[Biscuitz]

Quote:

for reference, here's what i'd call a well recorded tune in similar genre as you posted:

you shouldn't hear sibilance here even though this is just a lo-fi youtube clip................

Unfortunately, with my Magnum V4's unnatural sibilance does show up in this song. Namely at 1:20, 1:28, 1:34, 1:38, 1:42, 2:12, 2:19, 2:24, 2:29, 2:33, etc. It's less problematic than on the DragonForce song, but it is still unnaturally sharp to the point where it becomes a distraction. I tested with my SR60i as well, and no such problem existed! Sibilance was natural, tame, and non-distracting.

I'm glad you linked that song. I don't feel so crazy now. Maybe it is the cable after all? I don't know much about headphone design or acoustics in general, but I have trouble believing this kind of sibilance would be caused by the ear-cups. If Rhydon's drivers are pretty consistent, then I would be more inclined to put blame on the cable. It's not a Grado cable. It's the Turbulent Labs Hydra UP OCC copper studio cable. I'd give the link to it, but it seems the Turbulent Labs website is down at the moment. From my understanding, this is a high quality cable, though.

I just want to make clear, however, that everything else about the headphones sound great. Bass, mids, soundstage, separation. It's just this one problem, and I don't think I'm crazy. Something's wrong here.

 

[thelostMIDrange]

I think you have out of range issues with your set then if it shows up on that tune. Cables ime can make real difference and ime the more expensive the more odd sounding they can become. Not just with headphones but stereo gear in general. I saw that cable but have not heard it. The best cable i've found for basic music reproduction with headphones is the grado cables. They are not transparent but their affect on the signal seems musical. Personally I don't like silver cables (the few i've tried) with magnums but others do. The magnums are so clear in their background the silver is really overkill. If I were in your shoes, I'd get to radio shack buy a $15 solder iron and swap teh two cables, the grado to the mag and the silver to the sr60. The sr60 may even benefit from the silver but the real benefit might be with the mag set......it will be subtle but some kinds of subtle are key in headphones and can make all the difference sometimes.

 

[chrislangley4253]

*shrugs* It wouldn't hurt..

 

[thelostMIDrange]

sounds like we have an unbeliever as to cables affect...it's good to be skeptical about such matters but I once swapped in a single fancy silver cryogenically treated etc interconnect cable from my turntable in a home stereo and it turned all my records into the sound of cotton candy -very simlar to what i hear in a beyer dynamics dt treble oddly enough). Swap back my old basic patch cord and back to regular sounds. Just one of several instances i've heard cables affect things. I'm not saying all cables are different from each other but compare two that are drastically different from one another ($100 silver vs that stuff grado uses) and the differences can be real. I also believe I hear significant difference between the grado and the mogami quad and am starting to believe the mogami is not a great match with magnums either as it seems to agitate the upper mid issue. I will be comparing the two again soon but in my koss phones, the grado (vs mogami) has a slight mellowing affect, giving body to the mids and realism to the top. Cymbals go from a bit thrashy with the mogami to well yes, that is what a hi hat generally sounds like in reality. But just my biased experience. Whether it's worth tearing into a headphone to swap depends on one's commitment to sound, time and skill available etc.. and whether it will help his sibilance issue can only be known by trying it unfortunately.....

 

[chrislangley4253]

I have an inkling of belief in it purely because you say it makes a difference. I never believed in it until you said something
 
The super duper fancy ones sounding like crap doesn't shock me. I find it easier to believe in the really expensive esoteric cables sounding bad, instead of better. One of these days I'll get a soldering iron and a bunch of cables  and try em all out, maybe.

 

[thelostMIDrange]

I wonder if a silver wouldn't help a fostex50 or some other thick dark LCD type phone but for dynamic driver grado style, I say just stick with the grado cables which seem to be available often in the classifieds as people 'trade up'. The proposition that a grado cable meshes well with a magnum (grado clone driver) shouldn't strike anyone as shocking news......
 
 
grado wire is:
wound from ultra-high purity, long crystal (UHPLC) oxygen free copper. The copper is slowly drawn through the die in extremely small increments and is annealed following each drawing operation. Ultra-high conductivity copper yields the clearest transmission and lowest coloration possible. The sound of UHPLC copper is smoother, cleaner and more dynamic.
 
 
turbulant wire :
[size=x-small]In order to achieve 99.9999% purity for our cables, they undergo a process known as Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC). The process allows copper wire with single 100 meter crystals to be formed. Single crystal copper is stronger, more malleable, more conductive, with the highest signal transfer. The patented OCC process was created in Japan. [/size][size=x-small]Lastly our cables are cyro treated with deep liquid nitrogen. The cyro treatment changes the molecular structure, preventing residual stress. The wires go through an expensive process of being immersed in deep liquid nitrogen immediately after being manufactured.[/size]

 

[chrislangley4253]

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Off%20topic%20response..%20Does%20it%20even%20matter%3F%20I%20don't%20know.%20Don't%20click%20it%2C%20if%20you%20don't%20wanna.

I don't find the fostex dark! I'm busy trying to figure out how to tame the highs some 

 I think some less dense cotton might be the trick. I have to get my hands on some and find out.

 

[devouringone3]

Quote:

First, sorry to hear you had a bad experience with your Magnum v4 build. I personally love mine and experience no sibilance--and i even listen to them at high volumes. One thing that may make a difference is I decided to buy aluminum chambers from Rhydon a while back rather than go the wood route. If you get the new drivers and still have problems, either the Magnum sound isn't for you, the dac/amp you use doesn't suit the magnums, or perhaps the wood doesn't jive as well with the magnums as the aluminum chambers they were designed around. 
 
Anyway, good luck and please report your findings with the new v5 drivers! I ordered mine a few days ago and expect to be testing them soon!

 
Are the "Symphones x Turbulent Labs" drivers an improvement over the present v4? I think they are just a re-tuning of the same driver to sound optimal in wood rather than aluminum. I'm not sure if calling them v5 (in the same lineage) is the right thing to do but I do not oppose myself to it.

 

[sluker]

Quote:

 
I think they are just a re-tuning of the same driver to sound optimal in wood rather than aluminum. I'm not sure if calling them v5 (in the same lineage) is the right thing to do but I do not oppose myself to it.

Is this based on something someone who has heard them said or just conjecture?

 

[joeq70]

Quote:

Is this based on something someone who has heard them said or just conjecture?

For the benefit of all, I will post the entire e-mail message between me and Rhydon (maker of the Magnums) regarding the Symphones X:
 
Me:
 
"Hey Rhydon!

I just caught wind of the updated Magnum driver that you have created in collaboration with turbulent labs.I currently have a Magnum V4 build using your black anodized aluminum chambers and black drivers, which I absolutely love.

Naturally, I can't help but be intrigued by an "improved" version of the V4 driver. I was wondering if you could offer any insight as to the kind of changes I can expect with the new driver.

I'll honestly probably buy a pair no matter what because i can't help myself and in the event there is no difference, I can always use a pair of back up drivers just in case.

But any insight as to the changes you aimed for with respect to the new driver would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time and for making awesome headphones!
 
-Joe"
 
Rhydon's response:
 
"Hey Joe,

the X (or 5) has improved frequency extremes- better highs and more prominent lows. It will be replacing the V4 in terms of performance.

Rhydon"
 
 
In summary--is it a completely new driver or just a "tweaking" of the drivers? Well, it's still a magnum, but it apparently has better highs and more bass. How noticeable the changes are remains to be seen---my Symphones X drivers are in the mail right now, and I'll give a full report when they get here. 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[scootsit]

I'm confused why they went X and not V, I guess the V1-4 may have created some confusion.

 

[joeq70]

Quote:

I'm confused why they went X and not V, I guess the V1-4 may have created some confusion.

This is only a guess, but I imagine X was the name chosen not only to signify an evolution in the Magnum line but also to distinguish it as one that was developed in collaboration with Turbulent Labs, rather than being an evolution that Rhydon pursued solely by himself like the other versions of the Magnum. 
 
The Turbulent Labs website says:
 
"Turbulent Labs commissioned a new driver from Symphones to be a driver unique to Turbulent Labs. The result is a collaboration driver tuned specifically for Turbulent Labs as the flagship driver for Grado headphones."

 

[sluker]

For the record, I received the same description from Rhydon. But that in no way tells me that X was designed for the wooden cups. 

 

[Mullet]

With regard to sibilance on the V4s... Biscuitz I know exactly what you mean. I had the same problem with my first Magnums. The essssyness was so bad I couldn't listen to them with certain tracks. I originally had the black drivers. I was lucky and was able to obtain a new set of drivers that were grey and they don't have any issues at all. Same cups. So I think it's your drivers dude. See if Rhydon will exchange them for you. Enough people have had this problem and have gotten an exchange. Good Luck!

 

[Biscuitz]

Quote:

With regard to sibilance on the V4s... Biscuitz I know exactly what you mean. I had the same problem with my first Magnums. The essssyness was so bad I couldn't listen to them with certain tracks. I originally had the black drivers. I was lucky and was able to obtain a new set of drivers that were grey and they don't have any issues at all. Same cups. So I think it's your drivers dude. See if Rhydon will exchange them for you. Enough people have had this problem and have gotten an exchange. Good Luck!

Interesting. Well I'm glad I'm not just nuts! I am in email correspondence with Rhydon at the moment. In his last email, he asked me to send him a picture of the drivers in the ear cups to make sure they were mounted correctly. I sent him the pictures today and am waiting for his verdict. I would only assume they're mounted correctly, seeing as it was done by Jin at Turbulent Labs.

As for getting them exchanged, something of the sort is happening. Shortly after buying my Magnum V4 Build, I learned from Rhydon that he'd be supplying Turbulent Labs with the improved Magnum drivers. Since I was not informed about the imminent introduction of the new drivers at the time I purchased the Magnum V4 Build, Rhydon kindly offered to send me a free set of the new drivers as soon as he had some more made. Wow! That is business class. I look forward to hearing them and hope I experience no issue with sibilance!