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

[wdahm519]

Quote:

The data below 40hz looks very suspect, like there may be an issue with the test setup... Is this mic calibrated?

Everything is calibrated, including my phantom power supply, Opus DAC, and O2 Amp used in the testing.  Its all flat.

 

[shrimants]

Here are the mods mksuen has done. There is clay in just about every hole you could imagine, the vents are pretty much covered with damping material and then there is thicker but fluffier white damping material aside from that.

 

[mrspeakers]

Quote:

Everything is calibrated, including my phantom power supply, Opus DAC, and O2 Amp used in the testing.  Its all flat.

Well that is certainly huge low bass.  I've never seen anything that can do that... what is your config?  Are you sharing?  I'm not saying this to challenge, btw, you may well have this working as advertised, but if you do I'd love to learn what you did and see if I can reproduce it...  It would be really cool to get to sub 10 Hz...
 
Can you share your current configuration on the mods?

 

[timbo4321]

Quote:

Very good.  I'm only getting started at "proper" modding (proper modding to me is modding, then taking measurements, then going back and fixing it, and taking more measurements -- not just aimlessly trying to tune).  I didn't know how fail-tacular my mods were until a very good friend told me how to measure these.  So far I'm here:
 
I have no where NEAR the flattest, best sound -- but I'm slowly marching my way toward it... This particular set was plauged with an issue in stock form.  It had a -25dB dip at 2.5kHz... 

  I'm pretty proud to have it pushed up to about -8dB.  Its improving daily.
 

 
And if you think its easy, or that you might be close to that.  Here's where I started after doing some very well regraded mods that have been mentioned in this thread:
 
LEFT:

 
RIGHT:

 
Not only incredible channel imbalance, but terrible curves.

How do you test these cans? I fully understand that modding with measurements is better than modding randomly. Its something I have considered but I'm unwilling to add to the cost of the headphones just for one or two samples. In conjunction with ones own judgement whether you like the sound or not, one could get an idea of what sort of curve suit each persons ears.

 

[jgray91]

So I have a stock T50RP incoming bought from a nice fellow Head-fier, and have been reading this thread up to page 50. I am wondering if I should continue (even if that seems like a herculean effort) or just read the latest, say 50 pages and the links in the reference article, when I feel it's time to mod mine? I did read the article before on and off while debating to buy a T50RP before though.

 

[atl5]

Finally took the plunge and finish modding my headphone last night, thanks ambchang for the Dynamat!!!  As you can see, the first time I use the Dynamat, i did too many strips but it still works.  I got better on the second cup.  Definitely sounds a lot better now even with stock pads.  My question is, will these Shure cable plug into them since they are exactly what I was look for, coiled and 1/8 adapter.
 
http://www.long-mcquade.com/products/8487/Pro_Audio_Recording/Cables/Shure/Replacement_Cable_for_Shure_SRH440_840.htm
 

 

[wdahm519]

My comments on your mods are:
 
- Looks to me like you're sucking up too much cup volume with acoustic foam
- You're probably overdamping the cup with too much dynamat or whatever that foil-covered material is
- Your baffle mass loading looks good.
- Usually covering the headband hanger with foam reduces treble too much (IIRC)
 
You should look into applying material over the driver paper (without removing the stock driver paper) to improve SQ.  There are many techniques you can try from this thread including but not limited to: felt, transpore, cotton, etc.
 
The Shure cable will cause too much moment to be induced on the headphone jack in the cup, and therefore cause terrible channel imbalance.  At least, that's what I hypothesize. If you're willing, buy it and let us know.

 

[atl5]

Yea, I used the Mod Wiki.  For the Dynamat, I copied it from the Rastapants 2 mod, based on the picture, it looks like he had it all covered as well.  Will continue to experiment, this is just the start

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/452404/just-listened-to-some-fostex-t50rps-today-wow/3525#post_7808672
 
Quote:

My comments on your mods are:
 
- Looks to me like you're sucking up too much cup volume with acoustic foam
- You're probably overdamping the cup with too much dynamat or whatever that foil-covered material is
- Your baffle mass loading looks good.
- Usually covering the headband hanger with foam reduces treble too much (IIRC)
 
You should look into applying material over the driver paper (without removing the stock driver paper) to improve SQ.  There are many techniques you can try from this thread including but not limited to: felt, transpore, cotton, etc.
 
The Shure cable will cause too much moment to be induced on the headphone jack in the cup, and therefore cause terrible channel imbalance.  At least, that's what I hypothesize. If you're willing, buy it and let us know.

 

 

[ambchang]

Alright atl5, welcome to the club.
 
1. Your dynamat looks good, albeit there seems to be a little too much of it to me.  Does the sound sounds congested?
2. You seemed to have covered the bass vents with the acoustic foam.  You would need some vents to get the bass going.
3. The acoustic foam seems to be covering the centre post.  I personally left it open.  Are you getting some treble off the phones?
 
Also, try tearing up some cotton balls and stuffing the insides, and/or get a reflex dot and stick it to the middle of the driver for some treble.
 
As for cable, heard great things about the v-moda cables (http://v-moda.com/audio-only-cable/).  They are $10 each + $5 shipping to Canada.  I got some fake monster replacement cable off of ebay for about $10 each.  Should have gone for the V-Modas, those fake monster cables were flimsy.  I am thinking long and hard about recabling mine.
 
Question to the group, where did you get your mono 2.5mm plugs and female jacks?

 

[atl5]

No, does not sound congested.  Details seems to be way better then stock.  Yea, looking at the Rastapants 2 mod picture again, it does look like the bass vent are not suppose to be cover, will take off the bass vent and centre post tonight and see if it sounds any better.  Thanks for the link to the cables, I can get 2 of the V-Moda for the same price as one of the Shure.  I think I will get two, one black and purple.  Let me know if you need one as well, its $5 shipping for up to 5 cables.
 
Quote:

Alright atl5, welcome to the club.
 
1. Your dynamat looks good, albeit there seems to be a little too much of it to me.  Does the sound sounds congested?
2. You seemed to have covered the bass vents with the acoustic foam.  You would need some vents to get the bass going.
3. The acoustic foam seems to be covering the centre post.  I personally left it open.  Are you getting some treble off the phones?
 
Also, try tearing up some cotton balls and stuffing the insides, and/or get a reflex dot and stick it to the middle of the driver for some treble.
 
As for cable, heard great things about the v-moda cables (http://v-moda.com/audio-only-cable/).  They are $10 each + $5 shipping to Canada.  I got some fake monster replacement cable off of ebay for about $10 each.  Should have gone for the V-Modas, those fake monster cables were flimsy.  I am thinking long and hard about recabling mine.
 
Question to the group, where did you get your mono 2.5mm plugs and female jacks?

 

 

[shrimants]

I would love some comments on mksuen's mods that I took a picture of up above too, guys.

My biggest goals: get rid of that 3.5mm jack, fill the hole. Double sided cable entry. Increased sub-bass response (10-40hz) and decreased midbass response (40-100hz). Also treble detail would be nice but i dont think thats terribly possible with this driver in this config.

 

[TierAngst]

It's been said a few times but I think it bears repeating...looking at the "paradox" modded headphones (completely sealed) you don't need the bass vents.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

I would love some comments on mksuen's mods that I took a picture of up above too, guys.
My biggest goals: get rid of that 3.5mm jack, fill the hole. Double sided cable entry. Increased sub-bass response (10-40hz) and decreased midbass response (40-100hz). Also treble detail would be nice but i dont think thats terribly possible with this driver in this config.

The best advice I can give you and everyone else here is to try things.  Nothing wrong with asking for help, but you have to try things to mod a t50rp.  Any advice that could be given at this point is documented in the wiki and in posts here and until you try some of them, there's really nothing anyone can do to help.  Doing custom cabling is going to take some experimenting on your part too. 
 
You also have to be willing to waste some money to mod a T50rp.  Even if you spend 200 dollars on modding supplies, that's still only a 275 dollar headphone.  Not much considering how it can sound. 
 
Really, if you want it all done, you should buy a Thunderpants or a Paradox, or heck get a modded T50rp from me.  Either way, it's going to take someone experimenting with them and investing time and money.  I would say that a well modded T50rp requires both dollars wasted on things that didn't work, as well as lots of time invested experimenting.  It's fun realizing your vision of the sound you want.  But you either have to do it, or someone else does, and usually someone else doing it means paying for their time/materials. 

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

It's been said a few times but I think it bears repeating...looking at the "paradox" modded headphones (completely sealed) you don't need the bass vents.

But keep in mind, that all depends on the pads and specific damping scheme being used.  What he's doing is not the same as the mods being done here, so it doesn't apply directly. 

 

[shrimants]

I posted pics, I meant recommendations in terms of anything you guys notice from a quick glance. IE "damping needs work" or "too much stuffing". Just some really quick tips.

I plan on trying them without the white pads to see how that affects sound, and i'll try to acquire some fiberglass insulation (i can probably request a sample amount) and then try that in there. Heck, i might even find some proper acoustic foam laying around.

With srh-840 pads the headphones sound almost exactly how i want them to, i just want a touch more sub bass, and i'm excited to figure out how to do that.

I have some elmer's tack (kind of like blue tack) and I'm wondering if you guys think that is more or less dense than whatever white clay stuff is in there? Is there anywhere else that I should try mass loading? Or conversely, is there anywhere that is mass loaded that I shouldnt have it mass loaded? I want to bring sub bass out but push back the mid bass. I have a gut feeling that really dense filling wherever there is white stuff is going to help with the bass overall, but the 2 white foam pads are what will control the bass and bring it around to how I want the most.