robrob
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2013
- Posts
- 473
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- 150
I'm wondering how common is it for the HE-500 headband to break? I ask because I used one hand to remove my HE-500s a couple of weeks ago and the round plastic clamp that holds the earcup slider broke in half. It's not like I pulled really hard or did anything strange when removing the headphones.
The two screws in the headband slider clamp pulled out of the plastic. In hindsight the best fix would have been to epoxy the clamp back together but I decided to order a new headband from Hifiman for $75.
The replacement arrived quickly but the pot-metal screws securing the original band to the earcups stripped out when trying to remove them--and I used the perfect Phillips head driver that fit the screws just right but because the screws have some type of thread locker applied and the screws are really soft pot-metal they won't come out without stripping the Phillips head. Three of the four screws stripped.
I had to drill three of them out and even then the screw stub left over couldn't be removed due to the thread locker. I had to disassemble the headphones to remove the metal inserts the screws were stuck in. I bunged up one of the holes while drilling so I threw the headphones in the trash and started looking for a replacement set of phones.
After thinking on it a while I got them out of the trash and was planning to order replacement plastic ear cups (the part that holds the driver) when I got lucky. I found a youtube video showing how to put the very nice HE-400i headband on an HE-400. It looked like it would work for the HE-500 so I ordered one--for another $75.
After disassembling the ear cups and knocking out the metal screw inserts, which I had already done, you enlarge the hole to fit the 400i headband. It was an easy fix and I'm very happy with the fit, form and function of the 400i headband.
To add insult to injury I must have accidentally thrown away the replacement HE-500 headband so I couldn't return it for a $75 refund
By the way, the HE-500 is still my favorite set of cans although my Audeze LCD-2s are a close second and Sennheiser 6XX a distant third. My modified Fostex T50RPs come closely behind the Senns.
Rob Robinette
The two screws in the headband slider clamp pulled out of the plastic. In hindsight the best fix would have been to epoxy the clamp back together but I decided to order a new headband from Hifiman for $75.
The replacement arrived quickly but the pot-metal screws securing the original band to the earcups stripped out when trying to remove them--and I used the perfect Phillips head driver that fit the screws just right but because the screws have some type of thread locker applied and the screws are really soft pot-metal they won't come out without stripping the Phillips head. Three of the four screws stripped.
I had to drill three of them out and even then the screw stub left over couldn't be removed due to the thread locker. I had to disassemble the headphones to remove the metal inserts the screws were stuck in. I bunged up one of the holes while drilling so I threw the headphones in the trash and started looking for a replacement set of phones.
After thinking on it a while I got them out of the trash and was planning to order replacement plastic ear cups (the part that holds the driver) when I got lucky. I found a youtube video showing how to put the very nice HE-400i headband on an HE-400. It looked like it would work for the HE-500 so I ordered one--for another $75.
After disassembling the ear cups and knocking out the metal screw inserts, which I had already done, you enlarge the hole to fit the 400i headband. It was an easy fix and I'm very happy with the fit, form and function of the 400i headband.
To add insult to injury I must have accidentally thrown away the replacement HE-500 headband so I couldn't return it for a $75 refund
By the way, the HE-500 is still my favorite set of cans although my Audeze LCD-2s are a close second and Sennheiser 6XX a distant third. My modified Fostex T50RPs come closely behind the Senns.
Rob Robinette
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