[scootsit]

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that wooden headband is absolutely gorgeous 

Wow, I was busy admiring the rodblocks and completely missed that!

 

[devouringone3]

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question... i though garados were expensive and already perfectly made from factory.. why is there so much modding of them needed?

 
This thread is about Magnum headphones. Symphones, the company behind the Magnums, now only sells the drivers alone and we need to make our headphones for it. There used to be a full headphone built offered though, made out of a Grado SR325is or MS2i carcass.
 
Many headphones, even the most perfect of them (Audeze LCD-2, Sennheiser HD800, Grado HP-1000, Denon AH-D700, etc.), goes onto the table of operation and get modified by the Head-Fiers. With Grados it's fairly easy to do and usually gives out good results, if you know what you're doing. I think all stock Grados are already very good, but that people around here like to tweak when they can, to find a sound that suit their taste even better. With higher end headphones it's usually to tame a certain high frequency or tighten the bass, but many don't think it's necessary at all, and enjoy their stock headphones a lot like it is.

 

[chrislangley4253]

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No I'm serious, I'm debating whether or not to buy one of those myself.

 
it looks to me as though the 8 conductor cables aren't braided at all. unless you are talking about the thicker section. I can't really tell what that section looks like.

 

[alota]

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I find that so interesting, because I found the exact opposite. Not suggesting you are wrong at all, I just find it interesting how subjective this can be. I found the flats to be somewhat more smooth and musical, but at the expense of detail relative to the bowls. You're making me want to go back and compare them again!

this is the nice part of this crazy hobby

 

[scootsit]

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this is the nice part of this crazy hobby

I've been too ashamed to admit how vain this is, but I have to say. I think that the Magnums look substantially better with the flats than they do with the bowls.

 

[wje]

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So my V4's have changed I won a set of new cups from headphone Lounge. so here are new pics still waiting for my drivers though....

 
Thanks for letting us know the source of the cups. The headbands and cables from the Headphone Lounge have been very great quality offerings.  Just when I thought finding custom wooden Grado cups for use with Grado or Magnum drivers was nearly a hopeless wish due to our small handful of cup suppliers either dropping out of the market, or stopping their work completely, these come along.  My simple observations are as follows:
 

1. Excellent product quality
2. Product is limited to one shape for the cup and wood species (Mahogany)
3. CNC machine cut for very precise work
4. A price-point that is most excellent compared to some of the other offerings that I've encountered in the past.

 
I do wish this operation "all my best" as I've personally been involved with 1/2 dozen Grado or Magnum wood cup customization processes.  Essentially, this comes down to a means of economics where one could build a custom Magnum build for approximately $285, as follows:
 

1. Magnum v.4 Drivers - $140 (incl.Shipping)
2. Sony MDR replacement headband and gimbals - $30 (incl. Shipping)
3. Mahogany cups from HeadphoneLounge - $90 (incl. Shipping)
4. Materials for custom self-built headphone cable - $25 

 
All for the price of $285, you could own these.  From my Grado listening experiences, the Magnum v.4 driver when used in wooden cups produced a sound that was better to me than the HF-2 model *.  I have not heard the PS-500, RS-1, or RS-2 to hear how it would compare to those 3 models, but I'm sure it would either be "on-par" or possibly, slightly better in sound performance.  Plus, the looks would be stunning.
 
* - Disclosure: I'll be buying my 2nd pair of HF-2 Grados today.  The first pair I purchased, then sold because the sound wasn't quite to the level of the Magnum driver / wooden cup combination level.  However, desiring to add a pair of Grados back into my headphone circulation, I felt I could not be hassled with chasing down parts - especially the wooden cups.  Had I known that the HeadphoneLounge cup offering was available, I would have gone the custom route - no doubt on that.  However, for the immediate time, I'll add the HF-2 back into my collection, then save my lunch money and eventually have my own "custom" pair with Magnum drivers once again.  Life is sweet!

 

[Melvins]

yes!

 

[Twinster]

Don't forget the Pads ( Bowl for $20 or Flat for $35 ) it's more comfy

Thanks for letting us know the source of the cups. The headbands and cables from the Headphone Lounge have been very great quality offerings.  Just when I thought finding custom wooden Grado cups for use with Grado or Magnum drivers was nearly a hopeless wish due to our small handful of cup suppliers either dropping out of the market, or stopping their work completely, these come along.  My simple observations are as follows:

• Excellent product quality
• Product is limited to one shape for the cup and wood species (Mahogany)
• CNC machine cut for very precise work
• A price-point that is most excellent compared to some of the other offerings that I've encountered in the past.

I do wish this operation "all my best" as I've personally been involved with 1/2 dozen Grado or Magnum wood cup customization processes.  Essentially, this comes down to a means of economics where one could build a custom Magnum build for approximately $285, as follows:

• Magnum v.4 Drivers - $140 (incl.Shipping)
• Sony MDR replacement headband and gimbals - $30 (incl. Shipping)
• Mahogany cups from HeadphoneLounge - $90 (incl. Shipping)
• Materials for custom self-built headphone cable - $25 

All for the price of $285, you could own these.  From my Grado listening experiences, the Magnum v.4 driver when used in wooden cups produced a sound that was better to me than the HF-2 model *.  I have not heard the PS-500, RS-1, or RS-2 to hear how it would compare to those 3 models, but I'm sure it would either be "on-par" or possibly, slightly better in sound performance.  Plus, the looks would be stunning.

* - Disclosure: I'll be buying my 2nd pair of HF-2 Grados today.  The first pair I purchased, then sold because the sound wasn't quite to the level of the Magnum driver / wooden cup combination level.  However, desiring to add a pair of Grados back into my headphone circulation, I felt I could not be hassled with chasing down parts - especially the wooden cups.  Had I known that the HeadphoneLounge cup offering was available, I would have gone the custom route - no doubt on that.  However, for the immediate time, I'll add the HF-2 back into my collection, then save my lunch money and eventually have my own "custom" pair with Magnum drivers once again.  Life is sweet!

 

[alota]

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I've been too ashamed to admit how vain this is, but I have to say. I think that the Magnums look substantially better with the flats than they do with the bowls.

oh, my god.
really thanks

 

[devouringone3]

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I've been too ashamed to admit how vain this is, but I have to say. I think that the Magnums look substantially better with the flats than they do with the bowls.

 
But the bowls self-centers the cups on your ears! They have that advantage over the flats
 
Have you tried taped bowls (a layer of Scotch tape covering the entire circumferential surface of the two pads)?

 

[alota]

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But the bowls self-centers the cups on your ears! They have that advantage over the flats
 
Have you tried taped bowls (a layer of Scotch tape covering the entire circumferential surface of the two pads)?

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i don´t know!!!

 

[scootsit]

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But the bowls self-centers the cups on your ears! They have that advantage over the flats
 
Have you tried taped bowls (a layer of Scotch tape covering the entire circumferential surface of the two pads)?

I have, well I used electrical tape, and it lasted about two seconds. It destroyed the detail and clarity of the top end that I love. In fact, I found it so offensive that it prompted me to replace the pleather pads on my V6s with the fabric ones, hoping it would eliminate some bass bleed (didn't really work).

 

[wje]

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What are good sources for either?

 
I've used Markertek in the past.  But, the ground shipping fee on a package of 25' of cable, 4 xlr connectors and 3 1/4" TRS connectors ran about $11.00.  However, if you feel that you'd need only the cable - or, a lesser amount of cable, you can check some eBay vendors out.  They sell pre-cut lengths of cable (e.g. 10', 20', etc.) for an OK price.  This might result in a more cost-effective solution if the vendor only charges $4.00 shipping.

 

[devouringone3]

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I have, well I used electrical tape, and it lasted about two seconds. It destroyed the detail and clarity of the top end that I love. In fact, I found it so offensive that it prompted me to replace the pleather pads on my V6s with the fabric ones, hoping it would eliminate some bass bleed (didn't really work).

 
I always found Scotch Tape to increase both bass quantity/clarity and details, and reduce harshness.
 
Scotch Taped bowls also measures "a bit" better.
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/GradoSR225i.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/GradoSR225iBowlsTapeMod.pdf
 
They shift the balance towards bass (though it's barely noticeable on the FR graph, the two square waves are both noticeably better), reduce distortion, increase sensitivity, decrease impedance (barely noticeable), and finally improve impulse response (at least it diminishes it's magnitude, I see it as an improvement).
 
I never tried electrical tape, so I don't know about it. Apparently it's harder to remove and leaves residue, which Scotch Tape doesn't... so that's why I went with Scotch, which is also what Tyll Hertsens used for his tests. No holes in the tape, it needs to cover the entire circumferential surface.

 

[scootsit]

I'll try it again with scotch this week and report back.