[fleasbaby]

Let us know how they turned out.
FWIW, the best results to my ears so far are by press-fitting, direct contact, nice and snag, every other mounting method like foam or tape between the driver and the wood cups that I tried, tends to emphasize the Midhighs, which on second thought is not a bad thing, makes snare drum hits, "frightening".

Thanks for the advice...

I have the blanks gluing for a new pair of cups that will feature Burmese Blackwood for the outer face and driver seat, and Black Limba for the body. I like what I hear so far with the new seating, but I am not sure it's what I want 100%...the new cups will feature a press-fit driver seat and three grub screws.

 

[Konstantin690]

.the new cups will feature a press-fit driver seat and three grub screws.

 
If you're gonna press-fit the drivers, why you need the grub screws?

 

[7keys]

 

.the new cups will feature a press-fit driver seat and three grub screws.

 
If you're gonna press-fit the drivers, why you need the grub screws?

 

[fleasbaby]

If you're gonna press-fit the drivers, why you need the grub screws?

Good question . I want to see if tightening the grip on the driver means better use of the resonance of the wood.

 

[thelostMIDrange]

 

 
the naming of each corresponds from left to right in the pics
 
 
 
Spent a couple hours searching ebay for some suitable pads for the standard grado style cup, as an alternative to the typical foam. All these need to be modded particularly on the back to decrease the attachment section since the grado lip is smaller than any of these. But these where all chosen because they have a nice large front opening. Two things I noticed when messing with pads on earlier builds is that I wanted the edge of the front opening to be clear of the drivers' edge, and two that that same pad lip seems to want to be pinned down to the back section. So two mods would be needed for most of these pads. the back attachment and possibly pinning down the front lip (inner diameter section of the pad. When the pad gets pinned down there is no gap for the sound to get caught up and I found this good for the sound. Will need to mess with them again for the yipsilon but just thought i'd pop in and show the pads I found that are suitable (and under $25)(some are only $5). Even found an ebayer that carries most of them to make for one stop shop if anyone decides to by multiple (and so save on shipping). Haven't decided which 2 or 3 to try first so if anyone sees any that seem better candidates than others or if you see some that don't work at all for some reason, please give a shout.
 
 
 
here's the auctions for the above pads and others:
 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261238273379?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171556850404?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181211860354?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171739769835?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180877924175?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171265184777?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172050278372?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&var=470908457070&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181705308159?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321771494299?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201200045620?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261841318275?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181653314939?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172032570599?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

[thelostMIDrange]

here's what I've got as far as grub screws (put 4 in for each cup but probably only need/use one, to just put pressure on the driver edge and driver the entire driver tight to the remaining sides of the cup). I will probably still try and size the overall lip opening to be a press fit although because there is a secondary attach mechanism in the grub screw, the fit can but just a touch loose, compared to what I typically refer to as press fit. Overall I found the grub screw process simple to do and not time consuming. The tools needed are about $10-15 and can be used to do this similar fastening to just about anything. You'll find yourself going around the house looking for things to utilize the technique!
 
as for why the use of the grub screws vs press fit alone. from where I sit it is about ease of install/remove and also to negate the need to size the opening exact. It may also allow the wood to expand and contract a bit more with temp and humidity changes so it reduces the chance of cracking the cups (when the humidity is low and the cup shrinks). Then again the point of contact may be just as tight as a standard press fit and not allow any more expansion/contraction. Time will tell.......2nd,There are different understandings of the term press fit. Press fit is basically 'tight enough to not have the driver fall out'. But within that category one can have loose press fit and tight pres fit. Tight press fit is what would result in a cracked cup in low humidity and loose fit probably would get by ok. Butif tight press fit turns out to be best for sound, in order to have one's cake and eat it too (theoretical cake at this point), the grub screw can make a nice tight fit on a large percentage of the lip while allowing for some adjustment that may be needed from time to time. One can also play with using all 3 (or 4) grub screws and seeing if that sounds better than direct wood to driver contact. (for that the opening would need to be 'loose loose press fit, i.e. just enough of an opening to allow minimal to no driver to lip contact). hard to explain but this is what I will be playing with. Without grub screws one only has one option. Further and to me most important, if/when i try another set of drivers in the cups some day there will be more flexibility in accomadating them. I anticipate having to try several drivers until I find goldy locks and with grado and magnums i found that the drivers vary in not only sound, but size as well. But they where all plastic covers and the metal housing/cover on the yipsilon is probably a near idential cast/size...in any case it's easy to do and gives options if needed
 
The dampening on the side walls is mod I'm playing with. It's sticky backed foam. I've tried this staggered lengthwise application as well as a 90 degree application (with reference to this lengthwise application) where two strips run around the inside of cup (fleas currently has this variation).....

 

[kugino]

my drivers came in today. ordered on the 6th and arrived on the 19th. so almost two weeks. fwiw, the tracking is useless...my order shows that it arrived at the airport about a week ago and no update since then.

it's very nicely packaged. hopefully I'll be able to work on it sometime next week.

 

[Konstantin690]

Here's a thought, what if we connect to Ground the aluminum shell?
Should be easy to try, make the negative signal wire a tad longer and solder it in a way that we can "squeeze" it to make contact with the shell.
I think the T1's drivers are also grounded.
But, don't try it with a balanced amplifier.

 

[fleasbaby]

  Here's a thought, what if we connect to Ground the aluminum shell?
Should be easy to try, make the negative signal wire a tad longer and solder it in a way that we can "squeeze" it to make contact with the shell.
I think the T1's drivers are also grounded.
But, don't try it with a balanced amplifier.

 
Would this render any sonic benefits in an un-balanced pair of headphones?
 
Yesterday I finished my latest iteration:
 

 

 


These are made with Burmese Blackwood and African Limba.
 
With pads on they look pretty much the same as the last pair. I left a little more mass on the end-cap this time though. I also made the mouth a touch wider.
 
Inside the cup I have applied hot glue and smeared it to provide an uneven surface. Old Joseph Grado did this with the HP series of headphones and it appears to break up reflections within the cup. I like the effect. On the back of the driver, covering the holes around the magnet, I have some surgical tape, as per a suggestion from @thelostMIDrange.
 
With the pads off, you can see I have now used a hardwood for the driver seat as well. I left as much of it around the driver as well, to add mass there as well. The driver is press-fitted into place. No grub screws yet. I want to spend time with them plain, and add those in a week or so.
 
At the moment the sound is still nice and detailed. With the flat pads it isn't as sterile as it sounded with the L-Cush...a little more soul. I had some nice moments with them at the office yesterday, straight from a FiiO X5, gen. 1.

 

[Konstantin690]

   
Would this render any sonic benefits in an un-balanced pair of headphones?
 

Probably not, but I can think of at least one reason for it to worth trying, RFI shielding of the drivers voice coil, it can (theoretically) reduce the noise floor on some amplifiers.
Apart from the T1's there are some speaker manufacturers that use a dedicated ground binding post connected to drivers baskets.
Do you see any drawbacks?
 
 
 

 

[thelostMIDrange]

just to chime in here with some updated sound reports f​rom the f​rontlines.....I've heard 3 sets of​ the drivers and am enjoying them. I still need to diy f​abricate some proper pads and so f​inal impressions can only come at that point. What i've noticed is quite a nice degree of​ consistency f​rom set to set, which is a nice change f​rom my experiences with other drivers. I hear a balanced fairly neutral sound with nice bass that isn't bloated or boomy (or weak) and a suf​f​icient and accurate treble without being too mellow or too hot. The midrange is where i hear a bit of​ color but that may be my rig or personal hearing, as well as not having tuned the pads, but overall, am excited about f​inalizing the two builds i've got here. 
 
As f​ar as the drivers and the install. I'm totally sold on these grub/allen screws and will use them f​rom here on out. There is a bit of​ size variance set to set (as is expected) and so I can size the cup opening to accomodate the larger size drivers and then use the screws to lock 'em down. I spent a bit of​ time listening to the dif​f​erence between press f​it with no screw use and screw use only and am not hearing signif​icant dif​f​erence which tells me the physical screw method is not changing the mounting compared to the usual press f​it contact method. The one piece metal housing is probably more size consistent than the two piece plastic a magnum or grado uses f​wiw. and this is only an issue if​ you plan on swapping drivers into the same cups over and over like i do. If​ you just use one driver set then you can size the cup accordingly and any variation is a non issue.
 
Have also played with a couple mods to the inner walls and also the back vent holes, and am reverting to stock until the pads come into play.

 

[speedking]

 

Since you own a measuring chamber similar to"Βruel&Κjaer 4152" , maybe you can measure and post the frequency responce of the Ypsilon driver compared to a grado or symphones driver just for reference!

 

[Konstantin690]

  Since you own a measuring chamber similar to"Βruel&Κjaer 4152" , maybe you can measure and post the frequency responce of the Ypsilon driver compared to a grado or symphones driver just for reference!

 
Not a bad idea, I will soon.

 

[7keys]

 
 

 
the naming of each corresponds from left to right in the pics
 
 
 
Spent a couple hours searching ebay for some suitable pads for the standard grado style cup, as an alternative to the typical foam. All these need to be modded particularly on the back to decrease the attachment section since the grado lip is smaller than any of these. But these where all chosen because they have a nice large front opening. Two things I noticed when messing with pads on earlier builds is that I wanted the edge of the front opening to be clear of the drivers' edge, and two that that same pad lip seems to want to be pinned down to the back section. So two mods would be needed for most of these pads. the back attachment and possibly pinning down the front lip (inner diameter section of the pad. When the pad gets pinned down there is no gap for the sound to get caught up and I found this good for the sound. Will need to mess with them again for the yipsilon but just thought i'd pop in and show the pads I found that are suitable (and under $25)(some are only $5). Even found an ebayer that carries most of them to make for one stop shop if anyone decides to by multiple (and so save on shipping). Haven't decided which 2 or 3 to try first so if anyone sees any that seem better candidates than others or if you see some that don't work at all for some reason, please give a shout.
 
 
 
here's the auctions for the above pads and others:
 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261238273379?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171556850404?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181211860354?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171739769835?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180877924175?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171265184777?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172050278372?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&var=470908457070&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181705308159?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321771494299?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201200045620?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261841318275?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181653314939?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172032570599?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

How's it going with the pads?

 

[thelostMIDrange]

too busy, but chose 4 sets and hope to mess with them soon.....