Orthodynamic Roundup - Page 523

I don't mean to butt in but all of the 'phones I mentioned before I got for less than or around the same price. Also, I'm willing to bet that at least some of my orthos (Fostexen) equal or better the HP50 and they cost me significantly less (less than half).

The best scheme was made by Ludo. I tried something more extreme after that (also adding Ortho Ninja Shurikens, aka reflex dots), but they sounded collapsed, I believe overdamped, but still lacking treble overall.

I think the main thing you need to do is to raise 6-9kHZ (mostly between 6 and 7 anyway) with your damping scheme and little use of reflex dots. That is the treble area that is richest of information. Once you have been able to bring it on par with the midrange, try some different kind of reflex dots (in different positions, maybe) to add estention over that. If a reflex dot bumps treble over 8-9kHz and leaves a recession in the previous range, you would never obtain satisfying treble quantity. I would use some help with test tones while trying to achieve these effects.

I have no experience with the SR-Gamma but I own the YH-1 and listened to the YH-3 and I would take the HP-50 any day.But I'm certain that this is all based on personal preference,although I did appreciate the stat that I have heard and wish to experience others,I just plain old love the Yamaha ortho sound as I'm sure many would prefer dynamics and others stats.
Oh,I got mine mint shipped from Germany for $100 btw.

I am aware the the SRM-1/mk2 is an amp,but it is still a necessary/proprietary piece of equipment to drive stats and as such must be considered in calculating cost ala apples to apples,the 50 does not require proprietary equipment.
I'm happy to hear that you own a SR-404 as this serves in helping me understand your personal tastes,they clearly differ from mine.
I would not trade the HP-50A for the Stax SR-404/SRM006t that I have heard even if the HP-50 cost more than $260 and the Stax cost less than $100.But as I have mentioned to scompton,this is because I appreciate the ortho sound just as I'm sure you appreciate the electrostats sound.The only difference being that I don't visit electrostats threads and cetoole around

Dang those Kenwoods look awesome... me wants, even if they sounded crappy or were dynamics. Headbands like those are what I dream of at night...

I'm just a bit curious about the mod... did you try a felt donut as well? (might not work well together with a reflex strip in the middle though...)

The yellow fibreglass biscuits/discs are in all the Fostex T50 variants.
I meant your reflex strip. If you check back on my initial Aiwa photo reports, you can see that Aiwa seem to be the only people that employed a Reflex strip in their stock scheme!

I basically agree with this, but the caveat is that I dont currently feel the treble boost is really boosting the treble higher, so the overall FR is still a downward slope, just not as badly as stock. It is definitely not perfect yet, but I am going to hold off on tuning more until I have the new pads here. What was Ludo's damping scheme for the RP18?

You prefer the HP-50 to the HP-3? That certainly means there is something different about either your HP-50 or HP-3 compared to my HP-50 and YH-3, which sound the same to me. I certainly like mine, especially the mids, it is just I like the 'stats more, and am trying to tune them towards the 'stat sound more.

Ah, I see. I thought that was something you added to your Aiwas, looked like just a piece of paper glued in place. My RP18 reflex strip is probably a bit smaller and applied perpendicularly to the HP-500 strip.

No, I have not tried a donut of any sort. What effect do felt donuts tend to have?

On the Grundig, it brought down what needed to go down (I'm not sure exactly what that was), bringing some nice sparkle to the treble while keeping all the bass. But I have no idea what it would do to your cans, except that probably it would keep the bass as it is.

Exactly!

Colin,

I don't know if you have the necessary felt I included when I first shipped the same RP18. Ludo's stock damping involves only two discs of felt: the very thick dark gray/brown felt (Ludo will correct me if I remember the color wrongly) to kill the resonance against the cup; half mineral wool biscuit for each side, and the thin, dense, black cashmere felt against the driver. You could try with two layers of mineral wool on each sides. The mineral wool should be split in two layers for each side.

I agree with Smeggy as to the beautiful Kenwoods. They would make for great looking housings for really good driver (if the stock ones weren't up to the task).

Tony, that sounds basically like what I have now. I have one piece of mineral wool in each side (didnt come with anything else), so it is fuzzy on one side and woven on the other side.

Yes, each layer is made that way.
Essentially, right now you are listening to the best iteration of the RP18 as I heard it, but having added a reflex dot you might be perceiving some more treble.
The nice thing of the RP18 is the great smoothness, and the sense of clarity and resolution they produce even with such a roll off. But the overall feeling lacks some necessary brightness.
I wonder what you could achieve by sticking dots along the perimeter as opposed to the centre.

Tomek reported earlier that the Kenwood has T10 drivers, but there were no photos posted.

Yeah, that has basically been my plan to try next Tony: once I have the new circumaural pads for these I will experiment with different size and placement reflex dots. You are correct, they are very smooth and very, very bassy. I can honestly say I have never heard a planar with this much bass, at least with the stock pads. Its sorta like a beyer, but actually good.