[proid]

I got dryer sheet today, tried it with 2 then 4 layer, as i expected: not much different from transpore. I know nobody tell their secret by nameing their product but there must be good reasons LFF use dryer sheet. I will experiment later with 6, 8 layers and different combination cotton, bass vent ...

 

[BmWr75]

I modded a pair of Fostex T20RP MKIIs last night.  These HPs look identical to the T50RPs with two exceptions.  The headband metal sliders are silver instead of gold.  Inside the cups looks different, kind of less cluttered looking, maybe a little more open space, but not a major difference.  The drivers look identical to the T50RPs to me.
 
Haven't had a chance to do a good comparison with the modded T50s yet, but will try and do that today and report back.
 
EDIT - Just listened to 5 well recorded songs.  I cannot hear any immediately noticeable differences between the T20s and T50s.  My T50s are modded using BMFs V6.3 mods.  
 
On these T20s all I did was mass load the back of the driver panel with plasticine, install 4 grams of polyfill in each cup, close 3 of the 4 cup bass ports with the loop side of some peel and stick velcro and install Shure 840 pads.  All very easy mods.
 
My system is in my signature.

 

[Maxtcc]

I order my T50 rp from full compass this week, but they say the order will take until march 20 to fill.
Full compass had by far the best price anywhere though , so I am comfortable to wait. The only people with stock were in Quebec and the price is $37 more so I decided to wait.
So as a question, it seems that some modding in the order of damping and filters is in order, is this the considered opinion of most who have tried it?
Would it be prudent then to go whole hog and start with pads , mass loading , and felt. Maybe even recabling?
Has anyone gone to the extent of recabling all the way to balancing them as well?

 

[wje]

Eff it.  I need some replacement drivers, so I've put through an order for the T20RP.  I though I had a vendor about  70 miles away that I had located last evening.  However, I called them when they opened this morning and someone who called in last evening payed for them with a credit card and was coming in today to pick up the only 2 pair that were in stock.
 
I've talked to a handful of music store vendors who have carried Fostex in the past.  However, their recent indications is that they didn't plan to order more stock to replenish their shelves.  The guy that noted the sale of the two headphones last evening to a guy on the phone with a credit card, couldn't understand the sudden craze with these headphones.  All I told him was that the Japanese were ramping up production so there was a lull and then the shelves should be stocked with them again.
 
I didn't suggest that he go out and Google the headphones because if he gets some more in, he'll probably take the $79.00 price and jack it up by $50.00 more.

 

[geetarman49]

err, no.  you should have checked long & mcquade, south ed store.  sorry, but too late now

 
Quote:

I order my T50 rp from full compass this week ... The only people with stock were in Quebec and the price is $37 more so I decided to wait...

wrt your other questions:
1. apart from the initial break-in period, literally everybody in this thread decides to mod these;
2. get paxmate/silverstone, plasticine/dynamat, felt/cotton, pads (shure 840, fischer fa-003), v-moda cable & experiment away;
3. don't recall any who have balanced theirs although i intend to at some point.... wait a minute, both leeperry & rex aeterna have mentioned something about balancing ... maybe they can chime in.

 

[iowercase]

Is the v-moda cable such a thing?  I'd thought it was a general consensus that fiddling with cables didn't improve anything much but there's been a lot of recabling talk now in the past dozen pages.

 

[Lurkumaural]

The problem with the Fostex orthos is that the wiring is sketchy. You clean it with some degree of success, but in my case it wasn't enough. The v-moda cable is a good option because it's short, terminates in 3.5mm at both ends (one at a 45 degre angle, nice for the cup entry), and costs ten bucks.

 

[Lurkumaural]

I order my T50 rp from full compass this week, but they say the order will take until march 20 to fill.
Full compass had by far the best price anywhere though , so I am comfortable to wait. The only people with stock were in Quebec and the price is $37 more so I decided to wait.
So as a question, it seems that some modding in the order of damping and filters is in order, is this the considered opinion of most who have tried it?
Would it be prudent then to go whole hog and start with pads , mass loading , and felt. Maybe even recabling?
Has anyone gone to the extent of recabling all the way to balancing them as well?

I did a full recable to a balanced end. Kinda surprised no one noticed.

 

[Taowolf51]

Quote:

The problem with the Fostex orthos is that the wiring is sketchy. You clean it with some degree of success, but in my case it wasn't enough. The v-moda cable is a good option because it's short, terminates in 3.5mm at both ends (one at a 45 degre angle, nice for the cup entry), and costs ten bucks.

How hard is it to hook up a 3.5mm input in the cups?

 

[Lurkumaural]

Not hard IMO. That's not what I did though; in fact, I removed the existing 3.5mm jack. I think LFF was the original proponent of the v-moda audio cable, which is just a cable swap, not a destructive mod.

I am guessing the DIY forum has some examples of installing 3.5mm jacks in headphone cups. I haven't seen one specific to the Fostex, but all the principles are the same, and it'll look like no big deal if you've already taken your Fostex apart.

If you're planning dual entry with removable cable, I recommend going to 2.5mm plugs at the cups. Smaller jacks and plugs, and if you haven't seen the Switchcraft 850 plug before... it's really sexy. I should photograph one next to a Neutrik NYS231 and the stock plug, I think you all will agree.

 

[Nevod]

Quote:

If you're planning dual entry with removable cable, I recommend going to 2.5mm plugs at the cups. Smaller jacks and plugs, and if you haven't seen the Switchcraft 850 plug before... it's really sexy. I should photograph one next to a Neutrik NYS231 and the stock plug, I think you all will agree.

I also think that it may be better to use non-TRS style plugs, rather mini-XLR or coax connectors like HiFiMan's - you can apply contact grease on them without fear of shorting. Some good grease was suggested in one of Koss ESP950 threads, I'll dig it up soon.
 

 

[Lurkumaural]

Good point. I don't have experience with the coax, but I know the mini-XLR has been done on the Fostex before. I don't think too much about shorting those contacts, but what you say makes perfect sense.

 

[fishski13]

i'm interested in some pics.  i have yet to recable mine.

 

[mrspeakers]

Quote:

I've heard it makes no difference...honestly though, the dust cover on the 840 pads feel nicer on your ears than the ones on the stock T50rps, but it's also apparently a bitch to get the stock dust cover off.

 
Nah, it's easy.  You can see the outline of the driver in the felt, and theres a groove there.  Just gently trace with a sharp xacto knife and the dust fabric comes right up.  There's a screen under it, which I left in place.  All my pads have nicer fabric, so I'm fine removing it.  It's actually reversible, if you ever wanted to.  Just a bed of rubber cement...

 

[mrspeakers]

Quote:

I ended up switching back to the RP2 840 configuration. While I really liked the mids and treble on my particular mod (so, so clear and smooth sounding), I didn't realize how much bass I had lost until I started messing around with the HM5/FA-003 pads today. It's funny how your ears get used to a particular sound. I'm sure I could tweak the felt behind the driver or the amount of dampening I used in the cups to get the sound how I really want it, but I'm admittedly a bit lazy and know the RP2 840 mod sounds great.
 
I still think that anyone who is looking for a solid, simple mod configuration and is ready to try some irreversible mods should go for this particular configuration.

Glad you enjoy it!