[apatN]

You got my interest, thanks. I will make an offer.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Cool.  They are definitely worthy of fostering Koss drivers if you don't like their sound sig and they are about 80% the comfort of the KH-83 with less adjustment options, but still way beyond comfy and better than most Mid-Fi phones.  The basic cup shape is the same as the 83s too, so you might be able to mod them for SFIs but it's more work than I was interested in undertaking.
 
FWIW, the other two dynamics I plan on keeping for mods are the vintage AKG K141s I bought from RD that have Sextett drivers and the pair of loose MB Quart 250R High Solid drivers from the Q905s that I traded for some time ago. 
 
 

 

[rhythmdevils]

 
Quote:

FWIW, the other two dynamics I plan on keeping for mods are the vintage AKG K141s I bought from RD that have Sextett drivers

Those were good headphones!
 

 

[iQEM]

Quote:

 
Thanks man, that really means a lot to me.  I hope the Koss pads help.  I should order a set and try them just for comparison too.
 
I'll just come out and clarify a couple of points on the RP18s versus the LCD-2s.  If you hear resonances or peaks in the LCD-2s which several peeps have heard, then you will probably enjoy the RP18s far more than the LCD-2s especially when the costs are factored it.  From a straight technical perspective, assuming you don't hear the resonances, then the LCD-2s are superior unless you prefer a brighter headphone, which the Kapton RP18s can be tuned to be, while still keeping the bass. 
 
Finally with regards to how much more can we get out of the RP18s, I haven't hit the end of the line yet.  I've been tuning and trialing mine for almost two years and continue to hear improvements, though my focus is now on widening the stage while keeping the sound signature I love right now.  Custom cups will definitely tale them up another level and I have a design for a cup that will require a four piece mold for a composite layup.  My total costs for this R&D will probably exceed a pair a new LCD-2s, but for me it has bigger applications WRT to mold design and scalability to other drivers, so I'm pursuing it, though very slowly ATM as I'm also doing a lot of home renovations that suck up $$$$ at a time. 
 
 

yes, and if the koss MV1 pads didn't have good result (than the stock pads) i would try to purchase K141 velour like nickchen using on his Sansui SS L-55...
like in this post --> http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/111193/orthodynamic-roundup/16545#post_7304867
 
@ nickchen:
please let me know if you plan to let go that pads, OK ?

 

[rhythmdevils]

Does anyone have any idea why Fostex made a square housing when they redid the T20 into the T20v2?  Round drivers, round foam damping, and then a square housing.  Could it just be a design choice?

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Does anyone have any idea why Fostex made a square housing when they redid the T20 into the T20v2?  Round drivers, round foam damping, and then a square housing.  Could it just be a design choice?

One mold for a single back piece for all their models.  The baffle mount would have to be different of course...  I dunno, the whole design seems kind of goofy to me, but I guess it is what it is...
 

 

[iQEM]

or just like this one from ludoo's FS thread, AKG K171 velour pads..
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/343283/fs-akg-k171-velour-pads-new#post_4464749

it might open the upper freq much more than K141 velour pads from the look of bigger inner hole diametre..

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Bought another NAD RP18 for the team: Ebay Germany
 
 

The eagle has landed, it's definetely the bass shyer RP18. You can tell by the form of the Y-splitter (not round), and of course by the sound (bone dry). So far I prefer my bass heavy one, but from listening to the other exemplar I got pretty decided to apply at least a bit more damping on mine.
 
But both are _freaking_ good. The bass shyer RP18 reminds me a bit of a "high res K271". I can understand why most folks prefer this clearer sounding version, but for me personally that perfect coexistence of deep bass and kick bass is what makes mine so special for me. The other one sounds too AKGish, I've already got my MS Pro Ulti for that job.
 
If you miss "Kaplon" and "Mylar" terms, I keep mixing them up and was too lazy to search...

 
 

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Quote:

 

Those were good headphones!
 

I think if you listened to them now, in stock form, you would be disappointed.  They can be great though.  It still blows me away at how easy it was to transform lower Mid-Fi vintage AKG K140s into a stellar headphone with just a new damping set of felt, new elastics, and new HD25 pads.  I haven't decided how much pad rolling, if any, will be required on the K141s, but they'll get a new cable once my Warren Audio cable comes in for my KH-83s and I pull the Alpha 8-wire off the TPs which are getting the 4-pin Mini XLR treatment so they can use my silver hybrid Soloz Audio cable.  The RP18s will get the same 4-pin mini XLRs jacks in their new cups too.  Trying to convert all my customs to the mini XLR jacks so I don't need any additional cables, but the KH-83s are too small and too rare to mod in that manner so they get a more traditional cable, but with the full size 4-pin XLR termination.  I'll make a nude 4-wire Litz cable from Mogami for my T20v1s or swap it to the K141s if the 141s become too bright with the Alpha SPC. 
 


Quote:

yes, and if the koss MV1 pads didn't have good result (than the stock pads) i would try to purchase K141 velour like nickchen using on his Sansui SS L-55...
like in this post --> http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/111193/orthodynamic-roundup/16545#post_7304867
 
please let me know if you plan to let go that pads, OK ?

Will do, but which pads are you referring too?  If I plan to let go of W11 pads or the Koss pads?  Sorry, but my stash of W11 pads is not for sale.  I only have the ones on the RP18s and a spare set.  Once a set wears out, they will be dismantled to make the patterns for my new customs though and then I can make a few extra sets for RP18 owners. 
 
Nickchen also uses Beyer DT770 pads with great success, so I'll pick up a set of those because, gasp, I don't have any Beyer pads in my vast collection of pads.   I think on last count I had 14 different sets of pads for all my various headphones and I'm still out of ESW9/10 pads, any AKG velour pads, and the Beyer pads.  I'm also out of spare R10 pads so I need to restock those. 
 

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

One mold for a single back piece for all their models.  The baffle mount would have to be different of course...  I dunno, the whole design seems kind of goofy to me, but I guess it is what it is...
 

But the T20v2 was made before any of the square driver Fostex.  I guess a square housing makes a little more sense (at least aesthetically) for a square driver, but I still would think that having corners like that in a housing can't be a good idea. 
 

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Quote:

But the T20v2 was made before any of the square driver Fostex.  I guess a square housing makes a little more sense (at least aesthetically) for a square driver, but I still would think that having corners like that in a housing can't be a good idea. 
 

It was probably the first one they made in the square design.  The main reason was the side entrance single cable.  I'm sure they had plans for the other headphones, but the T20v2 was an interim model.  Keep the old driver and put in the new cups as the new drivers are developed for the new cup.  Auto makers do that a lot, they carry over an engine into a new chassis, then revise or release a new engine a year or two after the chassis has been out.  It mitigates most of the risks of a 100% new model launch, regardless of whether it's a headphone or automobile.  Fostex designed those as studio cans and they made thousands of them so there was a lot at stake for them, but I'm sure studio techs wanted a side entry cable as it's less likely to hang up when taking cans on and off so many times or it's just easier to palm and listen with one ear for dorky recording studio videos. 

 
 

 

[maverickronin]

I've got a bit of a blasphemous question to ask of those who have heard more pairs of headphones than I have. Are there any closed headphones, short of maybe the 4070 and the R10 (I haven't hear either, but I'm guessing), which are better than the Thunderpants?

My modded T50RP MKIIs are already better then any closed 'phone I've heard and can remember clearly and I'm wondering if I should turn them into Thunderpants or look at something else. Do sets like the ED8 or JVC DX1000 compare or do they have the usual weaknesses of dynamics? The makrl modded Denons look promising as well. I've heard the stock Denons and didn't really think they were worth the price, but after seeing what some not so difficult mods did to my T50s I think they could be improved a lot.

Has anyone heard any of these or anything else which is closed, can be had used or new for around 1k or less (or much less if it need crazy strong amplification), and is better than the Thunderpants?

A few more caveats. I'm asking here because based on my experiences with the T50s that I own and the LCD-2s, HE-5LEs, and HE-6s which I've heard at meets, I'm probably a big fan of the ortho sound so I figured I should ask people with similar preferences.

 

[iQEM]

 
Quote:

Will do, but which pads are you referring too?  If I plan to let go of W11 pads or the Koss pads?  Sorry, but my stash of W11 pads is not for sale.  I only have the ones on the RP18s and a spare set.  Once a set wears out, they will be dismantled to make the patterns for my new customs though and then I can make a few extra sets for RP18 owners. 
 
Nickchen also uses Beyer DT770 pads with great success, so I'll pick up a set of those because, gasp, I don't have any Beyer pads in my vast collection of pads.   I think on last count I had 14 different sets of pads for all my various headphones and I'm still out of ESW9/10 pads, any AKG velour pads, and the Beyer pads.  I'm also out of spare R10 pads so I need to restock those. 
 

actually the last sentence i wrote to nickchen, Brian but sorry if i make you misunderstand...maybe i'm not write it clearly, my mistake..
i'm using my iphone when wrote that post, it's pretty annoying for me to submit a post on head-fi, directly from iphone safari browser or Opera mini for iphone...

but i dont mind if you plan to sell some pads like K141 velour pads or K171 velour pads, just offer it to me..

not the W11jpn offcourse...

as you can see, i plan to go cheapo rather than go straight buying W11jpn or O2 pads..so pads under 50$ that interest me...
so i experiment with other, i already purchase koss MV1 pads...it's on it's way to my house from US...

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

But the T20v2 was made before any of the square driver Fostex.  I guess a square housing makes a little more sense (at least aesthetically) for a square driver, but I still would think that having corners like that in a housing can't be a good idea. 

I dunno.  The square ear cup housing never made any real sense to me.  To me fundamentally, they're ugly aesthetically and technically.  At least, they can be made to work.  The rectangular shaped can that makes sense to me is something like the Lambda or even more, the ESP/950 from Koss.  The shape accommodates the size and dimensions of the driver inside, and still manages to make it somewhat aesthetically acceptable.
 
 

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Quote:

I've got a bit of a blasphemous question to ask of those who have heard more pairs of headphones than I have. Are there any closed headphones, short of maybe the 4070 and the R10 (I haven't hear either, but I'm guessing), which are better than the Thunderpants?

My modded T50RP MKIIs are already better then any closed 'phone I've heard and can remember clearly and I'm wondering if I should turn them into Thunderpants or look at something else. Do sets like the ED8 or JVC DX1000 compare or do they have the usual weaknesses of dynamics? The makrl modded Denons look promising as well. I've heard the stock Denons and didn't really think they were worth the price, but after seeing what some not so difficult mods did to my T50s I think they could be improved a lot.

Has anyone heard any of these or anything else which is closed, can be had used or new for around 1k or less (or much less if it need crazy strong amplification), and is better than the Thunderpants?

A few more caveats. I'm asking here because based on my experiences with the T50s that I own and the LCD-2s, HE-5LEs, and HE-6s which I've heard at meets, I'm probably a big fan of the ortho sound so I figured I should ask people with similar preferences.

Well, I won't say they are better than the TPs, but for a "closed" headphone other than TPs, I use my Denon C-710 canal phones with the Comply foam tips. They have the added advantage of being truly portable and light. Their sound signature out of my Sony A816 DAP is remarkably similar to my Fostex orthos though they are a hair slower, but not by much since they are such a small dynamic driver. Worst case they are $200, but you can usually find them for $130-$150. 
 


Quote:

 

actually the last sentence i wrote to nickchen, Brian but sorry if i make you misunderstand...maybe i'm not write it clearly, my mistake..
i'm using my iphone when wrote that post, it's pretty annoying for me to submit a post on head-fi, directly from iphone safari browser or Opera mini for iphone...

but i dont mind if you plan to sell some pads like K141 velour pads or K171 velour pads, just offer it to me..

not the W11jpn offcourse...

as you can see, i plan to go cheapo rather than go straight buying W11jpn or O2 pads..so pads under 50$ that interest me...
so i experiment with other, i already purchase koss MV1 pads...it's on it's way to my house from US...

Got it!  I'll order my Koss pads today too.