[Deaj]

Here's a look at the build I'm currently working on...

 

[Rhydon]

ERMAHGERD! Thats amazing!

Im constantly blown away by what you guys are making!

Deaj, man way to go! Did the gimbals/blocks come chrome like that or did you polish them yourself?

Still floored.... beautiful work.

 

[Deaj]

Thanks Rhydon!

This gimbal/block set was available in polished aluminum. The polished bits are like mirrors with fluid lines. The finished headphone is easy on the eyes.

 

[Deaj]

Here are a few images of another finished Magnum V8 / Rholupat Vanquish wood cup build - this one using a Shipibo slim block/gimbal set. The cups are a little beat up as they were used in a test build that was sent to friends for evaluation with no expectation that they be treated delicately. As a result I'll likely keep this set for myself (can't look at them and listen to them at the same time, and I'd rather listen to them - they sound magnificent!)

Now I wait patiently for these cups to become available again....

 

[fleasbaby]

Here are a few images of another finished Magnum V8 / Rholupat Vanquish wood cup build - this one using a Shipibo slim block/gimbal set. The cups are a little beat up as they were used in a test build that was sent to friends for evaluation with no expectation that they be treated delicately. As a result I'll likely keep this set for myself (can't look at them and listen to them at the same time, and I'd rather listen to them - they sound magnificent!)

Now I wait patiently for these cups to become available again....

If you disassemble these and send me the cups, I'd be happy to pop them on my lathe, give them a light sanding and apply a couple of coats of finish for you, no charge. PM me if you're interested.

 

[Deaj]

If you disassemble these and send me the cups, I'd be happy to pop them on my lathe, give them a light sanding and apply a couple of coats of finish for you, no charge. PM me if you're interested.

What a generous offer! Thank you

I made disassembly a bit difficult for myself. Assembly and sealing are all wood glue. They're solid as a rock and I'm confident in my work so worries there.

I am possibly looking to build a couple more headphones. I'll send you a PM with a related question.

Thanks again

 

[fleasbaby]

What a generous offer! Thank you

I made disassembly a bit difficult for myself. Assembly and sealing are all wood glue. They're solid as a rock and I'm confident in my work so worries there.

I am possibly looking to build a couple more headphones. I'll send you a PM with a related question.

Thanks again

No worries...the offer stands if you change your mind . Got to keep those woodies polished and pretty!

 

[Rhydon]

Here are a few images of another finished Magnum V8 / Rholupat Vanquish wood cup build. As a result I'll likely keep this set for myself (can't look at them and listen to them at the same time, and I'd rather listen to them - they sound magnificent!)

They turned out great. Good on shipibo for offering both finishes. Deaj what kind of connectors are those, 1/8”? Also did everything go ok with sealing the cable slots?

Just thinking out loud but how awesome would those earlier chrome gimbals be paired with glossy finish wood cups...

 

[Deaj]

The Magnum V8 builds are starting to pile up over here....

There are three different wood species represented here: Angsana (1st and 3rd headphone left to right), Rosewood, and Mahogany. They each affect the voicing of the drivers - more than I would have guessed, though Angsana and Mahogany are more similar than not.

A friend and I are going spin several new wood cup sets using three additional hardwood species (Boxwood, and two other species I'm hard pressed to remember at this moment). Once these are complete we'll have five sets of ears comparing these six tone wood species cups using Magnum V8 drivers, and boil that effort down to a detailed comparison that I will post here when completed.

______________________________________

These two are my personal builds / keepers. V8 drivers in ~1993 Grado SR325 cups, and V8.1 drivers in Rholupat Angsana wood cups.

If I could only own two headphones I'd choose these two. The Angsana wood set replaced my Sennheiser HD650, the set in the SR325 cups is likely to replace my beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (still debating this decision but I'll reach for the aluminum cupped Magnum V8 set over the DT 1990's at most listening sessions. Time will tell.

I'll keep my beyerdynamic 250 ohm DT250 - sometimes a closed back headphone is necessary and the DT250 is my preferred closed back. I have a set of LZ-A4 IEM's for travel that aren't going anywhere.

If someone had told me early this year that my go-to headphones would both be of the Grado variety I would have laughed. My general opinion based on many demos of various Grado models (SR225e, SR325e, RS2e, a model from the Professional series I can't quite recall, others) was that they were a niche headphone with some genres better suited to them than others. Not so with the Magnum V8 drivers in the right cups. Classic rock, metal, R&B, jazz, classical, Motown, blues, acoustic, grunge, country, etc. Everything sounds fantastic through these two headphones!

 

[Deaj]

They turned out great. Good on shipibo for offering both finishes. Deaj what kind of connectors are those, 1/8”? Also did everything go ok with sealing the cable slots?

Just thinking out loud but how awesome would those earlier chrome gimbals be paired with glossy finish wood cups...

Thanks Rhydon!

The connectors are Sennheiser HD800 type. They work as expected. 6 sets installed and in use, all continue to function without issue.

The Shipibo slim gimbal/block sets are very well made, they weigh the same as the Grado plastic gimbal/block sets, and they're more versatile than the Grado design. A pair of nylon tipped set screws are used to create length and rotation resistance from very light (lighter than O-rings) to a fixed position where length and rotation adjustments are completely restricted (allowing the headphone to be locked in to the ideal listening fit for the listener.

Their bead blasted finish is nice and even, and provides a nice contrast for any wood cups. The black finish isn't durable at any sharp edge (all edges are 90° sharp on these gimbal/block sets). I hold off purchasing any further black sets.. No loss - I prefer the bead blasted finish.

I'd like to see what a gloss finished wood cups look like in both the polished and the bead blasted gimbal/block sets. A buddy and I have an opportunity to turn some wood cup sets with free use of the necessary tooling, the shop, and all the wood supplied for free (Boxwood, and two other tone woods our friend uses to make his custom wood flutes). We've talked about finishes that add depth and movement to the woods figuring. For this a gloss finish would be used. This would look spectacular looking in a Concord Custom Lab polished gimbal/block set. I'll make sure that we take pictures as we progress, and get pictures displaying any finished cups in a complete build.

This has been an interesting hobby. I didn't expect to have any interest in building any more headphones after pairing up an early SR325 with a set of Magnum V8 drivers. Then I got curious about wood cups. I have since built 6 more V8 driver based custom Grado headphones, and I have 3 more builds to go. ...maybe as many as 5 more (two pending requests from family). So much for one and done.

 

[fleasbaby]

The Magnum V8 builds are starting to pile up over here....


There are three different wood species represented here: Angsana (1st and 3rd headphone left to right), Rosewood, and Mahogany. They each affect the voicing of the drivers - more than I would have guessed, though Angsana and Mahogany are more similar than not.

A friend and I are going spin several new wood cup sets using three additional hardwood species (Boxwood, and two other species I'm hard pressed to remember at this moment). Once these are complete we'll have five sets of ears comparing these six tone wood species cups using Magnum V8 drivers, and boil that effort down to a detailed comparison that I will post here when completed.

______________________________________

These two are my personal builds / keepers. V8 drivers in ~1993 Grado SR325 cups, and V8.1 drivers in Rholupat Angsana wood cups.


If I could only own two headphones I'd choose these two. The Angsana wood set replaced my Sennheiser HD650, the set in the SR325 cups is likely to replace my beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (still debating this decision but I'll reach for the aluminum cupped Magnum V8 set over the DT 1990's at most listening sessions. Time will tell.

I'll keep my beyerdynamic 250 ohm DT250 - sometimes a closed back headphone is necessary and the DT250 is my preferred closed back. I have a set of LZ-A4 IEM's for travel that aren't going anywhere.

If someone had told me early this year that my go-to headphones would both be of the Grado variety I would have laughed. My general opinion based on many demos of various Grado models (SR225e, SR325e, RS2e, a model from the Professional series I can't quite recall, others) was that they were a niche headphone with some genres better suited to them than others. Not so with the Magnum V8 drivers in the right cups. Classic rock, metal, R&B, jazz, classical, Motown, blues, acoustic, grunge, country, etc. Everything sounds fantastic through these two headphones!

The process is addictive isn't it? And the variations are endless. Good luck in the workshop....it's the ultimate culmination of the DIY aesthetic for headphones, and also loads of fun.

 

[eclein]

Those look fantastic, I did a pair of Grado SR125’s with Limba wood shells and other mods way back years ago now....yours are phenomenal!
Congrats!,

 

[Deaj]

The process is addictive isn't it? And the variations are endless. Good luck in the workshop....it's the ultimate culmination of the DIY aesthetic for headphones, and also loads of fun.

Addictive seems the right word for it. Thanks! I'll post progress as we go.

 

[Deaj]

Those look fantastic, I did a pair of Grado SR125’s with Limba wood shells and other mods way back years ago now....yours are phenomenal!
Congrats!,

Those look cool! How do they sound?

 

[eclein]

Great...I’ll never sell them. I got a pair of PS500’s and we a,b every so often and they are amazingly almost identical. Blew my mind when my son and I did it, we both were guessing which was which ...wild.
Limba wood...they make Strativarias violins with it. (Excuse my spelling)