[mcgsxr]

Just checking in on this thread.  I generated my first set of cups this weekend, and tried them out.  They are bubinga, and just about 1.75 inches deep.
 
I think that they are too deep - not only cumbersome visually, but also the bass has reduced.  Comparing the stock plastic cups with these, I need to go from bowls back to cush-s to get the bass I want.
 
I may cut them down to 1 inch, just to see if it is the depth, or the material itself.
 
Fun experimenting though!

 

[Bilavideo]

COCOBOLO AND ALUMINUM
 

 
Several people have asked me to explore a cobolo/aluminum mix.  I did that with a cocobolo front but felt that the aluminum of the big shell overwhelmed the cocobolo on the inner, so I tried this one out.  Some have asked me what difference aluminum makes.  So far, I'd say it gives the music an edginess.  With its fast decay right, it makes the bass tighter and it brings out HF artifacts that produce both amazing detail and a fantastic sense of soundstage.  If the music you're listening to is natural and largely non-electronic, aluminum may be your daddy.  It gives snap and sparkle to the high end.  On the other hand, if you tend to stray toward a lot of electronic music, with a lot of sheen and siss, you may feel overwhelmed.  There's a reason people love and hate the SR325 - and it has a lot to do with the metal.  Aluminum gives the presentation a sharp, crisp edge to it - but without a boost in the bass, ear fatigue is likely.  I loved what aluminum did for some tracks and winced what it did with others.
 

 
This cup uses a cocobolo liner.  Cut me some slack on the cosmetics (It has a way to go before being "photo ready").  I created this prototype to compare straight aluminum with cups containing cocobolo undies.  The cocobolo moderates the excesses of aluminum, warming things up a tad and bringing out the bass a little more.  The music still has a crisp edge to it but the cocobolo seems to offset it enough to keep things on the right side of the line between great treble and sibilance.  Cold tracks are still cold tracks but the kick in the bass helps them feel less strident.
 

 
This cup, which is a work in progress, still has the plastic inners.  I wanted to hear what these shells would sound like for the person who's not to ready to liberate the drivers.  I was more than pleasantly surprised by how the cocobolo seemed to moderate the weaknesses of aluminum while bringing their own positives.  I haven't tried it the other way yet - with aluminum on the inside - but that's probably the next logical progression.  I will way this: My PS1000 has nothing on these shells.  Them may be fighting words but cocobolo and aluminum are an effective team.  I like the fact that I'm getting such great thump without the mid-bass hump or the "darker" signature.  The size and thickness of this large aluminum shell provide me with plenty of soundstage but without sacrificing bass presence.  I really like this flavor.  The mids are rich.  The bottom end is chest thumping.  The top end is crisp.  I'm under no delusions that the journey is over, but this is certainly a nice stop along the way.

 

[Bilavideo]

 

Just checking in on this thread.  I generated my first set of cups this weekend, and tried them out.  They are bubinga, and just about 1.75 inches deep.
 
I think that they are too deep - not only cumbersome visually, but also the bass has reduced.  Comparing the stock plastic cups with these, I need to go from bowls back to cush-s to get the bass I want.
 
I may cut them down to 1 inch, just to see if it is the depth, or the material itself.
 
Fun experimenting though!

That 1.75 inches - is it both shells or just the rear one?  If it's the latter, you could cut it down or cut out the middle man.  Even short of liberating the drivers, you could push the plastic in (eliminating the cushion lip) and experiment with going lipless and attaching your cushions directly to your generously ample shells.  If you try this, I think you'll find some improvement.

 

[etteoh]

Those Cocominium shells are mighty awesome looking Bill! Unfinished as it is, it has that mean-looking touch that captures your attention...in a good way of course. I look forward to hearing what your thoughts are when you reverse the mod - aluminium inners and cocobolo shells on the outside. Interesting...

 

[BobSaysHi]

OK, my Proof of Concept Sennheiser Pads are on and I'm listening to them now. I just traced the holes and cut them out of a piece of cardboard. I also traced and cut a hole in the center for where the driver sits. The are simply taped onto the pads.
 
My early sound impressions aren't very positive. The soundstage has improved, but it sounds muffled. These are my impressions after 5 minutes, and sometime tomorrow I'll make a more advanced pair that allows the pads to come off and don't require tape. I think the problem is that the drivers aren't facing into my ears, but are parallel to my head. I'll see if I can't do anything about that too.
 
EDIT: after some minor readjusting the sound is improved. Yeah, that's nice... I think I've found perfection in comfort.

 

[CABILLAS]

1. Thanks for your coments, but my cups are made for profesionals, i only draw the plans. I do not deserve so much as Bilavideo. Your work is totaly handmade yourself.
2. 
   here is a picture of some of the pieces that I commissioned last year
    
   https://picasaweb.google.com/franciscocabillasmartinez/ModdingsGradoHeadphonesAuriculares?authkey=Gv1sRgCIT8hOf3iLWU5AE#5503806894358479618
   
   

 

[BobSaysHi]

Wow. I'm speechless.

 

[h8uthemost]

Hmmm...so it sounds like others have complained about comfort then after a quarter mod? Guess I'll read into it more before doing it. These pads aren't the cheapest(unless I go with those yellow Senn pads), so I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.
 
Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.
 
I love the look of that J$ headband that yoyomama posted. I looked into those, but $45 is a little steep for a headband. But it looks like quality workmanship. 
 
 
Quote:

I purchased my headphones used in great condition and they were already quarter modded, had the loin cloth removed and ten hole punched. The Pads to me pose no pain or discomfort but others may disagree. It's a roll of the dice you have to try.
 
GL
 

 

 

[Nightslayer]

Quote:

1. Thanks for your coments, but my cups are made for profesionals, i only draw the plans. I do not deserve so much as Bilavideo. Your work is totaly handmade yourself.
2. here is a picture of some of the pieces that I commissioned last year
    
   https://picasaweb.google.com/franciscocabillasmartinez/ModdingsGradoHeadphonesAuriculares?authkey=Gv1sRgCIT8hOf3iLWU5AE#5503806894358479618
   
   

The alu-wood one is, for lack of a better word to use, fantastic.

 

[BobSaysHi]

OK, so I've been thinking, and I think I've run out of easy things to do to improve the sound. I can only think of adding more wood, but there's still a limit. The last thing I can think of is angling the driver similar to the way the T1 and HD800 angle their drivers. I haven't the faintest clue how to do it though, but that's the exciting part. 

 
The simplest way I can think is to make some sort of platform out of wood and use the DT880 series pads. Like have a little more wood on one side and less on the other to achieve an angle. I say the DT880 pads simply because they are large enough to angle the driver with, and cost less than $50, and are comfortable as hell. It'd require a lot of work, but I think it'd pay off.
 
Any thoughts on this, Bill? I know you've owned the HD800, do you think it's worth doing?
 
Does anyone know the angle that either the T1 or HD800 angles their drivers at?
 
EDIT: here are a couple artsy-fartsy pics of the T1 so you can get the idea of what I'm trying to say.
 

 

 
EDIT2: I guess it wouldn't fit correctly on the headband after being angled either... I need to put a bit more thought into this, it's going to be tricky.
 
EDIT3: According to this thread the HD800 is angled at 45 degrees and the T1 driver is angled at 15 degrees.

 

[kite7]

Quote:

I love the look of that J$ headband that yoyomama posted. I looked into those, but $45 is a little steep for a headband. But it looks like quality workmanship. 

 
The headband can be had for $29 at headroom, but now it's gone forever. I've sold every piece of gear but I won't sell this caramel J$ Money; it's a rare item now.

 

[apatN]

Quote:

OK, so I've been thinking, and I think I've run out of easy things to do to improve the sound. I can only think of adding more wood, but there's still a limit. The last thing I can think of is angling the driver similar to the way the T1 and HD800 angle their drivers. I haven't the faintest clue how to do it though, but that's the exciting part. 

 
The simplest way I can think is to make some sort of platform out of wood and use the DT880 series pads. Like have a little more wood on one side and less on the other to achieve an angle. I say the DT880 pads simply because they are large enough to angle the driver with, and cost less than $50, and are comfortable as hell. It'd require a lot of work, but I think it'd pay off.
 
Any thoughts on this, Bill? I know you've owned the HD800, do you think it's worth doing?
 
Does anyone know the angle that either the T1 or HD800 angles their drivers at?
 
EDIT: here are a couple artsy-fartsy pics of the T1 so you can get the idea of what I'm trying to say.
 
<snipped>
 
EDIT2: I guess it wouldn't fit correctly on the headband after being angled either... I need to put a bit more thought into this, it's going to be tricky.
 
EDIT3: According to this thread the HD800 is angled at 45 degrees and the T1 driver is angled at 15 degrees.

Headphile has made Beyer adapters for Grados out of wood before. You might want to check that out but don't bother asking the guy about it. 
 
However, you can still angle the pads without the use of wood. I angle my Beyer pads by sliding a piece of tube underneath them and it works great. So my advice would be to simply build an adapter (can be just a piece of wood or plastic, as thin as possible) big enough for the Beyer pads to fit with a hole in the middle that you secure to the Grados. For a workability experiment this is the easiest thing I can think of.

 

[BobSaysHi]

Quote:

Headphile has made Beyer adapters for Grados out of wood before. You might want to check that out but don't bother asking the guy about it. 
 
However, you can still angle the pads without the use of wood. I angle my Beyer pads by sliding a piece of tube underneath them and it works great. So my advice would be to simply build an adapter (can be just a piece of wood or plastic, as thin as possible) big enough for the Beyer pads to fit with a hole in the middle that you secure to the Grados. For a workability experiment this is the easiest thing I can think of.

I've seen his site before, and I based my makeshift Senn pads off of the way he did his Beyer pads. I'll work on it tomorrow, it's 3:40 in the morning.

 

[hi-fiber]

but i think you may want to avoid creating sor of "another chamber" or tunnel by adding more wood to angle the driver. and maybe you guys should try a wider chamber approach...
 
im lagging behind because im still new in this business but ill get my woodies after a month of negotiating and researching designs. where should i start though... any help?

 

[yomomma1]

Quote:

1. Thanks for your coments, but my cups are made for profesionals, i only draw the plans. I do not deserve so much as Bilavideo. Your work is totaly handmade yourself.
2. 
   here is a picture of some of the pieces that I commissioned last year
    
   https://picasaweb.google.com/franciscocabillasmartinez/ModdingsGradoHeadphonesAuriculares?authkey=Gv1sRgCIT8hOf3iLWU5AE#5503806894358479618
   
   

Wow they are very pretty, so where do I get me some of those cups?