[chanman]

Some generic super glue I found in a drawer seems to have done the trick. I'm having difficulty keeping the pads in place on the spacers, as my DIY attempt didn't make a very elegant flange for the pads to stick on, worst case scenario i glue them on there I guess. But overall I'm liking the changes. Haven't experiment with any coatings of the pads or inside the spacers yet, but it feels like an sr125 with actual soundstage depth and better comfort, which is definitely worth the $100 these things have cost me so far. Definitely can see why it was so popular years ago.

 

[No_One411]

I've been playing around with the MS1000 mod with my Magnum drivers. 
 
I just glued the distancers onto my cups to try and get a better seal. I previously had some issues with excessively harsh, almost shrill highs. I'm not sure if its because of the Magnum drivers or not. 
 
I'll try to mess around for one more week and report back. The rest of the sound spectrum is fantastic. Bass goes much deeper, and becomes a lot tighter. The mids lose some intimacy, but they are much smoother. The soundstage also increased a lot, which was probably the biggest benefit of the mod. 
 
Hopefully I can figure out a way to tone down the treble, because its almost reaching HD800 levels. The bass is either very good, or very thin, which I've found to be dependent on how you fit the headphones on your head. 

 

[nickchen]

Pad lining is definetely the next systematical step, Jeff. Hope you succeed in getting it tuned to your liking. When you don't like HD800 highs, you'll propably end up in the Audeze camp in the long run BTW.
 
"1000ing" Magnums seems to have issues. I've modded a Magnum last Winter, and the overall result was rather under- than overwhelming, as the bass was much thinner than a MS1000, and also the overall tonality was shifted a bit "upwards". Maybe could have been cured acceptably with punch hole mod & pad lining, but as these Magnums weren't mine...

 

[No_One411]

  Pad lining is definetely the next systematical step, Jeff. Hope you succeed in getting it tuned to your liking. When you don't like HD800 highs, you'll propably end up in the Audeze camp in the long run BTW.
 
"1000ing" Magnums seems to have issues. I've modded a Magnum last Winter, and the overall result was rather under- than overwhelming, as the bass was much thinner than a MS1000, and also the overall tonality was shifted a bit "upwards". Maybe could have been cured acceptably with punch hole mod & pad lining, but as these Magnums weren't mine...

 
Sorry for the late reply. I've been trying to readjust time zones and get moved into my new apartment. 
 
I've been messing around with the Magnum based 1000 mod for the past week or so. I will report later with better impressions but...
 
Couple of changes since I last mentioned them. I switched from an Objective 2 amp to a Millett Starving Student, and it definitely toned down the highs a little bit. I definitely lost some detail with that switch, but the highs are much more bearable and the headphone sounds much better overall. I've tried them with some other amps as well, including Schiit Asgard, AMB M^3, Fiio E12, Digizoid ZO2, and it sounds fine there. There must be something the O2 is doing that is making overly harsh.
 
Also, I was using Ear Zonk G cush pads from Amazon. The official Grado pads have come in, and I think they must use denser foam or something, because this also toned down the edge of the highs. Everything else remains great, better even. Moral of this story is....just spend the extra money on the official pads...Grado is doing something right here.
 
Final change I made was using Koss KSC75 pads in front of the drivers. Between using the official pads and putting foam in front of the drivers, I think the Magnum 1000s are truly an outstanding headphone. I'll definitely be keeping the mods permanent. I would love to compare them with MS Pros Ultimates at some point, but I'm definitely much happier with the way my Magnums are performing right now. 
 
Thumbs up for me.

 

[nickchen]

   
Also, I was using Ear Zonk G cush pads from Amazon. The official Grado pads have come in, and I think they must use denser foam or something, because this also toned down the edge of the highs. Everything else remains great, better even. Moral of this story is....just spend the extra money on the official pads...Grado is doing something right here.

 
These are very intersting findings for the community I guess - "Amazon" Ear Zonk pads only for team treble!
 
I'm glad you got them tuned to your liking finally. Comparing them to an Ulti isn't a very propable scenario as I doubt more than a dozen of these creatures exist worldwide. But a punch hole modded MS1000 MS1000 has a very similar tonality.

 

[apatN]

Thought about checking this thread again, fortunately timing was perfect. Thanks for sharing!
 
Right now the MS1000 are on my head. After such a long time I checked my "setup": 4 holes punched; 1x 1,5-2mm hole in the distancers; 12 or 13 mm distancers; removed the cloth in front of the drivers. That's it, I'm not a real fan of lining the pads!
 
Also, I could open the holes in my distancers (I simply taped them shut), but I don't remember what the effect will be on the sound by doing this. As I have no new tape around at the moment I am reluctant to take it off. Can anyone tell me what the holes change in the sound?
 
Cheers, happy listening!

 

[makoshark]

Grado SR60i was my first real headphone ever. I used it all through out my college years and I gave it to my little Sis on her acceptance to college 2 years ago. I just found out about the MS1000 and I absolutly want to try it but I don't have the skills to make the distancer myself... Is nickchen still making the kit for people or any other sources people know? Thanks!

 

[nickchen]

Wow, still around, buddy!!

 
The drill holes were to get the mids digged out again, originally they were a bit recessed on the first distancer attempts "without". The amount of drill holes/allover breathing diameter determines the effect - too little is Ultrasone-like sshh-boom, too much makes the HP scream to your eardrums in a similar way as the stock Grados (when I recall everything correctly). I personally regard 3x 1,5mm as the sweet spot.
 
In what desperate life situation are you stuck not to have any tape at hand???

 

[nickchen]

  Is nickchen still making the kit for people?

Yep, PM sent.

 

[apatN]

  Wow, still around, buddy!!

 
The drill holes were to get the mids digged out again, originally they were a bit recessed on the first distancer attempts "without". The amount of drill holes/allover breathing diameter determines the effect - too little is Ultrasone-like sshh-boom, too much makes the HP scream to your eardrums in a similar way as the stock Grados (when I recall everything correctly). I personally regard 3x 1,5mm as the sweet spot.
 
In what desperate life situation are you stuck not to have any tape at hand???

 
Unkraut vergeht nicht..! There was this head-fier with Magnum drivers who wanted to do the MS1000 mod (you know who you are ), contacted me and who stirred the inner head-fier in me.
 
Ah yes, that does ring a bell. I think I used to have 3 holes, until Bila came with the punch hole mod. After that I was quite content with one hole (though it might be 2mm, not sure). The MS1000 were and still are fun cans in my collection so I don't mind a little sshh-boom as you put it.
 
That desperate life situation is called college. I used to tinker at home in my father's garage. When I moved out my head-fi days were basically over (time/money).
 
Anyway, I got more time on my hands right now. If anyone needs some distancers I too can build you some.

 

[apatN]

How might this mod work on the RS2 I am wondering, I have never heard a pair. I found quite a good deal on them, that's why. Anyone with experience?

 

[nickchen]

Theoretically similar to the Ulti, but a bit treble friendlier.

 

[No_One411]

I tried attaching the distancers with tape. I guess some others may have had more success than I did...since I had a hard time getting them to seal properly, and the tape would come loose after a couple hours. If you're really interested in the MS1000 mod, I would advise that you glue or use bluetac. It forms a much better seal and ensures that you are getting the deep bass the mod provides. 
 
With that said...I can't put down the Magnum MS1000s....they just sound so good right now. It may not be as refined as something like HD800..but for the price point, I'm willing to accept its faults, because they do well with all genres, and are much easier to satisfy amplification wise than the HD800. 
 
Damn...I'm definitely thinking about making more of these...
 
This thread needs to get going again. These really sound spectacular. 
 
With that said, my words of caution are:
- Be prepared to play at a louder volume to get the same quality of sound from the stock Grado. I found playing at the same volume as the stock Grado is cause for a thin sound, with the piercing treble I experienced earlier. Don't be afraid to turn the volume knob with these. 
- Just save yourself the time and buy the official Grado G-cush pads. I would guess that Ear Zonk earpads are made of a material that is not as dense as the one Grado uses. 

 

[apatN]

Ah never mind, price has gone up on that RS2 already. Those Magnum drivers are interesting..!

 

[nickchen]

My forum hitrate has decreased by 95%, but I still listen almost as much as in the "hot days". I wouldn't say my other bestiary collects dust, but the Ms Pro Ulti is still my main HP. It may not provide as thunderous speaker-like bass as my ortho, but all the rest is still the perfect package for every day and every genre.