Sony EX90 Modding thread!

[germanium]

Has anyone with these EX90 earphones stock or modded been able to feel the bass as if there were speakers on throughout your body? I sure have. There have been very few headphones that have done that for me & the ones that have don't sound anywhere near as balanced as the modded EX90s.They were boosted in the bass & had anomolies in other areas that made them less enjoyable.

Ron B.

[germanium]

bump

[Veggie_Musician]

Originally Posted by germanium

Has anyone with these EX90 earphones stock or modded been able to feel the bass as if there were speakers on throughout your body? I sure have. There have been very few headphones that have done that for me & the ones that have don't sound anywhere near as balanced as the modded EX90s.They were boosted in the bass & had anomolies in other areas that made them less enjoyable.

Ron B.

I think I know what you mean there... I had some sony headphones when I was a kid that I was sure did that - could feel something as far down as feet... But could have been all in my head b/c sound was good!

[germanium]

Originally Posted by Veggie_Musician

I think I know what you mean there... I had some sony headphones when I was a kid that I was sure did that - could feel something as far down as feet... But could have been all in my head b/c sound was good!

Not all in your head, it is an inner ear excition that causes this I believe when excited by powerfull low frequence sound below 50Hz. This causes a muscular reaction in the body that allows you to feel as if your body is being massaged by low frequencies. It does not feel the same as if your body was really being hit by the low frequencies from an outside source, but you can in fact feel the result of bass in your body.

[germanium]

By the way I'm not saying that the EX90's are boosted in the bass. The bass intensity is really determined by the source with these headphones. Some music actually sounds quite lean in the bass on these but other music very full in sound.There is no appearant rolloff that you get with many headphones when you get below 50Hz. The midrange is almost always full yet exciting on these phones when modded.

Ron B.

[joshuaz]

can someone show me picture(s) of how to put a foam pad over the earphone properly? i can't seem to be able to do so... any guide? much appreciated, i really need that foam pad to get my sound/comfort the way i like it.

[shirleywhite]

Just done the mod!! WOW!! Quite impressed. Much better bass - deep,solid but not bloated/overwhelming - because still got very nice mids + top. Reckon it's doubled the value of these phones/taken them into middle/high class territory!!!

Bought em about 6 months ago - a whim purchase. I'm a Sony fan!! Had ex71's but then moved up to Ety6is and ShureE3s. Use Sony HD1 and HD5 (and RH1 and NH1 minidiscs) all with line out into an amp. Love my 6is a lot - very clean,clear,accurate etc - sometimes wanted more bass though. (E3s ok -good mids but bland!!) I liked the ex90s - very "lively" - good balanced sound -but my main problem was poor isolation - not so much coming in - my wife said "too loud" when sitting next to me even though volume was low! So no good in the library. For months used them outdoors ( as a "throw in the bag" sort of pair)

But did the mod today. Cling film - about 3 layers wrapped around. Tried them like that - huge bass - but still reasonable mid/top? But got the "cracking" sound when putting in. ( Not convinced that this would do damage ?! Is it not just a speaker/driver/armature or whatever just moving - like it does under heavy music load?) Anyway - despite this - I did the "pinhole" in middle trick. Sound is (IMHO) perfect now -still lots of bass - but much better balanced mid/top. I still get a slight "crackle" when inserting the right one - nothing on left. I'm VERY VERY happy with the mod. Will probably make these my first choice phone.

Wonder if the cling film will need to be replaced/redone at some stage? Wonder if a "better" method of sealing off the bud? ( like a rubber patch/circle - i'm think a la "bicycle tube patch"?! - whether or not you pinhole it?? ) I'll post any further thoughts/findings etc later. Thanks to fellow "modders"!!

[germanium]

Just got some Etymotic ER4P's a couple days ago & it is remarkable how close the modded EX90LP's sound as far as balance to the ER4P's. The ER4P's have a brighter sound & more detail thoughout the range but the bass on through to the upper midrange is quite similar in balance to the modded EX90LP's. The modded EX90LP's are more easy to listen to but the ER4P's are more accurate. For most people though the EX90LP's will be the phone to go for. They have less isolation, are easier to insert quickly if you can call it inserting that is & have a mellower top end. You also don't get the body noises & not even close to the level of cord noise as you get with the ER4P's.

But am I giving up my ER4P's??? Not on your life!!!!

I will still use the modded EX90LP's though.

One thing you will miss with the EX90LP's is the the full on attack that you seem to get with the ER4P's. The attack with these is sharp & true to life. really noticable on drums. The EX90LP's sound soggy by comparison. This is not to say that the EX90LP's are soggy sounding compared to most other dynamic earphones, That they aren't but compared to the ER4P's they are & so is just about every other dynamic earphone available too!! The ER4P's are not dynamic drivers though & share most of its traits with other Balanced armatures but raise them to a new level at least to my ears. I find them to be the best balanced of the balanced armatures that I have heard.

[FastCorner]

Just did this mod yesterday. But instead of using saran wrap, I used some 2mil adhesive vinyl (left over from making a protector skin for my phone). Getting a pin hole that will stay is tricky, but at least I have the security of knowing that it'll stay on the phone for a while. Thanks for the heads up about this!

[shirleywhite]

Update. I still thought my modded ex90's were leaking sound out of the buds(and i wanted to direct it all "down the tube"! ) So I've added another 2 or 3 layers of cling film wrap.But this time I havent "pinholed". Good strong bass certainly - but dont think the mid & top is quite as bad as I first thought. After a couple of days listening I think I'll leave these as my bass/heavy/dark set of phones.

Somehow the "cracking/crackling" reported on insertion seems to have lessened a lot too. I'd still like to make a more permanent arrangement than cling film. Someone in a very early posting wondered about some sort of paint/varnish/liquid silicon / kinda thing to seal the vents permanently? I still think maybe some kind of thin (bycycle tube patch) might work?

[DigDub]

i did a little variation of the foam mod. i did not like the 'over airy' sound when the foam inside the tube is removed, which removes the dampening effect. what i did was cut one of the form length-wise in half, and insert each half into the soundtubes. i think it provides a slight dampening effect and brings out the mids as well.

[oli84]

Originally Posted by DigDub

i did a little variation of the foam mod. i did not like the 'over airy' sound when the foam inside the tube is removed, which removes the dampening effect. what i did was cut one of the form length-wise in half, and insert each half into the soundtubes. i think it provides a slight dampening effect and brings out the mids as well.

i agree about the over-airiness you describe as I've been able to A/B a nonmodded pair.

could you describe in more detail the sound of the half-cut foam compared to the one fully modded?

thanks!

[sydsfloyd67]

Interesting stuff guys. I'd noticed these had a lot of potential in the increased diameter of the driver for an in-ear-phone.

You might want to try that clear silicon sealant adhesive used for sinks ('Silicon II') there for the clingfilm mod, as it should be fairly reversible (peel off). Certainly won't come off or look bad.
-sf

[DoomzDayz]

germanium's mod rocks, and with clingfilm the sound is great. however it doesnt really stay in when it comes in and out of my pockets, whats the next best thing? clear thin tape?

[Cal81]

I've tried a hybrid of several suggestions:
1. Removed the foam from the tubes
2. Placed a double scotch tape cap over the main drivers (no pinholes)
3. Put medium Shure E2C foamies on the tubes

The tape on the drivers makes a noticable difference. The cans are more efficient and have more depth to their sound with better bass pop. The foamies give a better seal and more isolation (but not to the "danger" level if you're out walking, jogging, bicyclng, etc.) with no dulling of the sound and the open tubes seem to compliment the last two changes. Any of the three improve the 90s already good sound but the combination seems to get it done for me.