Long Post Warning!!
Greetings CD3000 fans! I thought you might be interested in hearing about my experiences in modifying the CD3000. I bought the CD3000 about 13 years ago, and began modifying them about 7 years ago - with most of the mods done in this last year. The sound quality I am getting now from my most recent mod is at a very high level - far above the stock phones. These inexpensive mods are really just simple experiments with new cables and headphone plugs. I'm not an audio expert by any means, but my theory is that the unique CD3000 biocellulose drivers are actually capable of much higher audio quality than is heard in the stock phones, and that my recabling mods are just removing bottlenecks and allowing that quality to be revealed. It could also be that I just happen to have exceptional samples of the drivers, but I think that is unlikely. I am continuing to experiment, but at this point my CD3000's just sound fantastic, so I probably won't be deviating too much from what I've already done. I'll describe here what I did, as well as some brief listening comparisons with other modern headphones, which I haven't kept up with till now. Maybe all this has been done before, I don't know. If so, I haven't read about it. Please don't rush off and mod your headphones based on what I did, at least not without careful consideration. I'd hate to see someone ruin their perfectly fine (and irreplaceable) CD3000's. Keep in mind that my CD3000's were near death anyway when I attempted these mods.
I loved the CD3000 from the first day I owned it. The great soundstage, instrument separation, detail, dynamics, etc. were beyond anything else I'd heard for the price. The construction quality however, wasn't the best. Over the years, they felt increasingly flimsy and the PU leather got very ratty. About 7 years ago, I got the urge to experiment. In my larger stereo system, I noticed that silver-plated speaker cables sounded much better than just copper alone at the same gauge, so I thought the same might be true of headphones. I replaced the stock headphone cable with 22 awg silver plated wire (the mil spec stuff, 19 strand I think). In this first mod, I did not replace the cable all the way to the drivers, but left an inch or two of the old cable. This was mostly due to my soldering inexperience at the time - I was afraid of damaging the drivers. The stock plug was replaced with the popular 3.5mm neutrik variant. Sound quality improved across the board - more clarity all around and better bass were the first things I noticed. I was happy with this mod for years, in spite of the increasingly ratty appearance of my CD3000.
Unfortunately, about a year ago, the headband assembly gave up the ghost. No amount of quick fixes/duct tape would hold it together anymore. I actually considered throwing the whole headphone out and shopping around for something new, but I couldn't find anything I liked as much (and still can't). I couldn't even buy a new pair since I found out they were discontinued and rarely even show up on ebay. So... I spent some time designing a new headband, and figuring out how to make lambskin earpads, etc. I wanted to build something durable enough to last for many years, as well as something comfortable, attractive, and personal. A good deal of trial and error is involved to get what you want, but for me it's worth it. The drivers are at least as good as the day I bought them, so I expect them to last virtually forever with care. The earcups and plastic assemblies housing the drivers are scuffed and worn, but still completely functional and pretty tough. They can be dressed up, painted, covered with cloth, lambskin or whatever you like. As long as the drivers and their plastic housings are fully functional, you still have a diamond in the rough.
Anyway, while doing all this, I decided to experiment with the cabling again. In my larger speaker system, I found that using thicker gauge speaker wire resulted in fuller and richer sound, all else being equal. I suspected this might also be true for headphones too, so I replaced the 22 awg wire with 20 awg (mil spec silver plated again), using the same neutrik plug. This time I went all the way to the drivers and used a shorter length (5ft), since most of my listening is in bed with a tablet and portable dacs/amps, and I could always make an extension cable if I needed it. At this gauge, the cable becomes noticeably stiffer and less flexible, even when braided, but I could live with it because it was shorter. There was actually a break-in period of about 2 days over which the sound quality gradually improved, which surprised me. But once again, the improvement was obvious. Increased clarity and detail, grander and richer sound, better and more detailed bass. With this mod however, the whole character of the CD3000 began to change a bit. I had always felt that the CD3000 had a slightly separate treble, midrange, and bass - each with their own sonic characteristics. Almost like 3 separate headphones in one. With this mod however, that distinction began to disappear. The sound was presented to me more as a coherent unified whole. Vocals and small acoustic ensembles began to take on a more life-like presence, as if they were in the room performing for me. All this was wonderful, but minor compared to the next mod.
In this mod, I decided to completely rewire the CD3000 internally with 18 awg pure (.99995) solid silver wire (extra soft temper). Some audiophiles claim that solid silver makes the best possible speaker wire, so I thought maybe it would also work for headphones. It's expensive, but 5ft at $40 did the job for internal wiring only. I wanted this to be the last time I take a soldering iron to those precious drivers. I can still replace the headphone cable, but the internal silver wiring will stay, because I can't really improve on it. BTW, 18 awg is about the thickest wire you can fit into the earcups without redrilling holes. I considered changing the wiring to allow separate exit cables from each earcup as many have done, but the comfort factor of a single wire won out - especially with thick gauge cables that I don't want laying on my chest. I also thought about installing a jack so I could quickly change cables, but I didn't want to worry about the audio quality of 2 more connectors. The best connector is no connector, but I had to have at least one plug. And with all the improved wiring and resolving power, I can definitely "hear" the quality of the plug (more on that below). For the headphone cable, I went up to 18 awg silver plated copper, mil spec again, 5ft length again (which is actually 3 wires or 15ft total). It was cheap on eBay at something like $15 for 30ft. At this gauge, the cable is quite thick and stiff, even though it is stranded and braided. I used a braided cotton cable wrap, but I think just plain smooth Teflon would have been better since cotton tends to fray. I may also try silk.
I tried many 3.5mm plugs in this configuration. I was surprised at first that a plug would make much of a difference, but at this level of sound quality, it really does. With all the high quality wiring, the plug becomes the bottleneck or limiting factor in the headphone system. A mediocre plug can ruin the sound quality. The "MPS Curve" was the first plug I tried, and one of the best. It is a large plug with an expansive rich sound, and the deepest and most detailed bass of all the plugs I tried. On the downside, the tip is slightly too long and doesn't fit properly in some jacks, which is a big problem for me. Another excellent plug is the basic "Yarbo". It has rich, detailed, and perfectly balanced sound. I also have different MPS and Yarbo models on order to try later. I don't know why these plugs sound better - like many plugs, they're just gold plated brass. They are inexpensive, at about $5 each. Neutrik plugs don't sound quite as good as the MPS and Yarbo, but are still decent - the new large 3.5mm sounding a little better than the standard one. Most of the other plugs I tried did not live to their hype or elevated price. Some were advertised as silver plated or "tellurium copper", but sounded mediocre at best. Out of curiosity, I may try some 1/4" plugs. I'll need to use an adapter with them most of the time though, and that will only degrade the sound quality.
The configuration I'm using now has the 18 awg solid silver internal wiring, 18 awg silver plated headphone cable (5ft), and the Yarbo plug. It didn't sound that great when I first plugged it in. It took a few days to break-in, and then just kept getting better and better. Now the sound is just magnificent, and far above the stock CD3000's. The whole character of the headphone is different. The modified headphones still have the same great soundstage and dynamics of the stock CD3000's, but there is a grander scale, and a deeper richness and refinement to the sound. The 3-separate-headphones problem is gone and replaced with a seamlessly coherent and unified soundstage that seems perfectly balanced across all frequencies. There is greater clarity and resolving power, quite noticeable in analytical details, but also expressed as life-like realism in acoustic music. Vocals and small acoustic ensembles are amazing. I have been fooled several times into thinking that sounds came from around me, rather than from my headphones. Everything sounds more alive. I've had these headphones for 13 years, and I'm listening to them more than I ever have! It's becoming an addiction.
I finally got a chance yesterday to stop by World Wide Stereo and briefly audition a few modern headphones that I haven't heard before. And I do mean *briefly* - I only had time for a few minutes per headphone, so these comparisons are not fair at all, but they do give me a general idea of what's out there now. I listened to the Audeze EL8, LCD2, LCD3, and the Senn HD800. I had nothing with me, so I used their auditioning amp. I don't know what brand it was (no visible name), but it looked like some kind of tube-ss hybrid. The music was from a Tchaikovsky CD. The first headphone was the EL8 (open back, I think). I only listened to this one for a minute. It's a nice headphone, but not on the level of the stock CD3000, and probably several notches below it. Clarity and dynamics just weren't there for me like the CD3000. Next up was the HD800. The HD800 sounded strange, but I think it wasn't matched up properly with the amp. It had a large airy soundstage, very good detail, and it seemed like a very refined headphone with a lot of potential, but it seemed blocked by something - probably the amp. There was a strange overall cupped-hand quality to the sound, and some weird distortion. Something was wrong. I need to come back again and give it proper audition. Next up was the LCD3. OK, this is a very good headphone, and the first I've come across that has even a vaguely similar character to the CD3000. Detail and bass are very good. The overall tone is a little on the dark side, whereas the CD3000 is more neutral. The perspective is also different - when listening to a symphony, you feel as if you are in the back of the theater, whereas the CD3000 is mid-to-front. It does seem to have a little bit of that 3-headphones-in-one problem I mentioned earlier. The modified CD3000 is more seamless in character from bass to treble. I also feel that the modified CD3000 has greater resolution, and is more life-like. With the LCD3, you hear the music from a distance, whereas the modified CD3000 involves you in all its detailed glory. The LCD3 has very good bass, but I don't think it beats the modified CD3000. I think the modified CD3000 with the MPS plug actually beats the LCD3 in bass. For comfort, I found the LCD3 a bit heavy and a bit too tight, but it's not a showstopper. The CD3000 is lighter, and I hope to make my finished CD3000 even lighter than stock. Next up was the LCD2. I was running out of time here, so I only listened for a minute. It's similar to the LCD3. In this short time period, I couldn't hear that much of a difference. If memory serves, the LCD2 was slightly more forward sounding and slightly less detailed.
The LCD3 is no slouch - it's a great headphone. It probably beats the stock CD3000 - better detail, bass, construction, and more. It will appeal to someone who likes their sound more laid back from a distance, and is probably very non-fatiguing for extended listening. However, from my brief listen so far, I think my modified CD3000 has substantially better overall sound than the LCD3. It's simply a more life-like, engaging, enjoyable headphone. That's how I felt upon leaving the stereo shop. That impression may change on the next visit though, with my own DAC/amp and modified CD3000 with me.
To simplify and summarize, these were the essential heuristics guiding my mods:
1. Replace headphone wiring with as much silver as possible, at the largest gauge possible (I've hit my gauge limit at 18 awg)
2. Try different headphone connectors (quality becomes audible with No.1 above)
Future mods I am considering:
1. Replace the silver plated headphone cable with pure silver. This will be more expensive, but may be worth it after the huge improvement I heard upon replacing the headphone internal wiring with pure silver.
2. Try more headphone plugs.
That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed all this and found it useful.
-Jeff
Did you manage to "reupholster" your headphones as you had described? Now, I changed out the cable of my headphones long ago after some unfortunate damage. I've modded my headphones to use a detachable cable-fully reversible. When you mention that you use silver as the internal wiring, do you mean to say you've also worked in a detachable cable modification, or are you meaning the wire that runs along the headband between both ear cups?
