Draygonn
1000+ Head-Fier
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- Jul 22, 2011
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Excuse the camera. Colorwise they are like the first pic, quite dark.
Excuse the camera. Colorwise they are like the first pic, quite dark.
What wood?
Looks like Ziricote.
My only regret in purchasing brown O2 pads is that I didn't realize at the time that they wouldn't be the lambskin variety used on actual SR-007s. I took Gary's advice and got mine (like most of you I'd assume) from Joynetcafe, and even though they were a huge improvement in both comfort and sound quality over the Fostex pads, they still pale in comparison with the ultra-comfort of the genuine variety. I had a chance to compare directly with a pair of SR-007s at a meet about a month ago when I had literally just put on my Joynet pads. Alas, there was no comparison. Next time I'll get the genuine article.
This brings to mind another thought though. I know Gary has told people (myself included) that the black O2 pads have those lip issues as discussed previously, but if they are from Joynetcafe, and assuming they're pleather instead of lambskin, it makes me wonder if the black STAX lambskin pads have the same lip problem. If they don't, it seems clear it'd be worth the extra $35 bucks ($120 Joynetcafe, $155 from STAX, if I'm not mistaken) to just opt for the real deal.
What does Gary typically use for the default TP1 pads? What makes the O2 pads so much better than the stock T50RP pads? More bass? I feel like the TP1s have too much bass sometimes.
I feel like I get a pretty good seal already. My coworkers claim they can't hear my TP1s when I have them on. I know I surely can't hear them Just wondering if the $112+ upgrade is justified. I guess for me it would be for a better sound stage. Anyone know how hard it is to do the upgrade from the stock to O2 DIY? It looks like Smeggy has sort of sealed on the stock pads.
It's not too hard. Maxvla and myself managed it in about an hour. My TP1s were actually the prototype for the foam ribbon/strip Gary now uses by default underneath the Fostex pads when someone doesn't request a different pad up-front, or so he tells me. This was his idea to make it easier for someone to change pads down the road when they start with Fostex.
Most of the time spent doing this is process is actually scratching off all the foam residue from the strip which has to be removed in order for the O2 pads to attach properly. Then it's simply a matter of stretching the O2 pad's lip around the cup and fitting it.
Edit-I should also mention, the wood on my TP1s in Wenge, which is really heavy compared to a lot of the other woods commonly used. This made it particularly important to me to find pads that would better balance and mitigate the cups, which is why I went to O2s. My needs were about 85% comfort-oriented/15% seal/soundstage. If comfort hadn't been an issue for me, I might have kept the Fostex pads. Just FYI.
Also Mullet, I just noticed you use the CTH like myself. What tubes do you like with your TP1s? I'm currently using an Amperex Holland BB 6DJ8, which is the best I've had so far with TP1s, but I'm always interested in what tubes others use when they make this awesome pairing between Fostex T50RPs and the CTH.
I'm just wondering if anyone from the group buy is still waiting for their Thunderpants yet. I recently wrote to Gary on the 24th March asking what was happening and soon after replied that they would be sent within a week. I emailed again two days ago but no reply so far. I'd be interested to see if anyone else is having the same problem. I paid in October last year so another week and it will be 7 months.