post your grado mods.... - Page 167

mindi woods + SR80i driver... no grill yet :D

 

Prototype of the Mahogany version (see reza7392d's post above). 

 

 

SR225i w/ Mahony Woody (prototype):

its been a while since i posted & let me say i've been impressed by all of your posts in this thread keep it up guys

here are my wood 225i sporting todd flats



my cmoy which had a few changes:
- can run off batteries or mains power
- dip socket removed & 49860 soldered directly
- replaced caps installed 25v silmic IIs & 5uf caps
- changed case so i can stare at innards & to house larger components

 

Are those Vibro Cups? I've been thinking of getting a pair of those for my SR225i drivers, but have't decided yet if I want to start with cable or cup change.

Do you think you have a $100 sound improvement when changing the cups?

SR60 with some Dynamat on the back of the magnet, quarter modded pads, and custom grilles. 

X2

 

I know Santa is muttering about a pair of SR225i and I already have plans to mod them...the Vibro cups are high on the list.

Just "dynamatted" (actually STP Silver) MS-1i driver magnet and wall of the rear chamber. Then I moved onto the holes, but something odd happened. I actually managed to rip a layer of... whatever it is that covers the holes off there, so that it is thinner now. I did this on purpose on the other side after this. So now I have 4 holes + thinner than usual coverage on the rest.

 

I was hoping to extend the bass a bit further down, but instead it sounds more like it boosted the highest bass or lower mids... but if I get bowls or 414 pads, would they even things out?

Don't know if this counts as a Grado mod as such, but i wanted to use my grados for voip/gaming, and needed a way to attach a microphone.  I didn't want it to be permanent, and i wanted to be able to fit it to any of my existing (or even future) cans.

 

I started with an old credit card, cut and bent it to shape so that it would grip the rod block.  It's lined with a small piece of badminton racket grip so that it doesn't scratch, and fully secured with a piece of velcro.  The 'boom' is from a flexible torch/flashlight that stopped working (you can see the threads where it screwed together, and the mic was a freebie that came on the cover of a gaming magazine that i hacked apart and made a rudimentary wind muff out of some spare foam.

 

 

and it attaches like so...

 

 

 

To keep true to Grado style, it's all held together with hot melt glue.  Yes i am a card carrying member of Team Ghetto Mod™

let me state I've no association with Headphone Lounge, Vibrolabs, Turbulent Labs
I am an audio obsessed male with too much disposable income & free time that surfs the net way too much

yes i decided to use the Vibro Classic cups as I was after the RS cup look
my 225i are easily my favourite Grado & my pair have given me over 300hrs of aural pleasure
I've listened to its sound mature from box fresh to its current state

the choice to use wood cups was purely aesthetic, Vibrolabs make no claims regarding sonic improvements

I've used my wood 225i for about a week now & they sound even better than stock
mid bass sounds fuller as does lower frequencies
I'm find myself relistening to my music collection not wanting to remove my headphones unless I have to
it could be my mind/wallet/eyes fooling my ears, no blind tests were done

overall, I'm happy with the investment

as for the cable change, IMO f#ck that, maybe if you wanted to shorten it for portable use
but I'm more than happy with the "garden hose" cable that comes stock with the SR225i

my only gripe is that none of my Jinteddy custom leatherbands look good paired with my wood cups & in hindsight two things wish I had done are:
1) bought the curly wood cups
2) replaced the Vibrolabs grille with the stock SR225i grille minus the 225 button

and as far as my Grado modding experience
Im lucky enough to own several Grados SR60i, SR125i, SR225 (original 2008 non-i) silver recable mini jack, SR225i & Alessandro MS1i
I've managed to mangle my SR60s in the pursuit of "improvement" by changing the grille, poked 2 holes per driver, blu-tack mod
let me state the changing of the grille was the biggest improvement
the blu-tack was useless & I wish I'd NEVER vented holes




Edited by ZEROES n ONES - 10/22/12 at 11:09pm

 

I think it depends on how many holes you vent.  Some go overboard and do 10 out of the box.  To me the bass ends up being muddy (definitely not the Grado signature) and bleeding into the mids.  I'm perfectly OK with venting in moderation.  I have 2 symmetrical holes in each driver of my woodied 325is and for my preferences the bass is perfect. 

I've read some posts claiming that wood changes the sound, and it makes sense if you think about the resonance and the dimensions of the air chamber... Anyway, I still want to change cups and see it for myself. I am sure they won't change for worse.

SR225i Mahogany Woody Proto Batch #2...

 

 

Tell me guys... is this an horrible idea?

 

I am thinking about taking my sr80i's and making a new aluminum casing, would this effect the sound?  Should I make it thicker, or thinner than the plastic that is on it?

Edited by milligan - 10/28/12 at 6:24pm

 

nice touch dude :D.... may i borrow it? ;)