SupremusDoofus
New Head-Fier
What are some good diy configs for under $100? I have a real hard time of rounding up all the builds you guys have come up with lol.
Home-Made IEMs
- Thread starter Bilavideo
- Start date
A cheap and awesome sounding set that’s easy to build is BS6 + Zobel (best bass) or MASM pro (best highs)
You will end up above $100 because you will buy more material than you need for one build, but you will only use ~$100 in material. If you start to buy tools, you will end up way above your budget.
Driver: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bXJr2c3A
You will find the schematics in the product description of the driver.
Damper (orange + white):
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cPznkUdS
Tubing (2mm ID, 3mm OD)
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/NRUAXCM
For MASM pro you will also need 1mmID and 2mmOD tubing.
Mmcx :
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bRuys3Vq
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/PzGLlNq
Litz wire
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bCU7EwBO
Capacitors:
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bO3BvFiC
Resistors:
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bTX5oN1I
Cable:
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/c6t3i7Sg
Shells:
I cannot recommend any universal shells since I build Custom IEMs. I think they are approx $30
If you never have build custom shells before and you want to start building custom shells, you will buy tooling and materials for ~$400 alone. (UV lamp, dremel + bits, wax melter, Agar, Resin, Lacquer, Glycerin, Alcohol, you need to get impressions done).
If you have everything you can make custom shells for ~$5 - $10 in material, but the initial cost is high.
HAMS
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
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Anyone soldered smd resistor directly on mmcx connector? I thought that it's doable and maybe someone here already did that?
It may be possible to solder it on the negative, but on the positive it would be very hard to solder, especially if you want to connect more than just the resistor.
Also depending on the package size of the resistor it might easily break off during assembly.
I use a few mm of Litz wire, it’s an additional step but it works for sure.
Also depending on the package size of the resistor it might easily break off during assembly.
I use a few mm of Litz wire, it’s an additional step but it works for sure.
Slater
Headphoneus Supremus
Do you have a link to the zobel driver? Or is the zobel included in that Bellsing 10013 driver assembly?
Besides tubes and dampers, are additional crossover components required? It looks like everything is already ready-to-go with the 10013.
The driver is the Bellsing 10013, which we call BS6 here (it is 6 drivers in one piece including crossover)
The zobel is a resistor and capacitor in series connected to + and - of the source (ie in parallel to the driver). Schematics are in the product description of the driver on Ali express.
The setup is called BS6 + Zobel because it is the Bellsing 10013 (which includes the crossover) with an additional Zobel network in parallel to the driver. That improves sound even more and makes it much easier to drive.
You can use a BS6 without the Zobel, but then I would rather recommend to buy a Knowles GV (yellow damper on bass, orange or red damper on highs). Without the Zobel, BS6 does not sound as good as the Knowles GV.
But go for the BS6 + Zobel, it is ridiculously good and easy to build.
The zobel is a resistor and capacitor in series connected to + and - of the source (ie in parallel to the driver). Schematics are in the product description of the driver on Ali express.
The setup is called BS6 + Zobel because it is the Bellsing 10013 (which includes the crossover) with an additional Zobel network in parallel to the driver. That improves sound even more and makes it much easier to drive.
You can use a BS6 without the Zobel, but then I would rather recommend to buy a Knowles GV (yellow damper on bass, orange or red damper on highs). Without the Zobel, BS6 does not sound as good as the Knowles GV.
But go for the BS6 + Zobel, it is ridiculously good and easy to build.
dhruvmeena96
Headphoneus Supremus
What sort of signature you want to go with
And what sort of soundstage and image.
Well for single driver balanced signature
For for RAB-p(RAB pro)
For neutral signature
Add 20ohms series resistor to it.
The overall tonality of balanced sounding RAB-p is somewhat Tinaudio like upper mids but BA like speed(@Slater might explain tinaudio better) and more conventional bass rise, which adds the warmth while remaining clean.
That's for single driver sound
It creates good enough soundstage from midrange and upper midrange. Treble is rolled off after 9kHz(peak point) to 10kHz in sudden slope and then gradually goes up to 16kHz smoothly in flat manner.
More diffused sound with proper instrument placement, good for classical
The neutral approach RAB-p
Etymotic like bass but doesnt roll off.
Flat from 20Hz to 1kHz on measurement(ruler flat), upper mids are like mentioned above but gains the roll off by some amount to add flair and air.
Harder to driver, but added benefit of being quite with noise floor, THD, DPD and IMD while having even flatter phase.
Sounds more effortless
MASM 3 pro
This is MASM pro(32257) lol(@Choy Wei De measurement, he may add comparisons). The orignal MASM pro doesnt have roll off any kind in bass.
But overall explaining, the treble is detailed, airy but at same time tuned so that it never gets offensive to any ear.
Some says, it has better highs than Andromeda(lol)
Stage is perfect round and 4x bigger than RAB-p. The sense of space may reach bigger than HD800 if a binaural track from Yosi Horikawa is played.
Perfect for Mastering(Mixing or hearing utter details)
Midrange is tuned so that the depth can be produced, but let not the FR fool you with tame upper mids, it is due to GQ taming this happened. The fundamental tone from RAB always keep the balanced tuning of conventional IEM intact.
Bass is something which may be weird for some people and needs to get used to. It feels like moving air, then brake, then air. Its very fast and revealing and may not sound like bass in some track. Makes me remember HD820.
Well its like mini HD800 series but very smooth treble, uplifted mids and better bass. The soundstage doesnt reach to headphone level due to IEM.
Custom design may takes thing on different level though.
BS6 + zobel might not be a thing anymore as I did MASM 7 recently.
Sorry @Ivan TT @eunice for killing BS6+ zobel so soon.
BS6 + zobel is the fastest and clearest bass so far. It has heft to it but feels airy. I think it produces the airyness from bass rather than treble, which makes it a different listen.
1kHz distortion is damped by zobel which clears most of fundamental tone and vocals.
MASM7 is so perfect that impedance becomes super flat. Easier to drive and has the crazy level detailing that might make some people dislike their music. Its reveals not the file but the recording artifacts.
MASM 6(BS5 + RAB32063) is bassy and audiophiliac sound. This has more relaxed tuning compared to whole MASM series I have done. It has bass derived depth stage while maintaining the MASM style treble.
MASM 4(GK + RAB32063) is more tamed bass compared to above and has slightly more highs for some reason
MASM 3EN series(not open for DIY for now!!!!sorry) is my balance between tuning and tech. It is MASM 3 with more dynamic bass reach and more smoother and velvety treble.
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@dhruvmeena96 sorry for the confusion, what is MASM 7 again?
I really tried to find the design in this thread, but your recipes end at MASM 6.
I really tried to find the design in this thread, but your recipes end at MASM 6.
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All with the same Zobel, tubes, dampers?
dhruvmeena96
Headphoneus Supremus
Yup
Same tube and same damper config
MASM4 and MASM 6 will only go with invented RAB32063 as the bass was unbearable with vented RAB
For MASM 7
The BS6 and RAB will have their own zobel
Same tube and everything
SupremusDoofus
New Head-Fier
What sort of signature you want to go with
And what sort of soundstage and image.
Well for single driver balanced signature
For for RAB-p(RAB pro)
For neutral signature
Add 20ohms series resistor to it.
The overall tonality of balanced sounding RAB-p is somewhat Tinaudio like upper mids but BA like speed(@Slater might explain tinaudio better) and more conventional bass rise, which adds the warmth while remaining clean.
That's for single driver sound
It creates good enough soundstage from midrange and upper midrange. Treble is rolled off after 9kHz(peak point) to 10kHz in sudden slope and then gradually goes up to 16kHz smoothly in flat manner.
More diffused sound with proper instrument placement, good for classical
The neutral approach RAB-p
Etymotic like bass but doesnt roll off.
Flat from 20Hz to 1kHz on measurement(ruler flat), upper mids are like mentioned above but gains the roll off by some amount to add flair and air.
Harder to driver, but added benefit of being quite with noise floor, THD, DPD and IMD while having even flatter phase.
Sounds more effortless
MASM 3 pro
This is MASM pro(32257) lol(@Choy Wei De measurement, he may add comparisons). The orignal MASM pro doesnt have roll off any kind in bass.
But overall explaining, the treble is detailed, airy but at same time tuned so that it never gets offensive to any ear.
Some says, it has better highs than Andromeda(lol)
Stage is perfect round and 4x bigger than RAB-p. The sense of space may reach bigger than HD800 if a binaural track from Yosi Horikawa is played.
Perfect for Mastering(Mixing or hearing utter details)
Midrange is tuned so that the depth can be produced, but let not the FR fool you with tame upper mids, it is due to GQ taming this happened. The fundamental tone from RAB always keep the balanced tuning of conventional IEM intact.
Bass is something which may be weird for some people and needs to get used to. It feels like moving air, then brake, then air. Its very fast and revealing and may not sound like bass in some track. Makes me remember HD820.
Well its like mini HD800 series but very smooth treble, uplifted mids and better bass. The soundstage doesnt reach to headphone level due to IEM.
Custom design may takes thing on different level though.
BS6 + zobel might not be a thing anymore as I did MASM 7 recently.
Sorry @Ivan TT @eunice for killing BS6+ zobel so soon.
BS6 + zobel is the fastest and clearest bass so far. It has heft to it but feels airy. I think it produces the airyness from bass rather than treble, which makes it a different listen.
1kHz distortion is damped by zobel which clears most of fundamental tone and vocals.
MASM7 is so perfect that impedance becomes super flat. Easier to drive and has the crazy level detailing that might make some people dislike their music. Its reveals not the file but the recording artifacts.
MASM 6(BS5 + RAB32063) is bassy and audiophiliac sound. This has more relaxed tuning compared to whole MASM series I have done. It has bass derived depth stage while maintaining the MASM style treble.
MASM 4(GK + RAB32063) is more tamed bass compared to above and has slightly more highs for some reason
MASM 3EN series(not open for DIY for now!!!!sorry) is my balance between tuning and tech. It is MASM 3 with more dynamic bass reach and more smoother and velvety treble.
Wow the MASM 3 Pro graph looks good! I think its a GQ 30783 + RAB 32257 config right? Also MASM 6 sounds exactly what I am looking for but how does the stage compare to MASM 3 Pro?
dhruvmeena96
Headphoneus Supremus
I will recommend 32033 with MASM 3 pro.
MASM 6 is more extended on both side of spectrum, having 10kHz shimmer and 13kHz flare.
According to this graph
The bass is elevated by 7dB at 125Hz and bass rise starts from 250Hz
The peak after 4kHz is less peaky(and a small dip between the two upper mids peak) but also the elevation of whole treble response after 8kHz is there by 3dB.
More airy and bassy
More ovalish soundstage (still near round) going more in depth and width
Its more of an enjoying IEM also.
MASM 3 pro is brutal mastering IEM for some reason whereas MASM 3 normal is less brutal mastering iem.
MASM 6 is audiophiliac relaxing sound. It is smooth all over treble
But lemme make it clear, they share the same type of fundamental tone from RAB(damperless). All have the same type of starting tone
What is getting changed is the signature and the way if presentation after fundamental tone end
And best part is that whole MASM series have the smooth treble response and the same type of upper mids and bass structure
Just boost here and there and you get different sound signature.
Plus more driver and lesser distortion
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dhruvmeena96
Headphoneus Supremus
Damper is green and grey not orange and white
That is very strong damping
Green near spout and grey in between tube
dhruvmeena96
Headphoneus Supremus
MASM 2 or MASM mini
ED29689 (same tube as MASM 3 GQ tube, different damping scheme) + 20ohms
Damping scheme
Yellow damper near spout
Grey damper in center
RAB32066 (same as MASM 3 RAB series(this RAB is different) tube, no damper) + zobel
DCR = 17.39 ohms
Sound profile is Bassier , ED29689 mids range and treble but more smoothened out
Yellow damper is update, upper midrange was getting glaring and hot with red also
Yellow on ED29689 fixes the issue
Here ED29689 work is needed from 20Hz to 2kHz only. Other and main work is done by RAB32066.
ED29689 (same tube as MASM 3 GQ tube, different damping scheme) + 20ohms
Damping scheme
Yellow damper near spout
Grey damper in center
RAB32066 (same as MASM 3 RAB series(this RAB is different) tube, no damper) + zobel
DCR = 17.39 ohms
Sound profile is Bassier , ED29689 mids range and treble but more smoothened out
Yellow damper is update, upper midrange was getting glaring and hot with red also
Yellow on ED29689 fixes the issue
Here ED29689 work is needed from 20Hz to 2kHz only. Other and main work is done by RAB32066.
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