I was gonna give the Ori and Universe Suedes a try. Which ZMF pads have worked best for you and what did they do to the sound and comfort.
BTW, I snagged a used pair of V4s because I was interested to see how the fit is and to hear how consistent the sound is between versions. When I get a chance I’ll compare them to my V1.1s and V3s and do a little write-up here for anyone who’s interested.
Ya I think my favorite ZMF pads are the suede pads, I did some writeup above, but if I could go back I would probably go with Ori suedes as the fit of the Ori I think more closely matches the size of the hifiman cans. They are alot more comfortable with a firm soft foam and premium luxurious feel - to my ears I think they maintain the medium bright signature on these Hifiman cans, sounds a bit padded like in a theater, does not lose detail or feel overly bass boosted.
I got my first ZMF suedes on a set of pre2020 HE400i that I picked up on ebay - combined with the comfort heaband on that set which has the supension strap and allows for swivel, they felt really very comfortable.
Would really love to hear your thoughts of any of the ZMF pads (if you have tried them on v2) on the he6se V2. Really love zmf pads and have them on sundara and 6xx. Might have to try them on the 6sev2. But would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for the quick answer! I will have to give them a shot.
I tried the ori hybrid and eikon suede perf on the HE6 SE v2, I posted some impressions above… What I currently have on the HE6 SE v2 is the ori hybrid… I really like them better than the stock hifiman pads…
I really like the added cushion and they make the set feel more comfortable - I swapped the band also to a hifiman “original headband” which I kindof prefer - I like the feel, has a bit more clamp but not too much for me, takes the hotspot off the top I feel and I find this setup gives the headphone a bit more premium look and feel, a cool industrial look
I think the Ori hybrid pads have maybe a touch more bass, not a huge change, but they add also thickness and a bit stiffer foam - ear is slightly more distanced from the driver and a touch angled so it changes the shape of the stage a bit… Comfort wise if you have tried the ZMF pads, the foam is alot nicer and comfortable, has a more luxurious feel than the stock pad… But all in all I am liking this setup on the HE6 se v2…
Here is my round hifiman collection w/ current pad setups:
HE6 se V2 - zmf ori hybrid pads, hifiman original headband, honeycomb grille mod
HE560 V4 - zmf Eikon perf suede pads, fabric mesh grille
HE400 se - Beyerdynamic DT770 pads, honeycomb grille mod
HE400 i pre 2020 - zmf ori suede pads
Sundara 2021 - zmf unverse perf lambskin pads
Thanks so much!
Nice! When I’m back home with all of mine I’ll have to snap a round cup collection pic too. I have an HE6 (six screw), HE6SE, HE560 v1.1, v3, v4 (on the way), HE400i (2016), and an HE500 (on the way). All of them grill modded ofc!
If you have not tried ZMF suede pads, I also like the Ori suedes alot, one thing about sheepskin is that it is a bit more rigid on the outside, the suede ones are more plush so there is less chance of microphonics if you are moving or adjusting them.
The sound on fully suede pads is maybe a tiny bit more dampened than on the hybrid, but not that big a difference, I kindof like the softness of the full suedes-- you can never hear any of the subtle leather creaking you could sometimes hear on leather pads if you move the headphone around.
