Markl-type Mods on Denon AH-D1001 (&D1000) - Page 4

Which cable did you use? I initially used the Canare Quad Star on my D1001, but when I got my D2000 I decided to try the Mogami. Honestly, I think the Mogami suits the Denons better. Ironically, it's actually coloring the sound a bit (in particular, it seems to be focused primarily on the mids with the highs and lows a bit more recessed) but IMO this complements the Denons very nicely. It's ironic because normally I would say the Mogami probably isn't the better choice of the two after seeing its bias, but really it just seems to suit the Denons so well. (I have a suspicion that this is on purpose as the Mogami probably covers the human voice range best of all and it IS, after all, technically a microphone cable.) The end result is a much more even sound I think. One thing I did that helped with the sheer thickness of the cables was to remove the insulation and outer shielding and just use a relatively thin shrink tubing that fits tight enough to keep the wire from untwisting. This made the far thicker cables when modified actually thinner than the originally thinner cables of the two sizes.)

BTW, on the subject of cable lengths, I also decided to try to do this part as rightly as possible on my D2000s. Rather than picking one particular length right off, I just ran a short bit from the cans to a 6.3mm Neutrik connector and then I made two cables with 6.3mm Neutrik connectors on one end and 3.5mm on the other end. One cable was long and the other short. I'm sure those with golden ears would be pretty unhappy with this, but I used the 6.3mm connectors because they have the least degradation of what I could find. (Technically it would be better yet with 6.3mm on both sides, but everything I have uses 3.5mm.) If I want it to go further, I use the longer cord. If it's just to something close by, I use the shorter one. No need for separate extensions (and the sound isn't changed by such a cable either.)

BTW, don't forget that even the D1000s need burn-in. As I recall, they didn't need much though. I think the sound settled at least somewhat around 40 hours or so even.

I just switched from a modded D1001 to a modded D2000 and frankly the D2000 is worlds better in the ways it's different but it has overall a very similar sort of sound, so I can't see why you'd prefer the D1000. Why not just go ahead and modify the D2000? It's not really any harder than the D1000. In fact, I found it easier to get them open and to deal with the pads.

I don't think it should affect the driver itself (unless you cover up that air hole, but that would be a very bad thing.) Mostly it just helps decrease the effects from the bass itself.

For me at least, increasing tended to reduce bass further. I felt like it had overall more clarity. Be careful though, it's easy to go too far and make it actually loose quality, even affecting other ranges pretty badly. Also, I swear I read somewhere that it's supposed to increase the effects of the highs. For me it actually helped even the highs a bit more which was a good thing because I must admit that the highs when I first got my modded D2000 were a bit sibilant. Between the Mogami cable and the stuffing the highs are now at the upper edge, but no longer bad enough to bother me. I initially used a cheaper stuffing (and this is what I left in the D1001 before I gave it away) but for some reason I didn't like the extra padding in the D2000s, so I pulled some of that out and put it inside instead. The stuff used there was a much better sort (Mountain Mist I would presume given that MarkL probably has a lot of it and it's still cheap despite being better) and I think it further helped with all of this. (Lol, I'll admit that at this point my D2000s probably have a sound that he would hate.)

Anyway, if you want more punch, you'll want less stuffing. In the D2000s I actually used probably more like half of what he described in that old post describing the mod. I pulled the fiberloft out as thin as I possibly could while trying to keep an actual layer (eg no big holes in it) and then I added one more layer on top of that. For me at least this got the bass to about the perfect point. The Denons definitely have a strong bass response, lol. For me this actually required a lot of toning down.


PS. If you look on the charts for the frequency responses for the various Denon headphones, you'll probably notice that they have a much smoother flow compared to most other headphones. I think this is probably a great picture of how they end up sounding so much more even and smooth.

I am bumping this old thread to say thankyou. I don't have dynamat, but I did essentially the same thing with blu-tak. The sound is freaking amazing. I put the earpads of the creative Aurvanas on these to lift a bit from the ear and I am sitting here just amazed.

These used to be harsh somewhat with bass that was not controlled well. Now they are extremely controlled, with the right amount of air, but the HF don't rip my ears up anymore,

This is a mod that everyone that plans to keep listening to their denon 1000s or 1001ks should do. It is not hard to remove the pads or re-seat them. It is not hard to work with the cups as long as you let the wire feed through for slack while working,

These headphones now easily sit up there with sets twice the price and beyond, They are like a strange cross between dt770s and the punchy sound of shures, but with more air than many open phones. These produce a headstage much larger than the hd555/595, but they aren't even open! I have not had that effect as pronounced with such unassuming little phones before.

Thanks. I opted for no stuffing, as controlling resonance seems to be the key, and blu-tak or dynamat will do just that.The Aurvana pads just add a bit of warmth to the sound as the driver is a tad farther from the ear and the comfort level is increased.

Any photos?

it is a lot like the op, but replace dynamat with bu-tak. it takes some trial to get the amount needed to work with thumbs to cover as much of cup inside. Roll a little long section, I plan for it to be twice the length needed so it can be accurately split, and same but smaller i did for drivers. The roll then can be looped to make a "do-nut" to serve as the part placed on driver magnet making sure to mind the hole size. The blu-tak is easy enough to work with, and with a little trial and error, it is not hard to end up with two matching weights that are worked into the shapes and places needed.

I will probably open them up again or transfer the mod to the creatives, not sure yet. The first cup I did, it was harder to mind the very very thin wire to the drivers, but it sounds fine, but could have damaged it if wasn't more careful. I also think I can work the tak into a lager % of the earcup. I am enjoying the phones at about 90% of the mod done here with the dynamat

Since it can be cut, that is also an option, lay it out on some wax paper, roll to desired thickness and cut out matching shapes. I don't know if blu-tak is used much, but it is used a lot in "speaker" DIV audiophile land since it certiainly turns hollow knocks into dead thumps. I seems like a safe way to mount down wire, or loose components, without having to resort to glue as well, but that is not what I used it for here.

The pics I should have taken would have been of how similar the 1001ks and the aurvanas actually are. Same manufacturer, only difference is earcup shape and maybe air volume. The creatives are probably better for modding, They have the slightly larger cups and slightly better pads (was hard to tell at first, but yes, the pads are a bit more plush on the aurvanas), though the driver mount location, and perhaps even the baffle itself, are the same. Headband is the same.

Aurvanas, some blu-tak, and if you are up to it, a re-cable, and you would have a respectable headphone for a price that is next to impossible to beat for what performance they would give. A little light batting in the creatives and it would probably, unlike the 1001ks, take them even further.

- AH-D1000 recabled and stuffed (no Dynamat or Blue-tak yet).

And yes, sound is very spatious, much like recabled K-240, but without the space exaggeration (K-240 are larger-than-life, which is a bonus for a musician/engineer).

I love my pair of 240s... they have the ability to take on the character of what you plug them into up to a point. They seem to want to almost be warm, so on a tube pre, it is hard to take them off to use others. I have even fallen asleep in them... more than once. They certainly have very little in the way of fatigue.

back to my little project, I am now using the Aurvanas as the platform. I like the piano black with the stainless colored accents. Also, after opening them up, the differences between them and the Denons are, well, it is perplexing, because even the wire gauge is the same. Still, I found it easier to work with them, especially lining the inside of the cup with the blutak. So rear of driver is accounted for, as is the inside of the plastic shell/cup. I am liking the results. I am not sure what a little battin would actually do and I do not wish to place any inside until I am certain that is what I want to do. Any of you know what sound signature the fibre fill would modify?

These don't have as much hours on them as the Denons, but all the advantages of the mods I DID do, did move over to the creatives. Right now, the Aurvanas are easily more enjoyable than the Denons stock, and it will only get better. It took a while for the others to break in, so same driver same factory, same materials, I know that am looking at a similar amount of time.

They most assuredly need a re-cable. The stock cable on these is just bad, and while the Denons had better plug termination, the cable still really has become the bottleneck at this point. I have a pair of grqdos to solder back up, but after, these are going on the project bench. The Aurvanas with such a nice cable leading out of them would let anyone "in the know" that they aren't one's regular computer accessory isle mainstay, but rather a good value.

K-240 are very musical.

You know, this might be called blasphemy by the folks here , but burn-in isn't always beneficial. AH-D1000 did lose some "tightness" over time.

Aurvana and AH-D1001 are the same thing, Foster 443741:

Foster Electric Company, Limited : Headphone series 443741

I just got my 1001s. They are now modded - I had the cables sitting on my desk for days. I also need some heatshrink and maybe some nylon techflex.

However, they compare nicely to the HD600s I have here, too. And that they're closed is great for work, which is where they're going tomorrow

thanks for the guide!

Bret

I need to re-cable my already re-cabled 1001's due to wear and I would like to improve on the cable in the process. I don't care for the thickness of the mogami  as I started using these headphones on-the-go mostly and would prefer a thinner cable. I have ordered more Mogami but I would like to rip off the outer plastic casing and possible also omit the shielding. I would then need to recover the inner cable with something - does anyone have any suggestions? I can't seem to find any braid that would be thin enough to cover the 4 slim wires in the Mogami - or maybe I should use something else? 

are this dynamat ok?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271045543712?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

upgraded mine D1001 with pure silver cable, wow, that is a real improvement!
Although the sound and bass were quite weird in the beginning, but after some burn in time (it really does work with silver) I felt all the benefits of fine silver here
if anybody would be interested will post few pics here.