[luisdent]

 
 

 
I've received the ZMF-modded MH1, although it's little late. Love that build quality because it looks like a home-made IEM with lovely sound. Because the vents are closed, I have to agree that it's less boomy and overall sound became very bright. It reminds me of that horrifying XBA-30's piercing and peaky treble; but it's not like that. The upper treble is pleasant like Yamaha EPH-100. However, the MH1 lacks of L and R marking so I painted them with red and blue, making 'em look sexier. Clipper were put because the cable slightly heavy for my taste.

Those look awesome. I like the red/blue touch.

 

[luisdent]

Here's my latest effort. So far I've figured out how to remove the driver and housing separately. Essentially dismantling the entire thing. The problem is getting things apart without scratching the housing. I suppose you could cover it with heatshrink, or maybe even pain the whole thing black. I think that would look awesome personally. Ninja mh1.
 
Anyway, this has allowed me to easily solder to the driver terminals and reattach the housing and stress relief with no problems. The difficulty is simply not damaging anything in the process. Pulling things apart on one of them, it was very tight, and when it finally gave one of the wire pulled off from the solder point. This wouldn't be a problem, except it pulled the solder off with it and also the contacts to the circuit board. There was no remaining point of conductive trace to reattach, so that one was a casualty of war I suppose.
 
Here are some photos. Prepare to be bombarded.
 
Here you can see the driver chamber is just sitting between the stress relief and housing really. I think it's basically loose.
 

 
There is a bit of tabbing indentation that helps things snap together a bit.
 

 
You can see some glue residue from where the stress relief was bonded to the housing, making it hard to remove them without force.
 

 
Front of the driver.
 

 
The inside of the housing once the driver is removed.
 

 
The driver removed from the housing and still connected and intact.
 

 

 
The overall assembly with the housing, driver, wire foundation and stress relief.
 

 
Up close you can see the gold contact traces that curve around the board. These come off if you pull the wires too hard. It's better to desolder them.
 

 
Battle scars.
 

 
Preparing to desolder.
 

 
The evil MH1 laboratory.
 

 
Soldered the wires to the driver and testing them with a loose connector. Sound!
 

 
The soldered btg audio wirse on the driver terminals.
 

 
Sliding the wires through the stress relief.
 

 
The wires and driver back in place with the stress relief.
 

 
The housing snapped back on. Surprisingly it was on as good as new and couldn't be pulled off without tools.
 

 
Fancy recabled earpiece tested and working.
 

 
To protect the wire from being pulled off the driver I attempted to tied a knot in the wire at the stress relief inner exit hole. I've seen this done in pro audio headphones before. That way pulling on the wire pulls the knot against the opening instead of allowing stress on the soldering points. However, even with the thin wire there wasn't enough room. While they felt pretty strong, I decided to fill the stress relief (not the back of the driver) with super glue. This seals the air path out of the stress relief to make the bass sound the best and holds the wires in place to give everything stability. Now I just need to braid everything and add the connector...

 

[luisdent]

ok-e-doke. This last recable went awesome. Other than a bit of scratching on the housing everything went perfectly!
 
To-the-driver recable, stress relief superglued closed for stability and bass vent isolation, braiding came out very even and just the right tightness, y-split and cord-lock slider both came out very small and sleek, neutrik jack soldering went perfectly clean and solid. And they work! I checked the audio each step of the way to make sure I didn't screw anything up.
 
Here is a butt-load of pics for anyone interested:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sfwalcer]

^
Oh soooo sexcee, come to daddie!!!
... those cables reminds me of her hair but in black. LoL

 

[luisdent]

  ^
Oh soooo sexcee, come to daddie!!!
... those cables reminds me of her hair but in black. LoL

 
But sexier

 

[sfwalcer]

   
But sexier

^
Course, blond jolie ain't got nothin' on those black strands of weaved sexceeness. Unfff!!!

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[Sparky191]

  ok-e-doke. This last recable went awesome. Other than a bit of scratching on the housing everything went perfectly!
 
To-the-driver recable, stress relief superglued closed for stability and bass vent isolation, braiding came out very even and just the right tightness, y-split and cord-lock slider both came out very small and sleek, neutrik jack soldering went perfectly clean and solid. And they work! I checked the audio each step of the way to make sure I didn't screw anything up.
 
Here is a butt-load of pics for anyone interested:

 
Thanks for posting. I'd love to do that, but I doubt it would survive! 

 

[FInixNOver]

Awesome job luisdent!!!
 
I'm having the sound imbalance problem. I fell asleep with them on, and the next day, the left channel was lower than the right.
I tried to use the hair dryer to get rid of any moisture in the driver, but it had no effect. After a day of rest, they don't have the same level on both channels, so I've decided to take them completely apart, and driver re-cable them.
So far, I have disassembled them. I'll give you guys an update, with pictures, when I put them back together again, assuming there's nothing wrong with the left driver.

 

[luisdent]

  Awesome job luisdent!!!
 
I'm having the sound imbalance problem. I fell asleep with them on, and the next day, the left channel was lower than the right.
I tried to use the hair dryer to get rid of any moisture in the driver, but it had no effect. After a day of rest, they don't have the same level on both channels, so I've decided to take them completely apart, and driver re-cable them.
So far, I have disassembled them. I'll give you guys an update, with pictures, when I put them back together again, assuming there's nothing wrong with the left driver.

 
One thing I found taking a few apart that might cause imbalance is that the vents on the circuit board need to be open. However, on some models it looks like the glue on the bottom of the circuit board was messier and starting to spill over the vents a very small amount. I wonder if some people are experiencing some sort of block of the vents on the circuit board, which would affect the sound and give the impression one ear is off from the other? Just a thought.

Otherwise, there is just the filter, foam piece and housing. If you take them apart right you can pull everything including the driver out of the housing. Make sure nothing is in the housing behind the filter and whatnot and put it back together. If you do this very carefully and take your time you can avoid breaking any tabs on the stress relief and it will go back together very well with no glue or anything. I broke half the tab on one piece and just super glued it before I put it all back together (just a very very small dab on the stress relief that goes into the housing). This held very strongly. You don't want to overdo the glue though, as you don't want it getting in or on anything else.

 

[FInixNOver]

   
One thing I found taking a few apart that might cause imbalance is that the vents on the circuit board need to be open. However, on some models it looks like the glue on the bottom of the circuit board was messier and starting to spill over the vents a very small amount. I wonder if some people are experiencing some sort of block of the vents on the circuit board, which would affect the sound and give the impression one ear is off from the other? Just a thought.

Otherwise, there is just the filter, foam piece and housing. If you take them apart right you can pull everything including the driver out of the housing. Make sure nothing is in the housing behind the filter and whatnot and put it back together. If you do this very carefully and take your time you can avoid breaking any tabs on the stress relief and it will go back together very well with no glue or anything. I broke half the tab on one piece and just super glued it before I put it all back together (just a very very small dab on the stress relief that goes into the housing). This held very strongly. You don't want to overdo the glue though, as you don't want it getting in or on anything else.

Well... bad news...
After driver re-cabling, the phones were fully working again, but somehow, in the process of putting some heatshrink, I managed to "kill" the left driver.
Seems like I'm going to get another pair, and start again
Also, I coudn't salvage the strain reliefs, since I didn't have the proper pliers to take them out, and ended up using 2 flat head pliers to do the job. I already had the solution for it, as I bought some epoxy putty from Pattex, to use as a replacement for the back+strain relief.
I'll have to wait a few more days...

 

[gnarlsagan]

​Tenore VS MH1... FIGHT!!!
 
Intro
Let's get some of the technicalities out of the way. The contenders are: a recabled ZMF MH1 with large stock tips and a stock Zero Audio Tenore with large Sennheiser biflange tips. I have a made a pinhole bass vent in the top of the MH1 to alleviate over-pressurization risks. 
 
Cost
ZMF MH1: $120
Tenore: $60
These are the prices I paid.
 
Build
Zach does a great recable. I chose black BTG Audio cable with an Oyaide Rhodium straight plug, and I much prefer it to my previous right angle plug ZMF MH1. The Oyaide plug is small and just exudes sexiness. The cable itself is quite solid and tightly braided. Microphonics are present but much mitigated with an easy over-the-ear fit. In comparison, the Tenore cable is softer and more supple, bending quite easily but never retaining it's shape. Microphonics are a bit better, and an over-the-ear fit isn't as necessary as with the ZMF MH1. 
 
Both iems are about the same size, although the smaller stress relief and buttery cable on the Tenore allows for a slightly more pleasant experience overall imo. It's just rare that a cable is so light and pliable, and it makes an over-the-ear fit extremely comfortable.
 
Sound
This is hard. Here are the three biggest differences to my ears, starting with bass:

• The Tenore has tighter bass with less decay and more definition. 
• The MH1's mids are more forward.
• The Tenore's treble is less emphasized.

 
So let's get more detailed. The flabby bass of the MH1 has always been its most obvious weakness, and the bass of the Tenore hits with more clarity period. The edges of bass lines have more definition, making it easier to tell when they end and begin. Mid-bass isn't an issue here with either phone, as it keeps well away from the mids on both. 
 
How bout them mids? The Tenore sounds a couple dB behind the MH1 with vocals, and with a more overall downward tilting FR, the Tenore imbues voices with a bit more warmth overall to my ears. Hitting the right tonality in the mids is a delicate balancing act, and I'm really not sure if I could choose the Tenore over the MH1 here. With vocals, the MH1 is no doubt closer in tonality to the ER4S to my ears. The mids on those iems are the stars of the show. The Tenore in comparison trades its mids emphasis for a wider field of sound, and coupled with what must be insanely low distortion, the immersion factor on the Tenore surpasses both the MH1 and ER4S imo. The presentation is wider and more 3D, with sound cues coming equally from all directions. The mids are more a part of this presentation than their own focus.  
 
The Tenore's treble timbre and tonality are among the best I've heard. While treble isn't as emphasized as the MH1 or ER4S, it is clearly present with smooth and natural attack and decay. Cymbals hit with authority and ride out with extremely clear definition, while simultaneously NOT causing fatigue over long sessions due to over-emphasis. Very very few iems pull this off. Too little emphasis and cymbals become buried, too much and they cause fatigue, and much of this depends on the recording. The MH1 is smooth, but has a little more ting to its sound than the Tenore. They are close, however, and listener preference will obviously affect this greatly. I appreciate both styles very much. 
 
Summary
Previously I've stated the the MH1 is one of the most hi-fi iems ever made. I compared it at length the K3003 and found that I'd probably prefer the MH1 if not for its thumpier bass. Now comes the Tenore offering similar top tier quality with tighter bass, and an even more immersive sonic experience. Can I choose one over the other? Likely not. But at this price point I really don't have to. I might find myself reaching for the Tenore more often, even though I slightly prefer the more forward mids of the MH1. The gains in bass performance, and the smooth treble resolution on the Tenore will likely be enough to sway me most of the time. 
 
Pics
 

 

 

[luisdent]

Spoiler: Original Review...

  ​Tenore VS MH1... FIGHT!!!
 
Intro
Let's get some of the technicalities out of the way. The contenders are: a recabled ZMF MH1 with large stock tips and a stock Zero Audio Tenore with large Sennheiser biflange tips. I have a made a pinhole bass vent in the top of the MH1 to alleviate over-pressurization risks. 
 
Cost
ZMF MH1: $120
Tenore: $60
These are the prices I paid.
 
Build
Zach does a great recable. I chose black BTG Audio cable with an Oyaide Rhodium straight plug, and I much prefer it to my previous right angle plug ZMF MH1. The Oyaide plug is small and just exudes sexiness. The cable itself is quite solid and tightly braided. Microphonics are present but much mitigated with an easy over-the-ear fit. In comparison, the Tenore cable is softer and more supple, bending quite easily but never retaining it's shape. Microphonics are a bit better, and an over-the-ear fit isn't as necessary as with the ZMF MH1. 
 
Both iems are about the same size, although the smaller stress relief and buttery cable on the Tenore allows for a slightly more pleasant experience overall imo. It's just rare that a cable is so light and pliable, and it makes an over-the-ear fit extremely comfortable.
 
Sound
This is hard. Here are the three biggest differences to my ears, starting with bass:

• The Tenore has tighter bass with less decay and more definition. 
• The MH1's mids are more forward.
• The Tenore's treble is less emphasized.

 
So let's get more detailed. The flabby bass of the MH1 has always been its most obvious weakness, and the bass of the Tenore hits with more clarity period. The edges of bass lines have more definition, making it easier to tell when they end and begin. Mid-bass isn't an issue here with either phone, as it keeps well away from the mids on both. 
 
How bout them mids? The Tenore sounds a couple dB behind the MH1 with vocals, and with a more overall downward tilting FR, the Tenore imbues voices with a bit more warmth overall to my ears. Hitting the right tonality in the mids is a delicate balancing act, and I'm really not sure if I could choose the Tenore over the MH1 here. With vocals, the MH1 is no doubt closer in tonality to the ER4S to my ears. The mids on those iems are the stars of the show. The Tenore in comparison trades its mids emphasis for a wider field of sound, and coupled with what must be insanely low distortion, the immersion factor on the Tenore surpasses both the MH1 and ER4S imo. The presentation is wider and more 3D, with sound cues coming equally from all directions. The mids are more a part of this presentation than their own focus.  
 
The Tenore's treble timbre and tonality are among the best I've heard. While treble isn't as emphasized as the MH1 or ER4S, it is clearly present with smooth and natural attack and decay. Cymbals hit with authority and ride out with extremely clear definition, while simultaneously NOT causing fatigue over long sessions due to over-emphasis. Very very few iems pull this off. Too little emphasis and cymbals become buried, too much and they cause fatigue, and much of this depends on the recording. The MH1 is smooth, but has a little more ting to its sound than the Tenore. They are close, however, and listener preference will obviously affect this greatly. I appreciate both styles very much. 
 
Summary
Previously I've stated the the MH1 is one of the most hi-fi iems ever made. I compared it at length the K3003 and found that I'd probably prefer the MH1 if not for its thumpier bass. Now comes the Tenore offering similar top tier quality with tighter bass, and an even more immersive sonic experience. Can I choose one over the other? Likely not. But at this price point I really don't have to. I might find myself reaching for the Tenore more often, even though I slightly prefer the more forward mids of the MH1. The gains in bass performance, and the smooth treble resolution on the Tenore will likely be enough to sway me most of the time. 
 
Pics
 

 

 

 
First, zmf is the man. He helped me figure out all the details in ripping apart my mh1s I recabled. So thanks there zmf!
 
As for the tenores I see biflange tips? Tell me it comes with other styles as well? Are there at least a few tips? Do they seem to affect the sound or are they fairly consistent? Lastly, how does the mid difference sound in terms of soundstage? Do the tenores have a larger spacial sound or are they similar in that regard as well? And are we talking a difference in mids like 500-1000hz or something or mid/low treble like something above that?

 

[gnarlsagan]

 

Spoiler: Original Review...

 

 
First, zmf is the man. He helped me figure out all the details in ripping apart my mh1s I recabled. So thanks there zmf!
 
As for the tenores I see biflange tips? Tell me it comes with other styles as well? Are there at least a few tips? Do they seem to affect the sound or are they fairly consistent? Lastly, how does the mid difference sound in terms of soundstage? Do the tenores have a larger spacial sound or are they similar in that regard as well? And are we talking a difference in mids like 500-1000hz or something or mid/low treble like something above that?

 
Lol I knew I wouldn't get off the hook so easy. Those biflange tips for the Tenore aren't the stock tips actually. It only comes with three single flange tips, small, medium, and large. They fit fine too, but I like the wider opening of the biflanges as I think it lets the treble through just a bit more. The biflanges are also wider so I can get a shallower fit than with the stock tips. But overall, tips don't seem to affect the sound as much as some other sets like the F111. 
 
The Tenore has a wider soundstage than the MH1 to my ears, mainly because of the mids. Sound seems to come from further out, with more spatially recognizable origins. For example a cymbal tap will sound more localized to a particular area, like far off to the left. And when I say mids, I'm speaking more of high mids like 2-3k, which I think are maybe 2dB or so quieter on the Tenore. It's not much, which is why they still sound so good to me. They're in the habitable zone. A little less and they'd be a lifeless husk of a soundscape like Mars lol. A bit of an exaggeration there. But yes the mids are great. Damien Rice, Bread, and M. Ward all sound ridiculously good. Some songs sound better with that extra couple dB emphasis, but it's pretty split for what I listen to. 

 

[luisdent]

Originally Posted by gnarlsagan /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
But yes the mids are great. Damien Rice, Bread, and M. Ward all sound ridiculously good.

 
Dang man. Now you have me excited. You know I like me some bread.

 

[FInixNOver]

A new pair of MH-1's is on the way to get the driver re-cable treatment. Of course, I still have to wait for them to arrive first
And I'm going to make them cable independent.
I just placed an order for a couple of parts I'll need to do the job. Some male/female plug pins, and a 3.5mm jack. I was also going to buy the wire, but it's a bit expensive for now, so, no braided cable just yet. I'll use the AKG cable from my first re-cable. I'm just gonna give it another "treatment" to make it look a bit better, and most probably I'll replace the jack (yet to be decided). The worst part, is that I'll have to wait about 3 weeks for the parts to arrive... :/
I have also bought the pliers that I didn't have to get a job well done, but I haven't yet decided, whether I'm gonna keep the original strain relief, of make one, using epoxy putty.
 
If you must know, this is what I've bought:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251517163830?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261465299278?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261455289094?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
 
In the mean time, the MEElectronics Sport-Fi S6P, that should be arriving in the next few days, will have to do, until I can get back to the re-cabling of the MH-1's...
 
When I do get to it, I'll try to post some pictures of the process, and the finished product.