[Armaegis]

That's the old generation Fostex driver. All the current T20/40/50 models use the same (supposedly) square drivers.

 

[GREQ]

  +2
 
yeah why not get the T20. I think the only real difference in there is that the rear cup hanger post in the cups is not capped off there might be some other slight thing. I recall someone modding them up nicely close enough to the T50 to be worthy. Maybe they will see this post because i forget who it was.
 
Stock pads for the T20 may not be the best  but that is later if you even do it.
 
Hold off on adding any more to the drivers to patch them because once it is put  on ,going back and redoing it if it doesn't work again may be difficult

I have a T20RP MKII modified by bluemonkeyflier - it's truly awesome what he did to it. 
Of course it's all the same T50 mods you can find in his 'incremental mods and measurements' thread.

 

[leeperry]

  I say get the Fostex anyway, mod it, and you'll have a headphone that sounds about $300.

 
I wasn't aware that subjective SQ was measured in USD currency these days, thank you very much for clearing that up

 

[GREQ]

 

  I say get the Fostex anyway, mod it, and you'll have a headphone that sounds about $300.

 
I wasn't aware that subjective SQ was measured in USD currency these days, thank you very much for clearing that up

All the kids are talking about it.

 

[MuZo2]

Fostex T50rp
 
 

 

[MuZo2]

 
 
 

 

[longuito]

   
I wasn't aware that subjective SQ was measured in USD currency these days, thank you very much for clearing that up

Hi Lee,
 
Would you care to explain SQ for me please? Thanks
 
Luigi

 

[longuito]

  That's the old generation Fostex driver. All the current T20/40/50 models use the same (supposedly) square drivers.

Hi Armaegis,
 
That's precisely what I was afraid of, the square drivers... Would you happen to know during what years these models came with the round ortho drivers, so that i can look out form them o ebay or elsewhere? Thanks in advance!
 
Luigi

 

[MuZo2]

 
Hi Armaegis,
 
That's precisely what I was afraid of, the square drivers... Would you happen to know during what years these models came with the round ortho drivers, so that i can look out form them o ebay or elsewhere? Thanks in advance!
 
Luigi

http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=Fostex_orthodynamic_headphone_identification_guide

 

[longuito]

Thanks, very helpful!

 

[Neogeo333]

Anyone that has both the Nad RP18 with mylar and kapton please chime in. I modded my kapton one and no matter what I do to it, it just won't sound equal to the mylar. The mylar ones were modded by dBel84. I get more boom on the kapton but miss the airyness of the mylar. The mids and high of the mylar version is just sublime, but low end on the kapton is more authoritative.

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

^  Maybe my modification of a Mylar NAD RP-18 will help with your Kapton version.
 
 
NAD RP-18 Mylar Version: Repairs and Modification
June-August 2013
 

• Replaced cables below Y-splitter, re-soldered connections, and added new heat shrink.
• STAX Micron Glass Wool over back of drivers = 45mm disks.
• Treble Reflecting Ring with 35 mm opening over STAX Micron Glass Wool (from eBay Germany).
• 55 mm soft felt disk over inside of grill and new speaker grill cloth.
• 5 mm wide closed cell foam “Focusing Ring” around ear side of driver.
• ¼ wedge of 7 mm open cell foam over ear side of driver at 6 o’clock position.
• HiFi Man Velour Pads secured with a ring of double-sided tape.

 
The sound quality is very good; certainly better than when they arrived and, in my opinion, better than the all stock RP-18 Kapton version I had on hand for direct comparison. The bass digs deep but remains fast and musical without bloating. The midrange is clear, lush, and smooth. The treble details are more clear and present, without fatigue. 
 
Back Story:
 
A friend sent me an unmodified set of Kapton NAD RP-18 for comparison with his previously modified set of Mylar NAD RP-18. His Mylar version required repairs and re-modification. The Kapton version initially "Wowed" me. The previously modified Mylar version sounded congested with loose boomy bass, muffled mids, and squashed treble.
 
I began work on the Mylar set. The cable junction at the Y-splitter was not soldered. Instead, the connections were held together by plastic tubes, heat shrink, and duct tape. I started there...below the splitter. I soldered new connections and sealed them with 3:1 heat shrink. The cup threads (only 3 per cup) had been stripped so the seal was defeated on both sides. I used my super glue re-tapping method I've successfully used many times before to re-tap new cup threads in Fostex T20/40/50RP.
 
Next up, "grunt work" trying many, many different materials in various configurations over the course of 6 weeks...I lost count...really. I am happy with the final results. To my "ears and gears," the repaired and re-modified Mylar NADs now sound very good and better than the stock Kapton version.
 
NAD RP-18 Mylar Version:
 
   
 
After market pads held on with strips of double sided tape.     Drivers and magnets.
 
 
Here are my repairs and re-modification:
 
   
 
The stock dust covers were fouled with glue debris so I      Double sided tape rings for securing pads surround
replaced them with speaker grille cloth.                            Closed Cell Foam "focus rings"  
 
 
         
 
Yellow = STAX Micron Glass Wool with gauze underlay –         Left =  Rear Side.  Right = Ear Side
1 layer,
 
    
 
 
Double sided tape protective covering removed and ready    HiFi Man Velour pads soak up excess bass produced by 2X
for pads.                                                                         the ear side driver opening compared to the stock NAD pads.
                                                                                     Leather and pleather pads were way too bassy resulting in
                                                                                     Boomy Bass Bloat (B3
 
 
 
NAD RP-18 Kapton version. I did not remove the yellow biscuits because the owner wanted them kept in stock form:
 
   

 

[Neogeo333]

Thanks Flyer. i would try your mods soon on the kapton.  

 

[Ishcabible]

I finally got my Smelas in today! They actually sound kind of like what I was expecting. The treble definitely is a problem area, but they're incredibly engaging. 

 

[takato14]

  I finally got my Smelas in today! They actually sound kind of like what I was expecting. The treble definitely is a problem area, but they're incredibly engaging. 

More like the lack of treble, really. If there was some way to punch it back up it'd be a great headphone, but I was too scared that I'd **** up the stock damping to try it myself. Has anyone else experimented with them?