[Thorphin]

They are generally considered to be a 'neutral' headphone....which can be perceived as boring. You might look into doing some mods or eq to get a more 'fun' sound out of them.

Thanks for the reply. Most seem to say the same thing about the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro which sound much more forward and clear (less bass though). Either way I'm interested in the mods you speak of, any recommendations on where I can find more info on moding them?

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Thanks for the reply. Most seem to say the same thing about the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro which sound much more forward and clear (less bass though). Either way I'm interested in the mods you speak of, any recommendations on where I can find more info on moding them?

I think I posted some in the Mod Collective thread...try searching for NVX SPT or Brainwavz HM5 within that thread. (in case you weren't aware these headphones are a 'clone' of the Yoga 880...over the years it has been released under different names by several manufacturers: NVX, Brainwavz, Lindsey, Monoprice etc)
I didn't do a ton of mods on mine, because I wound up giving them to a girlfriend, but I do remember adding some damping to the back of the driver helped, and of course a pad swap can tune the headphones more to your taste. Some of the mods in this thread might not be specifically for that model of headphone, but the principles are the same, so you should find some useful info in there somewhere
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...l-your-full-sized-headphone-mods-here.867426/

 

[TJ Max]

Does anyone know if Monoprice have improved the build quality of the headphones? I remember a lot of complaint about the HM5 falling apart after a while.
And would these be good for Binaural beats and Brainwave music?

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Just got a pair of the HR-5 opens. Dude these cans rock right out of the box, at least running balanced. Pretty amazing and damn I bet modded they are off the hook.

I finally got around to picking up a set of these..actually 2 sets, one from Spadger and one from Monoprice. The Spadgers were on sale for $35...then a couple of months later the HR 5 were on sale for $30, so I bought them to compare.
I modded both sets and they sound REALLY good with some simple mods, (mostly internal damping).
Interestingly they aren't quite identical. I noticed 2 small differences and one big one.
There were small differences in assembly: 1) Spadger used glue to hold the little foam plug in the middle of the driver, Monoproce didn't. 2) Monoprice glued the screens to the inside of the cups, Spadger didn't. The bigger difference is in the headband. They are identical in every way but Spadger has some kind of plastic insert in the headband that makes it stiffer. In my personal experience: NVX, Brainwavz, and Monoprice HR 5 don't have it. It actually changes the sound a small amount, but it's noticeable.
The only thing I changed since I took this picture is I'm using Monoprice velour pads now instead of these hybrids. (they looked cool, but they weren't the best sounding)

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Does anyone know if Monoprice have improved the build quality of the headphones? I remember a lot of complaint about the HM5 falling apart after a while.
And would these be good for Binaural beats and Brainwave music?

I know it's been a long time since this question was asked, but I'll answer it anyway, because I am sure there are other people wondering the same thing.
Yes, they did improve the build quality. There was a weak spot in the yokes, the design has been slightly modified to give it more strength. I haven't seen anyone complain in a while about their headbands breaking. The Spadger version is the most solid feeling out of all the versions, it doesn't squeak and wobble like the other sometimes do. The beefed up headband makes it clamp a little bit more, and the sound is a little more refined, and warmer, the mids are a little darker and richer sounding. The other headband sounds just a little more airy and bright.

 

[AudioManNewb]

What is the besting sounding angled pad people have tried on these headphones. Sheepskin Angled, Angled PU, Hybrid Angled?

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

What is the besting sounding angled pad people have tried on these headphones. Sheepskin Angled, Angled PU, Hybrid Angled?

Suede or velour.

 

[PhoxFyre007]

Whatever happened to the open-back models (HR-5, Spadger1990, Lindy HF-110, etc) of the Yoga CD990? I haven't yet found any others of then.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Whatever happened to the open-back models (HR-5, Spadger1990, Lindy HF-110, etc) of the Yoga CD990? I haven't yet found any others of then.

Of that group the one I recommend is the Spadger version. It's the only one i found that has an insert inside the headband that makes it stiffer which reduces vibration and makes it sound a little bit better

 

[PhoxFyre007]

Of that group the one I recommend is the Spadger version. It's the only one i found that has an insert inside the headband that makes it stiffer which reduces vibration and makes it sound a little bit better

I cannot find the Spadger variant sold anywhere.