[markkr]

LOL... yes I'm weak when it comes to headphones 

 
Rhydon is shipping my full V4 Magnum/325i upgrade with an extra set of drivers. I also picked up the absolutely INSANE "Amboyna Burl RS1 clones" from Marty. Once a few other items of mine in the FS forum sell, I'll be picking up a new set of 60's, leather headband, Black Dragon cable, set of Grado L-cush... all said and done, cost about $500 for the woodys.
 
It should be very interesting to compare the full Magnum vs Woody Magnum.
 
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Ha!  I figured you would.  In all seriousness, the drivers are sweet.  Smooth.  Silky ... oh wait, this is a family site.  The drivers will impress you and I'm quite sure of that.  I'd like to find out how far the drivers in the wooden cups come up on or surpass the Grado RS-2i or RS-1i in sound?  I figure the Rydon drivers in wooden shells have got to be able to providing those Grados a run for the money.  Also, as I recall, you have a pair of SR-325i with Symphones at the moment getting the "treatment' right?   I probably shouldn't say it, but if for some reason, you don't like the ver. 4 drivers from Rhydon, I'll purchase them from you.  I always have a project running.  

 
In regards to the question about the ver. 2.5 sound vs. the 4.0 sound, I can't answer that question.  You'll have to go back into some of the older posts and read how the 2.5 sound was changed when ver. 3.0 of the driver came out.  I've heard the vers. 3 and I'll tell you, I'd be quite content with getting that release of the driver.  Yes, it is that good.
 

 

 

[stratocaster]

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That would be surprising, why would they ask people their original Grados to upgrade to magnums then?
They change the housing, the cups, the headband, if they also manufactured the drivers (instead of tweaking an existing one), absolutely nothing of the original headphones would remain... and they would ask people for their original grados to upgrade then.
 
 

Rhydon originally started giving Grado 325's and Alessandro MS2's an upgrade by replacing the inner plastic driver housings with aluminum shells and replacing the plastic Grado gimbals with aluminum ones. He also removed the Gradessandro drivers and applied a destressing method to improve their performance. Now isn't this "destressing" what Grado says makes, among other things, the difference between their lower end drivers and the higher end ones?
In the next step Rhydon expanded his treatment of 325's and MS2's that customers sent in by also replacing the Gradessandro drivers with  Magnum ones. He sent back the headphones together with the Gradessandro drivers he had removed before installing the Magnum drivers. As I have learned in other threads he has launched versions 1, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, constantly trying to improve the drivers, and is now about to ship version 4. I do not know if he produces the drivers himself. If he does, chapeau man! If he has somebody else make them, I am happy that I can get those first-class drivers fthrough him. What counts is the quality of the driver. And the fact that I can buy it separately!
 

 

[stratocaster]

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It should be very interesting to compare the full Magnum vs Woody Magnum.   

+1.
 
Congratulations on your purchase!!
 

 

[wje]

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As for me, I absolutely do not care if my phones bear the label GRADO or ODARG or MAGNUM or MUNGAM

 
Stop it.  You're giving counterfeiters ideas for names of their products. 

 
 


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So Symphones is pretty much making high quality legally manufactured "knock-offs" of Grado drivers... lol 

Is there a difference between the versions? Grade quality? Is it like Grado [ the best drivers go to the higher
end models while the ones that were not within spec were housed in lower end models ]
 

 
I guess when I think of them term "knock off" it kind of means that it's "like" the OEM part, but possibly not as good.  I'd refer to Symphones as making the Magnum driver which would be quite superior in build quality and potentially sound quality to many of the upper end drivers utilized by Grado.

 

[Nightslayer]

Hey strat, I've got a question. Are the dimensions of the Magnum driver the exact same as regular Grado drivers?

 

[Currawong]

Just FYI, in my conversations with Rhydon, he spent a lot of trouble getting the air chambers right and they are, as I understand it, an important part of the design as much as the drivers are, so you may want to consider that. Interesting that he has caught the interest of modders though. Now if only Headphile were open to doing his Beyer mod with Rhydon's drivers...

 

[stratocaster]

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Hey strat, I've got a question. Are the dimensions of the Magnum driver the exact same as regular Grado drivers?

My V3.5 have the same specs, yes. As for the V4 I will be able to tell you once I get them. Rhydon told me the air chambers I already have would accomodate the V4 drivers as well. So I guess the dimensions will still be the same.

 

[stratocaster]

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Just FYI, in my conversations with Rhydon, he spent a lot of trouble getting the air chambers right and they are, as I understand it, an important part of the design as much as the drivers are, so you may want to consider that. Interesting that he has caught the interest of modders though. Now if only Headphile were open to doing his Beyer mod with Rhydon's drivers...

That's exactly why I did not order drivers only but also a set of air chambers! I was curious if the drivers would only shine in the alu sleeves and how differently they would work in wood.
I am going to find out for myself if I prefer Rhydon's drivers in alu air chambers wearing an alu or wooden outer shell. I am also going to try wood-lined alu (PS1000-like) and wood-only setups. I do not want to constantly take out the drivers and put them back into other cups. So I have more sets of drivers on the way. To be able to do a side by side comparison.
The reason why the Magnums caught my interest was mainly due to the fact that Rhydon sells his drivers separately, as well as air chambers, gimbals etc. I think I remember that he did not use to sell parts separatly in the first place. But he does now. Which is great for a modder.

 

[sling5s]

Even though the Magnum's still retain the Grado sound signature, it is my understanding that when Rhydon started that he was going for the more Joe Grado neutral sound and the Version 1 some what reflected that.
Does the version 3.5 still reflect the neutral sound?  My understanding is, the sound really evolved with each version.  I'm wondering which direction the sound where the sound is at now?  

 

[stratocaster]

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Even though the Magnum's still retain the Grado sound signature, it is my understanding that when Rhydon started that he was going for the more Joe Grado neutral sound and the Version 1 some what reflected that.
Does the version 3.5 still reflect the neutral sound?  My understanding is, the sound really evolved with each version.  I'm wondering which direction the sound where the sound is at now?  

Currawong, I guess, does own more Magnum versions. So he might answer that.
To my ears, the version 3.5 drivers certainly do not sound colored or present parts of the frequency register at the expense of another.

 

[wje]

Not to be out-done by Mark, I've ordered my 2nd pair of Magnums to get boxed and shipped with the first pair.  I want both of my woodies to have Magnums.  I'm missing the sound terribly this week - sort of like a little boy who lost his puppy. 

 

[schwallman]

Canceled PS500 order and bought the Magnum drivers instead.

 

[wje]

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Canceled PS500 order and bought the Magnum drivers instead.

Not a bad move.  Seriously, I think you'll surprise yourself at how impressed you'll be.
 

 
 

 

[sling5s]

I'm planning to sell my 325is drivers once they are replaced by Magnum drivers.  Has anyone sold just the 325is drivers on the for sale forum and for how much?
 
 

 

[schwallman]

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I'm planning to sell my 325is drivers once they are replaced by Magnum drivers.  Has anyone sold just the 325is drivers on the for sale forum and for how much?
 
 

 
 
Might be doing the same.