[marshallmole]

I may be able to take some photos tomorrow. Now it's too dark to make out the details, as the black sorbothane is attached to the black interior housing. 

 

[richard51]

  I may be able to take some photos tomorrow. Now it's too dark to make out the details, as the black sorbothane is attached to the black interior housing. 

thank you very much.... many people will be interested by that......

 

[crazychile]

I received my 1/8 in. 40 Duro Sorbothane yesterday and decided to try it on my least used headphones, the AT ATH-M50s. These get used mostly when the environment calls for a set of closed cans, or when I want to listen to something with a bit of bass slam. I put some pieces on the side of the driver in the cup and the internal part of the back chamber, as well as the outside of the ear cup, on the surface that is underneath the pads. Probably a total of 8 1/3x1/3 inch pieces per side. At first I had an extra couple underneath the earpad right next to the opening in the speaker grille but I took them off because it seemed like it took it too far.
 
I haven't listened to these for a few weeks and had made another system change recently (adding the Uptone Audio USB Regen to my DAC) so I didn't have a good "before mod" reference. I may have lost a bit of low level decay, but these 'phones didn't have a lot to begin with. There is also a bit of mid bass muddiness that is noticeable on some material, and not so much on others. Again, I felt that this was an issue before. It was still fun to listen to, but the jury is still out on this one. I may try removing a few more pieces after I've listened to them for a while. These headphones aren't high-end by any means, but I thought it would be a good candidate for a first time experiment.  I think the HD-598s are next and eventually I'll have to see what this does to my Koss ESP-950s.

 

[marshallmole]

Here are some pics of my sorbothane mod on HE6:

 

 

 
It's by no means a neat work, but I personally think it won't look bad if you could space out the sorb patches more regularly. I 'stacked' two patches together at the bottom part of the ring, because of the lack of room for more patches. (I'm going with the 'extreme' version of the grill mod which is no grid at all... but you should be able to re-attach grills after this mod, if you just keep the size of sorb patches in control. )
 
I have noticed a slight increase in the dynamic range of the headphones along with greater transparency. But I also think some part of the frequency spectrum happen to be overly dampened, making some particular instrument a little lifeless, I think it's the low notes of violins. It could be related to the particular configuration used here. 

 

[edstrelow]

  Here are some pics of my sorbothane mod on HE6:

 

 

 
It's by no means a neat work, but I personally think it won't look bad if you could space out the sorb patches more regularly. I 'stacked' two patches together at the bottom part of the ring, because of the lack of room for more patches. (I'm going with the 'extreme' version of the grill mod which is no grid at all... but you should be able to re-attach grills after this mod, if you just keep the size of sorb patches in control. )
 
I have noticed a slight increase in the dynamic range of the headphones along with greater transparency. But I also think some part of the frequency spectrum happen to be overly dampened, making some particular instrument a little lifeless, I think it's the low notes of violins. It could be related to the particular configuration used here.

You might want to try another experiment with 1/4 inch sorb. Reminds me some of the Stax SR007.  I started trying 1/8 sorb but it was only after I shifted to 1/4 inch that I got a big improvement in sound.  (There is also the issue of damping the 007's headband but that is another matter and probably doesn't apply to these phones.)   My theory is that with larger and heavier phones you need a greater amount of sorb .
 
There is a lot of trial and error needed with this topic.  It's not exactly rocket science fiddling with sorb, although understanding it is rocket science or at least mechanical engineering.

 

[marshallmole]

Yes I agree it might have to do with the specific configuration, size, etc. I will listen for some more and decide if I need to change something. It would indeed take a lot of experiment, equipment and time to objectively understand the effect function of this mod, and then it would still be headphone-dependent I guess. 

 

[richard51]

  Yes I agree it might have to do with the specific configuration, size, etc. I will listen for some more and decide if I need to change something. It would indeed take a lot of experiment, equipment and time to objectively understand the effect function of this mod, and then it would still be headphone-dependent I guess. 

thank you for us all for your photos..... a question important : What is the thickness of these pieces and what is the duro?
 
i experiment  on the exterior cups with 1/8 inches and the result was good (duro 30 )

 

[marshallmole]

Mine is actually 1/8 inch at 50 duro. 

 

[richard51]

  Mine is actually 1/8 inch at 50 duro. 

i am not sure but its seems  better 30 duro 1/8 .... its what i have ..... I add 4 pieces duro 50  of 1/4 duro.... the result has  not satisfied me  and i prefer to cut them to 1/8 and i am not sure that this addition to my 10 pieces of 30 duro  was so good... to my ears  the 1/4 50 duro ( only 4 patches) was put out some high frequencies... i dont have money now to buy more sorb (40 duro and 30 duro  and some thickness  variation pieces with these two duro like 1/10  or 1/12  not only 1/8 to experiment.... Others i hope will enlightened me here.... i cannot afford any expense now...

thanks to you for your participation....

 

 

[richard51]

  I received my 1/8 in. 40 Duro Sorbothane yesterday and decided to try it on my least used headphones, the AT ATH-M50s. These get used mostly when the environment calls for a set of closed cans, or when I want to listen to something with a bit of bass slam. I put some pieces on the side of the driver in the cup and the internal part of the back chamber, as well as the outside of the ear cup, on the surface that is underneath the pads. Probably a total of 8 1/3x1/3 inch pieces per side. At first I had an extra couple underneath the earpad right next to the opening in the speaker grille but I took them off because it seemed like it took it too far.
 
I haven't listened to these for a few weeks and had made another system change recently (adding the Uptone Audio USB Regen to my DAC) so I didn't have a good "before mod" reference. I may have lost a bit of low level decay, but these 'phones didn't have a lot to begin with. There is also a bit of mid bass muddiness that is noticeable on some material, and not so much on others. Again, I felt that this was an issue before. It was still fun to listen to, but the jury is still out on this one. I may try removing a few more pieces after I've listened to them for a while. These headphones aren't high-end by any means, but I thought it would be a good candidate for a first time experiment.  I think the HD-598s are next and eventually I'll have to see what this does to my Koss ESP-950s.

i think that Stax and hifiman phones are big headphone with many loose parts inside.... hence the sorb  mod was more evidently  perceptible.... i had some time ago ath m50 they were smaller and more solid... Perhaps they need less of this mod....And remember that the DURO, the THICKNESS, and the form of the pieces are important.....

 

[richard51]

  You might want to try another experiment with 1/4 inch sorb. Reminds me some of the Stax SR007.  I started trying 1/8 sorb but it was only after I shifted to 1/4 inch that I got a big improvement in sound.  (There is also the issue of damping the 007's headband but that is another matter and probably doesn't apply to these phones.)   My theory is that with larger and heavier phones you need a greater amount of sorb .
 
There is a lot of trial and error needed with this topic.  It's not exactly rocket science fiddling with sorb, although understanding it is rocket science or at least mechanical engineering.

 stax are not hifiman....  i think that the form, the metal case,  are different exigence than that rectangular plastic case of stax....i was very satisfied with your 30 duro pieces 1/8....

thanks to you my hifiman now are mostly my listening phones...not my lambda without sorb...

 

[richard51]

I had put 12 patches of 30 duro 1/8 inches + 4 patches 1/8 duro 50
 
i  have discarded  the  four (on each cups)  patches 1/4 duro 50 ... that put out the higher frequencies... I discard also the four patches 1/8 duro 50 .... same reason.... i think that the grade duro is very important.... For me its now only 30 duro 1/8 inches  around the exterior cup  and the results are astounding.....no more experience before  i stole a bank.....

 

 

[richard51]

12 patches 1/8 inches 30 duro around the cups..... I dont have any loss on any part of the frequency spectrum like with the duro 50 1/4 inches.......  i wait to mod the stax lambda nova basic 

because my hifiman are so good that i dont listen to them now... nobody want to try ?
 
I dont give a damn of the look !.... The sound is for the first time on my 3 years search for high end audio ( at the least cost ) the best i had ever hear and the sorb mod is no less better than any other upgrade gear i had bought...
 I cannot thank enough EdStrelow....

 

 

[EveTan]

HOLY SCHIIT...
 
Sorry, lost my composure there...
 
My 007As now feel like a different headphone. 
 
I don't know if that's due to the Sorbothane or due to the increased depth of the earpads. 

 

[richard51]

  HOLY SCHIIT...
 
Sorry, lost my composure there...
 
My 007As now feel like a different headphone. 
 
I don't know if that's due to the Sorbothane or due to the increased depth of the earpads. 

if you have put sorb its the sorb...

my he 400 are a  transmuted headphone now .. its the sorb mod... thanks to EdStrelow...