post your grado mods....

[DavidA]

  Grado SR80e build complete!  Wood cups, aluminum gimbals, leather headband from Rholupat.  They provide great customer service and everything got to me in about 2 weeks which was faster than i expected.  View my build:  http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h368/weissja/audiophile%20stuff/DDE6E193-099F-468C-9209-2D86E36B9C9A.jpg

I wish my purchases would get to me that quick, most of the time it takes 3-1/2 to 4 weeks.
 
Nice build, did you do two different builds? Rosewood an Tamarin cups

 

[Gibson59]

  I wish my purchases would get to me that quick, most of the time it takes 3-1/2 to 4 weeks.
 
Nice build, did you do two different builds? Rosewood an Tamarin cups

Yeah i liberated drivers from my SR80e and put them in rosewood cups, and I also put a pair of Symphones V7 drivers in some spalted maple cups.  Both look good, but i think the spalted maple cups are far more unique.  They're also kinda special for me because it was my first time soldering cables to drivers.  

 

[DavidA]

  Yeah i liberated drivers from my SR80e and put them in rosewood cups, and I also put a pair of Symphones V7 drivers in some spalted maple cups.  Both look good, but i think the spalted maple cups are far more unique.  They're also kinda special for me because it was my first time soldering cables to drivers.  

Nice work, how do the V7 drivers compare to the 80e drivers?  The V7 is the only driver I've yet to try.

 

[ibage]

https://www.shapeways.com/product/4GK2SMFDD/spacer-for-alessandro-ms-1000-modification-ms-1?optionId=43198566&awc=6920_1491799735_5285a02c9cd0f38db7321c421bc72358&utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=affiliate

Perfect. Thanks for the link.

 

[Gibson59]

  Nice work, how do the V7 drivers compare to the 80e drivers?  The V7 is the only driver I've yet to try.

Definitely apples and oranges, completely different sounding drivers.  About the only thing I would say is kind of similar is the soundstage, but even there i think the V7s might be a toucher wider.  The V7s have more airiness to them as well.  They have more bass.  I hear deeper sub bass but also some subtle bass in places i never noticed before through the Grados.  With that said, i'm not one of those who thinks Grados have no bass, it's just that the V7s have more.  The V7s have a much more refined and polite presentation of sound, versus the rather aggressive Grados.  There is no accentuated mids on the V7s like on the Grados.  I'd say the Grados are a bit brighter.  All in all i prefer the V7s to my SR80e build aside form the energy of the Grados, which the V7s lack a bit.  There will definitely be moments where i reach for the Grados, but I overall the V7s to my ear sound like a much better headphone (at least for my sound preferences).  As an aside, i had a chance to compare the V7s to my buddy's older generation Grado RS2s last night and the V7s held their own.  I'm gonna say the RS2s may have been the winner but not by much.  The RS2s kind of had the energy of the SR80s and the refinement of the V7s.  
 
I am curious to hear the Ypsilons, Epsilon R1 and Nhoord drivers.  Based on what i've read I think my next build will be with the Epsilon R1 drivers.

 

[DavidA]

@weissja36, thanks for the reply on the V7 drivers, having had all 3 of the Ypsilon and both of the Nhoord, the original Ypsilon and the S2 are my favorites with the new Nhoord 3rd. 
 
R1: technically its very good but can seem a little lite on the bass at times, but it does go lower so depending on the track it can be really good or average at times. 
 
S2: An improvement over the original with a better balanced FR from high to low and the most dynamic to me
 
Original Ypsilon: while good its as a slight recess in the mids but has the most bass of all
 
Original Nhoord: most forgiving and easy to listen to but lacks the details and air of the others, bass is good but does not go as low as the others, for those who are sensitive to highs this is the best of the bunch
 
Nhoord Red V2: best balanced FR, second in dynamics to the S2 and easy to drive since it sounds great even from my phone or headphone jack of computers
 
RS2e: best upper mids and highs of all, clean, a lot of air and the most extended, can be amp picky, it sounds best out of the headphone jack of my UD-301
 
SR-225e: modded with dynamat, felt, sorbothane and 2 vent holes.  Better than a PS500 in the bass and a fun signature without being harsh in the highs.
 
Note: only the RS2e is stock, all others have dynamat in the cups, and sorbothane, dynamat and/or the factory damping material on the back of the drivers.

 

[Makiah S]

  @weissja36, thanks for the reply on the V7 drivers, having had all 3 of the Ypsilon and both of the Nhoord, the original Ypsilon and the S2 are my favorites with the new Nhoord 3rd. 
 
R1: technically its very good but can seem a little lite on the bass at times, but it does go lower so depending on the track it can be really good or average at times. 
 
S2: An improvement over the original with a better balanced FR from high to low and the most dynamic to me
 
Original Ypsilon: while good its as a slight recess in the mids but has the most bass of all
 
Original Nhoord: most forgiving and easy to listen to but lacks the details and air of the others, bass is good but does not go as low as the others, for those who are sensitive to highs this is the best of the bunch
 
Nhoord Red V2: best balanced FR, second in dynamics to the S2 and easy to drive since it sounds great even from my phone or headphone jack of computers
 
RS2e: best upper mids and highs of all, clean, a lot of air and the most extended, can be amp picky, it sounds best out of the headphone jack of my UD-301
 
SR-225e: modded with dynamat, felt, sorbothane and 2 vent holes.  Better than a PS500 in the bass and a fun signature without being harsh in the highs.
 
Note: only the RS2e is stock, all others have dynamat in the cups, and sorbothane, dynamat and/or the factory damping material on the back of the drivers.

Nhoord has a another driver out?! Nice, and have you had a chance to hear any of the flag ship grados? 

 

[DavidA]

  Nhoord has a another driver out?! Nice, and have you had a chance to hear any of the flag ship grados? 

Nhoord introduced the newer driver a few months ago, I think it only has a different housing but I could be wrong.
 
I've heard a friends PS1ke, GS1ke, and GS1ki, I'd still take the Ypsilon S2 over them.

 

[Dillan]

So after loving Grado for years, I have decided to start tinkering (and getting others to start tinkering) with some Grado mods and custom headphones.

I want to inquire with spirit labs.. my main priority is good sound quality above all else.. while keeping the Grado signature sound. Would spirit labs be a good place to start? Do any of their reps speak English?

 

[Gibson59]

So after loving Grado for years, I have decided to start tinkering (and getting others to start tinkering) with some Grado mods and custom headphones.

I want to inquire with spirit labs.. my main priority is good sound quality above all else.. while keeping the Grado signature sound. Would spirit labs be a good place to start? Do any of their reps speak English?

Spirit Labs looks like awesome stuff but appears to be expensive.  Save a few bucks and do some mods yourself!  I just recently did a bunch that were recommended on this thread for my first time and it was so easy.  Really impacted the sound too, much in the way you're describing you'd like to achieve.  Look on Ebay, Etsy or http://www.rholupat.com/grado-parts for gimbals, rod blocks, head bands and/or cups.  Rholupat may be out of stock but gets new stuff frequently.  I've been very happy with what I ordered from him.  My profile photo is my recent built if you wanna check it out.

 

[93EXCivic]

How well does maple work for cups? I am about to have a maple cut out of my back yard and I was thinking about saving a little bit of it and making some cups.

 

[liquidzoo]

How well does maple work for cups? I am about to have a maple cut out of my back yard and I was thinking about saving a little bit of it and making some cups.

Maple was tested and did pretty well

 

[Sir Alamon]

do you guys know italian mod lab "spirit labs"?

 

[93EXCivic]

Maple was tested and did pretty well

Awesome. Thanks. Looks like I will save some and cut some cups.

 

[Dillan]

do you guys know italian mod lab "spirit labs"?

I literally asked about them like two posts above yours lol they seem great but don't speak English so I can't really get any of my questions answered. I was wondering which drivers they use for their twin pulse flagship headphones.

Oh and as far as maple wood is concerned.. not sure about sound but I always thought it looked beautiful.