[ludoo]

You have a picture of the lens?

Here it is, it can probably be done better but this was a simple way to test it. I've seen it in some headphones done with felt integral to the pads (Audeze EL-8?) or even thick adhesive foam (Oppo PM-3).

This is the effect on FR of just adding the mids lens (again, I use a flat plate so don't take these as absolute measurements). I'm a bit fed up with modding these but will eventually experiment with the lens size and materials.

 

[ludoo]

FInally had some time to try the TDS-15 I received from @micon. I bought them again after having had a pair 10+ years ago as I did not do them justice at the time.

Just replacing the terrible stock pads is enough to make them pretty good in comparison to all my other planars. Next is a recable so I can use them balanced out of my portable/desktop amps. Here are measurements from my flat plate rig of old vs new pads, and new pads vs Stax SR-5 just as a frame of reference.

Spoiler: measurements

 

[khbaur330162]

FInally had some time to try the TDS-15 I received from @micon. I bought them again after having had a pair 10+ years ago as I did not do them justice at the time.

Just replacing the terrible stock pads is enough to make them pretty good in comparison to all my other planars. Next is a recable so I can use them balanced out of my portable/desktop amps. Here are measurements from my flat plate rig of old vs new pads, and new pads vs Stax SR-5 just as a frame of reference.

I have recently sold a transplanted TDS-15 on eBay to a happy customer. My build was maybe HD-650 level with tonality deficiencies, imho (weak bass). Should be noted I transplanted mine into full cup Sennheiser frame (HD535). They are a curiosity, for sure. I would put KH-100's in a completely different league or two, personally.

Measures:

Pics:

 

[ludoo]

Well, mines have great bass so either there's a huge variation, or they need small cups and flat pads...

 

[khbaur330162]

Well, mines have great bass so either there's a huge variation, or they need small cups and flat pads...

Probably the latter. I don't think they resolve quite as well either. Sorry, don't mean to ruffle feathers, just sharing.

 

[ludoo]

Probably the latter. I don't think they resolve quite as well either. Sorry, don't mean to ruffle feathers, just sharing.

Absolutely no problem, the more info the better. I just like them a lot despite the small soundstage. YMMV

 

[micon]

I have recently sold a transplanted TDS-15 on eBay to a happy customer. My build was maybe HD-650 level with tonality deficiencies, imho (weak bass). Should be noted I transplanted mine into full cup Sennheiser frame (HD535). They are a curiosity, for sure. I would put KH-100's in a completely different league or two, personally.

Measures:


Pics:

you don't understand anything, put the drivers in an unnecessary case, listen, realize it's bad, get rid of it.

 

[micon]

And that's what competent music lovers do.

 

[micon]

And that's what competent music lovers do.

such mod sounds very decent, wide, very close to LCD-2

 

[khbaur330162]

you don't understand anything, put the drivers in an unnecessary case, listen, realize it's bad, get rid of it.

I don't think TDS-15's have the potential of other drivers (without serious modification perhaps as @micon pointed out) hence not putting more effort into them. Customer likes the build, anyway. We all hear differently, hard to gauge how someone will react. I offered the buyer free returns if he wanted, he rejected the offer. Also I sold my transplanted pair for less than the average asking price of a stock unit. If someone just wanted TDS-15 drivers it was a decent offer, imho. I had no idea who would end up buying them.

TDS-15's with oversized neo magnets might sound fabulous in a circumaural enclosure, however, stock magnet assembly does not really have the authority in bass to be adapted to full size enclosure, imho.

I have a customer who sold LCD-2C's in order to keep KH-100's. To each their own.

 

[ludoo]

I have a customer who sold LCD-2C's in order to keep KH-100's. To each their own.

Absolutely agree, even though I have a soft spot for small supra orthos and find the TDS-15 very nice from a design, practicality PoV as they fold very small for easy carrying. I would never trade this for a larger enclosure, especially since the only thing you can buy now are circum, especially large ones. But again, to each their own.

I only find it strange you found them bass shy, mines are definitely not bass monsters but they are basically flat and have more bass than most other headphones I have. I am getting another pair from micon and they are grey vs black on my current pair so they might be from a different factory. Will update here if they turn out to be different, it may very well be the case that there's a lot of variance like eg on the small driver Yamahas.

Just to give you an idea, TDS-15 with new pads and light damping, vs stock Sine and ESP/9xx.

Spoiler: measurements

 

[ludoo]

Crappy group shot of the two TDS-15 I got from Micon: the gray ones arrived today and after a quick pad swap they are sounding as good as the black, with some minor differences probably due to the slightly different damping. The TDS-15 have grown on me, I really really like their sound signature, and form factor. Current favourite planar in my stable, giving a run to my stats (less proficient technically but as enjoyable and a lot more practical).

Edit: L/R average measurements on my flat plate rig of black (0 in green) and gray (1 in red).

Spoiler: measurements

 

[micon]

I also bought sine. but as it turned out they are assembled in india, where the quality of production is very low. alas, sine as well as lsd-2 have the same problem, after a few years they will stop working, as the tracks on the edges will break. i personally have already encountered this, as i bought lsd-2 and sine.

 

[micon]

Crappy group shot of the two TDS-15 I got from Micon: the gray ones arrived today and after a quick pad swap they are sounding as good as the black, with some minor differences probably due to the slightly different damping. The TDS-15 have grown on me, I really really like their sound signature, and form factor. Current favourite planar in my stable, giving a run to my stats (less proficient technically but as enjoyable and a lot more practical).



Edit: L/R average measurements on my flat plate rig of black (0 in green) and gray (1 in red).

Spoiler: measurements

Crappy group shot of the two TDS-15 I got from Micon: the gray ones arrived today and after a quick pad swap they are sounding as good as the black, with some minor differences probably due to the slightly different damping. The TDS-15 have grown on me, I really really like their sound signature, and form factor. Current favourite planar in my stable, giving a run to my stats (less proficient technically but as enjoyable and a lot more practical).



Edit: L/R average measurements on my flat plate rig of black (0 in green) and gray (1 in red).

Spoiler: measurements

on the photo are two copies made in different factories of a huge country, different reliefs on the side, indicating the manufacturer. on the left from Leningrad, on the right from Kishinev.

 

[ludoo]

Strain reliefs are also different. Black strain reliefs were shortened when I recabled but you can still see the difference

The TDS-15 react very well to damping density changes. Their FR kind of reminds me of the Stax L500 (except for upper treble of course), here is the current lighter damping on the gray TDS-15 vs my L500. The Lambdas always have a bad seal on my rig, so the midbass bump and deep bass rolloff are exaggerated in the chart.

Spoiler: measurements vs L500