# AKG K702 Headband mods



## tracylynn MkII

Fresh out of the box I loved these things, everything was right about them, comfort was fine and they rested very lightly on the ears. Headband isn't that bad I thought...hours later I start getting a headache which gets worse and worse. Eventually I decide to call it a day and go to sleep.
   
  Next day I'm better again and put the headphones on again, a few hours later, headache again. No, it can't be the headband.
   
  Third day in a row? Ok I need to do something about this, these things sound too good to give up.
   
  I remember an old thread where someone cut off the bumps (this one DOES have 8 by the way) but no way am I going to do that...better to find a way to fill in the gaps than cut out the bumps.
   
  My first attempt has given a significant increase to comfort, and while it itself isn't specifically filling in gaps it does soften the feeling of the bumps on one's head and hopefully this way I won't be plagued by chronic headaches...
   
  If there are any tips fellow 70x users have, I will gladly take them, if you have pictures, even better.
   
  Here is the wool pad mod I am currently sporting (thinking of doubling up when I can find some more):


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## Seanallen

Thats some thick padding! Are you planning on trimming the excess or leaving it on?


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## tracylynn MkII

It's about 5mm at the thickest, but must flatten when pressed against my head, so it isn't causing any side effects on the 'phones headband's stress that I can see.
   
  And by trimming do you mean in the sense of making it thinner or cutting through where the ridges would be situated or changing the circular shape (currently they don't actually even go over the edges of the band, they fit quite nicely!)?
   
  From my first extended period with them on, I really can tell there's a difference. I only am feeling a very slight onset of pain whereas yesterday at this point it would be awful, so I deem this a success. I could still try this out with memory foam however (maybe 0.5-1cm thickness) to make it look a bit more professional...


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## wdahm519

What I do to fix the issue is when I put on the headphones, I use my fingers to push up the sides of the headband and basically overextend the elastic.  It doesn't break obviously but the plastic on plastic friction seizes the motion of the headband so it can't pull down into my head and that greatly reduces the pressure exerted on the top of my head.  Its been a great solution that allows me to wear the headphones for much longer periods of time. 
   
  Someday I'll swap out the leather strap for a strap of soft suede or something that will provide incredible comfort.


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## tracylynn MkII

Quote: 





wdahm519 said:


> What I do to fix the issue is when I put on the headphones, I use my fingers to push up the sides of the headband and basically overextend the elastic.  It doesn't break obviously but the plastic on plastic friction seizes the motion of the headband so it can't pull down into my head and that greatly reduces the pressure exerted on the top of my head.  Its been a great solution that allows me to wear the headphones for much longer periods of time.
> 
> Someday I'll swap out the leather strap for a strap of soft suede or something that will provide incredible comfort.


 

 Mine couldn't do that with friction alone....
   
  More sellotape it is then....


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## wje

Now that I have a leather sewing machine, some lamb skin and a lot of faux leather, I want to start crafting up some more bands for other headphones than just Grado.  I should buy a pair of AKG headphones for the measurements and see what could be developed.  It looks like maybe something of the BeyerDynamics snap-on on velcro-on might work best to wrap the existing band.  Interesting stuff.


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## tracylynn MkII

Quote: 





wje said:


> Now that I have a leather sewing machine, some lamb skin and a lot of faux leather, I want to start crafting up some more bands for other headphones than just Grado.  I should buy a pair of AKG headphones for the measurements and see what could be developed.  It looks like maybe something of the BeyerDynamics snap-on on velcro-on might work best to wrap the existing band.  Interesting stuff.


 

 Please send me a PM if you get further with this and give a ballpark for costs if you'd be willing to this for others


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## MarioImpemba

The headband on mine don't cause pain per-se, but the little bumps cause irritation that starts to make my head very itchy on the contact points. I was thinking of looking around a fabric/craft store this weekend to get ideas for a solution; a snap-over band like wje mentions sounds good to me!


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## ideas

I'm going to try to remove the leather headband at the two socket holes and flip it to the side with no bumps. I'm scared to do this though! If its successful I will make a slip on cover for it!
   
  Update! Don't do this, I was going to try but I first made a headband cover which works without having to do any damage to your headphones!


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## livewire

Got me one of these and the 702 bumps were history....


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## Tjj226 Angel

I have a really ghetto mod. I just grabbed a block of foam and attached it to the headband with electrical tape. Works perfectly. They still aren't as comfy as stax sr-009s though


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## ideas

Quote: 





tjj226 angel said:


> I have a really ghetto mod. I just grabbed a block of foam and attached it to the headband with electrical tape. Works perfectly. They still aren't as comfy as stax sr-009s though


 
   
  I did the same thing lol! then made a slicker headband cover!


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## greggreynolds

Hey There,
  Just got me a pair and they are great apart from the head band issue you are talking about.
 I was thinking about returning them as although I love the sound they are quite painful to wear.
 It is ridiculous that you guys are modding them they should be good to go.
 Maybe I should have got the anniversary ones but they are lot more for pretty much the same cans?
 Tell me do they soften over time if not could you recommend an alternative pair?
 Currently i have a slither of foam with zip ties holding it in place!


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## greggreynolds

Hey, 
 so i decided to return the AKG 702's as the headband was leaving severe dents after wearing them for 6 hours.
 I thought they were great and wished I could get past the discomfort.
  
 I was using them for music production and was thinking of getting the Anniversary purely because the headband but it seems they are not as neutral as the original 702's?
 if any one has them how is that headband worth the extra? 
  
 It seems crazy that the  price hike on the Anniversary is so much I imagine you could almost get the HD800 secondhand!
  
 Is there an equivalent to the 702's? I seem to be just looking out for the comfy headband element (HD 650) 
  
 any advice would be appreciated it took quite a while to settle on the 702's and I loved the sound, very neutral but really couldn't wear them due to the discomfort


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## tracylynn MkII

If you're truly looking for something truly neutral within a reasonable price range then I'd recommend the Dt 48 E's by Beyer. I can't speak for the comfort, but at least they have a more mainstream headband design, and produce an extremely analytical sound, so if these are for work purposes, then perfect, and if you enjoy an unadulterated sound, even better.


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## greggreynolds

Thanks
 i can see there is a 25ohms (not sure if it is out yet) and a 200 ohms which one should I get as I would prefer not to use and amp and go straight into an audio interface.
  
  
http://www.dv247.com/headphones/beyerdynamic-dt-48-e-25-ohm-closed-systems-headphones--58367


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## Gijs

I got my k702's about two months ago, and I also found the bumps on the headband getting rather painful after about an hour or so. I decided to modify the headband a little, and here's the result: 

  

  

  
 I cut off the bumps, smoothened the surface a little using coarse sandpaper and glued on four layers of thin foam. Then I stitched the leather on (1,5 mm thick ox leather), which took me about an hour and a half. Now I can enjoy the k702's for hours on end!


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## judy1992

tracylynn mkii said:


> If you're truly looking for something truly neutral within a reasonable price range then I'd recommend the Dt 48 E's by Beyer. I can't speak for the comfort, but at least they have a more mainstream headband design, and produce an extremely analytical sound, so if these are for work purposes, then perfect, and if you enjoy an unadulterated sound, even better.


 
 They clamp and cause sweat build up. My 701's are more comfortable. Sound is subjective, but the DT48 has less bass impact then the 701, but offers a more pure and faithful mid range. YMMV. Never heard the 702, though.


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## Ashade

Quote:


gijs said:


> I got my k702's about two months ago, and I also found the bumps on the headband getting rather painful after about an hour or so. I decided to modify the headband a little, and here's the result:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  
 Nice looking, I'm going to do something very similar in a couple of days. I already ordered the leather.


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## Gijs

Thanks!
  
 Removing the bumps is actually quite easy, they're a sort of "stickers". Once you've made a small incision where they meet the headband, they should peel right off. As for the headband itself: it's a strip of very thin plastic covered in leather. If you're going to stitch by hand, as I did, using the stitching at the top of the headband as a guideline may be helpful. I used quite a thick needle, specific for leather, which went through the plastic easily. I didn't use a thimble, for which my fingers still hate me 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 
  
 Post some pics when you're done!
  
 Happy stitching and happy listening!


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## Ashade

Thank you for the advices! I wasn´t thinking in removing the bumps but the more I read about it the more convinced I am. Your advices have been definitive. I´ll come back with pictures when my mod is done!
  
 By the way, you did a great job with that sewing, I don´t know if I´ll be able to achieve the same level...


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## Gijs

You're welcome! As you can see in the top picture, I Ieft the most outer bumps in place as a reference for how much foam I had apply. The way I went about is as follows: remove the bumps (cut all the way around), apply the foam, glue the leather in place onto the foam  (I cut it to size after putting it in place) and stitch. As for the stitching: it's actually fairly easy: I started by sticking the needle in from the top of the headband (I used the holes that were already there originally, see my third pic)), go around and in from the top again. By working first from left to right and then from right to left I got the "crossed" stitch effect. Hope this is of some help... Good luck!


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## Ashade

Sweet! What kind of foam did you use specifically?


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## Gijs

I used this thin (about 1 mm) foam that is also used for packaging electronic equipment. Really don't know what the stuff is called. ..


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## Ashade

I started the modding... Just the sewing left, but I think I will wait a while more because I messed up buying the leather 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  
 MUUUUUUCCHHH more comfortable now.


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## Gijs

Sorry for the slow response, I was on holiday last week... Looks like the project is coming along nicely!


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## Ashade

I got the leather and tried to start but I realized I most likely want to use a thimble...


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## Gijs

I told you 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I found it helpful to use a pair of small pliers to pull the needle through, you might want to try that too.


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## Ashade

Good to know. I'll have to try to give it another try today.


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## jasonb

Just modded mine as well. I removed the 4 middle bumps, leaving the outer 4 bumps. I then covered the ugly parts with a piece of black thin rubbery material which I cut from a backpack strap. Right now it is just stuck on with double sided tape, I may either glue it on or sew it on eventually. It took me a whole year to finally do this. The bumps didn't bother me as bad as some other people claim, but I figured that since I'm never ever selling this headphone ever, that I may as well hack it up and make it more comfortable. It doesn't look bad though really, but honestly headphones are made to sound good, not win beauty contests. I've only had them on for about 15 minutes since doing this, but so far so good. They feel lighter on my head which really just means that the weight is distributed more evenly now.


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## jasonb

Covered the thin rubber with a layer of adhesive back felt:

  

  
 I don't think it looks bad at all. It looks better in person too.


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## Gijs

Looks simple yet effective! I suppose it depends on the shape of your head whether the headband is uncomfortable or not, and whether you have hair (which I don't  )...


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## tracylynn MkII

It's excellent to see people still using this thread, so show us how your mod came out Ashade!


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## Ashade

I didn't finish it yet...  But as soon as I finish it, it will be posted here! I promise!


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## Ashade

tracylynn mkii said:


> It's excellent to see people still using this thread, so show us how your mod came out Ashade!


 
  
 You stir me up and... I answer... 
  
 Here you have an aperitif:


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## Ashade

Was it easy? NO. I even broke a niddle! A real pain in the ass, pardon my french, but I think it was worth it. I messed up the bottom a little, but it doesn´t look that bad after all.


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## Gijs

Good job!!  I love the green thread you used!


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## Ashade

Thank you man! But I gotta say I actually decided to remove the bumps because I saw your great job first, so I owe you the primal idea. 

In fact, I started sewing, and I forgot you were skipping one of the points each time. When I realized it, I was already very advanced, so I modified the pattern...

I'll take a picture of the thread I used. Again, thank you very much for your great original idea!


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## greggreynolds

Hi There,
  I returned my 702 in the end I am currently looking at the 65th Anniversary mainly because of the headband.
 Do they sound the same? as I liked the 702 for music production.
  are they worth the extra or should I go for something else


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## Ashade

greggreynolds said:


> Hi There,
> I returned my 702 in the end I am currently looking at the 65th Anniversary mainly because of the headband.
> Do they sound the same? as I liked the 702 for music production.
> are they worth the extra or should I go for something else




They do sound different and regarding the price difference... there's a lot of controversy. I did all the possible mods out there to my Q's and I'm very happy. You should read more about the differences between the x7xx series and decide by yourself.


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## greggreynolds

It was really just the headband I couldn't cope with.
 do you think that it is a pressure issue? with how the elastic mechanism works on the head or do you thin will this cure the problem?


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## Ashade

It's the bumps what produces the pain. If you remove them everything is solved. I've done it in two Q's already and the difference is huge. I don't think the difference between a modded band and a flat band in a K712 is that big. Mine's have more cushion as well which I suppose helps better to comfort.


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## sweets3450

This has to be the easiest, cheapest, most easily replaceable solution to the K702 headband.  Bonus comfort if you cut off the bumps.
  





  
 3 layers of paper towels.  Makes them just about as comfortable to the Philips X1.


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## Ashade

sweets3450 said:


> This has to be the easiest, cheapest, most easily replaceable solution to the K702 headband.  Bonus comfort if you cut off the bumps.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  
 LOL. I tried that as well but, when the paper starts rotting and smelling bad, you will prefer something a little bit more durable. Look at this nice job:
  
 http://www.head-fi.org/t/582276/q701-appreciation-thread/5070#post_10107106
  


btarb24 said:


> I posted elsewhere on the forum just before this, but i figured i'd share here too.
> 
> $12 piece of leather from amazon
> $4 for E6000 glue from michaels
> ...


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## Hot0m

This may be useful.
http://www.speedystitcher.com/products.html


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## Gijs

I have one, and I've used it on several occasions (not on my k702 though...). Like it a lot! Especially good when working on very thick / sturdy materials. The needles that it comes with are rather thick, mind you.


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## Ashade

gijs said:


> I have one, and I've used it on several occasions (not on my k702 though...). Like it a lot! Especially good when working on very thick / sturdy materials. The needles that it comes with are rather thick, mind you.




Pictures!


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## Capt. Z

tracylynn mkii said:


> Fresh out of the box I loved these things, everything was right about them, comfort was fine and they rested very lightly on the ears. Headband isn't that bad I thought...hours later I start getting a headache which gets worse and worse. Eventually I decide to call it a day and go to sleep.
> 
> Next day I'm better again and put the headphones on again, a few hours later, headache again. No, it can't be the headband.
> 
> ...


 
 Should have used some extra thick Always pads with wings


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## bracko

I simply replaced the original headband with a k501 leather headband on my k701.


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## Bukem

Sweet. Are these available aftermarket?


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## bracko

bukem said:


> Sweet. Are these available aftermarket?


 
 Yes, k501 parts are still available.


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## PDC3

Just prior to seeing this thread, I brought this problem to my sewing-skilled wife.  I described an elaborate fix, not unlike some suggested here, for my Q701.  Wise wife said, "I'm going to buy you one of those velcro wraps for the shoulder harness of our seat belts.  They have padding, come in colors (black please!) and since the wrap will velcro around, you'll destroy nothing about your headphone."  Then I cut one side down for fit.  
  
 Working great, folks.  Moral of the story:  marry wisely, ask politely.


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