[Theogenes]

A T5p with "brain-rattling" bass and sound preferable to the HD800... would be worth looking into, at the very least. The lack of bass quantity is, by far, my biggest issue with the T5p. I'm not particularly handy myself (I could probably find a way to bring about the apocalypse by soldering together paperclips), but maybe one of the other Teslateers around here would be willing to give it a go. 
 
Thanks for the reply, man, and keep us posted with any other thoughts or mods you have!! And I'll try not to think too much about how mind-bendingly awesome it would be to have a T5p with ample bass.... *drool*

 

[elvergun]

   
No stress: this mod is totally reversible. The hardest part is to take the transducers out of the cups (at least for the first time), as the fit is very tight. I have cut circles the size of metal plates on the outside (about 70mm diameter) out of 8mm soft packaging foam. It's thick enough so that the back of the transducer presses it lightly against the cup, holding it in one place. If you try something thinner then perhaps a better way would be to cut it to the full diameter of the cup (ca. 85mm) so it won't rattle inside. Different foam thickness and density may give you a different response. 
Regarding the sound characteristics, they haven't lost any of the clarity or precision. The soundstage is still huge for a closed can, with great instrument separation. If anything, the separation has improved: on good recordings it is razor sharp. But the biggest impact I notice is that mids sound absolutely natural. In the stock form they were somewhat artificial, plasticky. I also have an impression that the bass is deeper, capable of rattling my brains when it's called for. The HD800 just can't do that.
The changes are subtle but real. I can't compare the modded T5p directly to the stock one, but I did comparisons to the HD800 before and after. While I had the T5p in stock form, the HD800 always felt more capable. Now the HDs still have the edge in size of soundstage and detail retrieval, but the T5p is more engaging.

 
Perhaps you can take one for the team and open them up again to take pictures. 

 

[PleasantSounds]

   
Perhaps you can take one for the team and open them up again to take pictures. 

 
Sure, if you can wait until the weekend. Don't want to create sensation at work. 

 

[elvergun]

Don't want to create sensation at work. 

 
 
Haha...I can just imagine that scene in my head.  
 

   
Sure, if you can wait until the weekend.

 
Thanks!!!!  

 

[Theogenes]

 
Sure, if you can wait until the weekend. Don't want to create sensation at work. 

 
Awesome man, thank you!! Looking forward to it!!

 

[thisjustanother]

so ive just gotten into headphones. bought myself some beyer dt 990 premium 250ohms. as i am no audiophile. im enjoying what i have. one thing im not sure about is the bass on the 990s. i know when it comes to higher priced headphones, you will get better sound. especially when its double the price of what i have currently. im willing to spend the money if its an upgrade. 
 
i listen to a lot of rock, metal, classical etc. so a wide range of sound. i do a lot of gaming as well. i know there will be a huge difference if i go from open to a closed. 
 
or should i step away and look at other companies products and see what they have to offer like sennheiser?
 
i have a chance to pick up the t5p's for 850$. at this price its quite tempting. is there more i should know about before i pull the trigger?

 

[Theogenes]

  so ive just gotten into headphones. bought myself some beyer dt 990 premium 250ohms. as i am no audiophile. im enjoying what i have. one thing im not sure about is the bass on the 990s. i know when it comes to higher priced headphones, you will get better sound. especially when its double the price of what i have currently. im willing to spend the money if its an upgrade. 
 
i listen to a lot of rock, metal, classical etc. so a wide range of sound. i do a lot of gaming as well. i know there will be a huge difference if i go from open to a closed. 
 
or should i step away and look at other companies products and see what they have to offer like sennheiser?
 
i have a chance to pick up the t5p's for 850$. at this price its quite tempting. is there more i should know about before i pull the trigger?

 
First of all, welcome to the T5p love-in!
 
Second, there's plenty of good info on these cans, but the first thing that seems relevant from your post would be the bass-- you say aren't sure about the bass on the 990s, what do you mean? (Although it is somewhat contentious and others most certainly have a different impression, my experience with the T5p's bass has been that it is extraordinarily detailed and well-extended, but of a lower quantity than I'd consider ideal). 
 
Also, while I've never actually heard the 990s, I'd imagine (based on the things I've read) that the T5p would be considered a pretty substantial upgrade in SQ. The specifics on the differences would probably be better answered by someone with more experience though. 

 

[elvergun]

   
First of all, welcome to the T5p love-in!
 
Second, there's plenty of good info on these cans, but the first thing that seems relevant from your post would be the bass-- you say aren't sure about the bass on the 990s, what do you mean? (Although it is somewhat contentious and others most certainly have a different impression, my experience with the T5p's bass has been that it is extraordinarily detailed and well-extended, but of a lower quantity than I'd consider ideal). 

 
The T5p is not bass shy.   They might not have as much bass as some models which have boosted bass, sure.   Some people think that more bass = fun.  I don't know how those guys who have monster sub-woofers in their cars (the kind of systems that make your even your car shake when they stop next to you at an intersection) can think their bass is fun.  Besides distorting the music beyond all recognition, everything that can rattle and shake is producing noise (I don't think that's the way the artist intended the music to sound 

....or maybe it is 

). The bass the T5p produces might not sound right to a guy who just got out of that car...but Beethoven's 5th will not sound too good out of that guys car stereo either.
 
You have to reach a balance when you are making a great headphone.  Too much bass and stuff like classical and jazz will sound unnatural...too little and the Beats generation will have a fit.   The T5p has the quantity which I consider ideal for a wide variety of music genres.   The guys with the shaking cars will probably not like the T5p (and they probably will not like the HD800 either)...thank goodness that Dr Dre thought of them.

 

[gelocks]

   
The T5p is not bass shy.   They might not have as much bass as some models which have boosted bass, sure.   Some people think that more bass = fun.  I don't know how those guys who have monster sub-woofers in their cars (the kind of systems that make your even your car shake when they stop next to you at an intersection) can think their bass is fun.  Besides distorting the music beyond all recognition, everything that can rattle and shake is producing noise (I don't think that's the way the artist intended the music to sound 

....or maybe it is 

). The bass the T5p produces might not sound right to a guy who just got out of that car...but Beethoven's 5th will not sound too good out of that guys car stereo either.
 
You have to reach a balance when you are making a great headphone.  Too much bass and stuff like classical and jazz will sound unnatural...too little and the Beats generation will have a fit.   The T5p has the quantity which I consider ideal for a wide variety of music genres.   The guys with the shaking cars will probably not like the T5p (and they probably will not like the HD800 either)...thank goodness that Dr Dre thought of them.

 
Well, I don't have a "shaking car" (lol!) but I definitely appreciate more "heft" in my sound sig. After getting used to its sound, I don't find it as anemic as something like the Shure SRH940s or the KRKs but the uneven highs still get to me, especially with metal/rock... a few songs can sound a bit strident... Other than that, using them right now with the FiiO X5 player I have as part of their "Tour"... they pair quite well (still prefer other pairings though ). The Beyer from the Burson Soloist sounded... Wow, very good.

 

[elvergun]

   
Well, I don't have a "shaking car" (lol!) but I definitely appreciate more "heft" in my sound sig. After getting used to its sound, I don't find it as anemic as something like the Shure SRH940s or the KRKs but the uneven highs still get to me, especially with metal/rock... a few songs can sound a bit strident... Other than that, using them right now with the FiiO X5 player I have as part of their "Tour"... they pair quite well (still prefer other pairings though ). The Beyer from the Burson Soloist sounded... Wow, very good.

 
Haha.  I guess I worded that post incorrectly...I did not mean to say that those who prefer "more heft" are also the guys with the shaking cars. 

 
Still, the T5Ps have plenty of bass.   If you want to hear a bass light headphone listen to the K702.

 

[PleasantSounds]

As promised, here's a brief photo tutorial on the T5p surgery:

Step 1: Grab the edge of the earpad and gently pull up. It should come off without resistance.
 

Step 2: Using a knife (any knife with a thin blade will do), insert the back side of the blade into the slit and pry sideways as marked.
That will detach the fastening ring.
 

Step 3: Using the knife blade, apply light pressure to the raised side of the driver assembly and pull away from the cup. Sounds scary, but it leaves hardly any marks and is not visible anyway.
The cable inside should be long enough to allow for some movement, nevertheless apply some care unless you are ready for some emergency soldering...
 

Step 4: Make sure the foam rings fit the inside of the cup.
 

Step 5: Insert the foam ring. No gluing is necessary.
 

Step 6: The earcup contains a groove on the side of cable fitting. When assembling back, align the tongue on the driver mount with that grove and gently press the mount in.
 

Step 7: Fit the earpad on the fastening ring. This can be a bit fiddly. I use a corner of a credit card to guide the edge in.
 

Step 8: Find the small tongue on the edge of the ring and align it with the groove on the earcup (yes, the same groove as before). Squish the two together. You should hear a few clicks. Make sure that the fit is nice and even around the edge.
 
Well - that's it. Hope this may encourage some of you to experimenting and if you do - please share your findings!

 

[AJHeadfi]

Not a screw in sight.

 

[AJHeadfi]

  A T5p with "brain-rattling" bass and sound preferable to the HD800... would be worth looking into, at the very least. The lack of bass quantity is, by far, my biggest issue with the T5p. I'm not particularly handy myself (I could probably find a way to bring about the apocalypse by soldering together paperclips), but maybe one of the other Teslateers around here would be willing to give it a go. 
 
Thanks for the reply, man, and keep us posted with any other thoughts or mods you have!! And I'll try not to think too much about how mind-bendingly awesome it would be to have a T5p with ample bass.... *drool*

 
The Fostex TH-900 is what you're after.

 

[Theogenes]

WOW, that is INCREDIBLY helpful!!! Outstanding job, PS, thank you!!! Now we can start to compare the effects of various materials in there on the sound signature... AWESOME!!!
 
(Although I have to admit, seeing a knife blade next to that driver makes my manly parts shrivel a bit. Feels like it should be accompanied by a ransom letter or something). 

 

[Theogenes]

 
The Fostex TH-900 is what you're after.

 
I'd love to check it out someday... That $2k pricetag is an amazingly effective deterrent for my immediate interest, though. Although I hadn't gotten the impression from reading several reviews that the TH-900 had the same kind of clarity and treble extension as the T5p, am I mistaken?