Ortho Modding Variant
May 26, 2013 at 6:00 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 3

stratocaster

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Got fed up with the limited and unnerving modding situation of my orthos. Removing the pads, loosening the screws, opening up the cups, applying some padding and then putting the assembly together again. Just to find out that the result does not meet your expectations. Thereby ruining your cups and pads.
 
As a result I did some thinking and finally I came up with a design/modding strategy that makes it really easy and quick to apply changes. 
 
In the attached pictures you can see that I removeg the drivers (T50RP and T20V2) from the plastic baffles and use wood baffles instead. Then I use custom made wood enclosures to give the drivers a bigger acoustic chamber and myself the opportunity to apply damping material easily and comfortably.
 
The thing that really makes the modding easy is the "Strato lid system". The wood lid is a little smaller in diameter than the opening. Then I glue a felt disk (or closed-cell foam if you prefer to seal the chamber and avoid venting) at the back of the lid. The felt is a little larger than the wood disk. When you press the lid into the cup, the felt fills the ring between lid and shell and holds the lid in place. If you want to change the damping, you just have to get the lid out again (works very nicely and easily) and you are there, right at the back of the driver, to apply the changes. 
 
That way you can try lots of damping versions without removing the pads, loosening the screws ....
 
The phones you see in the pictures are rosewood T50RPs and Gaboon Ebony T20v2s. As pads I use Brainwavz HM5 pads.
 

 

 

 
May 26, 2013 at 12:56 PM Post #2 of 3
Wow. Great looking design and an innovative system for modding. It looks perfect for pulling every bit of potential out of those drivers. I am glad those T20v2 drivers have found a home. The headphones sat on a shelf at in the recording studio at my old employer for countless (20+?) years before I bought them. The mids were always amazing but I could never manage to get appreciable bass quantities from my mods so I bought some T50rps and modded them to DBV #3 specs and I am in heaven. That is, with a much less attractive headphone than what you have created. Bravo!
 
Jun 2, 2013 at 1:17 PM Post #3 of 3
This is really great strato. I wish I could play with tuning in your custom enclosures. Making my own enclosures and my own pads was always the next step on the t50rp's.. I just never stumbled on the materials to do so :/
 

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