Matt
Are there any women on this board?
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2001
- Posts
- 973
- Likes
- 12
Gentlemen,
Wow...have not been on here for a long, long time, probably five or six years. Quick "credits": I used to own a crapload of cans, starting with Grado SR-80s, Audio-Technica Hokkaido "woodies" (forget the model number), through Sennheiser HD-600's, Etymotic ER-4P's, Grado RS-1's and Stax '404's and then finally (where I called it quits and cashed out) Stax Omega II headphones with a custom-built Kevin Gilmore amp. Further, I have spent time with the Sennheiser Orpheus (at a Headroom.com tour). Finally, I hosted a Florida meetup back in the early days of this site, I wonder if those pics are still around. Lots of great gear and experiences there.
So, I got used to fairly high-end sound (you could say).
Since then I have gotten married and spend my money elsewhere at the moment (pinball!) but still have had the audio itch in the back of my mind.
LET'S GET THIS ROLLING - so quickly I got a PX-100's on the recommendation of Head-Fi some time ago (before they were replaced by the PX-100 II) and then got a Clip+ just recently. Wanted a highly portable, no-amp rig for gym and mobile use. Was looking to optimize that.
THE MOD - I ended up breaking my Clip+'s left channel solder tab off of the PCB after I had to replace the PX-100's miniplug after it got "laptopped" (dropped laptop sideways right on miniplug, splaying it's guts). I put in a (probably too-big) RatShack Gold Series miniplug with solder terminals, which then using it out working on a property ended up lifting the aforementioned left channel solder tab off of the PCB
Anyhow, I have what I believe is a pretty damn sweet Clip+ mod that cost little to nothing (if you have solder and an iron). So in the process I ended up popping the whole miniplug jack assembly off. Like it was brittle almost. Kind of interesting, because soldering jobs that *I* do would never do that.
So I simply follow the old Xin Feng / Fixup.net method of "tiny" PCB soldering (modestly tin the terminals, modestly tin the pads, fit together and give them a beat with the iron...PERFECTION...beautiful mirror-surface joints) and resolder them.
I notice there wasn't much solder to begin with (not that I gobbed it on or anything) and - as above - the joints were quite brittle it seemed, enough to just crack off with some twerking.
LONGER STORY SHORT - put the cans back on and...wow! Now, I may be sullying my reputation here if this doesn't work for absolutely everyone, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that I am hearing a significantly improved sound. Bass is more real, deeper, NOTICEABLY more controlled. Inner detail is also noticeably improved. Synthesizers have noticeably more bite and texture.
So, for the price of taking the Clip+ apart (and risking dinging the edges like I did...don't chintz out...use a properly sharp pocket knife, not a mini-screwdriver or plastic edge like I used) and a desolder/resolder, there is some further headway to be made with this rig.
Anyhow, this is a CRAZY good rig with CRAZY good synergy.
- Matt
p.s. even stock, this combo is boss. I tried the Etymotic HF5's with it (a more expensive can, as I got my PX-100's when they were $35 shipped online) and while they do have some more "autistic child putting his ear three inches from the cellists instrument" detail, it was in no way as full-range natural or musical as the PX-100's. Maybe more "technically neutral" but at the cost of LIFE, EMOTION and ART. What's more, the PX-100's have body, natural yet tight bass (or even just have appreciable bass to begin with...I used to have ER-4P's, know the value of Etys and know how to get a great seal, so I was hearing Ety bass...but also of course the HF5's cord noise as well as the creepy sound of my own neck creaking and cracking...yuck...not to mention you absolutely can NOT sing along in Ety's!)
The absolute ENJOYMENT with the PX-100's is and was superior tot the Etymotic HF5 - by far.
Wow...have not been on here for a long, long time, probably five or six years. Quick "credits": I used to own a crapload of cans, starting with Grado SR-80s, Audio-Technica Hokkaido "woodies" (forget the model number), through Sennheiser HD-600's, Etymotic ER-4P's, Grado RS-1's and Stax '404's and then finally (where I called it quits and cashed out) Stax Omega II headphones with a custom-built Kevin Gilmore amp. Further, I have spent time with the Sennheiser Orpheus (at a Headroom.com tour). Finally, I hosted a Florida meetup back in the early days of this site, I wonder if those pics are still around. Lots of great gear and experiences there.
So, I got used to fairly high-end sound (you could say).
Since then I have gotten married and spend my money elsewhere at the moment (pinball!) but still have had the audio itch in the back of my mind.
LET'S GET THIS ROLLING - so quickly I got a PX-100's on the recommendation of Head-Fi some time ago (before they were replaced by the PX-100 II) and then got a Clip+ just recently. Wanted a highly portable, no-amp rig for gym and mobile use. Was looking to optimize that.
THE MOD - I ended up breaking my Clip+'s left channel solder tab off of the PCB after I had to replace the PX-100's miniplug after it got "laptopped" (dropped laptop sideways right on miniplug, splaying it's guts). I put in a (probably too-big) RatShack Gold Series miniplug with solder terminals, which then using it out working on a property ended up lifting the aforementioned left channel solder tab off of the PCB
Anyhow, I have what I believe is a pretty damn sweet Clip+ mod that cost little to nothing (if you have solder and an iron). So in the process I ended up popping the whole miniplug jack assembly off. Like it was brittle almost. Kind of interesting, because soldering jobs that *I* do would never do that.
So I simply follow the old Xin Feng / Fixup.net method of "tiny" PCB soldering (modestly tin the terminals, modestly tin the pads, fit together and give them a beat with the iron...PERFECTION...beautiful mirror-surface joints) and resolder them.
I notice there wasn't much solder to begin with (not that I gobbed it on or anything) and - as above - the joints were quite brittle it seemed, enough to just crack off with some twerking.
LONGER STORY SHORT - put the cans back on and...wow! Now, I may be sullying my reputation here if this doesn't work for absolutely everyone, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that I am hearing a significantly improved sound. Bass is more real, deeper, NOTICEABLY more controlled. Inner detail is also noticeably improved. Synthesizers have noticeably more bite and texture.
So, for the price of taking the Clip+ apart (and risking dinging the edges like I did...don't chintz out...use a properly sharp pocket knife, not a mini-screwdriver or plastic edge like I used) and a desolder/resolder, there is some further headway to be made with this rig.
Anyhow, this is a CRAZY good rig with CRAZY good synergy.
- Matt
p.s. even stock, this combo is boss. I tried the Etymotic HF5's with it (a more expensive can, as I got my PX-100's when they were $35 shipped online) and while they do have some more "autistic child putting his ear three inches from the cellists instrument" detail, it was in no way as full-range natural or musical as the PX-100's. Maybe more "technically neutral" but at the cost of LIFE, EMOTION and ART. What's more, the PX-100's have body, natural yet tight bass (or even just have appreciable bass to begin with...I used to have ER-4P's, know the value of Etys and know how to get a great seal, so I was hearing Ety bass...but also of course the HF5's cord noise as well as the creepy sound of my own neck creaking and cracking...yuck...not to mention you absolutely can NOT sing along in Ety's!)
The absolute ENJOYMENT with the PX-100's is and was superior tot the Etymotic HF5 - by far.
