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

[wje]

With my Fostex T50RPs, I had mainly been running them with my iPod, fed through an Objective2 amplifier for many of my tests of how the sound had changed based on some of the modifications.  Last evening, I decided to pull a different amp into the mix, my HifiMAN EF-2A, which is a hybrid tube amplifier.  It is currently running the stock tubes that are supplied with it.  The EF-2A does "color" the sound, which is unlike what the Objective2 does.  However, I've found that with the slight coloring of the sound, the EF-2A was able to bring out some of those upper-frequency details that I've been trying so hard to achieve, but haven't been successful.  It's not a brighter or harsher sound that was brought forward --- just one with more details, so some of the percussion that I was desiring to hear a bit more clearly, is now there.
 
I need to spend more time with this combination and see if what I've come across can be claimed for additional songs, genres and my other music.
 
 

 

[shrimants]

So from the looks of it, fully open mod wont sound good but fully closed and partially open may. Perhaps a different sort of venting might be useful, like making thin, possibly closable vents that push air/sound outwards parallel to the head instead of perpendicularly outwards. This would also let there be room for damping and inner cup dynamics.

Can someone tell me the basic idea of how to create new cups that will fit the fostex hpp1?

Also, does anyone know where to get random blocks of wood and/or a 3d printer/CNC machine? lol

 

[TierAngst]

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Just wanted to answer your fully open or closed question. Some people have tried making them fully open, but the results have been pretty poor. I know LFF completely seals his modded T50RP (goes beyond just covering the vents in the cups as well), but no one else knows what other mods he uses along with that (and no one ever will).
 

I was under the impression he was entering a competition and that's why he was being secretive. Maybe we will get lucky and he'll open it up to use after he wins. 

 

[shrimants]

I'm also a fair bit confused about the mods. It looks like BMF and rastapants and similar are all combos of various other mods. I also saw the faust3d "general" mod, which just says that the basic idea is to change the opening of the vents, add damping to the main earcup, and add mass around the earcup. I'm not seeing any sort of organized list of mods, rather just a bunch of links to various posts scattered around this thread.

 

[kalbee]

So from the looks of it, fully open mod wont sound good but fully closed and partially open may. Perhaps a different sort of venting might be useful, like making thin, possibly closable vents that push air/sound outwards parallel to the head instead of perpendicularly outwards. This would also let there be room for damping and inner cup dynamics.
Can someone tell me the basic idea of how to create new cups that will fit the fostex hpp1?
Also, does anyone know where to get random blocks of wood and/or a 3d printer/CNC machine? lol

A fully open version has been made before although how it sounds I do not know. It required literally a whole new enclosure. How to make? we would like to know too! All I can say is that I doubt the whole design of enclosure is as easy as it seems otherwise we wouldn't be modding these as much as we are.
But uh... You want to fit a HP-P1 on the headphones themselves? Wouldn't it cause weight unbalance?
You can purchase 3D printers online but they cost quite a lot, and most anyone can afford are for plastics. Overall, ordering 3D prints will be easier on your wallet lol. Depending on the type of wood you want, you can find some maple and pine and stuff at home hardware stores. Exotic wood? those are supposedly VERY expensive too.

 

[shrimants]

Oh god, i'm sorry. I was helping someone out on a different site and I had the HP-P1 on my mind. I meant, can someone show me the basics for how to create new cups for the T50RP, lol. I do have some wood working tools, though not very many. honestly I dont really like the looks of the stock T50RP, and I feel like I wont really be happy with them until I get some new cups on there.

 

[kalbee]

Ah lol. And I was wondering since the HP-P1 looks pretty big too...

Well I'd think the best way to get wooden cups done is to try plagiarizing or something. Look at how wooden cups are shaped on the interior, look at how the Fostex are on the interior, etc. then you stuff&damp the innards till they sound good. I want to change my cups into a plastic and wood mix to increase the cavity volume but I don't think I am handy enough for all that yet, especially knowing how these are the horror to solder.

 

[shrimants]

I'm anyways going to try doing a balanced mod on them so thats on my todo list. I have to find the proper guage wire, the proper connector/adapter system, and the proper heat shrink wrap. I figure while i'm at it I might as well change the cups around. I really value sub bass performance and there are numerous things that I need to change about these phones, so i'll be basically tooling around with them and not bothering to touch my ATH-m50's, which will be my working pair.

Perhaps Smeggy has the dimensions or something. I'll shoot him an email.

 

[wje]

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Can someone tell me the basic idea of how to create new cups that will fit the fostex hpp1?
Also, does anyone know where to get random blocks of wood and/or a 3d printer/CNC machine? lol

I think your two questions span from one spectrum to the other.  I think you're looking at a major amount of time and expense to accomplish something on a $74.00 pair of headphones.  Now, if your intentions are to go into the business of making a lot of Smeggy "knock-offs" I can see where your second question might have some validity.  However, if you're looking to spend this much time and money for a personal set, I think you should just contact Smeggy, invest the money and get the real thing.  Then, enjoy the music!
 

 

[shrimants]

My main problem with them:

1) They dont fit. they sit way too low on my head, even at the "lowest" setting. I need to elevate them about 1-2 inches up.
2) I hate the way the cable works. I might initially simply reterminate the cable with a 3.5mm jack instead of the 1/4 inch.
3) The bass is there but its not punchy, nor does it extend low enough at a loud enough volume for my tastes
4) I havent tried them extensively, but I'd like to make them respond as fast as possible. hence why I felt balanced operation would work well.

Apart from that, my only problem is that they are rather ugly. Of course, I could simply sand and polish and replace the venting system with a proper mesh rather than the big weird holes. Depending on the cost of doing this, though, it might make more sense to simply create my own wood cups and do the thunderpants mod myself. I cant justify spending 250 on a couple blocks of wood, various damping material, some cableing and some leather pieces. There is no way that those materials total up to 250, or even 200 unless you use some extremely rare endangered species of wood thats been grown with unicorn tears in fine silver dust for maximum audio quality or something.

 

[kalbee]

1) suspension mod! (headband)
2) the cable is removable so just replace it.

Often the bulk of the cost is not in material but workmanship and most importantly, the knowledge/know-how.
When you hire an expert in whatever field, most of the cost generally goes into the simple fact that he knows what to do to solve the problem.
Wether or not doing our own try-and-error may avail in cheaper overall costs, depends.

Thunderpants also use wooden baffle (majority) so the size issue does not really apply. Smeggy can make the cups as big as your refrigerator and it wont matter because the baffles will also be made to size. Obviously he won't do this but you get the idea he might have the dimensions though, yes.

 

[rhythmdevils]

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My main problem with them:
1) They dont fit. they sit way too low on my head, even at the "lowest" setting. I need to elevate them about 1-2 inches up.
2) I hate the way the cable works. I might initially simply reterminate the cable with a 3.5mm jack instead of the 1/4 inch.
3) The bass is there but its not punchy, nor does it extend low enough at a loud enough volume for my tastes
4) I havent tried them extensively, but I'd like to make them respond as fast as possible. hence why I felt balanced operation would work well.
Apart from that, my only problem is that they are rather ugly. Of course, I could simply sand and polish and replace the venting system with a proper mesh rather than the big weird holes. Depending on the cost of doing this, though, it might make more sense to simply create my own wood cups and do the thunderpants mod myself. I cant justify spending 250 on a couple blocks of wood, various damping material, some cableing and some leather pieces. There is no way that those materials total up to 250, or even 200 unless you use some extremely rare endangered species of wood thats been grown with unicorn tears in fine silver dust for maximum audio quality or something.

Dude.  Why would Smeggy spend time teaching you to make something he's selling?  And why do you expect him to sell you stuff he makes for the cost of parts? 
 
1) get new pads
2)buy a frickin adaptor plug? 
3) Try some of the mods detailed here and spend some of your own time to learn something?
4) Try some of the mods here?  The whole thread is about improving the SQ...
5)  If you think they are ugly then buy different headphones?
 

 

[LFF]

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When you hire an expert in whatever field, most of the cost generally goes into the simple fact that he knows what to do to solve the problem.
Wether or not doing our own try-and-error may avail in cheaper overall costs, depends.

Very true.....
 
Which is why I have always felt that the customer is always wrong (in the nicest sense of the phrase). If I had someone coming to me for a sound restoration project, I would tell them certain things upfront....one of them being the manner in which I work, and the cost of the job upfront. If they disagree....they are free to go elsewhere. Why? Because I prize my work and take great pride in it. It has taken me more than a dozen years to know what I know. If someone doesn't trust me to do the best job possible, then I recommend they go elsewhere. The majority of my cost is due to my experience, ears, and close attention to detail. How much my machines cost...studio time...etc comes secondary to me.
 

 

[wje]

Quote:

Very true.....
 
Which is why I have always felt that the customer is always wrong (in the nicest sense of the phrase). If I had someone coming to me for a sound restoration project, I would tell them certain things upfront....one of them being the manner in which I work, and the cost of the job upfront. If they disagree....they are free to go elsewhere. Why? Because I prize my work and take great pride in it. It has taken me more than a dozen years to know what I know. If someone doesn't trust me to do the best job possible, then I recommend they go elsewhere. The majority of my cost is due to my experience, ears, and close attention to detail. How much my machines cost...studio time...etc comes secondary to me.
 

There used to be a nice little sign that I had.  I don't remember all the wordings on it, but it was sort of like:
 
Labor Rates:
 
$50.00 Per Hour if I fix it
$75.00 Per Hour if You've Attempted to Fix it
Etc.
 

 

 

[shrimants]

Dooood.  Why would Smeggy spend time teaching you to make something he's selling?  And why do you expect him to sell you stuff he makes for the cost of parts?  Are you special?

1) get new pads
2)buy a frickin adaptor plug? 
3) Try some of the mods detailed here and spend some of your own time to learn something?
4) Try some of the mods here?  The whole thread is about improving the SQ...
5)  If you think they are ugly then buy different headphones?

I'm not saying it is an injustice that smeggy is selling for such a high cost. I hear the thunderpants and IMO they sound like they could be sold for 300-500 bucks easily. I am also passionate about DIY and am just getting into the field. I was under the impression that smeggy is doing the mods for people because he likes to, not because he needs a profit from it. You dont have to be a butthole about it, i'm not saying anything bad about smeggy and I am very appreciative of his work. I just felt that the DIY community is a community that helps each other out, not a community that likes to hoard their achievements and findings for themselves. There is no need to be rude in a perfectly civilized discussion.

1) Already looking for new pads. I'm thinking of SRH-840 pads because I have them on my ATH-m50's already. I'm not sure if I should go with those pads or O2 pads or what though, it requires more research and I have no idea of the general changes to be expected from various changes in pad qualities like softness and material and whatnot.
2) I'd rather not have a 6 inch "fricken adapter" plugging into my audio because it increases the chances of the headphone jack breaking, it doesnt look clean, and I want pratice on the T50RP because the ATH-m50's are a gift from my GF that I dont want to harm in any way. Everyone needs to start somewhere and I dont want to buy a bunch of arbitrary parts and ruin them just for the sake of practicing. I'd rather do it myself and have it accomplish something in the mean time. I'll do the mod on the stock cable, then probably make the T50RP hole a bit wider and try it with a "regular cable" before I even think about opening it up and soldering the cable directly to the driver.
3) and 4) That is the general plan. I literally JUST got the headphones and I havent been looking around that much. i've found a few particularly useful posts but I think i need to look through all the revisions of the "compilation" mods and figure out how everything works seperately AND as whole before I try anything. My T50RP were bought used and already somewhat modded, though I dont know what mods were applied apart from "adding mass" and "adding damping".
5) They are ugly but they are my "project headphones". My other option was to sit on a pair of Monster Turbines (base model) which keeps breaking. I already replaced it 4 times via warranty with a new model and finally decided enough is enough. Eventually i'll probably go with smeggy's thunderpants mod (unfinished) kit, but until then I want to work on it myself and explore with a pair of headphones that quite literally arent really worth anything to me. If they break I still have ATH-m50 as my main headphone, and if I manage to make them amazing thats all the better. Its a win win situation for me.

Just to clarify, when I said I cant justify spending 250 on the materials, I meant 100% unfinished materials. IE go to home depot or online to amazon and find/pick everything myself. I dont see the point in DIY if I just drop a fat wad of cash on someone else's hard work and put it together like legos. The thunderpants were accomplished with blood sweat and tears, and I aim to put that into my own set of T50RP's. Worst case scenario, i'll learn a bunch of useful stuff. I didnt get them because I wanted to send them to smeggy, I got them to mod myself, and buying the cups and parts from smeggy kind of defeats the purpose of the T50RP unless i'm completely done with modding them myself. And I havent even started yet.