[fleasbaby]

A pair of Magnums used to be a complete build done by the Canadian site you reference. They were a stock pair of SR325is, with the original Grado drivers and plastic inner sleeves removed and replaced with aluminium inner sleeves and specially made drivers...Magnum drivers. There were five versions of the Magnum driver (with a few versions between whole numbers in between apparently). The fifth is the driver you see being sold on the Turbulent site. The aluminium gimbals and sleeves are no longer available. Neither is the build service previously offered by the Canadian site.
 

Note the "M" logo on the sleeve.
 

 
Note the aluminium gimbals replacing the stock plastic Grado ones as well.
 
The information found here is old, but pretty much covers the basic Grado mods:

 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/grado-modification-overview
 
The real fun with Grado modding comes when you get to replacing the stock plastic cups. Depending on creativity and resources, you can make yourself a pair of headphones for life. People make endless variations on the theme: wooden outer cups with aluminium inner sleeves, wooden inner sleeves with aluminium outer cups, one-piece full-woody cups (a-la RS1 style), outer cups made with one type of wood and paired with inner sleeves made of another...and the possible shapes are endless (do a Google image search, its fascinating)...
 
People generally use their Grado drivers, or upgrade to Magnum drivers (the Magnum are generally better than stock Grado drivers, but sometimes implementation and materials changes that). They also upgrade the stock plastic headband cushion with a nice leather one (the Turbulent headbands are the best aftermarket ones I have seen, but I never managed to get my hands on one of the much-lauded, now unavailable JMoney ones).
 
They also change the pads around, trying the G-Cush, L-Cush and the TTVJ flats to tweak sound as well...

 

[thievesarmy]

interesting… thanks for that. So, you can't get aluminum sleeve's / gimbals anymore? That's a bummer… Are there any replacement sleeves available anywhere (apart from second-hand)? I will probably upgrade the headband, and get some wooden cups, and probably the Turbulent driver as well as long as it is an improvement over the stock 60i or 80i driver. And between the 60 or 80, is one more suited to or commonly used for modding?
 
Thanks again -

 

[fleasbaby]

  interesting… thanks for that. So, you can't get aluminum sleeve's / gimbals anymore? That's a bummer… Are there any replacement sleeves available anywhere (apart from second-hand)? I will probably upgrade the headband, and get some wooden cups, and probably the Turbulent driver as well as long as it is an improvement over the stock 60i or 80i driver. And between the 60 or 80, is one more suited to or commonly used for modding?
 
Thanks again -

 
No problem...indeed, the sleeves and gimbals are no longer available new. I know Martin Custom Audio does aluminium gimbals, and there have been a few one-offs done by avid modders with access to the right tools and materials...no sleeves though. I have looked at local machine shops myself to get them made, but it isn't cheap, and usually they aren't too excited about doing a fiddly little one-off job for someone.
 
The Turbulent driver is indeed an improvement over the stock SR60i and SR80i driver. Personally I use an old pair of SR60 drivers to test cups that pass through my hands. Both the SR60i and SR80i are equally good for modding.
 
I keep some vintage pink SR80 (another story altogether) and some Turbulent drivers for my everyday headphones...

 

[jinteddy7]

Thanks for the help fleasbaby =) 

 

[fleasbaby]

 

[Klaatu]

  interesting… thanks for that. So, you can't get aluminum sleeve's / gimbals anymore? That's a bummer… Are there any replacement sleeves available anywhere (apart from second-hand)? I will probably upgrade the headband, and get some wooden cups, and probably the Turbulent driver as well as long as it is an improvement over the stock 60i or 80i driver. And between the 60 or 80, is one more suited to or commonly used for modding?
 
Thanks again -

 
You can find aluminium gimbals here: http://www.martincustomaudio.com/p/sale-aluminum-gimbals-rodblocks.html

 

[thievesarmy]

   
You can find aluminium gimbals here: http://www.martincustomaudio.com/p/sale-aluminum-gimbals-rodblocks.html

 
Cool - thanks

 

[sluker]

If you want a set of Symphones aluminum sleeves pm me I still have an extra set that I never used .

 

[thievesarmy]

  If you want a set of Symphones aluminum sleeves pm me I still have an extra set that I never used .

 
pm'ed! thx

 

[PhotoHead]

So I think my Grado 80s are finally done.  Wood cups, Magnum drivers, eBay cable, L Cush cups and leather pad.  They sound great and I was really pleased with how easily the Magnum drivers soldered to the cables I bought.  These were the second set of drivers I tried.  I had some PX100II drivers installed but didn't care for the very bright treble interpretation.   The SR80 drivers died while I was trying to extricate them from the original plastic cups.
 
So, now the only Grado parts remaining are the cheesy plastic gimbles and headband frame.  I am fulfilled.

 

[Beagle]

On the Turbulent Labs site, is the price indicated for Grado wood cups $95 or $130) per pair or for each one?

 

[fleasbaby]

  On the Turbulent Labs site, is the price indicated for Grado wood cups $95 or $130) per pair or for each one?

Its $95 for their RS1 clones, and $130 for the "Vintage" (Mushroom, sort-of GS1000-style) ones.

 

[Beagle]

I know that, but is it each or per pair?

 

[fleasbaby]

  I know that, but is it each or per pair?

 
Per pair

 

[Beagle]

Thank you!