[LSUDude258]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xkRoWx /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm wondering if I should send my MS1(000) in to have them repair the right driver. The rattling is very obvious with PA2v2. I don't like HeadWize's collective Grado mod. Too vague in details.

Why not? I mean if you are listening to headphones that don't sound like they should and you have an option to have them fixed...go for it

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xkRoWx /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't like HeadWize's collective Grado mod. Too vague in details.

So is this post as well...

 

[apatN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSUDude258 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Haha I would like to have a different cable and also out of one ear but I wouldn't know where to start and would be terrified of breaking something. Probably best if I just stick to the stock cable

Well recabling to one side isn't harder than dual side but breakage can happen yes. I killed my MS-1s. See this: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/hel...0-pics-346767/

 

[kintsaki]

I am wondering whether an internal rosewood spacer/distancer placed into a 325i aluminum case would emulate a PS-1000?

I am also wondering whether you guys can tweak the drivers themselves. We all now that the Alessandro, PS-1 and HP-1000 are basically tweaked John Grado drivers with various degrees of stressing?

Brian, I would also want to see a woodie triangle in lieu of the plastic one, woodied cups on the shafts, and screw locks on the shaft holders to keep the drivers from rotating 360 degrees and twisting the cables.

For the rest of you that don't know it, the 125,325 and RS-1's that Brian "Boilermakerfun" send to Grado for repair were mine at some point in time. The 125 was the oldest, I purchased it in 2001 from a dealer that used it as a demo for more than a year and it was the last one to go out from overdriving it six months ago. The 325 was the newest (2005) and used less and went first and then the RS-1. The RS-1 had the best midrange and the 125 had the best bass and treble. I now have a 325i which is an overall compromise with midrange improved over the 125 and treble improved over the RS-1. The 125 still better than all on bass.

If only the K-1000 had the 125 bass
and
the Denon Markl Moded D2000 the RS-1 midrange

and if someone could come up with a proper in ear plug for the SR-003 (baby Stax or Omicron as I call it given Stax uses Greek letters for their phones such as Gamma, Lambda, Sigma, Omega)

then there would be plenty of relatively cheap and easy to drive phones but difficult to surpass.

Brian, see if you can buy a set of GS-1000 pads for me and make me wooden spacer distancers to send me to allow me to mode my 325i's to PS-1000 emulators.

I have always hated Grado pads because they would disintegrade in a short period of time but now the GS-1000 carry a very long warranty period.

Are they made from a different material ?

 

[nickchen]

Things are simple with Gradessandros, but not THAT simple that a PS1000 can emulated by such minor tweaks as described in this thread.

Tweaking drivers is something very serious that I personally wouldn't dare. You may be able to influence bass by reducing or adding backwards damping layers, but I have no idea how to influence mids and treble in the driver's section.

The material of the distancers doesn't play any role, as long as felt coating is applied. I've tried different wood sorts, plastic (the original Liberators) and self hardening compound, it's all alike.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kintsaki /img/forum/go_quote.gif Brian, I would also want to see a woodie triangle in lieu of the plastic one, woodied cups on the shafts, and screw locks on the shaft holders to keep the drivers from rotating 360 degrees and twisting the cables. For the rest of you that don't know it, the 125,325 and RS-1's that Brian "Boilermakerfun" send to Grado for repair were mine at some point in time. The 125 was the oldest, I purchased it in 2001 from a dealer that used it as a demo for more than a year and it was the last one to go out from overdriving it six months ago. The 325 was the newest (2005) and used less and went first and then the RS-1. The RS-1 had the best midrange and the 125 had the best bass and treble. I now have a 325i which is an overall compromise with midrange improved over the 125 and treble improved over the RS-1. The 125 still better than all on bass.

Mike, I was planning the wood bowls and tips for your 125s. I'll also include one of the better leather headbands and new cable. The Y-Split and jack will have the same wood as the cups. The triangle in wood will be more difficult, but I have an idea I need to test once I get them back. You will love it, I'm confident of that. I may have to just break down and buy a set of SR80s to sacrifice to your SFI cups for the hangers and use the drivers to repair my vintage Kenwoods.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kintsaki /img/forum/go_quote.gif and if someone could come up with a proper in ear plug for the SR-003 (baby Stax or Omicron as I call it given Stax uses Greek letters for their phones such as Gamma, Lambda, Sigma, Omega)

This is OT, but I'll answer it here for you... I need a drawing or sketch of what you want. Or I need detailed measurements of the post that inserts into the plug. Custom ear moldings can be done and ear plugs that exactly match your ears and accept the Stax plugs can be made. The risk is spending a $150 on earplugs that seal great, fit great, but negatively impact the sound. I have a friend that had custom ear plugs made for his Shure E540s, so I'll ask him how they affected the sound, then pass on the info to you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kintsaki /img/forum/go_quote.gif Brian, see if you can buy a set of GS-1000 pads for me and make me wooden spacer distancers to send me to allow me to mode my 325i's to PS-1000 emulators.

I'll make you a set of spacers to nickchen's dimensions and I can get you the pads, but they are $45 a set, so I didn't order them with my repair service. Perhaps I should though, then I might, might, be able to wrap them in lambskin or kangaroo leather for you to make them last, this would also really emphasize the bass and the highs to your liking, so I will see what I can do. Lots of trials with pleather for patterns before I put a $300 kangaroo hide under the scissors...

Quote:

Originally Posted by kintsaki /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have always hated Grado pads because they would disintegrade in a short period of time but now the GS-1000 carry a very long warranty period. Are they made from a different material ?

- Yes. Much denser foam

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickchen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Things are simple with Gradessandros, but not THAT simple that a PS1000 can emulated by such minor tweaks as described in this thread. Tweaking drivers is something very serious that I personally wouldn't dare. You may be able to influence bass by reducing or adding backwards damping layers, but I have no idea how to influence mids and treble in the driver's section. The material of the distancers doesn't play any role, as long as felt coating is applied. I've tried different wood sorts, plastic (the original Liberators) and self hardening compound, it's all alike.

Have to 100% agree, trying to tweak drivers that aren't readily available except by return repair service or buying new cans would be difficult and very expensive for little chance of great success.

As experienced by the ortho tweakers, the type of felt and it's thickness will have an effect on the sound to larger degree than most probably realize. On bass heavy, but muffled or dark orthos, we damp them very heavily with felt and other materials to smooth and recess the bass allowing the mids and highs to come forward. This process reduces the efficiency of the headphones, so higher levels of power or volume knob setting are required to get the modded orthos to the same volume level as the stock versions.

Mike, I can try dampening the rear of the 125s woodied bowls and test a few felts on the spacers to see how it reacts. I bet I can get more mids and highs of the 125s while reducing the overwhelming bass down to enjoyable levels. They still won't be the best for female voices though, since they will still be Grados after all.

I'll post my opinions on all mods after I get Grados back and let Mike share his opnions many months from now when they are finally back in his hands in Greece.

And I was serious, I am going to call Grado and ask if they will install Allesandro drivers in my 325s for a premium. Worst case, he says no.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoilermakerFan Mike, I can try dampening the rear of the 125s woodied bowls and test a few felts on the spacers to see how it reacts. I bet I can get more mids and highs of the 125s while reducing the overwhelming bass down to enjoyable levels.

Things can get adjusted to a quite spectacular amount by felting and drilling of the distancers. Idealwise, you have a 2nd set of cans as reference point.

Regarding the opposite side, woodying does nothing at all, at least for my objectivist's listening habits, a subjectivist may gets different results. **Klick**

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickchen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Things can get adjusted to a quite spectacular amount by felting and drilling of the distancers. Idealwise, you have a 2nd set of cans as reference point. Regarding the opposite side, woodying does nothing at all, at least for my objectivist's listening habits, a subjectivist may gets different results. **Klick**

Thanks nickchen, I had forgotten about your trials. I knew the wood cups didn't do much to the sound over plastic cups, but IMHO they look SO much better. I know the big improvement in modded 225s comes from more open mesh, which aligns with your felt trials to some degree. Also glad to see that you guys did notice the changes with different felts. The impact of the felt on orthos has driven me to the point that after I get a basic config down that I like, I will actually start making my own felt from fibers to tune the sound further.

 

[Dutchess of York]

Gentleman (and ladies):

I believe I just put the worlds first Grado 2k25's on my head, and I am completely floored. Holy Sh!t, they have everything I love about the AKG K500s, but they are just so much more natural sounding. I have no trouble with bass or treble, everything just sounds correct. Ill put together a detailed review in the near future, but I just got to my dorm and opened my TTVJ box and thought id post a first thought. Ive been living with SR225s and liberators for some time, and there is a massive improvement with the super bowls. Like the difference in size between the bowls and super bowls. More to come.....

Edit: just ran them through my favorite test track, Jerry Garcia: Pizza Tapes: So What, passed with flying colors, couldnt be happier with these right now.
Edit: just peed my pants a bit listening to Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People: Looks Just Like The Sun

 

[kintsaki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickchen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Things can get adjusted to a quite spectacular amount by felting and drilling of the distancers. Idealwise, you have a 2nd set of cans as reference point. Regarding the opposite side, woodying does nothing at all, at least for my objectivist's listening habits, a subjectivist may gets different results. **Klick**

Nico and Brian,

as i have expressed my admiration and complete confidence to your knoweledge and talents in the field
I would like to ask you to collaborate in building a full Gradossandro for me (perhaps pro based) along with a set of required parts for modding my 325i and advice me on obtaining a K702 for reviewing. I do own a Senn 600 which I find detailed but lifeless or clinical and seldom use. I never heard a K701/702. As Brian is in the States and can readily get drivers and pads and make distancers and spacers o his lathe I would like him to implement this.If you are interested feel free to ask me questions on my preferences that would allow you to fine tune the modes for my taste. I would also like to include an in production fostex Trp50 and look at all those in relation to the K-1000, Omicron Sigma and Omega.
Let me know your thoughts and costs in public or PM as you see fit.

edit:I have never heard the DT880 either or any of the Beyers

 

[NoXter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchess of York /img/forum/go_quote.gif Gentleman (and ladies): I believe I just put the worlds first Grado 2k25's on my head,

Sorry, Cosmopragma was the first one.

But good to hear that you like it.

 

[Dutchess of York]

so close, they still havent come off my head, even ventured into public with them

 

[nickchen]

Cosmoprogma found the modded SR225 quite sssssh-boooom and hated them, but when I think of it seriously, that was way back in early 2008 with "Mark1" distancers (totally undrilled and unrefined) and no felt damping except the ring coating.

What we also always have to considerate are the infamous Grado quality spreads, maybe his SR225 sounded already totally different when being stock.

Principally very good news that this mod does seem to work with other models than MS1 and MS Pro, I found that limitation always a bit annoying.

 

[Mathias Bak]

So i recived the nickchen made liberators today! NICE

(the other package is an e5)

I think nickchen was in an easter mood

Nice packed

And nice work.

Im still waiting for the gs-1000 pads

 

[apatN]

I always read the SR225 is the most neutral Grado, at least of the SR series. Maybe that's why it works..