[fookies]

Howdy! I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advice in sprucing up my Grado sr80i's. I have absolutely no experience with electronics whatsoever, and I've spent the last week researching what to do and working up the courage to tinker with them. I'm finally ready, and I'm confident enough that the guides I've found will be able to walk me through the modifications well enough. Now I just need to get materials and some reassurance that everything will be okay if I open up my headphones.
First, I'd like to swap out the cable for a single detachable cable with iPhone microphone compatibility. I'm a little intimidated by making the cable myself, and I was wondering if it would be possible to take a cable like the iSonitalk cable here (http://www.monstercable.com/headphones/spare.asp), run the stock cable through the headband on one side, and just install a stereo jack in the other headphone. If so, what would be a good option for the cable? Also, what would a good online source be for the soldering iron, solder, and jacks I would need to do this mod? I'm also looking at getting some new earpads, and after looking around I've decided on getting Sennheiser 414's as well as sock modding some L-cush bowls for variety's sake and in case I find myself not liking either one or the other. What's a good online source for earpads? Finally, I'm planning on doing some minor aesthetic/comfort mods: new grills, shaving off the writing, leatherworking a new headband, taking off the buttons, and maybe doing some coloring. Is there anything I'm overlooking here? Would there be anything else I would need? Thanks!

 

[Rarehunter]

You should start with some scrap pcbs and try desoldering them, and resolderi them, ensuring your joints are nice and shiny, in a cone shape.

The soldering iron shiuld be adjustable with a stand, some noclean flux, leaded solder (non leaded solder joints are brittle,) some wire strippers and a hotair gun for heating up the flue so its easy to remove.

Of course, the change of damaging your drivers could be quite high depending on how much practise you get before replacing the wire. Be ready to go through a few sr80s unless you get some practise first

 

[Mad Max]

Don't blow hot air on the driver.
It's all too easy to kill Grado driver.
 
Instead, if you must use flux, put cotton or something to absorb the stuff that runs off of the solder pads.
 
Definitely get some practice on soldering, making cables, then recabling a headphone before doing it to your SR80.  Mogami 2893 is what you want as far as bulk cable for a simple recable, but if you want a microphone, using that iSonitalk and shortening it would be a good idea.  Get that cable from eBay instead, much cheaper.
There are resources on recabling Grados, making cables alone, and more if you search the forums.  There's videos on youtube as far proper soldering and all.