[Indread]

Thanks for the help. I'll try the various methods mentioned, perhaps even unscrewing the driver as well. Is there anything I should know when removing the driver?
 
Also, I may have inadvertently lightly poked the driver with the blade -- which more than likely poked the clear-mesh. Do you think I a tiny hole would degrade the sound in any way or is this mesh just to prevent debree?

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

Quote:

 
You can just unscrew the driver from the baffle, peel off as much of it as you can, and then use some steel wool or something to scour the rest of it off the plastic.

 
Now, that's smart!

 

[maverickronin]

To remove the driver just remove the three screws from the front of the baffle and then pop the driver frame out of the clips on back of the baffle with a small flat head screwdriver.  It might be a little tight but you don't have to worry about breaking them off since the screws will still hold it in place just fine by themselves.  There's also a thin foam gasket between the driver frame and the baffle that you should set aside so it doesn't get lost or damaged while you're working on other stuff.
 
You won't hurt anything unless you hurt the diaphragm and you'd pretty much need a needle to poke all the way through to it.

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

No longer available. All 3 are on their way to Nick n, kalbee, and mrscotchguy.  
 
Quote:

I installed the Phantom Power Supply units in tea tins. These kits are based on the original design by symphonic, tea tin mod by micmacmo, and layout mod by wdahm519.  I'm just the solder monkey. 

 
If anyone without soldering skills wants a measurement kit for cost plus shipping, PM me. Since I don't have a "golden ear" or mastering creds, I find a measurement kit is really useful for testing the FR of my mods.  Each kit will come with a pre-wired Panasonic mic to fit in Your ear for measurements! These units will measure in mono and in stereo; for stereo, you will need two mics. See, below, for details.
 

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

Modding Trivia: the specs on the T50RP says the stock weight is 330 grams. Any guesses of the weight (grams) of Newplast flush mass loaded in the baffles?

 

[nick n]

I say maybe about 170 g?

 

[Netdewt]

I'll say 455 grams total.

 

[rhythmdevils]

I'm glad someone with vintage orthos got one.  Will be good to see measurements happening in the crazy frankenstein lab of Dr. Nick

 

[A_Squirrel]

200g each side. What do I win? =p

 

[nick n]

Cheated and weighed them so i'm out of the guessing game

 

[bigheadhifi]

hey guys.. any idea how to make the highs and treble extends a little more? I'd love a little more hints of sparkle on my t50rp...
 
 
cheers,

 

[ujamerstand]

use a reflex dot.

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

Trivia Question: What is the total weight of Newplast when flush mass loaded in the baffle compartment.
 
Hint - The stock weight of T50RP's is 330 grams.
 
Answer:  Drum roll, please...................
 
Quote:

I say maybe about 170 g?

 
Quote:

I'll say 455 grams total.

 
Quote:

200g each side. What do I win? =p

 
........ 8 grams in the Left baffle and 9 grams in the Right baffle filled flush to the tops of the baffle compartments. Grand total = 17 grams! I was surprised, too.
 
 

 
Newplast: 9 grams for the Right baffle
 
 
 

 
Newplast Flush Mass Loaded in the Right baffle.

 

[BmWr75]

I laughed when some one posted many days ago that mass loading the baffles made the T50s so heavy his/her neck started hurting.  Thanks BMF for adding some objective data.

 

[jgray91]

Well time to share my mods I guess. I did this in my blog, but for ease of others I'll just post it here.
I;ll get back to it for more impressions once I use this config after a week or so.
 

So first of is the reflex dot.

​

Just some normal adhesive-backed disc used to protect furniture. This particular one measures around 15mm in diameter.

The other materials I used are this:

I really do mean scrap. 

 Once I have more time and resources I will try and emulate what I achieved in this mod with more accessible material so that others can try it too.

And mostly it will be stacked like so:

The caveat here is that all of my evaluation is based on what I hear and feel. I wish I have that FR measurement kit, but I challenged myself to build one myself, so that can be a long time coming.

Without further ado, here’s the results.

First up, just the reflex dot behind the driver. This one is constant on all the other configurations. To me it cleaned up the whole spectrum, now it’s more controlled. It also put the mids a little bit more forward, to my liking. I didn’t stop here, since I wanted to try what the other materials do. And because the mids is a little bit too forward and shouty, even for me.

1. Config 1

Portapro pads + HD414 foam + felt ring ear side. I just put the damping materials, stacked with the “back” towards my ears.

Basically it destroyed whatever instrument separation it has before, and the sound signature turned out all jumbled up and mixed around. Whatever that I managed to hear though is that the bass are more forward and prominent, and very textured and detailed. The mids are quite prominent too, but not as much as the bass. But when the track gets busy with various other elements sounding off, it gets buried. The highs diffused, cymbals sounds shimmery and almost without energy to my ears.

bass>mids/vocals>>>>other

1. Config 2

Portapro pads + felt ring ear side. Same as the above, but just took out the HD414 foam out.

Instrument separation isn’t stellar, but a little bit better than config 1. It’s also turned out less mixed up than config 1. Bass and mids are basically the same. Highs though sound less shimmery, more focused, clearer than config 1, but still not to my satisfaction. This config also seems to have increased focused air pressure. By the end of the second time of my test song, my ear drums are slightly fatigued.

bass>mids/vocals>>other

1. Config 3

Reflex dot + felt ring, cup side.

This one increased bass impact, but uncontrolled and incoherent. Strangely enough, I heard that it’s not boomy. But since the overall sound becomes not musical, uncontrolled mess, I didn’t listen to it long, so it might just be boomy after all.

bass>>>>>other

1. Config 4

Portapro pads + HD414 foam + felt ring cup side (driver > stock white > reflex dot > hd414 foam > portapro > felt ring)

​

This time around, instrument separation better than all 3 before. It’s good, but not great. At least now it’s coherent and not mixed up. Bass are still forward, prominent, very textured and detailed. Mids are quite prominent, and not as hamstrung when a track is busy. Highs now sounds clear, sparkly, but easily overpowered by mids and bass. Overall, this is much better, but I still have a few other ways to stack it. I’m on the right direction at least.

bass>>mids/vocals>>>other

1. Config 5

Portapro+hd414+felt ring cup side (driver > stock white > reflex dot > felt ring > koss portapro pads > hd414 foam)

​

I just reversed the sides.

This one is just so much better. Instrument separation better than both before, bordering on great now, now coherent and not mixed up, have better layering and imaging. And this time, I noticed soundstage.  Bass are forward, prominent, very textured, detailed. Mids are quite prominent, now can keep up when a track is busy, better than config 4. Highs sounds clear, sparkly, can now almost keep up with mids and bass. Can still be overpowered, but I guess that the highs in that song or track are just mastered that way.

Like I said, I seem to perceive better soundstage than previous configs. In fact, this is quite easily one of the first time that a song’s soundstage truly shown effortlessly. Of course, my music library are mostly modern production, and I used a crossfeed implementation, but this perception is very new to me. And come easily too without the need to strain to hear/perceive it.

bass>mids/vocals>other

1. Config 6

Portapro + felt ring scrap +reflex dot cup side (driver > stock white > reflex dot > felt ring > koss portapro pads).  The same as config 5, but without the HD414 foam.

Instrument separation is less able than config 5 but most definitely are better than 1 through 4.
Overall mostly almost the same as config 5, but without the effortless percieved soundstage and less able instrument separation.It’s still better than configs 1 to 4.

1. bass>=mids/vocals>other

In the end this is what I’d arrange the configs:

best=>==========>==========>==========>==========>=worst
config 5 >= config 6 >> config 4 > config 1 >= config 3 >>>>> config 2​

Of course, the materials used it slightly less orthodox and quite inconvenient for others to replicate. Like I said, I will try and emulate this setup using other more easily acquired, and “logical” material for others to try out, if they like. Currently I am, as you might have guessed, using config 5. Various info regarding the comparisons and my thoughts on the foams:

1. used the song “Howl” by Florence and the Machine (320 kbps MP3) for comparisons of all the config.
2. HD414 foam seems like open cell foam, hair strands can stab/pass through quite easily. K

   oss portapro pads seems open cell, significantly less open than the HD414.
3. felt ring is made from IKEA furniture feet protection discs, only I cut off the adhesive. It’s what I believe to be stiff felt, around 1mm thick approximately.
4. for all of the above, it seems that the bass is the one that makes the mids overpowered. Can easily be tuned by closing the bass port from the outside of the cup.