[Slater]

I loved the sound these originally had, but find the newly opened vent to make them too bass-heavy now.

To control the bass, you have to retune the driver vents with tape.

 

[Kouri]

To control the bass, you have to retune the driver vents with tape.

Would I be bumping up to solid tape? I haven't touched any of the existing micropore tape, so it's still covering all the rear ports and the outer ring of face ports - same as stock. I could try and cover some of the face holes that're directly over the driver the way the stock Akai does, but I'd expect that to start affecting treble, not bass.

I just punched a big hole in the shell because I wanted to try these cans fully open.

Aside from the backs, I also shaved off most of the port shroud to improve cable compatibility, and replaced the 3-pole jack with a 4-pole so I can use my balanced Sony cable (both negatives are next to each other, though, so a standard 3-pole cable still works fine).

The included velour pads actually don't sound so bad now that the bass has gone up so much, but they're not as thick as the stock pads, so my ear's pressing against the shell. The stock pads were getting kind of hot anyway, so I'll probably still replace them with a set of Brainwavz - I'm just not yet decided if I'll go Hybrid of Velour.

 

[Slater]

Would I be bumping up to solid tape? I haven't touched any of the existing micropore tape, so it's still covering all the rear ports and the outer ring of face ports - same as stock. I could try and cover some of the face holes that're directly over the driver the way the stock Akai does, but I'd expect that to start affecting treble, not bass.

I just punched a big hole in the shell because I wanted to try these cans fully open.

Aside from the backs, I also shaved off most of the port shroud to improve cable compatibility, and replaced the 3-pole jack with a 4-pole so I can use my balanced Sony cable (both negatives are next to each other, though, so a standard 3-pole cable still works fine).

The included velour pads actually don't sound so bad now that the bass has gone up so much, but they're not as thick as the stock pads, so my ear's pressing against the shell. The stock pads were getting kind of hot anyway, so I'll probably still replace them with a set of Brainwavz - I'm just not yet decided if I'll go Hybrid of Velour.

You want to cover this vent hole with solid tape, such as masking tape. I usually use blue painters tape, because it doesn’t leave a residue.



Start by covering 1/4th of the hole, and see how you like it. Then, if you want even more reduction, cover 1/3 of the hole. If you still want more, go to 1/2 of the hole. I don’t recommend covering much more than that.

Make sure you do both sides exactly the same amount.

 

[MaDMaxiBo]

thanks.
i didnt like their look. and are they better than Pro 82 ?

 

[Slater]

thanks.
i didnt like their look. and are they better than Pro 82 ?

I think so (especially when modded), but “better” is a subjective term.

Also, some of the clones are better than others. For example, the Project 50X comes with crap pads, and must be changed out for the genuine pads. Luckily, the genuine pads are available separately on Amazon for a few bucks.

 

[BenF]

Hi I am looking for a chifi headphone that can replace my audio technica ath-m50x, max budget 200 usd. I only use Iems so I do not know much about headphones, but my prefered sound is harman target/neutral just like my Moondrop KXXS.

I will however use the headphones for gaming but if it sounds amazing with music then that is good.

Currently looking at the Blon B8: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLON-BossH...sr_1_1?keywords=blon+b8&qid=1570449555&sr=8-1

edit: playing with Fiio M11 or Asus xonar u7

i love bass in songs when listening Pop or club music... alternative and country i like generally.
big head, not litte or not supersized, normal or a bit bigger.
over ear or on ear doesnt matter actually, just used over ear takstar hd5500 for years. if it is strong, will not be easily broken by my 2 years doughter than i can try on ear.
using at home.

thanks.

Sounds like both of you will enjoy Takstar GM200, currently available around 56$ - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tak...scussion-thread.849965/page-197#post-15148815
The bass is very addictive, great soundstage and imaging, plus a microphone for gaming.

 

[RikudouGoku]

Sounds like both of you will enjoy Takstar GM200, currently available around 56$ - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tak...scussion-thread.849965/page-197#post-15148815
The bass is very addictive, great soundstage and imaging, plus a microphone for gaming.

I already have an antlion modmic that is attached to my headphone so I do not need it.

Does the magnets from the modmic affect the magnets from planar headphones?

 

[nereus]

I already have an antlion modmic that is attached to my headphone so I do not need it.

Does the magnets from the modmic affect the magnets from planar headphones?

Not that I've noticed.

 

[Kouri]

So I was curious how @BenF's Takstar recommendation compared to the HAS-30 I enjoyed, and happened across a chart on another board where someone measured their Marantz MPH-2.

So I overlayed the MPH-2 (Orange) over BenF's GM200 (Red) and Pro82 (Green) chart:

The different treble response has me intrigued, so I've gone ahead and ordered the GM200 to give them a listen. I'll probably pick up another HAS-30 once it drops to $40 again just to remind myself what it sounds like stock.

Back to my modded pair, I took @Slater's advice and covered the magnet vent, settling on just under 1/2 covered. Also swapped to Hybrid Brainwavz pads (less sweaty, but kind of itchy, and not as soft as the lovely stock pads). All in all, bass mostly tamed (but still a nice kick when things get really low), but some male voices are a bit boomy. I might try a light application of fiber fill in the cups to rein in the bass a bit more.

 

[Slater]

I might try a light application of fiber fill in the cups to rein in the bass a bit more.

Yeah, I forgot to mention fiber fill (which they respond very well to).

 

[Precious Antique Cans]

So while modding my HAS-30 for a more open back, I realized the shell design's a bit different from the Akai 50X that Slater demos. A 42mm grille won't fit without cutting, and the bevel prevents any sort of press fit, so I'll be gluing in a ~35mm grille instead.

I happened to have a few of these louvers left over from another project (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QC2I2KA/ ). The 25mm cylinder can be pulled out with a pair of pliers, leaving me a 35mm vented disc that's just a hair under the flat diameter of the shell once the logo-mounting bump's ground out.

Currently waiting on the matte black paint to dry on 'em before I remount and share photos.

All that said, I loved the sound these originally had, but find the newly opened vent to make them too bass-heavy now. I'll re-try the velour pads that came packed with the phones, but I expect that to drop the bass too much (they sounded hollow last time I tried them with the stock shell), so I may go for some Brainwavz round hybrids next.

I can confirm that the Stellar Labs version also has the same bevel design on the rear of the cup. I opted to glue a flattened grille to the inside of the assembly after "opening up these delicious cans" . heh.

Interesting that you rolled to Brainwavz pads, as I did the same! Exception being that mine are of the pleather variety. I found it tamed the sound considerably after the modding process. They now have that wide sound stage.... and give a nice relaxed presentation of the music. Relaxed, but not lazy either. For me, the bass sufficient and not over powering with this combination.

As a side note, the OneOdio's inherited the stock pads from the Stellar Lab's. They also had their fibrous paper that was covering the driver side removed (scraped off with a razor blade). Big improvement there. Subjectively they now sound even better, bass gets deeper, mids and highs are cleaner.

 

[pack66]

As a side note, the OneOdio's inherited the stock pads from the Stellar Lab's. They also had their fibrous paper that was covering the driver side removed (scraped off with a razor blade). Big improvement there. Subjectively they now sound even better, bass gets deeper, mids and highs are cleaner.

Can you provide a photo of the mod you did to the Oneodio? I have a set that I really enjoy and wouldn't mind possibly modding if it's not too involved/ reversible.

 

[toodles]

Hi guys, been having trouble with my other pair of bluetooth headphones (connection issues to laptop, not sure why) and want to get another bluetooth pair of on or over ear ones.

What's the best option if I'm looking for something very punchy and bright with a good sound stage, something that'll just blow me away? I like playing games and listening to videos and podcasts mostly. Comfiness is important, and preferably not too bulky because sometimes I wear headphones while shopping. Budget is 0-60$ tho I'm weary of going too high because stuff like the power input stops working after a few months, etc. I'd like to ask for something that'll last a long time too but I'm not sure if that's really feasible.

 

[Precious Antique Cans]

Can you provide a photo of the mod you did to the Oneodio? I have a set that I really enjoy and wouldn't mind possibly modding if it's not too involved/ reversible.

I'd say it isn't reversible unless you were to buy some of that fibre-paper and re-glue it on.

It's fairly straightforward. I also believe someone else in this thread mentioned this mod.

Basically all you need to do is remove the earpads and you will see a circular piece of fibrous paper glued over the output of the the headphones. I tried to dissolve the glue with a solvent, but ended up just using tweezers and a razor blade to scrape it off. As mentioned I then also replaced the earpads with the surplus ones from the Stellar Labs.

Since I did both at the same time I can't say with certainty which modification had the greater affect on the improvement in sound, but it seems reasonable that the fibre-paper would very likely be restricting the sound somewhat. I would say the larger pads mostly contributed to the bass response improvement, and the paper removal to the clarity improvement. Larger pads also increased the comfort level, not that the stock OneOdio's pads were uncomfortable to begin with anyway

Edit: I added photos, but I believe my post count is too low for me to be authorised to do that, so they didn't attach.

 

[pack66]

Thanks! I'd like a little more clarity on the top end, so maybe I'll look into doing this.

I'd say it isn't reversible unless you were to buy some of that fibre-paper and re-glue it on.

It's fairly straightforward. I also believe someone else in this thread mentioned this mod.

Basically all you need to do is remove the earpads and you will see a circular piece of fibrous paper glued over the output of the the headphones. I tried to dissolve the glue with a solvent, but ended up just using tweezers and a razor blade to scrape it off. As mentioned I then also replaced the earpads with the surplus ones from the Stellar Labs.

Since I did both at the same time I can't say with certainty which modification had the greater affect on the improvement in sound, but it seems reasonable that the fibre-paper would very likely be restricting the sound somewhat. I would say the larger pads mostly contributed to the bass response improvement, and the paper removal to the clarity improvement. Larger pads also increased the comfort level, not that the stock OneOdio's pads were uncomfortable to begin with anyway

Edit: I added photos, but I believe my post count is too low for me to be authorised to do that, so they didn't attach.