Creating this thread since I haven’t seen any proper discussion anywhere.
Just got my Hifiman HE400se and I love the sound signature. But I’m here to ask about the headband hot spot, which lies dead center on the top of my head. This thick headband is becoming the standard for Hifiman, and I’ve measured it to be about 3.6cm wide x 2.5cm tall, adding up to 12.2cm all around.
Dekoni nuggets are a popular option among the community for sure, but they’re hella expensive outside US… I ain’t paying £28.66 for a 4 pack on Amazon UK…
As an alternative, I saw that there are some headphone covers, but again, there’s no size that fits the thick Hifiman headband.
you could use some double sided tape or maybe strong velcro and put something like this
that might work and it is cheaper.
But if don’t want to glue anything and keep it OG as possible buying a headbang and just jerry rigging it to the headband
I did mount a hd 650 like headband with 3 zip ties onto grados with decent success
Recommend the 650 like headband because it has a recess in the middle which makes them more comfortable for me than the hd 600 headband
But can you elaborate more how you did it with zip tie? Since my pair of 400se is quite new, I’m not ready to double-side tape it. Thanks for the info!
Did simply use a small zip tie in the middle first and position it central of the original headband, important to let the locking mechanism on the upside of the hb so It won’t scratch the head and than same at the ends
As an alternative you could also use Velcro zip ties should make it even more comfortable
What if I use these type of velcro ties to strap the middle, left, and right end of the HD650 replacement padding? Are there space left at the ends of the padding to tie to?
it should be ok but the amount of pressure that velcro ties provide might not be enough to keep it from moving around when its on your head, which is why i suggest zip ties first they are much stronger, but it not something fixed so feel free to experiment with it.
My only major concern is how much it would elevate the headphone off your head, but again its a trail and error thing. thats how most mods simple mods start off
It’s a shame you don’t want to go for the dekoni nuggets, completely worth the $25usd I paid imo. I use 2 on my 4XX and no issues at all anymore. Plus you would have 2 extras laying around for another pair of phones in the future that give you issues.
I’m leaning towards letting the headband break in a bit and see how it goes. Main goal is to keep the headphones as intact as possible. Secondary option might be to get the HD650 replacement padding with velcro if after breaking in the issue still remains.
the way I look at it is 12 bucks (for the 2) was worth it for me being able to use them and never get the hot spot again and not want to return. Yeah sucks they are more expensive over there, but 20usd is not so bad to make a 350usd headphone usable imo. The 4xx are half as expensive so the pricing kind of works out for you
Update on the HE400se headband hot spot issue, velcro ties and the Sennheiser HD650 replacement padding worked the magic. The padding is just about the right length as well, no need to cut or trim anything.
You just need to move the adjustment two clicks down on each side to compensate the thickness of the padding. Looks a bit ridiculous when wearing it, but indoor use anyways, comfort comes first! Looks like Mother Miranda from Resident Evil Village when wearing it lol:
The reason is that the sticky side would catch the nylon of the Sennheiser pads, just after once or twice the nylon feels it’ll be damaged quick. But home use is fine, won’t be dirty if taken good care of
