[Saintkeat]

Getting more and more interested in trying this Symphones upgrade.
 
How do you mount the driver in? just glue the sides? Hmmm... Alternatively, I could send the drivers to Marty to have enclosures built for them. I have a design in mind ^.^
 
Wayne! Great to hear everythings going better for you! Yea forums tend to draw you in, and sooner or later you're heavily invested. If I had the spare cash I'd turn my Grados wireless to up the ante a bit. =P

 

[stratocaster]

Quote:

Getting more and more interested in trying this Symphones upgrade.
 
How do you mount the driver in? just glue the sides? Hmmm... Alternatively, I could send the drivers to Marty to have enclosures built for them. I have a design in mind ^.^
 

 
The Symphones driver has the same dimensions as the Grado driver. If you buy drivers together with the aluminum air chambers, the drivers are tightly and neatly pre-mounted in the aluminium inners with hex screws. You then need somethingl like a 325 outer shell or a custom wood outer shell that you can slide the alu air chamber in.
As an alternative you can only buy the drivers, then you would basically end up with a sort of partly liberated driver which you may afterwards install like any of the partly liberated Grado drivers discussed in this thread.
 
 

 

[ToPaLi]

that's great!  how much does it cost to buy just the drivers?

 

[rawrster]

I can't remember the price but I remember it being around $200. You can send an email and find out for sure.

 

[stratocaster]

Quote:

that's great!  how much does it cost to buy just the drivers?

Just the drivers: $120 |  Drivers+air chambers: $240
Plus shipping (in my case: $25 shipped to Europe)
But PM Rhydon to make sure nothing has changed in the meantime, because he will be offering the V4 drivers in the future

 

[Saintkeat]

Ooooo... Hmm... Aluminium chamber.. I would have thought the better way would be a wooden chamber... I have no intention of building a reference headphone.

 

[KneelJung]

Quote:

Ooooo... Hmm... Aluminium chamber.. I would have thought the better way would be a wooden chamber... I have no intention of building a reference headphone.

Well we should have a second set of impressions on Magnums in a wood enclosure soon. According to Fed Ex, the woodied Magnums that I forwarded to wje have been delivered and are waiting for him when he gets home. IMO the Magnum drivers that pbstefandwich gave Marty to seat in a pair of Cocobolo cups are on one hand exactly that, a reference headphone. Although I dont know if that statement is entirely accurate and I'm not sure what it is about a headphone that is reference quality that you dont like. I'm not sure what Marty charged for the cups, but I think you could replicate the phones without the detatchable cable for about $350. The drivers are a $120 plus $20 shipping. Another $120 plus shipping for some cups, and $70 or so for a cable. You're also going to need a head band assy.
 
Anyway, the all wood configuration of the Magnums in Cocobolo was very light and extremely comfortable. I thought they were very balanced, neutral and natural sounding. I liked them as well or better than my HF2's. They werent necessarilly better, just a different flavor. Interested to see what Wayne has to say about them.
 

 

[Saintkeat]

I have a specific design in mind for the next one. =P
 
It still includes my 3.5mm mono plugs.
 
Finding the metal band however would be more interesting....
 
 
To answer your question about reference sound. I like my sound coloured. I love the Grado sound because it has wonderful mids for acoustic and rock, and great bass (after mod) for dub, house, club, etc. In short, if I had to by a desktop amp, it'd be tubes. So from what I read about aluminum chambers, aluminum is something I should avoid.

 

[rawrster]

I look forward to those impressions kneeljung but i've already made up my mind. I have my Magnums on a mini loan to a couple of head-fi members and then after that I will have Martin damage my wallet a bit and into a woodie headphone which is something I've always wanted
 
It's the v2.5 so not the current v4 but if I am ever able to hear the v4 with Martin woody mods I may get that or just get the v4 normally as I'll have the 325i cups, cable, gimbal,etc since Martin is just taking out the drivers and returning what is inside it.

 

[wje]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KneelJung /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Interested to see what Wayne has to say about them.
 

I can't say much because my jaw had dropped and is hung open.  

 
OK, here's how I'll rate things from an upgrade perspective - without discussing the beautiful sound qualities that the Magnum drivers possess.
 
1) First upgrade with the best return ratio: Wooden Cups 
 
2) Second upgrade with another great return ratio: Magnum Drivers
 
3) Third, some leather headband material with more cushion
 
4) Fourth, consider a cable upgrade
 
5) Finally, fifth.  Invest the rest of the $$ into music or an amp / DAC that you might have been eyeballing.
 

 

[stratocaster]

 
Quote:

I can't say much because my jaw had dropped and is hung open.  

 
OK, here's how I'll rate things from an upgrade perspective - without discussing the beautiful sound qualities that the Magnum drivers possess.
 
1) First upgrade with the best return ratio: Wooden Cups 
 
2) Second upgrade with another great return ratio: Magnum Drivers
 
3) Third, some leather headband material with more cushion
 
4) Fourth, consider a cable upgrade
 
5) Finally, fifth.  Invest the rest of the $$ into music or an amp / DAC that you might have been eyeballing.
 

 
My personal rating would be like this:
 
1) Magnum drivers
2) Woodying
3) Pads
4) Headband
5) Cable
 
Essential: lossless music format or > 192kbps
 
I have tested the Magnum drivers in a stock Grado plastic housing. And still there is this HUGE step up to be noticed. So, no snakeoil.
A well-cushioned first-class leather headband will add a lot of comfort. The wood to me is like adding some first-class look and feel, some sort of visually and haptically elevating aspect. The impact on the sound varies with different woods, dimensions, wall thickness, distance of the driver from the ear etc. In my experience, the woodying added more class to the look and feel and a moderate but noticeable tonal improvement. Comfies, bowls, reversed Senns, flats and bagles have been discussed already. The drivers, however, vaulted the can into a new dimension for me. These babies add body, refinement and detail. Kind of cool.
But, these are just my personal findings and other people might see that differently. As for me, I guess I have reached the end of the road. I may continue working on some nice woods if they cross my way and improve my headbands further. The modding of the Grado driver is history for me. But I have already ordered Rhydon's V4 drivers.
 

 

[wje]

Some acoustic observations regarding the Magnum drivers in the Cocobolo cups that Marty cut.
 

1. Some of that "Grado" detail that we're used to is not present.  With that being said, I'm not sure how much of that Grado sound that we like is true detail - or, just a very dynamic sound range being presented to us.  I guess I may never know the answer to this.  However, getting the final answers isn't necessarily my main objective - enjoying music and listening to the music on good headphones is my objective.
2. Now, with the "different" detail that is experienced with the Magnum drivers, I'll elaborate a bit more.  When you listen to certain passages in music, the detail is there - clear ... yet, not in a Grado sort of way.  The detail - or actually the clarity of that detail is what draws you into the sound with the Magnum drivers.
3. Low end.  Comparing the Magnum drivers in wooden cups against my SR-225i drivers (no holes punched), but also in wooden Cebil cups, the bass with the Magnum drivers is better defined - clear and more of a punch applied at the same time.

 
Short conclusion: I believe that for many individuals who have been turned off by the Grado house sound in the past, would really be captivated by the sound being provided by the Magnum drivers.  Additionally, I don't see the Magnum drivers as a component that would chase the faithful Grado owners away, either.  I think the Magnums really offer a solution that caters to the needs of both types of listeners.  Most of my listening is done with blues, jazz and some Americana genres of music.  I like lots of guitar, percussion, bass guitar or upright bass, as well as great vocals.  I'm not a consistent fan of classical music, so my listening sessions are not based on that genre of music - nor is hip-hop, pure country music and the top-40 pop music.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

I reworked the cable of my first woodie (pun intented) This might look as a regular woodie to you, or even less than that, but truth is it took me 3 months and a fight in a thread to get them, I pitty you if you know what I'm talking about. 

 
 
 
now for real, I like how the cable end up. tried not to use heatshrink, at least no in the visible parts.

 

[Saintkeat]

Nice job!
 
I'm a bigger fan of heat shrunk y-splits though... but... thats just me heh

 

[wje]

Quote:

Nice job!
 
I'm a bigger fan of heat shrunk y-splits though... but... thats just me heh

I think the correct terms for that heat shrink connector / tubing is called "pants".  Seriously.
 
Jorge, Nice job on the cable.  DIY is a great way to feel "accomplished" when you've come up with a design, purchased the goods and then went through the process of doing the work.