Jumbo Pads, Extra Venting, Damping, Wood-Strip Lining
1. The comfies have been swapped out in favor of jumbo pads. This increases HF extension, soundstage and comfort.
2. Because of the increased ear/driver distance imposed by the jumbos, I've vented the driver further, punching out all 10 holes in the driver back. This has radically improved the airflow and the bass extension. Grado drivers don't have much in the way of grumble, but they do have slam. It's the 100 Hz area that is now much punchier. Because of the improved venting, these are Grados that can truly wear the jumbo pads without the usual sibilance issues that come with adding jumbos to sub-GS1000 Grados.
3. The magnet plate has been damped with felt, without blocking the two venting ports. The rear button has also been damped with felt. This has improved the clarity of the HF performance. With good damping, Grados have a cleaner sound.
4. Thin strips of wood have been wound around the inner layers of the shell. This replaces dark felt that I had previously used for damping. I, personally, like the effect of the wood. While I'm not claiming that the wood strips are the equivalent of "woodying" the Grado shell, I like the little bit of coloration they add to the overall presentation - and much prefer them over the bare plastic that was there before.
These headphones sound surprisingly good. With the jumbo pads, they have a much larger and freer sound than Grados with bowls, comfies or flats. Still, they're quite mellow. Unlike with the GS1000, there's no noticeable drop in mids.
PRICE: $150 (SR60i + G-Cush Jumbos + materials for damping + shipping CONUS)
Because this is a one-off, with nothing to compare to, satisfaction is guaranteed. You can listen to/evaluate this headphone for 10 days. If you don't like it, contact me during that period and I'll arrange for a full refund (though you have to pay your own return postage).
Note: I am not a member of the trade. This is the only unit like this I have. I'm selling it because I have too many headphones. Information on how to make your own similar mod is in the Grado-mods thread.
Edited by Bilavideo - 7/26/10 at 11:10am
