[robar]

Just to chime in with measurements: here's how I utilize measurements in my tuning process. I've recently played around with the 19-21 red dot drivers by putting white cotton horseshoe (salvaged from b40) on the drivers. (the setup is very simple otherwise, just a well fitting black mx500 shell + standard horseshoe on vents) I reached my current ideal tuning by playing with the amount of white cotton covering the driver, my favorite is roughly 50% at the moment. As you can see, the effect is very clear, full coverage is quite V-shaped while bare drivers are flatter with less bass. It was a bit too midrange forward for me (fatiguing), this is why I decided to push it towards v shape a bit.

I also do this with driver matching, for example in this project I swapped one of the drivers with a backup and the sound definitely got better after reaching a close match.

Actually I built two identical buds parallel, I started one from the full coverage (green) and one from bare drivers (blue). Listening and measuring both, then making changes etc. In the end, my sweet spot was the middle one and I tuned both to that signature. (one of them was a present, I kept the other)

My measurement technique is far from perfect of course and looks very different from others, but as you can see it's perfectly fine for showing relative differences in the tuning process (mine has a consistent peak at 250hz regardless of earbud, but who cares lol)

I just push the earbud against the mic (with donut foam) of the Tascam DR05 which happens to be the perfect diameter. I plug the line out of the Tascam into the Focusrite Scarlett and voila




@furyossa Sorry for the late reply, I'm glad the tuning worked out for you. I'm following the thread and very nice work everyone

 

[furyossa]

After testing a few different shells and tuning mods, I finally managed to achieve more than the expected result.
In this post I will describe a "very simple" mode for HiFi Boy Dream.
I would first like to thank Mr. @robar and Mr. @jogawag for the great suggestions.



I bought this pair for Penon Audio Store and currently available version is "Rose Gold"
these are some specs and few reviews

Driver size:	Frequency response:	Impedance:	Sensitivity:	Cable:
16mm	15 Hz-23 KHz	32ohm	100dB	5N OFC

https://audio123reviews.com/2018/03/30/hifi-boy-dream/
https://www.audiobuko.com/2018/05/hifi-boy-dream-review-earbud-awakening.html
https://primeaudio.org/hifi-boy-dream-earbud-review-follow-the-dream/

For me, these buds are one of the best sounding 32ohm driver model which I have heard so far, clarity and precision wise.
I think anyone who likes a more intimate sound with dominant female vocals would like this pair.
The presentation of the sound is quite reminiscent of closed-back headphones.

The main reason why I decided to modify this pair is because I am a fan of a more spacious sound, and since I am sensitive to treble,
sometimes forward upper mids can bother me also. Other frequencies are already perfectly balanced, so the main goal here is to soften the mids a bit
without losing detail and to achieve a more spacious sound.
Stock metal shell is shallow and from previous experience this kind of shells tend to bring mids forward and produce closed sound even if the stem is open.
Staying with the same shell was not the option, so I decided to try different shells with a deeper cavity. With some metal shells I got a bit hollow sound
which I didn't want in this case and I return to old-good MX500. With black and silver shell I had a problem putting the driver because
the driver construction sets high in cover so there is not enough space for the shell "lip".
I borrow gold MX500 shell from DIY Tingo TC400 (old version with light-gray metal mesh covers and white not braided cable, this is the new verion) which has
very short"lip" and accepts well metal mesh driver cover. To match the look, I pick RY-c15 gold cable and this is the result



Now about tuning. For stock tuning, HiFi Boy used some kind of pressed full horseshoe black foam and ring foam on the inner wall of driver cover



For this MX500 mod I use tuning paper (Y3 or Y4) on the back of the driver and full horseshoe black foam on the shell vents
After testing this mod I noticed a huge soundstage (3D) and calmer female vocals, but low frequencies were in the 2nd plan.
I also felt a little resonance that I didn’t notice in the metal shell.



Unlike the black MX500 shells, these gold, silver and metallic red shells have a larger fake vent
which can cause unwanted resonance. A similar problem occurs with headphones



I decided to close this superfluous space on both side as well vents on one side to increase the pressure in the shell to restore bass and sub-bass.
For this you can use glue, clay or even chewing gum Then goes full black foam over.
With this modification the bass is tightened and has a better definition, and also has an impact on sub-bass.



The final result is obvious and quite surprising to be honest. I just emphasize that the imaging, soundstage and bass speeds are great.



And I am more than satisfied with this project, which in the true sense of the word represents an "intimate to spacious sound" transformation.

 

[FranQL]

After testing a few different shells and tuning mods, I finally managed to achieve more than the expected result.
In this post I will describe a "very simple" mode for HiFi Boy Dream.
I would first like to thank Mr. @robar and Mr. @jogawag for the great suggestions.



I bought this pair for Penon Audio Store and currently available version is "Rose Gold"
these are some specs and few reviews

Driver size:	Frequency response:	Impedance:	Sensitivity:	Cable:
16mm	15 Hz-23 KHz	32ohm	100dB	5N OFC

https://audio123reviews.com/2018/03/30/hifi-boy-dream/
https://www.audiobuko.com/2018/05/hifi-boy-dream-review-earbud-awakening.html
https://primeaudio.org/hifi-boy-dream-earbud-review-follow-the-dream/

For me, these buds are one of the best sounding 32ohm driver model which I have heard so far, clarity and precision wise.
I think anyone who likes a more intimate sound with dominant female vocals would like this pair.
The presentation of the sound is quite reminiscent of closed-back headphones.

The main reason why I decided to modify this pair is because I am a fan of a more spacious sound, and since I am sensitive to treble,
sometimes forward upper mids can bother me also. Other frequencies are already perfectly balanced, so the main goal here is to soften the mids a bit
without losing detail and to achieve a more spacious sound.
Stock metal shell is shallow and from previous experience this kind of shells tend to bring mids forward and produce closed sound even if the stem is open.
Staying with the same shell was not the option, so I decided to try different shells with a deeper cavity. With some metal shells I got a bit hollow sound
which I didn't want in this case and I return to old-good MX500. With black and silver shell I had a problem putting the driver because
the driver construction sets high in cover so there is not enough space for the shell "lip".
I borrow gold MX500 shell from DIY Tingo TC400 (old version with light-gray metal mesh covers and white not braided cable, this is the new verion) which has
very short"lip" and accepts well metal mesh driver cover. To match the look, I pick RY-c15 gold cable and this is the result



Now about tuning. For stock tuning, HiFi Boy used some kind of pressed full horseshoe black foam and ring foam on the inner wall of driver cover



For this MX500 mod I use tuning paper (Y3 or Y4) on the back of the driver and full horseshoe black foam on the shell vents
After testing this mod I noticed a huge soundstage (3D) and calmer female vocals, but low frequencies were in the 2nd plan.
I also felt a little resonance that I didn’t notice in the metal shell.



Unlike the black MX500 shells, these gold, silver and metallic red shells have a larger fake vent
which can cause unwanted resonance. A similar problem occurs with headphones



I decided to close this superfluous space on both side as well vents on one side to increase the pressure in the shell to restore bass and sub-bass.
For this you can use glue, clay or even chewing gum Then goes full black foam over.
With this modification the bass is tightened and has a better definition, and also has an impact on sub-bass.



The final result is obvious and quite surprising to be honest. I just emphasize that the imaging, soundstage and bass speeds are great.



And I am more than satisfied with this project, which in the true sense of the word represents an "intimate to spacious sound" transformation.

A spectacular job, now I want a pair of golden boys !!!!!!

 

[jeejack]

I tried the same tuning that has HiFi Boy Dream with full horseshoe foam on my 300ohm N52 driver which has recessed upper mids and I got this result.


This driver took me the most time to tune, it's as stubborn as a mule, but there is a cure for everything
BTW...You can find different tuning papers here

Same with me but in different shells. Indeed the hardest to tune drivers. This are the drivers from RY4S 300ohm version. I'm curious about a comparison to Blur 300 ohm earbuds

 

[jeejack]

After testing a few different shells and tuning mods, I finally managed to achieve more than the expected result.
In this post I will describe a "very simple" mode for HiFi Boy Dream.
I would first like to thank Mr. @robar and Mr. @jogawag for the great suggestions.



I bought this pair for Penon Audio Store and currently available version is "Rose Gold"
these are some specs and few reviews

Driver size:	Frequency response:	Impedance:	Sensitivity:	Cable:
16mm	15 Hz-23 KHz	32ohm	100dB	5N OFC

https://audio123reviews.com/2018/03/30/hifi-boy-dream/
https://www.audiobuko.com/2018/05/hifi-boy-dream-review-earbud-awakening.html
https://primeaudio.org/hifi-boy-dream-earbud-review-follow-the-dream/

For me, these buds are one of the best sounding 32ohm driver model which I have heard so far, clarity and precision wise.
I think anyone who likes a more intimate sound with dominant female vocals would like this pair.
The presentation of the sound is quite reminiscent of closed-back headphones.

The main reason why I decided to modify this pair is because I am a fan of a more spacious sound, and since I am sensitive to treble,
sometimes forward upper mids can bother me also. Other frequencies are already perfectly balanced, so the main goal here is to soften the mids a bit
without losing detail and to achieve a more spacious sound.
Stock metal shell is shallow and from previous experience this kind of shells tend to bring mids forward and produce closed sound even if the stem is open.
Staying with the same shell was not the option, so I decided to try different shells with a deeper cavity. With some metal shells I got a bit hollow sound
which I didn't want in this case and I return to old-good MX500. With black and silver shell I had a problem putting the driver because
the driver construction sets high in cover so there is not enough space for the shell "lip".
I borrow gold MX500 shell from DIY Tingo TC400 (old version with light-gray metal mesh covers and white not braided cable, this is the new verion) which has
very short"lip" and accepts well metal mesh driver cover. To match the look, I pick RY-c15 gold cable and this is the result



Now about tuning. For stock tuning, HiFi Boy used some kind of pressed full horseshoe black foam and ring foam on the inner wall of driver cover



For this MX500 mod I use tuning paper (Y3 or Y4) on the back of the driver and full horseshoe black foam on the shell vents
After testing this mod I noticed a huge soundstage (3D) and calmer female vocals, but low frequencies were in the 2nd plan.
I also felt a little resonance that I didn’t notice in the metal shell.



Unlike the black MX500 shells, these gold, silver and metallic red shells have a larger fake vent
which can cause unwanted resonance. A similar problem occurs with headphones



I decided to close this superfluous space on both side as well vents on one side to increase the pressure in the shell to restore bass and sub-bass.
For this you can use glue, clay or even chewing gum Then goes full black foam over.
With this modification the bass is tightened and has a better definition, and also has an impact on sub-bass.



The final result is obvious and quite surprising to be honest. I just emphasize that the imaging, soundstage and bass speeds are great.



And I am more than satisfied with this project, which in the true sense of the word represents an "intimate to spacious sound" transformation.

Just WOW !

 

[furyossa]

Same with me but in different shells. Indeed the hardest to tune drivers. This are the drivers from RY4S 300ohm version. I'm curious about a comparison to Blur 300 ohm earbuds

It looks exactly the same as 300ohm N52 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002279664828.html. Now I understand why people complain about RY4S 300ohm.
This driver is powerful without doubt, and it can sound good, but we need to find out the right tuning because it's picky about shells and filters.
What I noticed that require black thick foam on the back and about shell: definitely not for big shells, with shallow shells you can bring mids in front but the soundstage narrows considerably. So something in between will be optimal.
My current shell is shallow, but it has depth because of wood part. For now all frequencies are balanced well, still luck sub-bass and soundstage is average in all 3 axis.

Looking at your setup, what influence has foam inside the shell? I see you don't use filter on shell side vents.
Avoid to use material which absorb moisture, and if you use them, make sure they do not touch the driver or uninsulated part of the wire.
I prepared this shell for HiFi Boy, but I think I will try it with 300ohm N52. I spiced it up with a "special ingredient"


Blur buds use many tricks, but I didn't see jet how they look under the hood. They are very good, but not probably a big difference from our mods.
Most users of Blur buds are delighted with the sound, but this is because they have not had the experience to encounter quality DIY drivers that have really great potential for tuning.

You saw the other day @RikudouGoku comment. He praises the NickHCK MX500 and puts it above 130ohm Bery, which is hilarious.
I know he own assembled 130ohm buds, but who knows how they tuned (I think that they just assembled)

 

[RikudouGoku]

You saw the other day @RikudouGoku comment. He praises the NickHCK MX500 and puts it above 130ohm Bery, which is hilarious.
I know he own assembled 130ohm buds, but who knows how they tuned (I think that they just assembled)

I can only speak based on my own experience and I can say for sure that the beryllium driver I have is not tuned well (could be the seller didnt tune it well but there isnt anything beryllium-like about it) and it is why the MX500 is above it. They tuned it to be a bassier bud, but mid-bass focused so it causes bloat. The Yincrow X6 eats it for lunch at 25% the cost I paid for the beryllium bud.

 

[furyossa]

I can only speak based on my own experience and I can say for sure that the beryllium driver I have is not tuned well (could be the seller didnt tune it well but there isnt anything beryllium-like about it) and it is why the MX500 is above it. They tuned it to be a bassier bud, but mid-bass focused so it causes bloat. The Yincrow X6 eats it for lunch at 25% the cost I paid for the beryllium bud.

That's why I don't like to bet on anything assembled where it says DIY. Model that you buy (130ohm) is overpriced for sure.
They are not tuned at all, stock sound is mid-bass focused. At least you have this pair, and you can open them up and play with tuning

 

[furyossa]

Everything at one place (XinYue Audio Store). I like mixed option
white cotton tuning paper: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002454970487.html
black foam: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002301165327.html

 

[jeejack]

I can only speak based on my own experience and I can say for sure that the beryllium driver I have is not tuned well (could be the seller didnt tune it well but there isnt anything beryllium-like about it) and it is why the MX500 is above it. They tuned it to be a bassier bud, but mid-bass focused so it causes bloat. The Yincrow X6 eats it for lunch at 25% the cost I paid for the beryllium bud.

The X6 is really very good and fully worth the money but it never compares to our 130 ohm DIY drivers. Thanks to you I have X6 and Nicehck MX500 that I listen to even today. They are great budget earbuds. I would like to listen to some TOTL earbuds but I can't afford , to make a comparison with our DIY earbuds. BTW, you paid too much for 130ohm beryllium earbuds

 

[RikudouGoku]

The X6 is really very good and fully worth the money but it never compares to our 130 ohm DIY drivers. Thanks to you I have X6 and Nicehck MX500 that I listen to even today. They are great budget earbuds. I would like to listen to some TOTL earbuds but I can't afford , to make a comparison with our DIY earbuds. BTW, you paid too much for 130ohm beryllium earbuds

Yeah, probably overpriced....it was like the only store that sold assembled buds with that driver.

 

[furyossa]

Yeah, probably overpriced....it was like the only store that sold assembled buds with that driver.

For around $20 you can build a pair and they sell the assembled version for $50. Shame
$15 for driver and NiceHCK sale 8-core cables right now for $6-7.
Next time, ask here before you decide to pull the trigger on these "no name" buds

 

[jeejack]

My 130ohm beryllium earbuds

 

[earfanatic]

I like the matching cable colours of the buds. Mine are all the same colour.
At least I need some coloured foams to mark different builds.

 

[furyossa]

My new sleeping buds. For now, I will call it ORKA, but this is still WIP, there will probably be a change in appearance.
I used Blon BL03 stock cables and a K314 shell

I found some drivers in the box, I think they are EMX500 and I have bad luck with left and right channel, so they probably end up in trash can

About AKG K314 shells.
This shells provide good comfort and fit is ok. They are shallow, which is good for sleeping buds. The big problem is the outside diameter of the shell head.
PK 14.8mm cover can't fit, metal mesh cover from 64ohm N55 cover is tight, and it cracked on one driver , MX500 is slightly bigger and require glue.
So all in all, pain in the A..