[Arboginge911]

I've heard about a lot of people adding Blu-Tak or something similar to the inside of their cups to enhance sound clarity.
For this mod do you only cover the driver magnet, or the entire inside of the bowl? 
And does the thickness matter, in regards to brightness and depth of the sound?
 
Thanks so much!
 

 

[eclipes]

all you need to do is to add a very small piece of blu tak on the driver and you're good to go. Last time i checked my grados, the blu tak was a small blob, probably the size of my pinkie nail that is just stuck onto the drivers.

 

[ostewart]

you can cover the cups inside but i found they became too heavy. Just strategically place a few blobs in the cups, works just as well. Which headphones are you planning to do this to?

 

[dirkgently]

I originally did the interior walls of the cup and the back of the driver.  Once I removed the rear screen, I took the bit off the back of the driver, but left it on the walls.  IMO, it does affect the sound quality for the better.  You can get 2 small packs for about $5 at Home Depot, so try it both ways.

 

[Blue Boat]

Quote:

you can cover the cups inside but i found they became too heavy.

I'm pretty sure the headphones themselves weigh a lot more than the blue tak you can fit in the cups... 
 

 

[ostewart]

well i put a bit too much in then, about 3/4 of a pack. A big pack...

 

[dirkgently]

Quote:

well i put a bit too much in then, about 3/4 of a pack. A big pack...

I would say the blue tack in mine is probably around 1/16" in thickness, which was almost exactly one small pack.  But it's a dense substance, so I agree that it does add some noticeable weight.  I wasn't bothered by it, though.  I actually enjoy it a bit more than the hollow plastic feel.

 

[Arboginge911]

I plan on doing this to my sr80i's, does it matter what kind of material? Or is it all pretty much the same?

 

[dirkgently]

Quote:

I plan on doing this to my sr80i's, does it matter what kind of material? Or is it all pretty much the same?

Some people use felt, which doesn't add much substantial mass to the walls but does help cut down sound waves bouncing around inside the cup.  A heavier substance such as blue tack or Dynamat will add mass to the cups, further cutting down wasted vibration.  Blue tack is the cheapest option; Dynamat will be the most clean looking.  I've also seen situations where people have used a spray-on type of sound deadener.
 

 

[Blue Boat]

To be completely honest, I heard no difference before/after the bluetak mod. I sanded down the insides of my cups to diffuse vibrations, heard no difference. 

 

[Arboginge911]

Does anyone have any opinions on 'Peel N' Seal'? I have a bunch of this lying around and I have heard it does essentially the same thing as Dynamat Extreme. 

 

[dirkgently]

Does the Peel N Seal have a metal backing like the Dynamat Xtreme does?  There's another thread around here talking about the Xtreme (but in another headphone) being brighter than regular Dynamat due to the metal backing, which reflects higher frequencies rather than absorbing them.  If that's true, it might be unpleasant in a Grado.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/512529/what-does-dynamat-do-for-headphones
 
Also, reading in an audio forum where people have tried it instead of Dynamat in their cars, there can be a petroleum odor from Peel N Seal.
 
http://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-generation-ge-08-present/51465-peel-n-seal-real-deal-sound-deadening.html

 

[Arboginge911]

Quote:

Does the Peel N Seal have a metal backing like the Dynamat Xtreme does?  There's another thread around here talking about the Xtreme (but in another headphone) being brighter than regular Dynamat due to the metal backing, which reflects higher frequencies rather than absorbing them.  If that's true, it might be unpleasant in a Grado.
 

It does not have a metal backing, it's just a tarry like substance used to seal roofs, I think in the small amounts that I'll be using smell won't be much of an issue, just a couple globs on the driver magnets, and maybe a few around the cups. 
The only thing I'm rather unsure of is the 'workability' of it. Looks like I'll be gettin' my hands sticky!