post your grado mods.... - Page 189

Here's the latest mod I've done to my Grados. Beyerdynamic DT770 pads. Comfortable, and I like it. I've been meaning to change the mesh on the cups but I can't seem to find any aluminum mesh I like at home depot and maybe I'm not looking at the right section but I can't seem to find where to just buy a decent sized sheet of it.

 

Here's a list of what I have done to my Grados.

- Removable cable/One side

-Beyer headband

-Beyer pads

Can anyone give me an estimate of about how long and how hard it is to make a pair of SR80i's detachable on both sides? Also, whats a good place to get a cord to fit that? My dads got a degree in electrical engineering, so I'm PRETTY sure he knows how to solder.

Depends on how good you are with a soldering iron and how easily you can get the cups apart (I imagine, I don't own any Grados (yet), but I've been learning a lot reading this thread).

 

For cable, you can use pretty much any cable you want.  Mogami makes decent cable (from what I've read and experienced myself).  You can get it by the foot from Redco (when their site comes back up on Monday), Markertek, numerous other websites, if you have a Guitar Center near you, they sell Mogami W2534 by the foot.

 

For parts, you can get them from any of the online retailers on down to Radio Shack.  You'd need 2 mono jacks and plugs and one stereo plug.
 

Thanks a bunch :) I think that dual removable cable would be the best thing for Grado's. (other than housing mods, driver venting, dampening, pad mods), but you get my point

i saw somewhere that you have to steam melt the glues holding the grados together.
Hope it is not too difficult...

General consensus is to use a hair dryer at about a 45 degree angle, not pointed at the drivers or inside the screen, for a few minutes to soften the glue and you should be able to pull them apart.

 

That's the most common method I've read, followed by a tapered spoon and the steam method.
 

From actual experience with Grado disassembly, the spoon method works well with the older SR series (without the i) as the glue is more brittle, either due to age or a different glue used.

I never used the hair dryer method as it's VERY easy to over-heat the driver and cause damage - remember the driver diaphragm is a thin piece of plastic that WILL warp at high temperature. I only use hair dryers for heat-shrink, which gets VERY hot. Grado drivers have died this way, and others have reported great success.

 

The steam method takes longer but is IMO safer. Just leave your drivers near a heater/radiator afterwards for a few hours to get rid of any moisture build up.

 

 

I've successfully used the hairdryer method for both my Alessandro MS1i & Grado SR325is.  As liquidzoo says never direct the heat at the front or back of the driver - only the sides where the cup meets the driver housing.

 

The 325is were by far the easiest, as the aluminum cups heat up quickly, rapidly softening the glue.

 

The plastic MS1i cups took much longer to separate. The trick is to take it slowly, applying heat evenly along the outside edge of the cups for a short while, then turning off the hot air and trying to ease the cups apart a little, then repeating this process until they eventually separate. Don't rush it & don't let the cups get too hot.

Yep what he said.

 

Place the cups driver side down on a table as you heat, that way hot air cannot enter the front of the driver and directly heat the mylar. Then just rotate the cups evenly as you heat. Also use that flat nozzle thing (I have no idea what it's called) that clips onto the front of a hairdryer to concentrate the airflow. That way you can aim it straight at the sides of the cups.

my little Sr60i 

-dump bluetack on magnet driver

-punch hole 

-superlux headband 

- L cush pad

- Woody Cup

 

 

Beautiful wood...
Rate++;

Can't really brag yet, but I did already throw G-cush pads on my 325's.  Love it!

Quick question for you more experienced people out there. I'm getting my cocobolo cups in this week, in a few weeks ill be getting either v4 or v5 drivers. I want to know, which pads you recommend for either a base Sr80i driver in wooden cups or the magnum drivers in wooden cups. I'm willing to buy the 45 dollar g cush if they're worth it. But was looking more at the l cush, not to up to speed on the ttvj pads though either.

Did you just put the DT770 pads over the L cush? Does it change the sound at all?

Been looking for an easy way to increase comfort... kills my ears after a while with just the L cush.

Alright! Last night I finally took the jump and opened my Grado Sr80i's up to see what's inside and make some improvements (hopefully)! Opening them was quite easy and as described in numerous posts, so no problems there. Once inside I added some dynamat to the back of the drivers, and proceeded to poke just two holes around the drivers. I only poked two holes in hopes that I wouldn't muddy the bass and sacrifice all of the high end, while at the same time adding some bass and taming the high end. Then I proceeded to remove the plastic grille on the back, which was more difficult than I had anticipated. After I had removed the middle of the grill (there was still some left inside - invisible) I added a metal grill that I had chosen in its stead.

 

And....

Success! The high end was tamed as I had hoped, and there may be just a tad more bass than before, because I am sensing some impact. The high end is clear and beautiful, that is the best part about this and what really made it worth it. The new metal grill looks fantastic, way better than the cheap plastic stock one. Will post pictures if I get the chance.