[bluemonkeyflyer]

Quote:

Could the IEM tip have a ripple in it, allowing air to escape? I remember John Conover mentioned this. You have to pick the right size tip. You could try zip-tying the mic-plug end to make sure no air is escaping there -- if you have any doubts.
I finished with those applications, PM coming soon.

I'll give it another try with a different tip and zip ties.  Thanks.

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

Quote:

I think I found the biggest complaints I've had with my modded T20RPs -- the treble roll-off is just too much for me. I've enjoyed them much more after applying a +0-9dB EQ to the 12-20khz range.

What's your mod configuration?

 

[hans030390]

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So the HM5 replacement pads are in fact just different pads from the older style.  I'm not sure if the replacements are different, or whether they changed the pads on the headphones as well.  They have very similar sound- definitely the same family and more similar than compared to an 840, but they do sound different.  I'm actually really liking the new style now.  They are more comfortable in some ways, since they are softer and squishier.  I'm finding the sound equally good, though a bit different.  Might as well name them for clarity here. 
 
HM5 mk1 - deeper/thicker pad, stiffer material used on the inside of the pad
HM5 mk2 - thinner pad, softer/squishier/less firm, the same very soft material is used on all sides of the pad. 
 
edit:  mk1 has more holographic soundstage, not sure if it's really bigger.  mk1 has a bit more treble.

 
The MK1 pads seem to soften up (less stiff) quite a bit due to body heat and clamping force on my Paradox. They sound noticeably better to my ears after this. The 840 pads don't seem to change much in this regard. I'm wondering if the MK2 pads, which are squishier/softer off the bat would sound more like "warmed-up" MK1 pads and not soften up as much like the 840 pads. That would be almost perfect for me...
 
I still have yet to mess with my MK2 HM5 pads, Acousta-Stuf, etc...lol.

 

[sluker]

Ok
So I dug out my speaker tap and balanced cable. 
WOW!
I was wrong this makes a huge difference. After the first two songs i had to check which headphones were on my head.
The soundstage gets bigger, the bass is way deeper with tons more detail. I have been listening for the last half hour going through my favorites and so far this is what stands out. I need to stop because I find myself increasing the volume with every song.
Quote:

 
That should be where I'll be in about 2 weeks.  Going balanced will allow me to use my speaker taps where I usually drive my HifiMAN headphones off of.

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

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What's your mod configuration?

 
Mods implemented: Plasticine mass loading on the driver side, Silverstone acoustic foam lining the opposite site, plasticine mass loaded the headband screw area and placed acoustic foam over it [T50RPs have this filled in and have a foam backing there], 2 teased out cotton balls on each ear pad. 3.75 bass ports covered with electrical tape and acoustic foam. Stock earpads with two layers of acoustic foam under the earpads.
 
All of the measurements I've seen on modded T50RP-based headphones, though, from the Paradox to your own, all seem to have significantly rolled off upper-treble frequencies that make cymbals and such just not sizzle right, in my opinion. 

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

Mods implemented: Plasticine mass loading on the driver side, Silverstone acoustic foam lining the opposite site, plasticine mass loaded the headband screw area and placed acoustic foam over it [T50RPs have this filled in and have a foam backing there], 2 teased out cotton balls on each ear pad. 3.75 bass ports covered with electrical tape and acoustic foam. Stock earpads with two layers of acoustic foam under the earpads.


 


All of the measurements I've seen on modded T50RP-based headphones, though, from the Paradox to your own, all seem to have significantly rolled off upper-treble frequencies that make cymbals and such just not sizzle right, in my opinion. 

I haven't tried plasticine and acoustic foam on the headband screw compartment.

If you like brighter treble, you could try some or all of the following:

Closing off 100% of the cup vents should reduce the bass relative to treble.
Sealing the baffle ports should tighten the bass and slightly increase lower treble.
Over-stuffing the cups with cotton should increase treble relative to reducing bass.
Try a full layer of Transpore tape directly over the back of the driver paper to increase treble.
KeepIng stock pads with lifters should increase treble.

This configuration is too bright for me but may be closer to what you're looking for.

Edit: Could you explain these two components:

"[T50RPs have this filled in and have a foam backing there]" - What is filled in and with what; where is the foam backing?

"2 teased out cotton balls on each ear pad" - Do you mean you placed cotton over the driver on the ear side of the baffle? If so, remove it. If not, is the cotton inside the cups?

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

Quote:

I haven't tried plasticine and acoustic foam on the headband screw compartment.
If you like brighter treble, you could try some or all of the following:
Closing off 100% of the cup vents should reduce the bass relative to treble.
Sealing the baffle ports should tighten the bass and slightly increase lower treble.
Over-stuffing the cups with cotton should increase treble relative to reducing bass.
Try a full layer of Transpore tape directly over the back of the driver paper to increase treble.
KeepIng stock pads with lifters should increase treble.
This configuration is too bright for me but may be closer to what you're looking for.
Edit: Could you explain these two components:
"[T50RPs have this filled in and have a foam backing there]" - What is filled in and with what; where is the foam backing?
"2 teased out cotton balls on each ear pad" - Do you mean you placed cotton over the driver on the ear side of the baffle? If so, remove it. If not, is the cotton inside the cups?

 
It's not on the earside of the baffle -- it's the other side. 
 
Also, this is the area.
 

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

Quote:

 
It's not on the earside of the baffle -- it's the other side. 
 
Also, this is the area.
 

Oh, O.K. You sealed 3.75 of the cup vent mesh, placed 2 cotton balls inside, installed Silverstone in the cups, baffle plasticine, and ear side mods with stock pads.  In addition to the suggestions I listed, above, you could also try removing some of the Silverstone if you covered most of the internal cup surfaces.  I've found that too much acoustic foam can produce an anechoic chamber quality to the sound. There may be a fine line between too much and too little absorption.
 
IME, 2 cotton balls is nowhere near what's needed to effectively dampen the drivers. For example, I typically start out with 2.5x7x7 cm of cotton cut from a roll of Rite Aid "Natural Absorbent Cotton."  For comparison testing, I used an equivalent amount of cotton balls that I pulled apart, lengthwise, and layered in the cups in the same dimensions (2.5x7x7 cm).  Depending on the size of the cotton balls, it took from 4 large to 8 small cotton balls to approach the SQ of the Rite Aid cotton rolls. Cotton balls have never performed as well as Natural Absorbent Cotton rolls, for me, but I think this is a good place to start for bringing out the treble. The treble in my mods is excellent: sparkles and shimmers without fatigue so I hear brushes on high hats, chimes, bells, etc. The midrange is clear and the bass is extended and fast.  YMMV, yada yada.
 
If I was going to try these mods with your current setup, I would try all the external mods first. Then I would increase the cotton followed by the remaining options, if needed.  Keep in mind that heavy dampening  and closing the cups lower efficiency making a good amp a requirement. A good source, DAC, and amp paired with this mod config sounds great, to me.
 
Good luck.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

 
All of the measurements I've seen on modded T50RP-based headphones, though, from the Paradox to your own, all seem to have significantly rolled off upper-treble frequencies that make cymbals and such just not sizzle right, in my opinion. 

Have you actually heard any of them?

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

Quote:

Have you actually heard any of them?

I have not, I'm just speculating. All I know is that the stock T50RP had rolled off treble, the T50RP measurements verified that it had rolled off treble, and all the graphs at InnerFidelity suggest to me that they have rolled off upper-treble, just to a lesser extent -- you guys have definitely implemented mods that helped in this regard.  

 

[Nevod]

Have you actually heard any of them?

I actually too have a concern with that. Most mods indeed show roll-off at highs and even mids, but that is still proposed as being flat and neutral. So I have a question, what is the mechanism that makes it flat then? I have read, for example, effect of bass boost from bone conduction and pressurized chamber which increases perceived bass even if headphones roll off in bass, but I don't know of any similar effects at higher frequencies.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

what is the mechanism that makes it flat then?

Your ears.
 
The auditory meatus works like pipe on a pipe organ, it emphasizes certain frequencies due to resonances. For the average human ear, these tend to be around 3,000cps and 10,000cps.
 

 

[Nevod]

Your ears.

The auditory meatus works like pipe on a pipe organ, it emphasizes certain frequencies due to resonances. For the average human ear, these tend to be around 3,000cps and 10,000cps.

Yes, I do know of this. However, this had the same effect on all sound sources, SansIEM's, as they bypass pinna and canal and only the response of the hearing hairs (don't readily recall English term now) affects them.

Only difference I see is that frequencies from about 1800hz up are shadowed by the head so that an on ear emitter trying to recreate a sound wave that is picked up by a free standing flat mic will circumvent that and hence would have more high frequency content than ears would receive perceiving that sound wave naturally. But that's 6DB iirc, and only up from 1800-2000Hz..

 

[RexAeterna]

I have not, I'm just speculating. All I know is that the stock T50RP had rolled off treble, the T50RP measurements verified that it had rolled off treble, and all the graphs at InnerFidelity suggest to me that they have rolled off upper-treble, just to a lesser extent -- you guys have definitely implemented mods that helped in this regard.  

it's really not that hard to get air out of them(just takes time mostly). mine before i gave it away to my friend had pretty good air and measured out pretty decently. just keep working at it. you guys figure it out.

 

[purrin]

Quote:

I have not, I'm just speculating. All I know is that the stock T50RP had rolled off treble, the T50RP measurements verified that it had rolled off treble, and all the graphs at InnerFidelity suggest to me that they have rolled off upper-treble, just to a lesser extent -- you guys have definitely implemented mods that helped in this regard.  

 
You'd be surprised how many "audiophile" headphones don't extend that far into the treble, or if they do, it's mostly distortion products.