[Makiah S]

Built a G1 with cups similar to the GS style cups but decided I liked the R1 better so I've sold mine, a few pictures of them before I sold them:

I've actually decided to put this bad boi up for sale, sounds pretty awesome but I'm never using it, feel bad <.< it sounds awesome and it really deserves to do more than sit on my office lol
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ypsilon-g1-custom-build.875579/

 

[wormsdriver]

Hey guys, I listed my Gradeze build with R1 drivers if anybody is interested. Here's my FS thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ypsilon-gradeze-build.875983/

 

[wormsdriver]

Uhh... so does anybody have a pair of ypsilon drivers for sale?

 

[Deaj]

I'm in the process of testing a couple of drivers in a nice Grado SR325 w/ brushed aluminum cups that I recently purchased used here on Head-Fi.org (thanks wormsdriver!). I have a pair each of Symphone Magnum V8 drivers and Elleven Acoustica Epsilon R1 drivers. Very different drivers, I know. I'm wanting to evaluate each and pick a direction for this headphone. I'll likely end up keeping the unused driver set for another mod or build in the future.

I already have a stock Grado SR325e (mostly, SMC connectors installed for detachable cables) and I really like this headphone. I don't hear it as bright so much as detailed. They have a broken in pair of L-cushions and I find them both comfortable to wear and a great listen.

The new (old) SR325 arrived with Magnum V7 drivers installed and a bit of tuning in the cups. The sounded very, very good upon arrival! This said I already had two sets of drivers on the way to evaluate in this headphone.

I removed the V7 drivers and all material used to tune the cups, then removed the stock cable and installed SMC jacks. The headband was a bit loose in the rod blocks so I installed a set screw on the inside face of each block and this tightened the headband fit quite nicely. Lastly (and I did this to both my SR325e and this SR325) I installed a pair of flat grommets on each gimbal, one above the rod block and one below, to keep the gimbals in a semi-fixed vertical position within the rod block. I found the grommets at my local hardware store. They have a .095 inside diameter and they fit tightly around the gimbal adjustment shaft.

With everything tightened up and wired for drivers I wired in the Epsilon R1 drivers. So far I like what I'm hearing! I haven't made any comparisons for the SR325e or anything else for that matter, and I don't have much in the way observations to post yet. I'm just going to listen while the drivers settle / burn in. I'll make some observations when done, listen for a while, then swap in the Magnum V8's, rinse, and repeat. So far, though, I can definitely tell that I'm going to want the Epsilon R1 drivers in something permanent at some point. I really like them so far.

Here's a pic:

 

[wormsdriver]

Good day for doing some missing. I installed a new cable (mogami) with balanced termination.

I then started pad rolling. Taped mod L-cush sounds good but I'm having a problem with sibilance. I eq'd it down and got rid of it mostly. Listened for a while and remembered I had some pads in the closet I'm not using. Most of these pads are bigger over the ear pads so they would need an adapter. I made some adapters from cardboard just to experiment and my first try was very good. Pads are velour, I think they are Shure pads from a pair of 940's I had years ago. Other pads are Dekoni elite M50x and my old Signature Pro pads. Both the Dekoni elite and the Signature Pro were not as good as the velour pads. The velour makes them sound very spacious and warms them up to were my sibilance issues are gone. I haven't compared them to anything else yet. Bass is good but might be on the softer side.

I think these are definitely the drivers to get if your looking to get different enclosures, not just Grado style cans. They respond very well to everything you throw at them!

Btw @DavidA and @Konstantin690 did you guys have any issues with sibilance on your R1 Grado builds?

 

[Konstantin690]

Good day for doing some missing. I installed a new cable (mogami) with balanced termination.

I then started pad rolling. Taped mod L-cush sounds good but I'm having a problem with sibilance. I eq'd it down and got rid of it mostly. Listened for a while and remembered I had some pads in the closet I'm not using. Most of these pads are bigger over the ear pads so they would need an adapter. I made some adapters from cardboard just to experiment and my first try was very good. Pads are velour, I think they are Shure pads from a pair of 940's I had years ago. Other pads are Dekoni elite M50x and my old Signature Pro pads. Both the Dekoni elite and the Signature Pro were not as good as the velour pads. The velour makes them sound very spacious and warms them up to were my sibilance issues are gone. I haven't compared them to anything else yet. Bass is good but might be on the softer side.

I think these are definitely the drivers to get if your looking to get different enclosures, not just Grado style cans. They respond very well to everything you throw at them!

Btw @DavidA and @Konstantin690 did you guys have any issues with sibilance on your R1 Grado builds?

The pads used make a world of difference, but even with the $5 L-cush knockoffs from Ebay the R1 sounds fine, very resolving and detailed but never sibilant, but, I'm using them with Eleven Acousticas mahogany RS cups and the drivers are press fitted which I also found crucial.
In the Audeze build the R1 is kinda on the warm-ish side.
What's the output impedance of your amplifier? They don't really like high output impedance amplifiers.

 

[wormsdriver]

Lol, I forgot to post some pictures while i was pad rolling.

 

[wormsdriver]

The pads used make a world of difference, but even with the $5 L-cush knockoffs from Ebay the R1 sounds fine, very resolving and detailed but never sibilant, but, I'm using them with Eleven Acousticas mahogany RS cups and the drivers are press fitted which I also found crucial.
In the Audeze build the R1 is kinda on the warm-ish side.
What's the output impedance of your amplifier? They don't really like high output impedance amplifiers.

I forgot to mention that they are in woosen sleeves. I uses blue tack around the drivers to set them in. I also used a dab of hot glue on the cable in front of the cable tie in the cups to hopefully block out most of that air flow that goes through the cable holes.

I was using my galaxy s7, ipod touch 5th gen. and I also used a Soundaware p1 amp for a bit and it was still sibilant with the l cush

 

[Konstantin690]

I forgot to mention that they are in woosen sleeves. I uses blue tack around the drivers to set them in. I also used a dab of hot glue on the cable in front of the cable tie in the cups to hopefully block out most of that air flow that goes through the cable holes.

I was using my galaxy s7, ipod touch 5th gen. and I also used a Soundaware p1 amp for a bit and it was still sibilant with the l cush

From the looks of it, I think that your cups are very long, I never liked long cups as they emphasize that dreadful ~2kHz "ringing" that's inevitable in Grado-ish cups.
Most likely, that's the cause of your problem, ideally the acoustic chamber length (drivers bottom to screen) should be less than half it's diameter.

 

[DavidA]

Good day for doing some missing. I installed a new cable (mogami) with balanced termination.

I then started pad rolling. Taped mod L-cush sounds good but I'm having a problem with sibilance. I eq'd it down and got rid of it mostly. Listened for a while and remembered I had some pads in the closet I'm not using. Most of these pads are bigger over the ear pads so they would need an adapter. I made some adapters from cardboard just to experiment and my first try was very good. Pads are velour, I think they are Shure pads from a pair of 940's I had years ago. Other pads are Dekoni elite M50x and my old Signature Pro pads. Both the Dekoni elite and the Signature Pro were not as good as the velour pads. The velour makes them sound very spacious and warms them up to were my sibilance issues are gone. I haven't compared them to anything else yet. Bass is good but might be on the softer side.

I think these are definitely the drivers to get if your looking to get different enclosures, not just Grado style cans. They respond very well to everything you throw at them!

Btw @DavidA and @Konstantin690 did you guys have any issues with sibilance on your R1 Grado builds?

Like @Konstantin690 I am using the RS style cups from Elleven Acoustica and have no issues with sibilance. Using generic ebay G-pads selected 2 best from 4 pairs, drivers are press fit, dynamat in the cups and on parts of the magnet and frame of the driver. SMC jack plugs up the hole so no air leak issues for me. Most of the time I have these hooked up to the headphone jack of my UD301 or Ember

 

[wormsdriver]

From the looks of it, I think that your cups are very long, I never liked long cups as they emphasize that dreadful ~2kHz "ringing" that's inevitable in Grado-ish cups.
Most likely, that's the cause of your problem, ideally the acoustic chamber length (drivers bottom to screen) should be less than half it's diameter.

I was also thinking the total length was too long because there was a small gap on the inside where the wooden sleeve and the metal cup meet so I put blue tack to cover that area up.

@fleasbaby where you at? Lol
To cut down the wooden sleeve (evenly) what do you recommend?

 

[DavidA]

I was also thinking the total length was too long because there was a small gap on the inside where the wooden sleeve and the metal cup meet so I put blue tack to cover that area up.

@fleasbaby where you at? Lol
To cut down the wooden sleeve (evenly) what do you recommend?

Depending on how much you need to sand down either place a sheet of sand paper on a table and gently sand down to your desired height or if its a bit more then a oribital or belt sander might be a bit easier but check often since they can quickly remove material if you are not careful. I'd suggest putting a piece of tape around the cup to mark where you want to trim down to so you know where to stop

 

[wormsdriver]

Depending on how much you need to sand down either place a sheet of sand paper on a table and gently sand down to your desired height or if its a bit more then a oribital or belt sander might be a bit easier but check often since they can quickly remove material if you are not careful. I'd suggest putting a piece of tape around the cup to mark where you want to trim down to so you know where to stop

Good info my friend, thank you.

@Konstantin690 thank you for your observations, very helpful.

Unfortunately those wooden sleeves are glue into the metal cups. I do however have an extra pair of sleeves that I might try out and make them shorther to place on a different set of cups.

 

[DavidA]

What kind of glue did you use? most would be using hot glue for sleeve to cups but I've seen a few where they used wood glue which is a PITA to remove, like how Grado mounts their drivers in the wooden sleeves which I found vinegar to help soften.

 

[fleasbaby]

Good info my friend, thank you.

@Konstantin690 thank you for your observations, very helpful.

Unfortunately those wooden sleeves are glue into the metal cups. I do however have an extra pair of sleeves that I might try out and make them shorther to place on a different set of cups.

David has it about right...a sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface should do it for small amounts. Be careful if you go with a power tool. Be sure to rotate the sleeve in your hand to keep varying where you put pressure...