[Rick_B]

This is a prototype kit that came into my part-time job a week or two ago, so naturally I had to grab a set of Grado SR-80's and this kit to bring home and see what the kit did for them:
 

 
The kit comes with two adapters that allow you to use AKG style pads in place of the stock Grado pads, all hardware and the Allen key necessary to install them is included, but no pads.
 

 
Above you can see the way the Grado driver fits into the plastic shell.
 

 

 
Assembly was rather quick, even with my XL size hands and doing the photography, I was done in about 15 minutes...I found it easier to take the headband off the earpieces to do the work.
 

 
The above photo shows one of the pads from my Superlux headphones alongside the original Grado...
 

 

 
I ended up greatly preferring the sound of the AKG velour style pads over the Superlux vinyl things....
 
Sound is a bit different, as one would imagine, with the drivers being a bit farther from the ears than with the stock pads, but, and a big BUT here, they are so much easier to have on your head for extended periods of time...
 
Just thought I'd share these prototypes and see what kind of feedback members thought of them...
 
I know I haven't posted very much on Head-Fi, but I regularly read and learn from those here, it's just that headphone listening is an adjunct to most of my music listening time and I've never really had anything worthwhile to contribute until now!
 
Thanks!

 

[alv4426]

This is the first time Ive seen this kit, but there are a few others out there and cheap people such as myself have been known to make the adapters out of cardboard/foamboard. Could you take a picture of the back when installed with pads on? How much are these going to be?

 

[Rick_B]

  This is the first time Ive seen this kit, but there are a few others out there and cheap people such as myself have been known to make the adapters out of cardboard/foamboard. Could you take a picture of the back when installed with pads on? How much are these going to be?

 
OK, here's a shot of the back:
 

 
I don't recall what they are going to be priced at retail, but they are still in the "tire kicking" stage...

 

[020Assassin]

That's a nice kit--any idea if it's for sale anywhere?

 

[Rick_B]

They are part of a prototype batch that we received at my part-time job with a high-end Internet/mail order dealer...we have a few more sets, but I know they aren't real cheap, they're under $50.00, but exactly how much I do not know.
 
The good thing about them is that thew will fit not only the plastic and metal bodied Grados, but the wooden ones, too, and can be transferred from model to model should you upgrade to a higher level of Grado phones....
 
I moved my set from the SR-80e's to a set of SR225e's with no problems, and we have a set of the RS-1e's at work with one of these kits on them.
 
We got these a few months ago from their developer but have heard nothing from him since.
 
I'll find out tomorrow about how much they cost and let you know.
 
Rick

 

[ProtegeManiac]

For $50 these will go great with the SR225 down, since the plastics would for the most part match visually. There's actually a wood version from Headphile.com made for Beyerdynamic earpads, but they cost more than the Prestige series headphones. If you're using an RS though the $200+ wood adapter would be worth it especially if you're OC and you'd want to match the wood (or if you'd do a total overhaul on a 225 or 325 cup and chamber anyway).

 

[020Assassin]

I have an SR325iS. The material to which the foam cups is fitted is black plastic, so these black plastic adapters would match the original look.
 
Thanks for looking up the pricing and availability (I suppose you don't have a spare prototype sample?)
 
I'd really like to get them to turn my SR325 from supra-aural into circum-aural.