[Shane D]

I am learning about these as I debate buying them. I am a Hart Audio guy that uses the modular cable system. I contacted them about a cable for thse and hey sent me this (Note the part about the barrell):

Custom Dual 2.5mm Balanced Headphone Cable 4.5 ft / [F] 4-pin mini-XLR (Modular)
(HC-7) (Note: Use long mini 2.5mm connectors for Emu Teak headphones)
Cost is $48.00, but you already need to own a connector, which you do if you are into modular systems.

If you just want a cable, you can check out this:
https://hartaudiocables.com/collections/sendy-sivga/products/hc-7-dual-2-5mm-mono-ts
But ask about the longer connectors for E-MU Teak.

 

[phthora]

Well I finished the whole thread tonight! A lot of people have "pumped and dumped" these over the years.

How many folks have owned E-MU's for more than three years? Just curious.

I've had mine for 5 years now, and only recently have I thought of selling them. They're still great headphones for the money and I would certainly miss them, but 5 years is a long time in this hobby and my collection of gear has leveled up significantly. They just don't get much ear time these days, despite being an exceptionally well-tuned bassy headphone.

 

[Shane D]

I've had mine for 5 years now, and only recently have I thought of selling them. They're still great headphones for the money and I would certainly miss them, but 5 years is a long time in this hobby and my collection of gear has leveled up significantly. They just don't get much ear time these days, despite being an exceptionally well-tuned bassy headphone.

I can see that. I have made several purchases in the last few months that just turned out to be just side-grades. These would probably be another.
They do look beautiful though. I like a bassy sound and the price is not overwhelming.

 

[phthora]

I can see that. I have made several purchases in the last few months that just turned out to be just side-grades. These would probably be another.
They do look beautiful though. I like a bassy sound and the price is not overwhelming.

Always tough to justify when it's a sidegrade, but I can confirm that the EMU is decidedly worth its price and, in my collection at least, I don't have anything else quite like it for bass.

 

[Shane D]

Always tough to justify when it's a sidegrade, but I can confirm that the EMU is decidedly worth its price and, in my collection at least, I don't have anything else quite like it for bass.

My bass boys are my Cascades and Radiances.

The Radiance are pretty balanced with a strong bass.

The Cascades are Super bassy!

I was just wondering if maybe the bass on the E-MU's was a bit sharper or cleaner.
I do Love my mids though, so that is a bit of a concern.

 

[dstarr3]

My bass boys are my Cascades and Radiances.

The Radiance are pretty balanced with a strong bass.

The Cascades are Super bassy!

I was just wondering if maybe the bass on the E-MU's was a bit sharper or cleaner.
I do Love my mids though, so that is a bit of a concern.

The Teaks are pretty U-shaped, not a lot of mid presence to speak of. But the bass is so tasty and the highs have just the most gorgeous sparkle. I'm interested to try the Lawton pads, because the stock pads aren't a great fit for my big dumbo ears, but all the other pads* I've tried wreck the treble for me. Hearing that there are pads that improve the fitment but also don't ruin the highs, or maybe even enhances the highs, is very intriguing.

*I actually use the TH-610 pads rather than stock Teak pads because the stock pads just simply couldn't contain my ears, whereas the 610 pads are largely identical except the inside opening is just a liiiiittle bit bigger, such that I can actually squeeze my ears in there.

 

[Shane D]

The Teaks are pretty U-shaped, not a lot of mid presence to speak of. But the bass is so tasty and the highs have just the most gorgeous sparkle. I'm interested to try the Lawton pads, because the stock pads aren't a great fit for my big dumbo ears, but all the other pads* I've tried wreck the treble for me. Hearing that there are pads that improve the fitment but also don't ruin the highs, or maybe even enhances the highs, is very intriguing.

*I actually use the TH-610 pads rather than stock Teak pads because the stock pads just simply couldn't contain my ears, whereas the 610 pads are largely identical except the inside opening is just a liiiiittle bit bigger, such that I can actually squeeze my ears in there.

I would be curious to try the stock pads. I have had a few headband problems, but they were solved by Dekoni Nuggets.
The only pad problems I ever had, I think, were L-Cush pads on my Grado GH2's.

I would try the stock for several weeks and if that didn't work, try the Lawtons.

My listening sessions can run up to 8/9 hours, so I need long term comfort.

 

[Shungite Trillionaire]

*Raises hands*

I'm guilty of "pumping and dumping" them--I've probably bought and sold at least half a dozen Teaks over the years. The fact that I keep returning to them though, I think says it all. I've owned the Fostex TH900 and Klipsch HP-3 and auditioned the Denon D9200 and the Teaks are undoubtedly the best tuned of the lot. I maintain that they are amongst the best value closed-back headphones.

Indeed, the PW 900s are too aggressive in the treble, the 610 is the opposite ("clogged" sound, reminds me a bit of Nighthawks without the sibilance), the 7200's bass is great but they, just like the other newer Denon models, don't sound as engaging as the EMU.
I still think that the Final Sonorous II-VI are worth giving a try as they don't directly compete with Fostex (not biodyna, easy to drive, different build/sound/timbre, but (semi-)closed as well), they have their own special musical flavor, can get some good used deals on them as well.

 

[shampoosuicide]

.

 

[dstarr3]

Caved and bought a pair of Lawton pads for my Teaks, because while I love the stock sound, the comfort around my big dumbo ears is just bothersome enough for me to pursue alternative pads that fit better but have a minimal effect on the sound. And considering this is probably my favorite headphone in my entire collection, I think it's worth the effort.

I haven't A/B'd yet and this is still just a first impression after half an hour or so, but they seem to mellow the bass out just a tad and introduce some sibilance. That's sort of the thing I'm most afraid of altering with pad rolling: I love the way the Teaks present treble, there's this sugary-sweetness up top that I've just never heard in any other headphone. Couple that with the big biocell bass and it's my dream headphone. If only the pads fit my ears better!

The good news is that the comfort is severely elevated. Between these Lawton pads and a Geekria headband pad, 10/10, no complaints anymore, I could wear these for the rest of my life. I think I'm finding the bass can be reenergized with a couple db shelf in EQ below about 160hz, and the sibilance can be treated with a little -1db Q2.5 notch at 7khz.

These pads do affect the tonality, but it's definitely the most subtle effect I've experienced in my pad-rolling experiments, and I'll need more time to decide, but the significant increase in comfort might be worth having to apply a sliver of EQ to rein those effects in.

 

[dstarr3]

Yeah, I gave the Lawton pads a fair shot, but nah, gotta pass. The comfort gains are real, but the headphone has been consistently giving me treble fatigue with the Lawton pads, which it never did before, plus there's this other wonkiness that I unfortunately can't put my finger on. But suffice it to say, I spent a few hours thinking "This is my favorite headphone? And it sounds like this?" And then I went back to my TH610 pads and instantly it was transformed back into a headphone I can confidently refer to as my favorite.

I'll be selling my Lawton pads if anyone is interested in trying. I paid $95 after tax and shipping. I'd be willing to sell mine for $80, Paypal & CONUS shipping included. Barely 5 hours of use.

 

[Zonium]

I have tried to contact EMU customer service like half year with no response to my emails. They answered once in spring and promised to contact me later.

 

[Shungite Trillionaire]

I have tried to contact EMU customer service like half year with no response to my emails. They answered once in spring and promised to contact me later.

Maybe send them a post card by email at New Year's that reads "Happy 2024 EMU customer service, maybe this will be the year I'll get a reply, but if not, I'll send you another card next year"

 

[Zonium]

Maybe send them a posting card by email at New Year's that reads "Happy 2024 EMU customer service, maybe this will be the year I'll get a reply, but if not, I'll send you another card next year"

Finnish post will lost that card before it leaves the country.

 

[moriez]

I have tried to contact EMU customer service like half year with no response to my emails. They answered once in spring and promised to contact me later.

They're slow alright. However recently able to establish contact when I asked for pricing of spare parts. A shortcut for y'all:

Headband pad US$39
Ear Pads- Standard US$20
- Sheepskin US$30
Detachable Cable-1.5m US$39
Detachable Cable-3m US$49
4 Pin XLR Cable-1.5m US$59
4 Pin XLR Cable -3m US$69

Shipping fee by FedEx US$30

+
We can provide you the 2.5mm cable ( length 1.5m) at US$49. You just pay another US$10 extra if you need a 3m long cable.