@AT Khan We need 3DP semi-open cups for these asap. They are so good.
Is there a way of cheaply outsourcing design and print? Or what if I designed then used printing service? Or how much is a 3D printer? Cheaper than Lawton cups?
Yes, definitely cheaper than Lawton. I kicked off with my first 3D printer, and the learning curve isn't huge really. You can definitely start off with something like the Creality Ender 3 (what I did). Printer cost me $200-ish, with some filaments and some recommended modding parts for another $100-ish probably. One you go printing, you can't go back. I think for us headfiers, it's a very, VERY highly recommended route. I can print (and I did) in a snap, attenuator rings, pad mouting rings (which mind you can end up costing $20 to $30 A PAIR if you buy retail). Finishing is not going to be perfect, but it can be, once you learn your way around things. I even printed mounting rings for my Focals.
If you know your thing, you can even print frames to make your own earpads etc. Then these cups like we talked about. Opens a whole another world. And then, well, you can DIY stuff for loads of other things you may need in everyday life, so it really is an investment - and a canvas, a tool, where sky is the limit for you to do pretty much anything.
That's how I plan to do some earcup mods for my Denon MH400s, my Monoliths - even closed or semi-closed back cups for my HD6XXs - you can make complete earcups for a couple of beyerdynamics.
The 3D files are there on the internet for free on more than a dozen 3D models websites - it's a whole another universe. (look for .OBJ and .STL models).
You can use even MS Window's own 3D Builder to edit/modify the shapes and blend stuff to your liking. Then there's complete tools to make things in 3D, bunch of software to be able to print them etc so this universe keeps expanding by the hour.
So to really do brings things you can imagine into reality, with such a tool... well, nuff said. It's like a factory at your disposal!