[larry piencenaves]

hey guys may i know if L-cush pads will make some signifcant sound difference in my grado sr60e with stock pads? or its just the same?

 

[Shoewreck]

@larry piencenaves, the difference is more significant than most chamber tweaks.

 

[DavidA]

hey guys may i know if L-cush pads will make some signifcant sound difference in my grado sr60e with stock pads? or its just the same?

Agree with @Shoewreck about L-pads making a difference in the sound over the stock S-pads. Also, there is a difference between Grado OEM L-pads and generic / Earzonk L-pads. While you are thinking about pad rolling you might also want to try some generic G-pads which I like a lot due to better comfort and a slight boost in the bass and sound stage.

 

[larry piencenaves]

thanks for the replies guys,,i think ill buy L-cush next week

 

[Hifisnubben]

My grado mod:​

• Grado SR80i original drivers, rodblocks and gimble
• Angsana full woodcups
• Black and brown leather / suede headband
• Braided silver and copper cable. Eight leads in total.
• Eidolic splitter
• Oyaide L-plug

Sources:

headband & cups - www.rholupat.com

Cable - Papri store in Aliexpress.

Splitter - www.norneaudio.com

Issues during build:

To unbraid and then braid new seperate cables for each channel was tedious work.

A early try to mount sockets for detachable cable failed miserably leading to damage ( a piece chipped off ) to one cup. Woodglue to the rescue. I do not recommend trying without serious tools if at all.

The thin cable posed a issue going in to the cups. My solution was to glue "end plugs" ( usually used for connectors to make nice exit for the cable ) inside the cups and apply strainrelief. Seems secure. A small disc was glued to the cup to hide some of the damage that couldnt be fixed after repair.

 

[DavidA]

@Hifisnubben what jacks did you try to use in the cups? I've been using SMC jacks since they will fit in the cable hole of most cups without too much effort. These are the jacks I use:

https://vetco.net/products/smc-female-chassis-mount-connector (works great for TH-X00/600/900 mod)
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pce-Connec...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 (longer thread area)

 

[Hifisnubben]

@Hifisnubben what jacks did you try to use in the cups? I've been using SMC jacks since they will fit in the cable hole of most cups without too much effort. These are the jacks I use:

https://vetco.net/products/smc-female-chassis-mount-connector (works great for TH-X00/600/900 mod)
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pce-Connector-SMC-male-plug-bulkhead-for-1-13-cable-RF-connector-straight/281127310750?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 (longer thread area)

I tried mini xlr. At the objections of a friend i used inferior tools and methods that resulted in what is shown in pic. My patchwork turned out quite ok fortunally.

Just wanted to warn so that people can lern from my mistake and not repeat it

To be honest i didnt consider SMC until after the damage was done.

 

[DavidA]

I tried mini xlr. At the objections of a friend i used inferior tools and methods that resulted in what is shown in pic. My patchwork turned out quite ok fortunally.

Just wanted to warn so that people can lern from my mistake and not repeat it

To be honest i didnt consider SMC until after the damage was done.

Great warning to others and sorry it happened to you. I think if the cups didn't have the cable slit it might have worked out but its a great reason to invest in a Dremel tool with a good range of bits, I actually have 2 of them since I got one for a retirement gift.

 

[jeffhawke]

You could try one of the alternate drivers from Nhoord, Symphones, or Elleven Acoustica. Might need some work to fit the these drivers out just get the one of the drivers and some wood cups

These have Grado dna, Nhoord drives, and sound as wonderful as they look:

 

[DavidA]

I had considered a Sprit Lab headphone but after trying a friends PS1000e I found the weight a bit too much and even with G-pads they weren't very comfortable for me since they kept moving slightly every time I moved my head. The wood cups are very light so even with large or fast head movements the pads are not moving so the comfort is better for me. But I'd still love to listen to a Sprit Lab build.

 

[Hifisnubben]

Great warning to others and sorry it happened to you. I think if the cups didn't have the cable slit it might have worked out but its a great reason to invest in a Dremel tool with a good range of bits, I actually have 2 of them since I got one for a retirement gift.

I do have a dremel....now

We learn from experience and im happy with the result still. If you dont know it was broken before its hard to spot now.

All and all it was a interresting build

 

[anothertwilight]

I tried mini xlr. At the objections of a friend i used inferior tools and methods that resulted in what is shown in pic. My patchwork turned out quite ok fortunally.

Just wanted to warn so that people can lern from my mistake and not repeat it

To be honest i didnt consider SMC until after the damage was done.

Thank you for posting your mistake and outstanding repair work. Had you not said anything, I doubt anyone would have been able to tell. While seeing a successful end product is inspiring, seeing the process is enriching.

 

[hemipowered007]

I do have a dremel....now

We learn from experience and im happy with the result still. If you dont know it was broken before its hard to spot now.

All and all it was a interresting build

I broke my cocobolo outer cup, repaired, also, somehow i can barely tell. Did the same on my recent t50 build on the upper "slider cover" on the hifiman frame. I was soooo pissed about both. But somehow managed to make them to where I couldn't see the break, I got very lucky, so it's nice to see someone else has done this with a decent end result as well! But with those 2 breaks being negligible after repair, there have been many, many others, where basically I was just mad for a while...

 

[Hifisnubben]

Some more pictures - 1: Both cups with the "passtrough" glued inside. On aliexpress its called "headphone jack tail tube protective sleeve".

2: the cosmetic disc. Basicly its that kind of disc you put between screws and material ( dont know the english word ). Painted black.

3: Both cups soldered. One is done and the other ready for mount.

4: White "blu-tak" to keep the drivers secure. Then trimmed.

 

[DavidA]

@Hifisnubben , a friendly reminder: hope you remembered to remove the tape use to identify left and right since its covering up the vent hole

For everyone else, what have you been using to mount the drivers?