[frank2908]

There is something for me to play with for the next iteration:
http://3dprintingindustry.com/2013/12/24/kai-parthy-gets-felty-foamy-porous-poro-lay-line-filaments/
I have this material at hand but has been too lazy to print an earpads out of this. I want to achieve the same angle shape as the Audeze pads, but with larger opening (inside diameter) with a more circular shape, so that I can push the driver even a bit further forward. The problem is this filament would be potentially good for the core of the earpads, but the cover has to be made out of lambskin. I also have a piece of lambskin laying around, but have to skill of stiching/sewing. Could any one please post a pictorial tutorial for making leather earpads?

 

[Bill-P]

If you're considering making ear pads, I'd note:
 
- Bigger opening generally gives a greater sense of soundstage height, and gives the user a bit of breathing room.
- Distance from ears to driver (perpendicular to the skull) will determine soundstage width.
- Angle of driver and distance will determine soundstage depth.
 
Generally, I think you'd want more of all of those (within reasons), unless you're after a more intimate sound.
 
Also make sure you damp the "lip" of the enclosure where the driver is angled or you may get reflections that cause oddities in frequency response.
 
I suspect you won't finish all of this in before I get back to Vietnam, so... if that happens, I hope we can meet up and discuss more there.

 

 

[HiFiChris]

Clean job, congrats! 

 
Measurements would be nice though - maybe you should send them to Tyll.

 

[penmarker]

So... Any pictures of the insides of the cups? 

 

[frank2908]

  I meant the center hole of the ring. There is only some mesh inside that hole and in the original HD800 configuration it is comunicating with the outside as you can see.


I do not mean that all of the front of the driver should be dampened of course, and of course being it a ring configuration the center is a hole. I mean that half of part of the trasducer ( excluding the center hole) should be frontally dampened. Approximately from the outer circumference to the middle inner circumference, the one between the outer one and the center ring.

Or maybe one could do the opposite and cover the center hole and the part from the ring to the inner circumference. The hole may be acting as a resonator. 

 
I tried placing the foam ring of the AKG k701 ( similar to your third picture where the outer circumference is covered) on the driver but I did not like the sound. Not that I my headphones need to tame the treble, just to test the effect on this headphones. The treble is indeed tamed, and mid bass increased a tad, but imaging decreased and the sound is not lively anymore.

  If you're considering making ear pads, I'd note:
 
- Bigger opening generally gives a greater sense of soundstage height, and gives the user a bit of breathing room.
- Distance from ears to driver (perpendicular to the skull) will determine soundstage width.
- Angle of driver and distance will determine soundstage depth.
 
Generally, I think you'd want more of all of those (within reasons), unless you're after a more intimate sound.
 
Also make sure you damp the "lip" of the enclosure where the driver is angled or you may get reflections that cause oddities in frequency response.
 
I suspect you won't finish all of this in before I get back to Vietnam, so... if that happens, I hope we can meet up and discuss more there.

 

I totally agree with you regarding the earpads. On my first build, the driver is not angled relative to the baffle, and I thought to myself " this is not the soundstage the HD800 is famous for". That lead to the current design with extremely angled driver. I plan to make the new earpads with the same angle, bigger opening but lest depth because at the moment the headphones look ridiculous. I would never sacrifice sound for the look of the headphones, but if I can do both then I should.

 

[knowhatimean]

 

  The HD800 driver is a ring design, so the back of the driver has no holes. I made the cup with quite a large internal volume and lots of vents/bass port for tuning. Similarly on the ear side of the driver, the center of the driver is a hole, so if you cover the circumference, all the sound is blocked. I think Sennheiser designed the driver with this issue in mind, so the ring design would solve the problem of peaks. However the peak comes when they made the headphones extremely open and use extensively the steel mesh. I have no experience with the material but I suspect its the source of treble peaks.

I meant the center hole of the ring. There is only some mesh inside that hole and in the original HD800 configuration it is comunicating with the outside as you can see.


I do not mean that all of the front of the driver should be dampened of course, and of course being it a ring configuration the center is a hole. I mean that half of part of the trasducer ( excluding the center hole) should be frontally dampened. Approximately from the outer circumference to the middle inner circumference, the one between the outer one and the center ring.

Or maybe one could do the opposite and cover the center hole and the part from the ring to the inner circumference. The hole may be acting as a resonator. 

Having just removed the actual grilles (a few days ago) I'm 99.999% certain that is what is causing the most resonance inside of the HD800 are those grilles resonating straight back to the metal ring you're looking at, as that ring is sitting over the edges of the grilles
holding them down.
 
I listen to Orchestral music most of the time,I was pretty shocked (& continue to be so) at how much more distinct inner soundstage
information I can now hear, Maybe adding some "resonance" to other non Acoustic based music genres adds some "excitement"
for Acoustic based music it detracts from the listening experience. I have to believe that Sennheiser heard how the HD800 were characteristically "Bright".( I guess this "works" for a lot of people)
 
I had been listening to my 800s w/ the Anax 2 mods (which I placed back after I removed the grilles) but minus the grilles I think the
sound characteristics have come together to the point I can hear if other parts of my listening chain could use some attention.
 
It would be totally ignorant of me not to acknowledge frank2908 all the unbelievable work he's done to create the "Frank2908
Headphone" as this appears (for the most part) to be a "clean sheet" new build headphone that uses the HD800 "driver"'
 
The title of this thread on the Home page could use some revision

 

[frank2908]

Just finished a new cable for my headphones, I used cheap 26 awg copper cable from btg audio and rean mini xlr jack as I don't want to spend too much on cable. I believe spending $200 plus for a cable would not deliver as much change as tuning the headphones (cup, baffle, pads) themself. The cable is 8 wire braided, even though its cheaper than my DIY DHC nucleotide, the sound difference is not much, only the mid is a tad thinner than the DHC cable.

Supprise, my new set of HD800 drivers arrived. Now I'm still unclear what to do next with them: 
1 Create the same headphones so I can still enjoy them while sending one set to Tyll for measurement?
2 Create an open headphones? I doubt that I can make an open headphones better than stock
3 Going crazy: 2 drivers on one side, padless to compete with K1000???????

At the bottom are the driver for my next test, I ordered  some drivers from aliexpress to build portable headphones. From left to right:
40mm carbon drivers -initial test is good, solid bass even without pads.
50mm silk and wool driver- best of the bunch so far, good bass while remain tight, tiny brightness but can be damped
50mm titanium coated driver- most detailed driver of the bunch from aliexpress but too bright.
40mm gold coated driver.-just too bright but MY GOD IT'S BLING.

 

[takato14]

At the bottom are the driver for my next test, I ordered  some drivers from aliexpress to build portable headphones. From left to right:
40mm carbon drivers -initial test is good, solid bass even without pads.
50mm silk and wool driver- best of the bunch so far, good bass while remain tight, tiny brightness but can be damped
50mm titanium coated driver- most detailed driver of the bunch from aliexpress but too bright.
40mm gold coated driver.-just too bright but MY GOD IT'S BLING.

where the hell are you ordering these from

like specific sellers or listings would be nice

 

[frank2908]

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/Headset-speaker-unit/323026_258245270.html

 

[kapanak]

where the hell are you ordering these from

like specific sellers or listings would be nice

Hahaha you read my mind XD Frank is a wizard.

 

[fleasbaby]

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/Headset-speaker-unit/323026_258245270.html

Okay, that place looks awesome. I am an Ali-noob though. At the risk of going OT, what's the best way to buy if you're in the US?

 

[frank2908]

Okay, that place looks awesome. I am an Ali-noob though. At the risk of going OT, what's the best way to buy if you're in the US?

So far all of the items I ordered from Aliexpress have arrived on time, and all of them are shipped free. The delivery in return is quite slow (processing + shipping takes 3-4 weeks)
The customer service is good, they often response in 1 day in Google translated english.
I odered most of the "exotic" driver material they offer (non mylar- too popular): titanium and gold coated, carbon, wool and silk in one driver. From the first impression, the metal coated one is too bright, and they seem to use only one or two types of magnet, so don't expect very detailed driver delivered from very strong magnet like the testla from Beyer or Hd7/800 level.
When I start to play with them, I will start another thread to give my final recommendation.
Now let's go back to the main topic!

 

[Defyant]

Hey Frank Much respect mate  totally pro work 
 
i'm voting for the Going Crazy  
 
I almost ordered the 40mm Carbon drivers, but went with the MDR7506 40mm  instead and they arrived this morning for my little project.
 
I am very keen however to get some more feed back on the 40mm carbons and especially the 50mm silk and wool driver  as i would also like to use this in another upgrade project for my sons gaming headset. (he's a bass head)
 
Cheers.

 

[nw130d]

Supprise, my new set of HD800 drivers arrived. Now I'm still unclear what to do next with them: 
1 Create the same headphones so I can still enjoy them while sending one set to Tyll for measurement?
2 Create an open headphones? I doubt that I can make an open headphones better than stock
3 Going crazy: 2 drivers on one side, padless to compete with K1000???????

 
What's your reasoning with going 2x HD800 driver on each side (4 in total)? Or just for kicks?
 
I would vote for sending your current set to Tyll to see how good a diy closed HD800 can be.
 
AND go extremely crazy! Get yet another set of HD800 drivers... doing your 2x2 HD800-K1000 open

 

[HiFiChris]

 
I would vote for sending your current set to Tyll to see how good a diy closed HD800 can be.

 
+1