[Packdemon]

@anticute
 
You're probably better off not ordering them from me. Shipping was $13.50 last time if I remembered correctly.They cost $49.99 on the original site, and $39.99 on both Amazon and Ebay. So you're best off ordering the one that totals out to being the cheapest once you count the shipping. Search for "Dekoni DT770 memory foam" just in case you can find any alternate options as well.
 
Best Regards,
Lyova Margaryan of Tru-Fi Speakers

 

[anticute]

Yeah, the only ones I can find on eBay etc have even more expensive shipping. I was thinking about the shipping costs to the US on the Massdrop deal..

 

[Packdemon]

  Yeah, the only ones I can find on eBay etc have even more expensive shipping. I was thinking about the shipping costs to the US on the Massdrop deal..

To the US the Massdrop deal costs $36 after tax and shipping. If someone ordered you a pair from the US, it would probably cost them another $13.50 to send it to you ($49.50 total). The origial site has it for $49.99 with free shipping, so don't think you'd save too much money that way. But if you knew anyone who was willing to do that, then you can do it I guess.
 
Best Regards,
Lyova Margaryan of Tru-Fi Speakers

 

[7keys]

You guys should put one of these modded headphones out on tour so people can hear them and write a review.
Joedoe and I put together a SennGrado, a mod that wje was working on, and sent it around to members and it became quite popular in the modding community.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/728069/woodied-sennheiser-aka-senngrado-tour-thread

 

[DecentLevi]

Guys I know this may sound funny, but myself as the thread starter was having serious doubts about the DT-100 mod's prowess. Remember all the mentions of how the DT-150 Tru-Fi mod sounded about 30% better? Well I was downplaying how off kilter it sounded, as I threw it back in my drawer unused for most of the past two weeks...
 
Now I try it again for a fresh listen, to realise the answer was a simple reversed wiring that was causing an inverted phase. So I applied a VST plugin to invert the phase by 180' and WALA! This beast of a headphone mod has awoken up! It was like a long lost gorilla coming out of the jungle... a very powerful, sly and friendly one. THE BEAST HAS RISEN - now I have impact in droves, subteranean bass that's weighty, controlled, impactful; mids that are lush and velvety enough to make you want more, and treble that's near perfect and almost as non-fatiguing as the HD-650 (a good thing).
 
So I will use my makeshift phase correction plugin until Lyova is able to rewire this for me sometime. But make no mistake, the Tru-Fi modded HP-100 is a solid performer "sensational refinement", and it seems very likely to be on par with the 150 modded version. Actually right now I am evaluating the three versions of TH-X00 worth around $500 each, and I prefer the Hp-100 mod due to more linear treble and far better isolation. OTOH, don't get me wrong the TH-X00 are in fact superior for ability to handle complex recordings, imaging, detail and organic sound, but I personally prefer the HP-100 mod only due to my sensitivity to certain treble frequencies. 
 
Lyova can you think back to the most recent revision we worked on - are you sure there's nothing different than before? Because this really sounds splendid! ...such as a different dynamat, ports sealed, etc.? At least the 75-ohm resistor is new, and these take the refinement up yet another notch 

 

[Packdemon]

Guys I know this may sound funny, but myself as the thread starter was having serious doubts about the HP-100 mod's prowess. Remember all the mentions of how the HP-150 Tru-Fi mod sounded about 30% better? Well I was downplaying how off kilter it (HP100 compared with HP150?)sounded, as I threw it back in my drawer unused for most of the past two weeks...

Now I try it again for a fresh listen, to realise the answer was a simple reversed wiring that was causing an inverted phase. So I applied a VST plugin to invert the phase by 180' and WALA! This beast of a headphone mod has awoken up! It was like a long lost creature coming out of the jungle... a very powerful, sly and friendly one. THE BEAST HAS RISEN - now I have impact in droves, subteranean bass that's weighty, controlled, impactful; mids that are lush and velvety enough to make you want more, and treble that's near perfect and almost as non-fatiguing as the HD-650 (a good thing).

So I will use my makeshift phase correction plugin until Lyova is able to rewire this for me sometime. But make no mistake, the Tru-Fi modded HP-100 is a solid performer "sensational refinement", and it seems very likely to be on par with the 150 modded version. Actually right now I am evaluating the three versions of TH-X00 worth around $500 each (actually $400, $450, and $500), and I prefer the Hp-100 mod due to more linear treble and far better isolation. OTOH, don't get me wrong the TH-X00 are in fact superior for ability to handle complex recordings, imaging, detail and organic sound, but I personally prefer the HP-100 mod only due to my sensitivity to certain treble frequencies. 

Lyova can you think back to the most recent revision we worked on - are you sure there's nothing different than before? Because this really sounds splendid! ...such as a different dynamat, ports sealed, etc.? At least the 75-ohm resistor is new, and these take the refinement up yet another notch 

It seems that my iPhone app that tests polarity might be bugged. I tested both your drivers, which showed up as positive.

No revisions have been made from the mod kits. Though what's different in your original mod (not the mod kit) maybe that the dynamat use to dampen the inside of the earcups is a bit bigger an covers a bit of the inside lip. There's also Butyl putty stuffed under/inside that inner lip under the dynamat.

Best Regards,
Lyova Margaryan of Tru-Fi Speakers

 

[anticute]

 
Lyova can you think back to the most recent revision we worked on - are you sure there's nothing different than before? Because this really sounds splendid! ...such as a different dynamat, ports sealed, etc.? At least the 75-ohm resistor is new, and these take the refinement up yet another notch 

I got my 75 ohm resistor today, and from my LD I+, I found that they lost some bass texture, and that the sound signature changed for the worse. Then again, I think the LD I+ already has quite high output impedance, and if I understood it correctly, one of these resistors would actually increase the output impedance of the source. Which may be why the sound signature changes.
 
Anyway, receiving my Oppo HA-2 tomorrow, so I'll try the adapter with a source that has a lower output impedance.

 

[Packdemon]

I got my 75 ohm resistor today, and from my LD I+, I found that they lost some bass texture, and that the sound signature changed for the worse. Then again, I think the LD I+ already has quite high output impedance, and if I understood it correctly, one of these resistors would actually increase the output impedance of the source. Which may be why the sound signature changes.

Anyway, receiving my Oppo HA-2 tomorrow, so I'll try the adapter with a source that has a lower output impedance.

Interesting. The measurements I took at the meet showed no change in the soundsignature with or without the adapters. Then again, they probably had a very expensive amp/DAC to run their tests.

Best Regards,
Lyova Margaryan of Tru-Fi Speakers

 

[anticute]

Interesting. The measurements I took at the meet showed no change in the soundsignature with or without the adapters. Then again, they probably had a very expensive amp/DAC to run their tests.

Best Regards,
Lyova Margaryan of Tru-Fi Speakers

I think that if you have a low output impedance to begin with (<1ohm), the effect shouldn't be too big in sound signature (if at all). I've been trying to figure out the output impedance of the LD I+ for a while, but since my multimeter broke, I can't really do the measurements myself until I get a new one. The only figure I've seen is 32 ohm, which sounds high to me. However, it's probably way higher than most higher end amps, being a tube amp and all that.
 
The Oppo HA-2 is supposed to have 0.5 ohm output impedance, so I suspect the effect on sound signature will be way smaller, if even noticable/possible to measure.

 

[norepeat]

Installed the mod according to the video a few days ago, here are what I think:
 
With original ear pad and closed base ports:
Base and openness(3D) are gone.  Mid is now very forward but feels dry (I am not sure this is correct word to use).  Anyhow, I do not like from what I hear.
 
With Dekoni ear pad and closed base ports:
Base is now better but still much weaker than original.  Base is lower than I would like.  Base is also tight and feels unnatural.  Almost like fingers flicking on a tight rubber ball.  Mid is forward and a bit hot.  Openness and 3D are still missing.
 
With Dekoni ear pad and open 2 of 3 base ports:
Base is now on par or slightly stronger than original.  Mid is more "forward" than original.  Mid is also a bit colored: warmer and brighter, however, not smooth.  Openness and 3D are still missing.  Sounds seems to be coming from my brain stem instead of positioning in a room.  The room feel is not present at all.
 
With original ear pad and open 2 of 3 base ports:
Base is still there but not as strong as with Dekoni pad.  Mid is less colored and also slightly less forward than with Dekoni pads.  Openness and 3D are still missing.  Less texture and dry than original.
 
After the above tries, I still like the original's sound the best.  Original isn't perfect that is why I want to try this mod and hoping to improve the short comings of original.  The short comings are namely: recessed mids(vocals), a bit sharp at higer-end and a little strong bass.  However, with this mod, I feel the trade-off isn't worth it.  The mod removes the naturalness, 3D and openness exchange for stronger and cleaner mids.  I feel the mids sounds cleaner because it is now stronger and the mod removes the echos and dampens/kills off the sound too quickly.  It reminds me of sound dampened room and sound comes directly from back of my head.  I suppose some people may like the dampened sound.  However, it does not sound natural to me and seems dry.
 
Anyhow, here are my opinions.  If you have some suggestion for me to try, or if you think I did something wrong with the mod and has some suggestion, please feel free to let me know.  I don't have lots of time to play with it but I am certainly welcome any suggestions and will try them out slowly...

 

[DecentLevi]

  Installed the mod according to the video a few days ago, here are what I think:
 
With original ear pad and closed base ports:
Base and openness(3D) are gone.  Mid is now very forward but feels dry (I am not sure this is correct word to use).  Anyhow, I do not like from what I hear.
 
With Dekoni ear pad and closed base ports:
Base is now better but still much weaker than original.  Base is lower than I would like.  Base is also tight and feels unnatural.  Almost like fingers flicking on a tight rubber ball.  Mid is forward and a bit hot.  Openness and 3D are still missing.
 
With Dekoni ear pad and open 2 of 3 base ports:
Base is now on par or slightly stronger than original.  Mid is more "forward" than original.  Mid is also a bit colored: warmer and brighter, however, not smooth.  Openness and 3D are still missing.  Sounds seems to be coming from my brain stem instead of positioning in a room.  The room feel is not present at all.
 
With original ear pad and open 2 of 3 base ports:
Base is still there but not as strong as with Dekoni pad.  Mid is less colored and also slightly less forward than with Dekoni pads.  Openness and 3D are still missing.  Less texture and dry than original.
 
After the above tries, I still like the original's sound the best.  Original isn't perfect that is why I want to try this mod and hoping to improve the short comings of original.  The short comings are namely: recessed mids(vocals), a bit sharp at higer-end and a little strong bass.  However, with this mod, I feel the trade-off isn't worth it.  The mod removes the naturalness, 3D and openness exchange for stronger and cleaner mids.  I feel the mids sounds cleaner because it is now stronger and the mod removes the echos and dampens/kills off the sound too quickly.  It reminds me of sound dampened room and sound comes directly from back of my head.  I suppose some people may like the dampened sound.  However, it does not sound natural to me and seems dry.
 
Anyhow, here are my opinions.  If you have some suggestion for me to try, or if you think I did something wrong with the mod and has some suggestion, please feel free to let me know.  I don't have lots of time to play with it but I am certainly welcome any suggestions and will try them out slowly...

After reading your post, I put my modded HP-100 back on for another listen. It seems I half agree with you:
 
I agree that the shortcomings of the original are excess mid-treble, strong (boomy) bass, and maybe slightly recessed mids. I also agree that with the Dekoni earpads and with (the main) bass port closed, the bass is reduced and tight, and the mids are slightly forward...
 
However that is mainly what I love about this mod! It pushes the mids forward for a very vivid, lush sound; and to be honest I only like these headphones for rhythmic electronic music... but this mod does exquisite for the genre! As far as reduced bass... heck yeah! Finally that bloated boomy bass is under control, sounding more tight and closer to how it should sound.
 
A few simple things that I've noticed can make a major difference for this mod are about the way you insert the earpads, the bass ports closed, whether or not you use a 'butyl ring', and the amp used.
 
I've found that inserting the Dekoni earpads "into the lip" around the earpad, with both of the main bass ports closed to yield by far the best bass refinement. So make sure the Dekoni earpads are in the lip / groove around the earcups for more bass than otherwise just pulling it around the whole exterior of the cup. And try just closing the main bass ports (one on each side) only with this method.
 
Also Lyova & I have found that the ring of butyl seems to benefit the HP-150, but not the HP-100. So if yours is HP-150, go ahead and try adding this. The result was bass that was both weighty and well defined:

 
Also, which amp are you using it with? Mine sounds excellent with the Liquid Carbon amp, and even better on the Elise tube amp, depending on the tubes used.

 

[norepeat]

Hi DecentLevi,
 
I am using Denon 4520ci and a USB drive as I find this setup to be better than my idsd micro and better than e18 from a laptop (foobar w/ wasapi).  I have 2 HP150s so I can compare them side-by-side.  One mod and one original.  If you have a suggestion for a small DAC+Amp combo that sounds better than idsd micro, will be much appreciated.
 
As for the mod, I inserted the Dekoni pads into the lip/groove/2 halves.  By the way, is the butyl used the same way as in the video: ie for sealing the edge when the driver halve is place back into the cup?  I find this messy so I used pure silicon sealer around the edge before closing and sealing the can. 
 
Music that I listen to are mostly vocal: rock, pop from 70, 80, 90, 2000, and now.  Some asian pop/rock.  So I suppose with these type of music, I enjoy the sound with a bit more like a pub or small hall with some 3D and relaxed details (while keeping voice forward).  With sealed bass port even with Dekoni pads, kick drums sound unnatural like finger flicking on tight rubber ball. Aside from the bass port, the mod seems to damped out the openness/stage/detail of HP150.  Changes HP150 into a different type of HP...  Not that it is very bad sounding just not what I like.  Another closed HP that I like is Oppo PM3, however, it is more like an on-ear HP than around the ear.  HP150 is more open, energetic while PM3 is more neutral and balance.  I was hoping the mod can tweak the HP150 toward neutral and balance while keeping its openness and detail ....

 

[DecentLevi]

Hi again, I would definitely say something sounds amiss with the mod you had done. Don't get me wrong I'm sure you've done a good job, but just maybe some step was over/under done, etc. I recommend opening the can up again and taking close up photos of exactly what you've done, and send it to Lyova via PM or email. He probably also has any more suggestions to correct it. Because what you're describing sounds exactly like it did to me on some of the 'failed' modding methods...
 
Especially the "sound unnatural like finger flicking on tight rubber ball". In this case, I would recommend removing the ring of silicon... or better yet, try removing just 2-3 half inch sections of it then closing it again, to see how that effects the sound. Otherwise just remove that ring completely, for a looser and possibly louder bass. Alternately, try a ring of butyl as shown above, instead of silicon. Notice however, that butyl is a bit of a burden to remove; basically you have to pull it off like gum, then sop up all the small pieces with the larger piece until all the bits are finally gone.
 
OMG that's one capable multi-function beast of an amp / AV receiver you got there with that Denon 4520! 150 watts per channel at 9 channels, seven HDMI inputs, USB input, heaphone out, etc, etc., Wow! Using the SoundMagics with this amp, I would venture to say that just maybe you don't even need any modding, and that your mods may actually sound better with a lower caliber amp.
 
Well, you're totally in luck for having asked me which DAC+amp combo is better than the iDSD Micro. Welcome to CDM (Continental Dual Mono) by Alo Audio. It's a transportable tube amp / DAC combo, and I've actually tried one with my unmodded HP-100 in Can Jam L.A. 2015. Let me tell you, out of dozens of amps I've tried with the HP-100, this very magical and unique amp is the only one that makes these 'cans sound extraordinary without any modding - that is to say, pony up around $1.5k and your SoundMagics are prone to sing sonic greatness without changing a thing. Here was a post about it

 

[Packdemon]

  Installed the mod according to the video a few days ago, here are what I think:
 
With original ear pad and closed base ports:
Base and openness(3D) are gone.  Mid is now very forward but feels dry (I am not sure this is correct word to use).  Anyhow, I do not like from what I hear.
 
With Dekoni ear pad and closed base ports:
Base is now better but still much weaker than original.  Base is lower than I would like.  Base is also tight and feels unnatural.  Almost like fingers flicking on a tight rubber ball.  Mid is forward and a bit hot.  Openness and 3D are still missing.
 
With Dekoni ear pad and open 2 of 3 base ports:
Base is now on par or slightly stronger than original.  Mid is more "forward" than original.  Mid is also a bit colored: warmer and brighter, however, not smooth.  Openness and 3D are still missing.  Sounds seems to be coming from my brain stem instead of positioning in a room.  The room feel is not present at all.
 
With original ear pad and open 2 of 3 base ports:
Base is still there but not as strong as with Dekoni pad.  Mid is less colored and also slightly less forward than with Dekoni pads.  Openness and 3D are still missing.  Less texture and dry than original.
 
After the above tries, I still like the original's sound the best.  Original isn't perfect that is why I want to try this mod and hoping to improve the short comings of original.  The short comings are namely: recessed mids(vocals), a bit sharp at higer-end and a little strong bass.  However, with this mod, I feel the trade-off isn't worth it.  The mod removes the naturalness, 3D and openness exchange for stronger and cleaner mids.  I feel the mids sounds cleaner because it is now stronger and the mod removes the echos and dampens/kills off the sound too quickly.  It reminds me of sound dampened room and sound comes directly from back of my head.  I suppose some people may like the dampened sound.  However, it does not sound natural to me and seems dry.
 
Anyhow, here are my opinions.  If you have some suggestion for me to try, or if you think I did something wrong with the mod and has some suggestion, please feel free to let me know.  I don't have lots of time to play with it but I am certainly welcome any suggestions and will try them out slowly...

 
Hello @norepeat,
 
If you don't want too much bass or too much bass lost (just a matter of balancing your bass vs isolation preference), then you can try closing (not opening) 2 of the 3 bass ports or the driver lip with the butyl both with and without the dekoni earpads. Remember that out of the 3 ports the earcup hinge one with the headband cable running through it is much smaller than the other 2, so trying many configurations of different ports being sealed might help you narrow down which one has the most suitable levels of bass for your preference. Also if you don't have the driver lip sealed with the butyl, then it also affects the bass when you attach the earpads inside or over the lip. Placing it inside the lip has more bass than placing it over the lip. Since I enjoy having extra bass, I personally just seal the driver lip with butyl and leave all the ports open while using the dekoni earpads. It might take a while, but I think you should be able to find a level of bass suitable for yourself.
 
My attempts for this mod removing the echos (reflections) off of the earcups was actually for increasing sound imaging accuracy. Generally, you don't want to hear the reflections off of the earcups because the sound coming from the back of the driver is in negative phase, whereas the front is positive phase.(this has to do with the Doppler effect). Hearing the negative phase is going to distort the soundstage imaging, which is generally why open-backed headphones do better with just a grill over closed-backed with hard plastic. 
 
I appreciate your feedback, and based off of my understanding (as well as the feedback of others) I can only assume that there is another factor that is effecting the result of your mod. Hopefully, with a little more details I can help figure this issue out for you.
 
Quote:

  Hi DecentLevi,
 
I am using Denon 4520ci and a USB drive as I find this setup to be better than my idsd micro and better than e18 from a laptop (foobar w/ wasapi).  I have 2 HP150s so I can compare them side-by-side.  One mod and one original.  If you have a suggestion for a small DAC+Amp combo that sounds better than idsd micro, will be much appreciated.
 
As for the mod, I inserted the Dekoni pads into the lip/groove/2 halves.  By the way, is the butyl used the same way as in the video: ie for sealing the edge when the driver halve is place back into the cup?  I find this messy so I used pure silicon sealer around the edge before closing and sealing the can. 
 
Music that I listen to are mostly vocal: rock, pop from 70, 80, 90, 2000, and now.  Some asian pop/rock.  So I suppose with these type of music, I enjoy the sound with a bit more like a pub or small hall with some 3D and relaxed details (while keeping voice forward).  With sealed bass port even with Dekoni pads, kick drums sound unnatural like finger flicking on tight rubber ball. Aside from the bass port, the mod seems to damped out the openness/stage/detail of HP150.  Changes HP150 into a different type of HP...  Not that it is very bad sounding just not what I like.  Another closed HP that I like is Oppo PM3, however, it is more like an on-ear HP than around the ear.  HP150 is more open, energetic while PM3 is more neutral and balance.  I was hoping the mod can tweak the HP150 toward neutral and balance while keeping its openness and detail ....

 
This might be it.
 
I would not recommend you using silicon sealer (rubber gasket maker) for either the driver lip or the inner earcup ring. I actually did that for my second mod on @DecentLevi's HP-100, and that was one of the many things contributed to it being worse than the first and later third mod revisions for him. It may have been one of the bigger contributing factors to the soundstage imaging being reduced.
 
If you are confused what I am referring to when I saw driver lip or the inner earcup ring, then here are some photos.
 
Driver lip with butyl:

 
Inner earcup ring (where you were supposed to stuff butyl inside):

 
I might need a few photos to see exactly what you did, and I'll try my best to guide you on fixing the issue.
 
If you don't have enough material to give the mod another shot, then let me know which parts you are missing and I'll send it to you again.
 
Best Regards,
Lyova Margaryan of Tru-Fi Speakers

 

[norepeat]

Hi Lyova,
 
I use silicon seal on the driver lips and close the cup as in your 1st photo before silicon seal drys.  I didn't need to use much as it is in gel form and does not over run much over the lip.  Inner cup ring is the same as in your picture (butyl) and is pushed in as much as possible as I can.  The Dekoni pad is inserted between the lips.
 
Seems like you think the little bit of silicon seal instead of butyl on the lip maybe the cause of non-optimum sound.  You also seems to think butyl on the lip is necessary even when the base ports are open.  If that's the case, I'll need some butyl seal and try reseal the lips again.  Appreciate your offer of sending me.  PM me how much is it and I'll mail you a check and my address.  Better yet, if it is available in homedepot, please let me know what to look for and I'll just pick it up during lunch.
 
Can't say when I'll try it again.  Maybe days or a week after I have butyl seal...
 
By the way, do you or DecentLevi, feel that the openness, 3D and sonic details are lost in moded HP150?  I can hear distinct left and right channels but openness and 3D is lost... sound seems to be coming from brain stem.