[sunneebear]

  I'm not touching mine.  I like them just the way they are.  I'm not sure how you could shelve the treble and increase the sound stage at the same time.
 
However, I really trust BMF - he's been at this a long time.
 

 
 
I'm thinking like some speakers with the grill on or off.  I've heard some that have pin point, in your face, forward sounding tweeters without the grill and with the grill on they sound airy and spacious.  The speaker sounding invisible.  If you close your eyes you can point out the placement of the band but not the speakers.

 

[eac3]

Just a quick question guys. If I found the Mad Dogs single-ended didn't sound as good on my amp versus the balanced mad dog I acquired, I am just wondering if it makes sense just purchasing the alpha dogs with balanced.
 
The only reason I am hesitant is that I am not sure if I will keep the Alpha Dogs, and the resale and demand seems to be more tricky for balanced headphones.

 

[mrspeakers]

  I'm not touching mine.  I like them just the way they are.  I'm not sure how you could shelve the treble and increase the sound stage at the same time.
 
However, I really trust BMF - he's been at this a long time. 

 
There is a physics explanation I won't go into but the short story is that Fostex's materials have some variations that cause peakiness in treble output on some but not all phones, and it can vary by lot.  The peaks are narrow, they are not on every headphone, they are within spec, and they are at a frequency that some people are sensitive to, and others are perhaps not.  

But we're OCD about continuous improvement and I know many of you share our passion for this, so we thought the best thing to do was just put it on the table in a way that is fun, reversible, and customizable.
 
The BMD reduces two specific peaks by 2-3 dB with only about a 0.5dB decrease in the overall treble. Unlike the BMD the felt discs act like a broad band filter, trimming about 1dB off the highs for each disc to create a darker sound, if that's your preference.  They work with or without a BMD installed.
 
Ears and taste differ widely, and in fact ear shape and geometry have an effect on whether you perceive a peak or not.  If you are happy leave it alone! 

 

[mrspeakers]

  Just a quick question guys. If I found the Mad Dogs single-ended didn't sound as good on my amp versus the balanced mad dog I acquired, I am just wondering if it makes sense just purchasing the alpha dogs with balanced.
 
The only reason I am hesitant is that I am not sure if I will keep the Alpha Dogs, and the resale and demand seems to be more tricky for balanced headphones.

 
The Alpha is inherently setup to support balanced or single ended, so it's only a cable change.

 

[mrspeakers]

   
 
I'm thinking like some speakers with the grill on or off.  I've heard some that have pin point, in your face, forward sounding tweeters without the grill and with the grill on they sound airy and spacious.  The speaker sounding invisible.  If you close your eyes you can point out the placement of the band but not the speakers.

 
Yup!

 

[sunneebear]

  Just a quick question guys. If I found the Mad Dogs single-ended didn't sound as good on my amp versus the balanced mad dog I acquired, I am just wondering if it makes sense just purchasing the alpha dogs with balanced.
 
The only reason I am hesitant is that I am not sure if I will keep the Alpha Dogs, and the resale and demand seems to be more tricky for balanced headphones.

 
AD cables are removable and fairly cheap.  Even if you don't want to buy a new cable, going from balance to SE plug is very easy.

 

[M-13]

 
There is a physics explanation I won't go into but the short story is that Fostex's materials have some variations that cause peakiness in treble output on some but not all phones, and it can vary by lot.  The peaks are narrow, they are not on every headphone, they are within spec, and they are at a frequency that some people are sensitive to, and others are perhaps not.  
 

OMG perfect explanation Dan! This is the exact problem I was trying to describe. There were very odd/narrow peaks that bothered me on the Mad Dog, and I thought it might be just an inherent quality of the drivers being unreliable and/or my ears being shaped weird. I sort of gave up on the Mad Dog and Alphas because I didn't want to leave it to the luck of the draw to get one without these problems.
 
I'm now seriously considering the Alpha Dog as my next headphone again. The sexy matte black is also a big plus.

 

[mrspeakers]

  OMG perfect explanation Dan! This is the exact problem I was trying to describe. There were very odd/narrow peaks that bothered me on the Mad Dog, and I thought it might be just an inherent quality of the drivers being unreliable and/or my ears being shaped weird. I sort of gave up on the Mad Dog and Alphas because I didn't want to leave it to the luck of the draw to get one without these problems.
 
I'm now seriously considering the Alpha Dog as my next headphone again. The sexy matte black is also a big plus.

 
 
The kit does work for the Mad Dog as well.

 

[mangamonster]

I should be getting my pair of Alpha Dogs soon! Do new purchases come with this mod? If not, I totally do not mind paying the minimal upgrade. I haven't heard them yet, but it feels good to know that I can change both the bass and highs immediately. Can't wait to receive mine and thanks again, MrSpeakers! 

 

[mrspeakers]

  I should be getting my pair of Alpha Dogs soon! Do new purchases come with this mod? If not, I totally do not mind paying the minimal upgrade. I haven't heard them yet, but it feels good to know that I can change both the bass and highs immediately. Can't wait to receive mine and thanks again, MrSpeakers! 

 
Yes, it'll be tuned using the mod.  Filter discs are added if I feel it achieves the optimal balance.  

 

[Dave74]

   
Yes, it'll be tuned using the mod.  Filter discs are added if I feel it achieves the optimal balance.  

Will you have stock of this upgrade package for immediate shipping once it is posted on your site or will it be backorder?  Also, will you still be shipping through USPS for Canadian orders?  I actually prefer USPS/Canada Post since they don't charge the brokerage fees that couriers charge. 
 
Thanks.
Dave.

 

[sunneebear]

I sold my HE-6 and LCD-2 just from reading the reviews of the MD.  Being a closed headphone was a part of that decision but it is my best buy in headphones.  The MD was my favorite all around for a long time till the AD was out.  I am still in awe of what Dan did with the little Fostex drivers.
 
I played this video today and thought the AD sounded pretty sweet.  Then I turned on my speakers and found out how sad they really are.  The speakers couldn't product a third of the song.
 

 
Bad ass job Dan!

 

[sunneebear]

Why is the sound cleaner and deeper on youtube then on head-fi?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

It may not be going to the higher quality stream on youtube. I know even when I set it to go to the highest I still have to manually set every video to go to highest quality, and AFTER I do that, I have to rewind the video a hair so the higher quality stream kicks in.

 

[sunneebear]

Both sites are playing at the max of that video, 480.

I'm wrong. Head-fi is playing much lower.