Audiotex - Anybody know ´em?

[trondareo]

I´ll try some active EQ´íng later today. I have not yet found a way to open them, so I don´t know what kind of speaker is in there yet, As for material, everything that is shiny is real metal, probably pressed steel. The backs are leather embossed mat black stickers, cushions and headband are covered with some thin and very soft imitation leather, with deep and soft cushioning. They are quite comfortable for their size and weight, though I suspect extended listening might prove uncomfortable to the jaw. Also, they are the only headphone I have ever been able to see in my peripheral vision while wearing them.
 
My daughter says she was flattered that you thought she was eighteen.

 

[Ishcabible]

Quote:

I´ll try some active EQ´íng later today. I have not yet found a way to open them, so I don´t know what kind of speaker is in there yet, As for material, everything that is shiny is real metal, probably pressed steel. The backs are leather embossed mat black stickers, cushions and headband are covered with some thin and very soft imitation leather, with deep and soft cushioning. They are quite comfortable for their size and weight, though I suspect extended listening might prove uncomfortable to the jaw. Also, they are the only headphone I have ever been able to see in my peripheral vision while wearing them.
 
My daughter says she was flattered that you thought she was eighteen.

Have you taken the pads off? They'll probably have screws. If not, then try brute force or a hairdryer to loosen the glue that's likely there.
 

 

[trondareo]

Here are preliminary results of digital EQíng using Audio Hijack Pro on a Mac Book Pro.
There is bass in there somewhere! Not very deep (down to 60-70Hz maybe) but sufficient to give the music some body. The highs still sound so-so even if I can find a level that matches OK.

I´ll have a look round for screws etc for dismantling.

 

[trondareo]

The cushions were glued on with some self adhesive tape. Underneath i found 4 Philips head screws screwing through the black plastic ring in the casing and into the molded metal back piece. The driver is a single 8 cm diam paper cone. It is marked:
M   D
A - 4
Japan
 

 

[trondareo]

And here is the inside of the back.
No damping or filling, nothing but glorious reflections

 

[Ishcabible]

Darn it's just a huge paper cone driver. Well, you know what you have to do.

 

[trondareo]

Yes,

, I know, but I want to explore what I can get out of it with some damping and EQ ing first. Its hard to tear into something "new" and in pristine condition.
 
Can you recommend a suitable modern driver?

 

[Ishcabible]

Quote:

Yes,

, I know, but I want to explore what I can get out of it with some damping and EQ ing first. Its hard to tear into something "new" and in pristine condition.
 
Can you recommend a suitable modern driver?

I really wouldn't change the drivers of that, since the cups are so cavernous and you'd need a ton of damping material for most types of drivers, which are optimized for their specific headphone. Although if you're feeling adventurous, the Prodipe Pro800 seems like it has a very capable driver. It already sounds very decent in its undamped housing, and it's cheap enough to not feel bad about ripping apart. But again, driver transplants are very iffy, since you results will either be great or a waste of time. And more often the latter.

 

[crinacle]

I´ll try some active EQ´íng later today. I have not yet found a way to open them, so I don´t know what kind of speaker is in there yet, As for material, everything that is shiny is real metal, probably pressed steel. The backs are leather embossed mat black stickers, cushions and headband are covered with some thin and very soft imitation leather, with deep and soft cushioning. They are quite comfortable for their size and weight, though I suspect extended listening might prove uncomfortable to the jaw. Also, they are the only headphone I have ever been able to see in my peripheral vision while wearing them.
 
My daughter says she was flattered that you thought she was eighteen.

It still seems a little huge no? Even the best of headphones have to bow down to comfort 0.0 I cannot imagine anyone wearing that for more than an hour...

So, what's a 'paper-cone driver'? I'm seeing the term being flung around alot here, but I've never heard of it before.

P.S. it's pretty much a fact that your daughter (whatever age she may be) can have a beer here in my country without being arrested...

 

[Ishcabible]

Quote:

It still seems a little huge no? Even the best of headphones have to bow down to comfort 0.0 I cannot imagine anyone wearing that for more than an hour...

So, what's a 'paper-cone driver'? I'm seeing the term being flung around alot here, but I've never heard of it before.

P.S. it's pretty much a fact that your daughter (whatever age she may be) can have a beer here in my country without being arrested...

It's basically a miniature speaker in the shape of a midrange. That's like the crudest definition I can think of, but basically, they look like a speaker midrange. I tried looking for a picture, but I couldn't find one.
 
And to the OP, read this: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/523114/turning-70-s-stanton-dynaphase-sixty-cans-into-good-sounding-phones
 
And what's the legal drinking age in Singapore (if there is one?) Unless I totally missed the point of what you said...
 

 

[crinacle]

It's basically a miniature speaker in the shape of a midrange. That's like the crudest definition I can think of, but basically, they look like a speaker midrange. I tried looking for a picture, but I couldn't find one.
 
And to the OP, read this: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/523114/turning-70-s-stanton-dynaphase-sixty-cans-into-good-sounding-phones
 
And what's the legal drinking age in Singapore (if there is one?) Unless I totally missed the point of what you said...
 

I said she could pass off as legal, since most of us are baby-faced anyway...

BACK ON TOPIC, what's so bad about a paper cone driver?

 

[Ishcabible]

Every 70's paper cone headphone I've used (quite a few, but not any famous ones like the Dynaphases and Pioneers) are mostly midrange and not much else. Probably poor implementation, but I'll never know. I still want to try to make headphones out of tweeters. People have with SFI tweeters (they're tweeters right? Or were they mislabled?) so I can't imagine why anything else would be impossible. I could start with HiVi iso tweeters, but I digress.

And...oh...I thought that at first but decided to play dumb because that might have been what you meant.

Anyways...yeah just tack (or that awesome clay that never hardens) the cups.

 

[trondareo]

OK, I´ve spread blue tack around the largest surfaces, and over the protruding cylinder in the back of the headphone shell. I then cut 10mm thick acoustic felt discs and inserted into the cavity. Listening impressions: higher, and possibly mid, bass is improved.I´ll post some pictures tomorrow. Un Equalized; on some Morphine tracks they sounded  like the band was playing from the bottom of a well. On a few tracks of Patricia Barber, everything sounded quite well!. I haven´t got my good computer with me today to do proper EQ ing, but I managed to play arround a bit with a movie and VLC´s equalizer. Sound improved dramatically with a bass boost of 15dB and increasing the high tones progressively from 1kHz up to + 15dB at 16kHz. The sound stage is suprisingly open. and quite forward. There is no tendency to soundstage in the middle and back of the head.
 
Verdict. Promising for a 1970´s Headphone. With EQíng there is powerfull bass at least to 60Hz, good mids and Ok highs for the vintage. Buy one for the looks If you can, and use BlueTack damping and possibly stuffing with felt or a lighter acustic fill.

 

[trondareo]

Just found another pair of these in an german ebay auction with a different brand name and a volume control. They are called: [size=x-small][size=large]Neckermann Luxus Nr. 813/222[/size][/size]

 

[Infoseeker]

Put a speaker driver in there. xD
Only headphone I can think of that might have a chance is the Sony MDR-XB1000's 70mm drivers. ^^;
Will be a huge contrast bass-wise. lol