fleasbaby
Member of the Trade: Wabi Sabi Headphones
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- Jul 8, 2011
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I just ordered a pair of Nhoord Red drivers.
When I started building Grado type headphones early last year I had the opportunity to compare several drivers in a well sealed set of early 90's SR325 cups: Grado SR325e's, Epsilon R1's, Magnum V7's, and Magnum V8's. I was really only interested in building a better SR325, and had no interest in using cups other than the SR325 cups I already had on hand.
The SR325e drivers in SR325 cups sounded like (you guessed it) Grado SR325e headphones. This isn't a bad thing really. The SR325e is, for me, the headphone that started this obsession. I eventually concluded that there was room for improvement.
The Magnum V7's didn't do it for me. The bass from the Grado drivers was controlled, fairly well textured, and punchy but a bit buried underneath the SR325e's midrange and treble. The Magnum V7's brought the bass forward but I couldn't get past its relative lack of control (a little boomy IIRC).
The Epsilon R1's upper midrange was 'shouty' and a bit congested. After burn-in it was no different in this regard. I assume this driver would have been more pleasant in a wood cup.
The Magnum V8 drivers turned out to be exactly what I wanted my SR325e to be - balanced. The bass is well controlled, extends lower, very well textured and detailed, and more forward than the SR325e. I've described the resulting headphone in detail in the 'Grado modders go Magnum' so I'll just say that it's brilliant - one of my favorite headphones ever.
I have since modded and built another six headphones, all using wood cups and Magnum V8 drivers. The Rholupat Angsana wood cups paired with Magnum V8 drivers yields an extraordinary headphone. They are the closest I've heard in a headphone to listening to a great set of speakers in a treated room.
Unfortunately the two Angsana/Magnum headphones I have built so far were already designated as gifts (one for a close friend and audiophile, the other was for my son) and Rholupat has been out of them for some time now, with no idea when they will again be available due to a lack of a suitable wood supply. I will eventually build one for myself I just have to be patient (I keep telling myself).Fortunately my son is living with us while he finishes his associates degree so I have access to his build.
I modified a Grado SR125 using Magnum V8's with excellent results. They are a pleasant listen altogether with a smooth and detailed presentation - basically a much improved SR125. It's the bass that really stands out in this headphone - so very defined, focused, lifelike. Double bass is a standout here! Every subtle detail is discernible and so very dynamic, without ever distracting the listener from the music. Miles Davis 'Blue In Green' from the 'Kind Of Blue' illustrates this perfectly. It's not technically as precise elsewhere but it never sounds unnatural. It's just so smooth and pleasant to listen through. I did remove the plastic grills and replaced them with stainless steel mesh, similar to that found on the SR325's, though just a bit less restrictive as the steel wire is just a bit thinner compared to the SR325 grill.
I recently built a Mahogany set with V8 drivers (listening to these as I type this message) that just do everything right. This headphone has a bit more warmth than the other builds, with a smooth and relaxed presentation. There's no shortage of detail here but it never sounds anything near analytical. This set responds really well to EQ (in my case a Schiit LOKI Mini EQ) so it's voicing can be changed without sounding processed making a very versatile headphone. This one will stay, at least until I can build an Angsana wood set, and most likely after.
The remaining sets (one in Limba wood cups, the other in Rosewood cups) sound great but they're not the ideal pairing the sets mentioned above. Limba set is bright, and a near match for the SR325/V8 set. Without a bit of A/B listening between the Limba/V8 and SR325/V8 I could easily mistake one for the other. The Rosewood/V8 set has a slight lift in bass and again in the upper mids. This works really well with some recordings and not as well with others. Bass heavy tracks are just a bit too heavy. Tracks with a balanced bass presentation sound great but perhaps a bit less textured compared to the builds mentioned above. Recordings with sibilance and/or harsh upper frequencies stick out on this set. Well recorded/engineered tracks sound wonderful.
I'm nit-picking here as all of these headphones sound fantastic in their own right. However, since I currently have five of my builds in the house currently, and since I'm a bit of a perfectionist, I feel drive to see if (and how) the Rosewood and Limba sets can be improved. Since I've only had a cursory listen to a set of Nhoord drivers sometime earlier in the year last year and have no distinct memory regarding how the sounded, my curiosity is piqued reading through this thread. Before I start messing with 'tuning' these sets I decided to purchase a new pair of Nhoord Red drivers and give them a go in the Limba and Rosewood (I'll also likely swap them into the Mahogany cups as well for a listen).
I look forward to giving the Nhoord drivers a go. I'll post ny thoughts once I've mounted them and had a listen.
Looking forward to your impressions...you've clearly spent a healthy amount of time with the V8
My Vali now has a new friend called Modi 3 
