the poin to spend 1500 dollars for a headphone and then fill her with toilet paper and another shit ? lol .When you spend this money god damn they better perform like ferrari laferrari on top gear track driven by stig
Bobby Brian you mean the Grand Tour by James May...😁
no headphone is perfect even 4-3000dolar ones, heck i bet Orpheus is not perfect. But the hd800 were a bit harsh because of the 6k peak, some like it some dont those who dont like it get the hd800s or modify the hd800. Modifying headphones is part of the fun.
Bobby Brian what's the point in changing anything? Maybe I just like black more than silver...maybe people that use toilet paper are cleaner and happier?? ;P
Feel fake after you did it. Better leave it as is, spent money on a real
nerds
Why was you watching it then, go back to watching your vids about Apple earbuds