[vid]

Increased the amount of cotton I put in the HOK cups. Previously, I had just enough to cover the back of the cup. Now, I put in enough to fill the entire cup even when compressed. Not much change in sound.
 
The biggest issue with the HOK, one I've had since day one, is that the driver puts out a massive treble spike at 9 kHz or so. It seemingly remains unmolested by felt, nylon, and wool discs placed in front of the driver, regardless of their quantity. The only efficient mod for it seems EQ.

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

Increased the amount of cotton I put in the HOK cups. Previously, I had just enough to cover the back of the cup. Now, I put in enough to fill the entire cup even when compressed. Not much change in sound.
 
The biggest issue with the HOK, one I've had since day one, is that the driver puts out a massive treble spike at 9 kHz or so. It seemingly remains unmolested by felt, nylon, and wool discs placed in front of the driver, regardless of their quantity. The only efficient mod for it seems EQ.

Did you try felt behind the driver too?

 

[vid]

Tried all sorts of discs at the back last year. Thick felt, thin felt, no felt, nylon, cloth, cotton, and foam. Plus versions with holes in them.
 
Though the paper slip mod did, curiously enough, reduce the peak quite drastically. http://www.head-fi.org/t/111193/orthodynamic-roundup/20070#post_8464569. Shame it sounds like pants in its 'down' configuration.
 
I'm inclined to think the peak is a driver defect to some extent - an unintentional effect.

 

[nick n]

Quote:

vid /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Not every phone is about bass, though. Could try to find a niche for a bass-light HOK.

No you are right, and also the wiki... I think Wualta states that what IS there is fantastic and I agree.
 
 GREQ:
Sent you a PM hope you get it in time :0
Thanks very much for the in depth pictures and posts on the two new ones.

 

[Vaughn]

possible diffusor direction, any opinions?
 
 

 

[Armaegis]

Carrot sticks? 

 

[kalbee]

Haha, those sure look like carrots!
 
Quote:

possible diffusor direction, any opinions?
 
 

It's worth a try. I split my earplugs in quarters axially. But that's in a stock T50RP shell; did not consider doing it this way as diffusers. Good call!

 

[nick n]

this will be interesting, but try to get both sides similar. If that is possible I don't know. Funny thing I was actualy looking at a bag of earplugs earlier tonight. They are in the parts boxes now.

 

[MuZo2]

What size is the rectangular slot in baffle ? also do you have dimensions of holes to fit the drivers on baffles?

 

[vid]

Quote:

No you are right, and also the wiki... I think Wualta states that what IS there is fantastic and I agree.

 
Better mids than the Yamaha HP-50 to my ear, anyway. Though I shouldn't say that, since I'm looking to pick up a cheap v. 2...
 
(But I'll say the HP-50 is better overall.)

 

[EddieE]

As a slight tangent - has it ever been proved that angling the drivers does actually increase soundstage?
 
It's a popular view, but I'm not really convinced. 
 
Soundstage size seems more linked to the size of the ear pad chamber (the space created by the earpad, baffle and size of the head); the openness of the earpad or baffle (I guess reducing resonances in that chamber) and to an extent the frequency response (EQ down treble on a headphone and the soundstage seems to reduce in turn).
 
I've heard headphones with drivers zeroed on the ears (example - Alessandro MS1000 mod) that had quite impressive soundstage and headphones that angled driver that had really quite poor soundstage (example - LCD-2).
 
Headphones with the best soundstage (HD800, K70*) do angle drivers a bit, but also have huge expansive earpad chambers and are porous pads, the very best soundstaging headsets I've heard (Jecklin Float, K1000) had  pretty much infinitely large earpad chambers... by not havigng earpads.
 
This isn't to say angling drivers severely like this won't increase soundstage, because the earpad chamber is being made substantially larger by that angling, but I remain unconvinced the angle does much in itself.

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

As a slight tangent - has it ever been proved that angling the drivers does actually increase soundstage?
 
It's a popular view, but I'm not really convinced. 
 
Soundstage size seems more linked to the size of the ear pad chamber (the space created by the earpad, baffle and size of the head); the openness of the earpad or baffle (I guess reducing resonances in that chamber) and to an extent the frequency response (EQ down treble on a headphone and the soundstage seems to reduce in turn).
 
I've heard headphones with drivers zeroed on the ears (example - Alessandro MS1000 mod) that had quite impressive soundstage and headphones that angled driver that had really quite poor soundstage (example - LCD-2).
 
Headphones with the best soundstage (HD800, K70*) do angle drivers a bit, but also have huge expansive earpad chambers and are porous pads, the very best soundstaging headsets I've heard (Jecklin Float, K1000) had  pretty much infinitely large earpad chambers... by not havigng earpads.
 
This isn't to say angling drivers severely like this won't increase soundstage, because the earpad chamber is being made substantially larger by that angling, but I remain unconvinced the angle does much in itself.

 
Angle of the driver is one thing, the size of the chamber seems to be another (I agree as I have also experienced this) but the DISTANCE of the driver to the ear is the all-important third factor. 
The further away the driver, the bigger the soundstage - the trick is to get is further away without losing any sound or detail.

 

[vid]

Wualta was on about the K 501 using some sort of constructional tricks in the cup to delay the sound waves bouncing back into the ear in order to increase the size of the perceived soundstage. Look that up, too.

 

[Hutnicks]

Quote:

 
Angle of the driver is one thing, the size of the chamber seems to be another (I agree as I have also experienced this) but the DISTANCE of the driver to the ear is the all-important third factor. 
The further away the driver, the bigger the soundstage - the trick is to get is further away without losing any sound or detail.

You all seem to be forgetting the infamous Stax Sigma. So far the only headphone that I ever heard with a real soundstage. Stax did it by essentially re creating a small room over each ear with the driver at 90 degrees up front. Arguably the ugliest headphone ever but truly amazing in the perception of space.

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

You all seem to be forgetting the infamous Stax Sigma. So far the only headphone that I ever heard with a real soundstage. Stax did it by essentially re creating a small room over each ear with the driver at 90 degrees up front. Arguably the ugliest headphone ever but truly amazing in the perception of space.

Not all of us can afford any Stax headphone. So having never heard one (or seen one in real life), I cannot bring it up.  
 
But doesn't this come under the subject of driver angles? Aren't all headphones just a 'small room' around our ears?