[erd]

My biggest problem with Grado construction (RS2 and below) is the plastic C-bracket that hold the cup to the headband (I call it horseshoe).

I've recently splitted one horseshoe on my RS2 in half while trying to put the headband back on the cups. It breaks right where the metal rod is digging into the plastic.

The problem seems to be because the metal rod is inserted almost all the way through the plastic, and there's not much plastic left to resist the force of you pulling it apart to insert the ear cup. Especially with a woodie, you'll want to pull it apart wide enough to get the pins in the hole without scraping the wood.

Grado did sent me a new one free of charge, but even before I try pulling it apart to insert the earcup, I can already see the white stretch marks (the stretch marks that usually shows up when you're trying to break a piece of plastic by bending) on the plastic under the metal rod. You don't see this with every horseshoe, but the consistency in quality of plastic has never been Grado's strong point anyway.

So, now I'm looking into making a custom bracket that'll hold the headband to the ear cups better. I've seen a few Grados with modified headbands and horseshoe in the "post your Grado mod" thread, but there aren't much talk about them.
Has anyone here ever feel like the C-bracket is the crappiest part of Grado (especially with RS2 and SR325), and want to mod it?

Please post your thoughts/mod ideas, and maybe we'll come up with a great mod for all Grado fans.

 

[Tridacnid]

Hmm, I don't think this is normal. You shouldn't have to stretch it that much.

 

[erd]

That's the sad part... I didn't streatch it that much at all, just enough for width of the ear cup.

May be I removed headband too many times...

The other horseshoe (that didn't break) is a lot stronger than the one I broke though... but the replacement that Grado sent looks very fragile.

 

[kontai69]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erd /img/forum/go_quote.gif the plastic C-bracket that hold the cup to the headband (I call it horseshoe).

I was recently informed that this C-shaped bracket is called the YOKE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by erd /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've recently splitted one horseshoe on my RS2 in half while trying to put the headband back on the cups. It breaks right where the metal rod is digging into the plastic.

I've pulled the plastic yoke off many of my Grados (including my RS2) and never have broken any of them. I wonder if you are prying apart the yoke more than it is necessary. I remove the foam pads off the cups, and pry the yoke apart and slide the yoke off the "driver" end of the cup. To reduce any chance of marring the cups (either plastic or wood), I use Scotch tape on the cups for protection.

 

[tenzip]

Also, are you taking both sides out at once? Do one side, then t'other, you won't have to stretch it quite so far.

 

[Oggranak]

I remember seeing these up for sale a little while back.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...a/IMG_1258.jpg

 

[xkRoWx]

The yoke is thick, I don't even know how its possible to bend them so much to the point where white stretch marks start to appear. Technically speaking, you really only need to pop one side out to remove the enclosure from the yoke..

Quote:

Originally Posted by kontai69 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was recently informed that this C-shaped bracket is called the YOKE.

"Yoke" is much easier than "C-Shaped-Cup-Holder"..

 

[erd]

Quote:

The yoke is thick, I don't even know how its possible to bend them so much to the point where white stretch marks start to appear. Technically speaking, you really only need to pop one side out to remove the enclosure from the yoke..

That's what I thought too, the plastic looks thick... how could it possibly break. If I knew it could break like this I'd probably have been a lot more careful.

See how only half of the crack is white? The black half probably cracked first, the white streatch marks probably develop when I split it into 2 pieces.

And noticed how it's not that thick of a plastic with a metal rod inside.

 

[erd]

Here's the new one that grado sent to me as replacement. I haven't even try to put this back on the cup yet... and it's already got some scary white streatch marks on it...

After seeing this, I decided to make my own yoke... Grado makes beautiful wooden cups and they produce lovely sounds, I think they deserves to be attached to something better than this piece of plastic

 

[Rav]

Yoke puts me more in mind of an aeroplane, or maybe something you attatch of an Ox. Gimbal works for me

Anyway, i've been having thoughts about making some out of metal for my HF2 when it arrives. Originally i was thinking of a full ring like the RS1, but the position of the cable means that i think it will need to have a gap there. As far as i can tell, the RS1 gimbal is threaded and has grub screws which screw in, but the thread doesn't reach the wooden cup.

If i can find the right sized square rod it'll have that as well.

 

[erd]

Making a metal ring was my first idea as well...

I actually cut out some stainless steel rings, but I gave up trying to drill the damn thing... Apparantly, 2mm thick 316L stainless steel is tough for household drill, even with good cobalt drill bits. It took me a long time to drill a hole without damaging the drill bit, and I gave up while trying to drill the half-circle gap for the cable (like the RS1 metal ring). I'll be trying out different stainless steel grade or different meterial...

How to stick the metal rod on the ring is a problem that I have to think about... I still don't know if I want to use the metal rod at all...

 

[moogoob]

I just have to post "Yoke". Yoke, yoke yoke.

Sorry. I'm getting back to work.

 

[Grimspoon]

Those don't look like stretch marks, it looks like imperfections from the manufacturing process.

Just be a little more gentle.


Quote:

Originally Posted by erd /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here's the new one that grado sent to me as replacement. I haven't even try to put this back on the cup yet... and it's already got some scary white streatch marks on it... After seeing this, I decided to make my own yoke... Grado makes beautiful wooden cups and they produce lovely sounds, I think they deserves to be attached to something better than this piece of plastic

 

[Rav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erd /img/forum/go_quote.gif Making a metal ring was my first idea as well... I actually cut out some stainless steel rings, but I gave up trying to drill the damn thing... Apparantly, 2mm thick 316L stainless steel is tough for household drill, even with good cobalt drill bits. It took me a long time to drill a hole without damaging the drill bit, and I gave up while trying to drill the half-circle gap for the cable (like the RS1 metal ring). I'll be trying out different stainless steel grade or different meterial... How to stick the metal rod on the ring is a problem that I have to think about... I still don't know if I want to use the metal rod at all...

I wouldn't have picked stainless as my first choice tbh, aluminium or maybe brass would be a much safer bet.

 

[UtzY]

Or maybe you can cut down these "pins" (blue), then make a hole in their place and put removable ones?