[devouringone3]

Quote:

Been there done that, Walgreens always knows what I need, CVS always seems confused.
 
So you change it monthly? Hmmm, wish there was a more permanent solution.

 
I don't change anymore (my tape is 5-6 months old now, and still doing it's job fine; I don't see the need to remove it just yet). But when I had to (because at first I had only two pairs of bowls and wanted to use them simultaneously to A/B two Grados; I would revert to tapeless after), it was always in intervals of less than a month.

 

[sluker]

Or you could try a modified HM5 pad.
DIY all in cost is less than a set of replacement bowls.
 
 

 

[joeq70]

Quote:

Or you could try a modified HM5 pad.
DIY all in cost is less than a set of replacement bowls.
 
 

Looks comfy! How's it sound?

 

[JonnyW]

Quote:

I've just finished my Magnums. V4 drivers, Cabillas cups, DIY aluminium rods and gimbals, DIY mahogany and leather headband, cardas wire and furutech connector. A few pics:
 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 
Hope you like it

 
 
 
Those are the nicest headphones I've ever seen.
I have a pair of grado SR80 which I want to mod in a very similar way to yours. I kind of want the g cushion earpads too but they're around £55 in the UK (and the much cheaper US sellers aren't allowed to sell internationally), which is just too much for me to spend on a bit of foam. I'm wondering if I can make something with some nice soft calfs leather instead. I definitely want the mahogany though, I've always loved the look of the wooden grados but would never be able to spend the sort of money that they cost.
 
You've totally inspired me to do it myself - I'll post one day when I've done mine

 

[chrislangley4253]

Quote:

 
 
 
Those are the nicest headphones I've ever seen.
I have a pair of grado SR80 which I want to mod in a very similar way to yours. I kind of want the g cushion earpads too but they're around £55 in the UK (and the much cheaper US sellers aren't allowed to sell internationally), which is just too much for me to spend on a bit of foam. I'm wondering if I can make something with some nice soft calfs leather instead. I definitely want the mahogany though, I've always loved the look of the wooden grados but would never be able to spend the sort of money that they cost.
 
You've totally inspired me to do it myself - I'll post one day when I've done mine

Beware of those G-cush.. They really mess with the sound in a bad way unless your headphones have been tuned to use them.

 

[JonnyW]

hmm thanks for the warning. I've got L cush pads at the moment, they're a bit uncomfortable over long periods though. G cush would be an expensive mistake though if they ruined the sound. Maybe I make all the other mods on them that I want to do and leave the decision about the pads until last.Truth be told grados probably aren't the best for my usage, just listening to the radio on my pc in a busy office while I'm working, or using them to hear the audio when I'm playing or testing the computer games that our company makes. But I love the style of them, and just want to replace some of the more plasticy parts with nicer materials.

 

[chrislangley4253]

Quote:

hmm thanks for the warning. I've got L cush pads at the moment, they're a bit uncomfortable over long periods though. G cush would be an expensive mistake though if they ruined the sound. Maybe I make all the other mods on them that I want to do and leave the decision about the pads until last.Truth be told grados probably aren't the best for my usage, just listening to the radio on my pc in a busy office while I'm working, or using them to hear the audio when I'm playing or testing the computer games that our company makes. But I love the style of them, and just want to replace some of the more plasticy parts with nicer materials.

You're actually doing it backwards Jonny. Pads are the very first thing you should experiment with. They make a huge difference.

Grado style is undeniable

 

[JonnyW]

Thanks, I guess you're right about pads being the best place to start experimenting. I must confess though I've just ordered some mahogany cups from headphone lounge as they look fantastic.
 
Talking about experimenting with pads though, has anyone ever tried getting some of that memory foam that is sometimes used in matresses and cushions, which molds to your form? I was thinking I might get a block and try to cut and fashion it to a shape roughly half way between L cush and G cush. If it works they'd be seriously comfortable, but I wouldn't have a clue how they affect the sound, it would be interesting to find out. It's a pretty dense foam compared to most foams. There's plenty of potential for them to look aweful, what with cutting the foam DIY style - I'll have to hope my artistic side doesn't let me down.

 

[chrislangley4253]

Quote:

Thanks, I guess you're right about pads being the best place to start experimenting. I must confess though I've just ordered some mahogany cups from headphone lounge as they look fantastic.
 
Talking about experimenting with pads though, has anyone ever tried getting some of that memory foam that is sometimes used in matresses and cushions, which molds to your form? I was thinking I might get a block and try to cut and fashion it to a shape roughly half way between L cush and G cush. If it works they'd be seriously comfortable, but I wouldn't have a clue how they affect the sound, it would be interesting to find out. It's a pretty dense foam compared to most foams. There's plenty of potential for them to look aweful, what with cutting the foam DIY style - I'll have to hope my artistic side doesn't let me down.

yeah, I don't suspect the dense memory foam will do great things for the sound.

 

[haarvi]

Quote:

yeah, I don't suspect the dense memory foam will do great things for the sound.

 
Memory foam is being used with the just-out AKG K702 Anniversary edition.
Apparently to good effect.
Drivers remain the same.
But a couple of reports have claimed better base presence.

 

[7keys]

I'm thinking of making a pair of cups from Black Cherry, anyone try this wood?
 
Guitar bench tone wood profiles say they characterise the tone of cherry as somewhere between Maple and Mahogany., It has more distinct bass and midrange than Maple but batter clarity and balance than Honduran Mahogany.

 

[Biscuitz]

Sibilance.

So, I just got my Wood Magnum V4 Build, and I like everything about the sound except the sibilance. It is super sharp. Is this normal? My SR60i has much tamer sibilance. Is this normal, or is my pair of Magnum V4's bad?

 

[chrislangley4253]

Quote:

Sibilance.

So, I just got my Wood Magnum V4 Build, and I like everything about the sound except the sibilance. It is super sharp. Is this normal? My SR60i has much tamer sibilance. Is this normal, or is my pair of Magnum V4's bad?

 
Definitely not normal. What's your source/amp? Also, check your music too.. Unfortunately a lot of stuff is just mastered/recorded poorly and older mp3's aren't too great.

 

[Biscuitz]

Quote:

 
Definitely not normal. What's your source/amp? Also, check your music too.. Unfortunately a lot of stuff is just mastered/recorded poorly and older mp3's aren't too great.

I understand that. But what I'm saying is my SR60i does not have nearly the sibilance as the Magnum V4's on the same source, same amp, same songs.

 

[chrislangley4253]

Quote:

I understand that. But what I'm saying is my SR60i does not have nearly the sibilance as the Magnum V4's on the same source, same amp, same songs.

Sorry, I overlooked that part.. That does seem rather odd to me. Just to make sure our definitions are the same.

Sibilant (or Sibilance)

 - "Essy", exaggerated "s" or "sh" sounds in vocals. Sibilant sounds carry most of their energy through the 4Khz to 8Khz range, but can extend to 10kHz, depending on the individual. Sibilance is often heard on radio.

The only thing I can think is that magnums are much more revealing and detailed than the SR60i. They might be revealing a problem with your songs or your source that the sr60i hides. Keep playing around with different albums and genres.. make absolutely sure it isn't the music and then we will go from there Biscuitz. Don't get me wrong, the magnums do have very detailed and for lack of a better word, colored high end.. But, all grados and magnums have this to some extent.. It's what makes grado, grado.. in a lot of respects.

If the problem absolutely isn't the songs. I'd move on to looking at your dac and amp. If you tell us what dac/amp you are using, if any. It might give us a better idea what to point a finger at. And as you mentioned, it very well could be the magnums themselves or maybe the housing they are in. Magnum drivers (like all drivers) have some variation.. And the cup material and inner finish has more of an effect than most people credit it. What wood are the cups made out of and how is the inside finished? If the headphones came straight from rhydon, I would say to point your fingers at your gear first.. But, given then unknown nature of these magnums, it could very well be them causing the problem.