[theHof]

Hey everyone,
 
I've seen loads of tutorials on opening lower end Grados, has anyone popped open 325s?  Or anything with the metal cups?  I want to build a new cable since I hate the stock one (ergonomically) and my jack snapped off in an ipad.  Is it the same procedure with the metal cup models? 

 

[openfly]

http://i.imgur.com/s5xcy1o.jpg
 
this is an older pair of sr325s I was working on last night.
 
I read some advice on here about how to open them.... I opted not to go with the steam opening.  Actually the great thing about the 325 is it's had to break them.  What I did was stick a needle nose pliers into the wire hole and just... open the cans up forceably.  Pre-heating might help with the glue, but that worked fine without ( at least for me ).
 
You can also see in the photo how I worked my way around having Y wiring.
 
http://www.ebay.com/usr/mwcamp77?_trksid=p2047675.l2559  <--- this guy has some great replacement parts for the sr 325 style.  I used them for a lot of the build.

 

[openfly]

worth mentioning, how i got the wiring through the headband leather ( that's stock grado stuff - 50USD to buy from them )... was I soldered the wire to the end of the brass piping and pulled it through, then repeated for the second wire... then did one last push through.
 
I used a thinner gauge pipe than the one sold with the headband by the ebay guy... because i wanted the wiring to fit in.  That seems top have worked fine, thought the band is a bit more malleable.
 
If you have any questions, glad to answer them.

 

[openfly]

FYI day 2 with these post mod... I did the crossover from right to left ear piece using .22 gauge stranded wiring... this was probably a mistake.  I have what I believe are impedance caused clipping issues manifesting occasionally in the driver.  The issue is doing the crossover as I did with a stock band... wouldn't fit a thicker cable.  For the next pair I build I'll need to consider using a different cushion band with a little more room in it to make the crossover more rigid and fit some thicker / better shielded cabling in there.
 
Would love advice if any have any on that crossover bit and whether or not I am right in my thinking.