Just listened to some Fostex T50RPs today... WOW!

[PhaedraCorruption]

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@Phaedra
How is the sound? Wow, your pad looks great 

 
Sounds pretty good, tuned it to have roughly the same sound signature as HD650s, as they were what I used for reference, but I chose to make them a bit brighter, because I dislike the sound of female vocals on the 650s.


Quote:

PhaedraCorruption -
 
What ear pad are you using?

Just the stock pads. I'll get O2 pads when my pseudo thunderpants cups come in..

 

[leeperry]

Is there any trick to have less clamping? the cd3k hardly clamps, and I kinda miss that.
 
Much better SQ on the T50RP, but it comes at a rather high price:
1)- crushes my ears, but I've gotten used to it over time(the cd3k doesn't touch your ears whatsoever)
2)- high clamping...and I don't think bending the headband would help...or maybe I need to do it more cleverly...I need to bend it to a sharper angle to improve comfort on the very top of my head..but that also increases clamping, duh.
 
I might try some of that(or the opposite actually...sharper center but looser extremities): http://www.headphile.com/page5.html
 

 
PS: looking good, but the sound has become hollower now..will try putting thinner spacers to angle the earpads.

 

[marcan]

leeperry, it's an open design for your tr50p?

 

[kwkarth]

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Those four pillar thingies rising from the back of the cup, are they really necessary?

They were designed to minimize resonance.  Remove them at your own risk.
 
 

 

[Mad Max]

 
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They were designed to minimize resonance.  Remove them at your own risk.

More like increase resonance, lol!
 


Quote:

Is there any trick to have less clamping? the cd3k hardly clamps, and I kinda miss that.
 
Much better SQ on the T50RP, but it comes at a rather high price:
1)- crushes my ears, but I've gotten used to it over time(the cd3k doesn't touch your ears whatsoever)
2)- high clamping...and I don't think bending the headband would help...or maybe I need to do it more cleverly...I need to bend it to a sharper angle to improve comfort on the very top of my head..but that also increases clamping, duh.
 
I might try some of that(or the opposite actually...sharper center but looser extremities): http://www.headphile.com/page5.html
 

 
PS: looking good, but the sound has become hollower now..will try putting thinner spacers to angle the earpads.

Like this?
 
 

 
I've bent the headband on my set, following only the second picture.  Clamping force is fine for me.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

More like increase resonance, lol!

Oh, yes, I forgot that all the amateurs at Head-Fi know better than the professionals designing the headphones.  

 
You have to realize that every headphone you look at was designed to a price point, and as such, sonic goals have to be balanced with cost of production goals.   If cost were never an objective, then it would be much more of a slam dunk.  That said, sure there are usually things that can be done on a one on one basis to improve sound that would never be supportable in a production line environment.  Carefully consider everything you encounter in a given headphone's design and think twice before you throw away any manufacturing elements.  Coupling (mechanically constraining)  the front baffle and driver to the back cup is a great way to minimise enclosure resonance without using too much plastic for cost containment reasons.  Taking advantage of what is already there will further your goal of improving the sound of any given headphone design.

 

[leeperry]

Like this?
 

 
I've bent the headband on my set, following only the second picture.  Clamping force is fine for me.

Yeah, well, my tests so far sound hollow and not good tbh...I'm gonna roll back(like on the second picture).
 
I've got a very sensitive skin, and I've already noticed that the T50RP clamping would make me really red around the ears after an hour or so...I think it's about time I give a shot to those headphones sanitary protections(that Lunatique loves so much): http://assets.head-fi.org/d/dd/dd459092_sanitary_covers-5.jpg
 
On this link, they say "When the Headphone Cushions Become Worn over Time, they Act Like a Sponge, Absorbing Bacteria, Lice and Viruses to Become a Potential Incubator for a Variety of Harmful Micro-organisms" and they don't look too bad in black...I don't think my skin can make up w/ the high clamping and the germs feast. I can use some wipes that kill all those things...but their formula is not meant to be in contact w/ human skin, duh. And 90% alcohol will remove the coating of the sa5k earpads, duh again.
 
The cd3k didn't clamp whatsoever, so that was far less of an issue. But it sounded rather hollow and its SS was more or less based on cups resonances...different game, different rules. I love the sound as is, but my skin doesn't. Also, the higher the clamping, the higher the isolation from outside noise(which is most excellent on the T50RP when using the Akasa foam).

 

[Mad Max]

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Oh, yes, I forgot that all the amateurs at Head-Fi know better than the professionals designing the headphones.  

 
You have to realize that every headphone you look at was designed to a price point, and as such, sonic goals have to be balanced with cost of production goals.   If cost were never an objective, then it would be much more of a slam dunk.  That said, sure there are usually things that can be done on a one on one basis to improve sound that would never be supportable in a production line environment.  Carefully consider everything you encounter in a given headphone's design and think twice before you throw away any manufacturing elements.  Coupling (mechanically constraining)  the front baffle and driver to the back cup is a great way to minimise enclosure resonance without using too much plastic for cost containment reasons.  Taking advantage of what is already there will further your goal of improving the sound of any given headphone design.

You also have to look at how my headphone is no longer stock, so those dumb things are no longer of any benefit.  hurrrrr 

 
If they were walls that divide the inside into two chambers like with a number of other closed 'phones, then I wouldn't be so willing to throw them out at all.

 

[leeperry]

OK, Lunatique has told me that his sanitary protections came w/ holes in the center...but actually using covers w/ no hole might assume the role of felt...and at least it won't have 6 months old sweat rotting in it

 
I've found some very thin dust wipes that use pretty much the same fabric as those hospital protections...I've taped them on top of the earpads, I've also removed the felt discs I had before the drivers: I think I like it
 
and those dust wipes become amazingly soft after a trip in the washing machine...DIY rocks

 
and worry no more about resonances between the earpad and the pinna...and at least it's very sanitary indeed.
 
I would have shot some pics, but it really looks ghetto atm...I'll order some proper protections ASAP.

 

[leeperry]

humm, I can't really explain why...but they sound more like speakers than headphones now...maybe because all the earpad/pinna stray reflections are absorbed now. Also my ears are not hard crushed against the baffles anymore, I like that

 

[joelpearce]

@leeperry
 
Have you tried covering the baffle vent hole with the SA5k pads?  It only takes a few seconds to try, doesn't require opening the headphones up, and is the best single mod I've tried with the 5k pads.  I'd be interested in hearing your impressions.  I realize that what you've done inside the cup is quite different from mine, but it's worth a shot.

 

[leeperry]

oh yah, did it a long time ago...when I started filling all the tiny holes around the driver w/ newplast, I also filled the hole that goes up to the front. It also improves the isolation from outside noise I think.
 
I just took a break, and now I'm listening to my frankenphone again...I really like what I'm hearing: talk about taking the phones off your head! It doesn't sound hollow, yet it sounds much wider and clearer. This phone really begs for endless tweaks

Those black protections will really rock I think:
 
And they're surgical grade too: http://www.scansound.com/PDF%20Files/Headphone-Cover-Specification-Sheet.pdf

 

[mrspeakers]

I've been playing with some srh840 pads.  Very different sound from the Sony pads, but way easier to get, and cheaper.  Interestingly, not real leather, but quite comfy and surprisingly seem (so far) less sweaty than the Sony, and the bass is more pronounced, but the lower mid boost of the Sony pads seems reduced.  I had to almost entirely close the port to bring the bass down to a balance level, and in closing most of the port the midrange took another snap forward, males vocals lost a little more chestiness.  

This may be a winning combo, using almost exactly the same tuning as the 5000 rig, cheaper pads, and lost the last bit of resonance I was trying to dial out...  My daughter has been helping audition the tweeks, put them on and pronounced "wow, epic."  

 

[butt]

I did also use the srh840 earpads and by the guidance of mrspeaker, while I never tried the sa5k earpads, I can say I'm loving my configuration so far.

 

[joelpearce]

Quote:

I've been playing with some srh840 pads.  Very different sound from the Sony pads, but way easier to get, and cheaper.  Interestingly, not real leather, but quite comfy and surprisingly seem (so far) less sweaty than the Sony, and the bass is more pronounced, but the lower mid boost of the Sony pads seems reduced.  I had to almost entirely close the port to bring the bass down to a balance level, and in closing most of the port the midrange took another snap forward, males vocals lost a little more chestiness.  

This may be a winning combo, using almost exactly the same tuning as the 5000 rig, cheaper pads, and lost the last bit of resonance I was trying to dial out...  My daughter has been helping audition the tweeks, put them on and pronounced "wow, epic."  

That sounds most intriguing to me...