[BizFromQC]

I had the v5 in Cabillas cups and they sounded great even before any amount of significant burn-in time. This was my 4th pair of "Grados" and every single time I ended up selling them just because open phones don't work in my household/office (don't know why I keep going back to new builds!). It's a shame really because they sound great. I just can't have the perfectly quiet household to truly enjoy them (and not annoy people around).
 
Until then, it's back to closed phones for me.

 

[fleasbaby]

  why'd you sell them? i have been thinking about what headphones i may want in the future. but you know what? i haven't figured out that question yet.
 
...
 
 
i've simply discovered that magnums may just be the end of the line for me. in the future though i will probably make my rounds of trying much higher end grados. THe lcd3 definitely sounds like something that would be for me. but it's like....WAYYY above my price range. waayy above my price range for at least the next couple of years.
 
...

 
I needed the cash, and have regretted it ever since . There are only two headphones I have truly regretted selling. The Magnum build, and oddly enough a pair of chrome finish 325is that I bought from Dubstep Girl quite some time ago...I tried exploring Sennheisers, and have always had a thing for buds (insert California medical marijuana law joke here) like Yuins, Blox, etc...but nothing does it quite like a pair of Grados or Magnums, both sonically and aesthetically for me.
 
Super-expensive headphones don't appeal to me as they become more of a burden than an enjoyment. I would feel irresponsible slinging a pair of LCD into my bag and lugging them off to the office, or laying outside on the grass with them on, sonic bliss or not.
 

  I had the v5 in Cabillas cups and they sounded great even before any amount of significant burn-in time. This was my 4th pair of "Grados" and every single time I ended up selling them just because open phones don't work in my household/office (don't know why I keep going back to new builds!). It's a shame really because they sound great. I just can't have the perfectly quiet household to truly enjoy them (and not annoy people around).
 
Until then, it's back to closed phones for me.

 
Thankfully most of my listening happens at the office, and I have my own with a closing door, on the third floor in a far corner where its nice and quiet. I am free to enjoy open cans for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (meetings permitting).

 

[hemipowered007]

After some time with the magnums and my he400s, i think im done with grado and magnums. I think its time to move up the planar ladder and go broke. So my question is, being a modded headphone thats mostly diy, how do i put a price tag on it? Especially seeing as the outside lip(it does not do anything to the sound) of my cocobolo outters are uneven. As well as my limba inners being imperfect. Not to mention my botched soldering job, hell they work, just dont look at em. Anyhow, sorry im rambling, drinkin a bit. Im just looking for a guess on how to value these, looking in the classifieds isnt helping so i figured id ask the experts here.

 

[wje]

  After some time with the magnums and my he400s, i think im done with grado and magnums. I think its time to move up the planar ladder and go broke. So my question is, being a modded headphone thats mostly diy, how do i put a price tag on it? Especially seeing as the outside lip(it does not do anything to the sound) of my cocobolo outters are uneven. As well as my limba inners being imperfect. Not to mention my botched soldering job, hell they work, just dont look at em. Anyhow, sorry im rambling, drinkin a bit. Im just looking for a guess on how to value these, looking in the classifieds isnt helping so i figured id ask the experts here.

 
I've been there.  I owned every model of the HifiMan with the exception of the HE-6 and the HE-5.  Some, I even owned twice.  For the money I lost buying, selling, buying, I could have purchased a pair of Grado GS-1000ii headphones with pure cash.  Not all headphones will be the same to all people though.  In the end, I'm back here with Grado.  Go figure.

 

[hemipowered007]

Ya I wish there was a better way to try every headphone at home at your own pace. But, I really like the planar sound, just the 400 doesn't have lush mids, so I'm going for the 500. Who h probably won't satisfy me. Anyhow, any advise on selling price for magnum builds Wayne?

 

[wje]

Ya I wish there was a better way to try every headphone at home at your own pace. But, I really like the planar sound, just the 400 doesn't have lush mids, so I'm going for the 500. Who h probably won't satisfy me. Anyhow, any advise on selling price for magnum builds Wayne?

 
The HE-500 is a good model.  Seriously.  I liked the bass on the HE-400, but the sibilance when it came to female vocals is what did it in for me.
 
As to the Magnum pricing, I think $300 is a good price point.  However, variables such as cups used, cable used, headband, etc. can have some effect in cost.  I'm not sure of all the specifics of your particular pair though.  The HE-500 should be achieve for about $520 based on recent selling prices.
 
[Edit]: I did see the pics of your Magnums.  The cups are excellent ... nice chocolate brown with some decent grain.  Standard Grado cable, Turbulent X drivers, standard Grado headband, etc.  I think they look good!

 

[hemipowered007]

The looks alone, make me not want to sell, and I've never posted full pics. But someone offered me a trade for the 400+215 cash for a 500; so I'm thinkin of just letting the mags go for 230 to cover shipping

 

[wje]

The looks alone, make me not want to sell, and I've never posted full pics. But someone offered me a trade for the 400+215 cash for a 500; so I'm thinkin of just letting the mags go for 230 to cover shipping

 
Very good.  Someone will get a good deal. 

 

[austonia]

.

 

[wje]

   
this is what i've settled on for genres where grado is not ideal. but i haven't heard it yet, only read about it (a lot). want to buy at ~550
 
wje may I ask, why did you not keep them if so highly regarded?

 
Why? Boredom.  I was actually sick of selling, buying, selling.  The last one I ended up with was my 3rd pair of HE-400s.  They were great headphones, but when I started to listen to more female vocalists, that's where is had its weaker spot.  I had the HE-500 twice, too.  I guess the desire to think something else might have been better out there had me going in a rat race to try out many HifiMan.   I haven't sworn off the HE-500 again down the road.  Might be some time, though.  
 
I have most of my HifiMan headphones that I've gone through posted in my gallery.  I've sewn about 3 leather headbands for them to make them much more comfortable as can be seen in the pictures.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/g/u/4241/wje/
 
[Edit:] You'll also see many of the cables I've done in the past year. I've gone through about 200 linear feet of quad cable in that time period?  

  I have a feeling I might be taking this hobby a bit too seriously.

 

[Melvins]

I think most magnum builds I've seen range anywhere from 300-500. give or take  abit 

 

[austonia]

.

 

[Levictus]

Found this driver link...it actually bills them as "The original AKG fever unit K450 K420 K430 K416 Q460 K480NC 40mm headphone speakers". Hmmm? Thoughts?


http://www.85china.com/product/20601236735/The%20original%20AKG%20fever%20unit%20K450%20K420%20K430%20K416%20Q460%20K480NC%2040mm%20headphone%20speakers

 

[thelostMIDrange]

imagine the discount grado gets by buying in bulk. probably buys them for $2 a set......oh that's right, they're hand made and laboured over for days in a brooklyn basement not bought in bulk from china despite evidence such as pallet receits and common sense suggesting that is the fact and no evidence to the contrary. Someone should buy a set and slap them in some cups. Change the thickness of the felt pad and degaus the magnet to taste. If it's decent, then we can fine tune the cups to them
 
there doesn't appear to be a minimum order on that driver set ! nice find leviticus. If they sound good we can start a new thread and maybe convince the maker to even tweek it a bit for us. Talk about DIY grassroots people power ! Imagine an upper midFi grado style phone made by the people for the people for $100 . That's the stuff dreams are made of.

 

[hemipowered007]

  imagine the discount grado gets by buying in bulk. probably buys them for $2 a set......oh that's right, they're hand made and laboured over for days in a brooklyn basement not bought in bulk from china despite evidence such as pallet receits and common sense suggesting that is the fact and no evidence to the contrary. Someone should buy a set and slap them in some cups. Change the thickness of the felt pad and degaus the magnet to taste. If it's decent, then we can fine tune the cups to them
 
there doesn't appear to be a minimum order on that driver set ! nice find leviticus. If they sound good we can start a new thread and maybe convince the maker to even tweek it a bit for us. Talk about DIY grassroots people power ! Imagine an upper midFi grado style phone made by the people for the people for $100 . That's the stuff dreams are made of.

Its always nice to save a buck or hundreds and do something yourself, its just like the t50, look what a $70 headphone has turned into. Paradox and pdox slants selling for 700? Magnum builds selling for 300 and up, eventhough i do agree magnum drivers are "overpriced". But they were the only alternative, now it seems, they may have some big competition. Since my magnum build hasnt yeilded the results i had hoped for, Im going to more than likely sell mine but keep the extra parts and start buying some of these cheap drivers to tinker with. We need more of this here, and its really growing, I love it. Now we need another cheap planar to tinker with as well, although thats a little tougher than a dynamic to mod. Good to see thelostMIDrange and wje back in here. Been reading their findings for a long time and have a ton of respect for the likes of you two and guys like BMF. We all owe you folks a few rounds!