Fostex t50rp mods - threads are intimidating (Need help)

In my experience, it is really difficult to create a mod for the T50RP that is both massively bassy and sounds good.  Not necessarily impossible, but there isn't a quick three-step guide to get that kind of sound.

 

Generally, there seem to be a few ways to increase bass response in the T50RP:

 

1. Decrease the effective cup volume (loading the cup and baffles with some material)

2. Allow the driver to move more freely (remove the fabric on the back of the driver)

3. Allow as much air to pass through the vents as possible (remove the felt over the cup vents)

 

If you were to just do those three things, though, you'll end up with a completely unlistenable headphone.  You'll have bass, yes, but no control over any of the frequencies.

 

So, you end up needing to replace the fabric on the back of driver with something that will impede the driver movement less, but will still reflect some treble back.  The completely open vents can be a problem as well, and that's where a lot of the tuning happens.  It's also useful to use something like the Paxmate foam in order to tighten up the sound.

 

My advice?  If your overall goal is a headphone with awesome bass, there are plenty out there to choose from, even in the price range you're looking in.  Unless you're feeling enterprising enough to spend the weeks it takes hunting down materials, experimenting and testing, just get something that you will enjoy stock.  The T50RP can be great, but they are at their best when relatively balanced, not tuned into basshead cans.

Dynamat or plasticine for the cups/baffles, paxmate or similar foam (computer case foam) and craft store felt are the three basic materials.

 

If you want to get fancy you can get yourself some heavier felt (higher wool content), and some medical tape (micropore and transpore).

I would look into LFF's T50 mod.  He said they have great bass and a clear crisp mid/highs.  The soundstage is lacking though a little.  But I think his mods are the best thing next to the Thunderpants.

you'll probably like the t50rp stock way it is cause stock it is on the warm side of things. just swapping the pads with pair of AKG 240 pads or Shure 840 pads alone will do the trick cause the stock pads are way too thin and has the driver directly touching your ears. seems by warm sound you enjoy accentuating bass impact. i can't remember my stock t50rp sound to be honest but i do remember a very relaxed top-end and enclosure resonance within the midrange area. in order to bring the highs out and flatten the response a bit is eliminate enclosure reflections. reflections can clash and cause cancellations, and cancellations causes major dips in the top-end and does things screwy with the midrange. bass involves the seal with headphones. replacing the pads alone will probably end up giving you more bass impact that you want while keeping the sound warm cause the stock pads don't seal at all which leaves an impression of no bass. seal is most important with getting good bass.

you will not like a more natural sounding approach from what i take. if the headphone is natural in the bass and sub-bass department it will not do well at all with modern,more mainstream dubstep cause dubstep is not well recorded and lack complete dynamics so....basically it will sound very bad and you be like ''where's the bass?''. if you ever listened to bass competition tracks and oldskool bass artists like DJ Fury or Bass 305, you'll notice how much low-end lot of dubstep lacks completely. most of dubstep is boosted/accentuated bass to mid-bass to make up for lack of dynamics.....so basically a more natural sound you won't like.

so from my take all you might need is just simply replace the pads. that will help with seal and to bring the highs out just a bit simple stuffing with polyfill will help cause polyfill will make the driver believe it's in a larger enclosure so it will ''slow down'' the reflections but will not completely eliminate it. in order to eliminate it and completely absorb it something like fiberglass or mineral wool will completely eliminate and absorb the reflections/resonances.