[kid vic]

I was looking at Headphile for possible mods, and I recall that some head-fi members on these forums might also do mods.

I wasn't sure if Headphile was still doing mods. I had this wild dream a little while ago about getting someone to do a Fostex TH500RP mod into semi-open wood cups.... Or R10 style cups

 

[Zumper]

Have any of you come across these (1973-ish Telefunken th 500)?

I just picked a pair up from the postal office for about 12 euro.

 

[Feilong4]

Denon AH-D700



Released in 1988 and ended production in 1989. This had only a year or 2 in production! Kind of a shame since these are pretty awesome!

First Impressions (Pre-mod):

• Feels very premium for a studio headphone, no creaking; way better than Sony’s studio headphones (MDR-V6, MDR-7506, etc.)
• Very thick and bassy sounding
• Vocals sound fairly muffled
• Midrange is not immediately detailed; probably masked by the thick bass region
• Treble has pretty good resolution and decay, smooth and not harsh at all
• The bass masks a lot of the frequency range

Impressions (Modded):

Bass:
Now this was the main part I was trying to tune or get less of. The fake Shure pads help these seal much better onto my ears and on the EARS measuring system. Because of that bass extension is much better. No, I don’t really hear rumbles on these but there is a good sense of weight behind kick drums and other instruments that I can’t name out the top of my head. No longer is it a bloated mess that rivals the first iteration of Beats; now, it’s a much more controlled and tight response. I would say it’s a bit lighter from what is perceived as neutral but still a satisfying response - I may be overstating it, but it is similar to a typical Hifiman headphone’s bass response.

Midrange:
I am pretty peculiar about this range. I dislike much or any emphasis here especially in the upper midrange. To me, I would put this at about neutral. There may be just a ever-so-slight upper midrange or lower treble emphasis but it doesn’t bother me a bit. Vocals and guitars sound pretty natural and clear. Resolution and detail are very good in this area. Overall timbre is also very natural.

Treble:
I like a smooth response and these got a smooth response. It’s great for long listening sessions since less fatigue from being speared by treble BUT there does seem to be a lack of sparkle. If I were to be critical, it’s just a bit dull. There does seem to be some air up top that helps the headphone have some excitement. Resolution and detail are also very good here.

Imaging/Soundstage:
Soundstage is about average for a closed studio monitor - a bit more spacious than the M50 (or at least I think; I don’t have a working M50 on hand). Instrument separation is fairly good in that it doesn’t sound like a cluster of sound shooting into my ears. Imaging is ok - I wouldn’t say I would be able to precisely locate instruments listening on these.

Measurements:

Edit: Forgot this bit of info. Program used is Room EQ Wizard. Measuring rig is MiniDSP EARS. Compensation used is MiniDSP's default headphone compensation.



Channel imbalance on stock measurements is from gunk being stuck on the driver grills - the left side had significantly more gunk on it than the right.

With the stock earpads, they didn't quite seal very well so the bass response doesn't seem that big in measurements. To me, it's more like this:



I may be overstating this, but these are one of my favorite sounding closed back headphones once modded (if not, my favorite). Of course, I haven't heard all the high end closed options so take it as you will.

 

[legopart]

What program done this graph ?

 

[Feilong4]

What program done this graph ?

Oh right, I forgot to mention that.

Program used is Room EQ Wizard. Measuring rig is MiniDSP EARS. Compensation used is MiniDSP's default headphone compensation.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Not sure what year these are from, but they are T20RP-V2, which means they have the original round drivers, instead of square. I sent them to Modhouse and had them get the Argon treatment.

 

[Feilong4]

Not sure what year these are from, but they are T20RP-V2, which means they have the original round drivers, instead of square. I sent them to Modhouse and had them get the Argon treatment.

I've heard a lot of good things about Modhouse's mods. How are you liking them?

I've always wanted to try a pair modded by Modhouse.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

I've heard a lot of good things about Modhouse's mods. How are you liking them?

I've always wanted to try a pair modded by Modhouse.

I cannot state this strongly enough,I have some carefully chosen, tastefully modded, great sounding headphones, and the Argon is by far the best $/performance ratio I have.
I love my Argons. They have the epic bass and soundstage that everyone raves about, everything you have heard is true. But they were also able to retain the clarity and quality of the mids...compared to my dynamic driver headphones, voices sound more lifelike and natural. I would describe it as the difference between a digital and an analogue sound, if that makes sense. I watch movies with the Argons and everything just sounds more realistic and natural.
I highly recommend the Argons.

 

[Feilong4]

I cannot state this strongly enough,I have some carefully chosen, tastefully modded, great sounding headphones, and the Argon is by far the best $/performance ratio I have.
I love my Argons. They have the epic bass and soundstage that everyone raves about, everything you have heard is true. But they were also able to retain the clarity and quality of the mids...compared to my dynamic driver headphones, voices sound more lifelike and natural. I would describe it as the difference between a digital and an analogue sound, if that makes sense. I watch movies with the Argons and everything just sounds more realistic and natural.
I highly recommend the Argons.

Cool! Thanks for the impressions!

What earpads do you have on yours by the way?

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Cool! Thanks for the impressions!

What earpads do you have on yours by the way?

the pads are from the Fostex TR90. They are deep/angled pads, but a little bit too soft. I added a ring of foam backer rod inside the cups to make them effectively firmer/deeper.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Here is a better angle on the pads...and the home made comfort strap ( If I remember correctly I spent 15 cents for the leather scrap)

 

[Feilong4]

Here is a better angle on the pads...and the home made comfort strap ( If I remember correctly I spent 15 cents for the leather scrap)

I'm curious, have you tried using the ZMF lambskin pads yourself? I thought of getting those pads if I were to ever get an Argon.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

I haven't tried those pads yet, but I would recommend those or the perforated pads.
I have only had my Argon for a couple of months, I waited to get new pads for them because I wanted to see how the pads I already have in my 'collection' would work. I am happy with the combination I have currently, but I will upgrade to the ZMF when I can get a good deal on them.
I can say that a deep, leather or pleather, firm pad would be my suggestion.

 

[GREQ]

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[BucketInABucket]

Colour me jealous