[etteoh]

@ Bill - I agree with you on this line - "With cocobolo, you're getting a darker, more impactful, bass but that does effect the tonal balance." I feel the highs on the 325s are tamed down to just-right levels by the cocobolo, which is probably why the darker nature of cocobolos and the brighter 325 drivers go hand-in-hand. And pads, yes, that is another thing. Somehow for the life of me, I just can't get jumbos to work for me since the cocobolos got fitted and I don't know why. Personally, I feel the sound becomes less engaging / intimate. This is where the bowls gets it right and has one-up over jumbos with cocobolos. Although I am hoping to be able to go back to jumbos someday since they are more comfy to my ears than the bowls are.
 
@ Lawrywild - nice to see the alumod reached you. Have fun with it and I look forward to a good review or two

 

[mcgsxr]

Lawrywild, thanks for the PM reply, the shipping prices seem fair, and the speed was great for you.
 
As for the highs being too much - having read the entire 1000 thread on modding MS1 and MS1i's, folks almost all say that the Alessandro drivers work well with distancers, but the Grado drivers do not - not sure, but it sounds like you might agree.  Do you have any bowl pads to try with the alumod cups?  What about the stock pads that come with your Grado's?  More holes to be punched maybe?  The felt inside the distancer might be the ticket - also from the 1000 thread, is that folks had 2-3 small holes drilled into their distancers, not sure if those have any holes?
 
I like the look of them!

 

[lawrywild]

I'm using Alessandro MS1i drivers
 
I do have bowls, but I haven't tried them yet. I never liked comfies, for me they are uncomfies so I probably won't bother trying those. I have some HD404 reverse quarter'd pads aswell. Punching more holes will increase bass, and there's enough already tbh and won't calm the sibilance. I'll be trying to felt in a bit though. I know about the holes in the distancers but these don't have any, I can't remember what the holes were supposed to fix though?
 
Quote:

Lawrywild, thanks for the PM reply, the shipping prices seem fair, and the speed was great for you.
 
As for the highs being too much - having read the entire 1000 thread on modding MS1 and MS1i's, folks almost all say that the Alessandro drivers work well with distancers, but the Grado drivers do not - not sure, but it sounds like you might agree.  Do you have any bowl pads to try with the alumod cups?  What about the stock pads that come with your Grado's?  More holes to be punched maybe?  The felt inside the distancer might be the ticket - also from the 1000 thread, is that folks had 2-3 small holes drilled into their distancers, not sure if those have any holes?
 
I like the look of them!

 

 

[mcgsxr]

Ah good, you are breaking trail for me, as I too have the MS1i's!
 
I recall that the 3 small diameter holes in the distancers was more for bass, but perhaps some more of that would balance the sibilance?
 
All users of distancers for the MS1000i's used felt in that section, and I recall it was treble related.
 
Have fun and keep us posted!

 

[lawrywild]

I think I just discovered something great about these Jaben cups... you can have effectively 2 pairs of cans in 1 

 
I was fiddling around and it turns out that with some care and foam stretching you can mount normal bowls on the lower lip if you unscrew the threaded section off.
 
Along the line here 
 
 
 

 
So you can just screw the top on and fit jumbos to switch between whatever you feel like listening to 

 
Some more pics
 
Here you can see that it shortens the profile a lot and is basically what I planned to do by hacksawing off that top section. 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The problem I have to solve is.. how to secure the drivers in the cups that would allow me to take them out again. If I glued them in there'd no longer be any leverage to take them out other than heating the cups up and trying to tap them out which probably wouldn't end well.

 

[dkm24]

I own both a modded SR125 and the RS-1's. I have been using MDF and PVC on the 125's and have done extensive listening. I actually have lined both types of cups with a material called 'Funny Foam'. It works wonders in tightening up the bass and removing any resonances. I will do a long winded comparison later but others are right about the RS-1's. There is more going on than just the chambers. I had heard somewhere before that Grado treats the drivers with some sort of coating which makes sense to me due to a more veiled presentation. The tolerances are tighter too with the RS-1's Where the RS-1's excel is in the vocals and anything in the 3-4000 hz. range and higher. The sound is more acurate and ....real. The 125's have a metalic shrill to them in this range even with damping. It is hard to hear unless one is doing an A/B test then is becomes very apparent. Bass is pretty much a wash between the two. This is where chamber material becomes crtical. 

 

[Saintkeat]

anyone know where i could pick up a pair of wooden shells for the SR80 without losing an arm a leg and my manhood?

 

[kite7]

Quote:

anyone know where i could pick up a pair of wooden shells for the SR80 without losing an arm a leg and my manhood?

If you want some nice looking wood cups google techheromods and yes they'll cost more than the SR80 itself.
 
 

 

[Saintkeat]

cheers mate, and yes pricey but not like headphile. i seriously think these companies are making a bloody killing..
 
anyone else with a mill in their backyard?

 

[sharkz]

I really should stop reading this thread.
 
Those great pictures of the Jaben cups (along with reading the MS1/MS1000 thread) makes me want to pick up a pair of the MS's and either buy or make a pair of distancers for them for a different flavor of Grado. That or upgrade to the 225/325's eventually.
 
I wish I didn't have so many things I need to spend money on first.....

 

[yomomma1]

Yeah I know your not "poo pooing" them. I am just surprised to read your results that's all. Would love to hear them. The 225's were obviously improved and may be I am bigging up the rs-1's to say there is so much of a difference but I think there is and it's in the mids/highs that I notice it (hence me asking Bill for mods to help with them on my next go).
 
Bill I was going to ask about pads when changing to Alu cups. Are you saying I would find the 225's with cocobolo's different again by changing the 'stock' pads? I understand they need to be changed for the alu but wasn't aware they needed to be different for the coco mod?
Quote:

Great sharing dude! I just want to be clear that I am not in any way putting down or bashing the RS-1...nobody in their right mind would. The RS-1 is what it is. A timeless legendary in its own rights. I owned one in the past and I am still proud of it. Over here, people still flinch when you tell them you have (or had in my case) a RS-1   The difference between the RS-1 and my Cocobolo 325 is not night and day. Remember that my buddy and I took 5 painstaking hours before making the impartial decision and we're both die-hard RS-1 fans alike.
 
Now, even as stock cans, the SR325is already does one or two things better than the RS-1 thanks to its aluminium shell and extended or prominent highs if you will. To me, what it lacked then was the smooth organic mids, the depth and lows of the RS-1. With the hole punch mod, it levels things up by quite a jump and top that with cocobolos, the missing organic piece is achieved. Aside from tracks that has stronger emphasis on the mid bass, the cocobolo 325 matched the RS-1 all the way. I don't know if the cocobolo is doing its job (and I think it is) but it just has better bass slam and depth compared to the RS-1. However, yes, however, there is still this magical note on the vocals the RS-1 make that is still somewhat superior. The thing is, right now, if I had to choose between a RS-1 and my cocobolo 325, I will honestly tell you that the RS-1 is no longer a choice I would make although, glamor sake aside, I would still want one for that occasional magic touch on the vocals which only the RS-1 has. I believe if you take the RS-1 drivers and have them fitted to cocobolo shells, they could just very well be perfect! 
 
Like you, I cannot say if the same is achieved using a SR225i as base. If anything, the 225 was the only Grado in the Prestige line-up that I have not owned / listened to. So, it's zero experience for me when it comes to the 225. People smack me for that as they say the 225 is probably the finest Prestige can. That's really debatable since sound is very much a subjective thing. Still, from what others have told me, I won't form a judgement on the 225 until I have listened to them for myself.
 
Off the record, I even had the 325 goldies and those were even more prominent in the highs. Me ears bleed I tell you...and they bleed bad. Grado had it tamed down, if ever so slightly, with the newer IS models. Heh, your friend is a lucky guy to snag your cans off you. Cocobolo 225! Christmas came early for him eh?
 

 

 

[pbandstefanwich]

Quote:

 

That's not quite the way it works............... I have a feeling one or both of the voice coil lead wires were severed during the process of liberation. I also think pressing on the back of the basket is bridging the break in said lead or leads. In order to be sure I recomend you test the voice coil (with the basket unstressed) for electrical continuity utilizing a multi-meter (DMM or AMM).
 
Best of luck, Bill!

Thanks for the suggestion, but I have already checked for discontinuities, that was one of the first things I did haha.
 


Quote:

 
One of two things is going on.  First, it's possible that you have a short circuit and your finger is actually providing part of the connection.  I hope that is not the case, but thought I would get that possibility out there first.  To test this, insulate the finger (surgical glove, tape on the finger, etc.).  If it continues afterwards, you may have a loose voice coil.
 
Here's how you fix it (believe it or not).  Gently press against the Mylar and push the voice coil back in.  I know it's as gross as touching your own eye but if you do this gently, you won't hurt anything.  If you used tape to pull out little crinkles in the diaphragm, you could have pulled the voice coil out along the way.  It happens.  As elsewhere, be gentle and use an abundance of common sense - but don't be afraid to touch the diaphragm if you need to put the voice coil back into place.  Nothing is holding it to the gap between the magnet and the magnet wall.

I don't think it's a short circuit, because I get a reading of a little more than 32 ohms when I check across the solder pads.
 
I don't think the voice coil is loose either, as I've tried pushing it back in. If you're looking from the top of the driver, the coil looks perfectly aligned in the x-y plane, but might be raised too much on the z axis, does that make sense? I'm at a loss for what it could be now, so tonight I might attempt some driver surgery and see if I can fix anything.
 

 

[sharkz]

I think the general consensus is that everyone will have favorite pads, no matter which headphones and how much they have been modded. I love my flats now with my Mahogany cups but that might change when I pick up my hardwoods (likely Paduak, Leopardwood, and Bubinga tomorrow

). You really need to play around and try different ones out to see what you like.

 

[digitaldissent]

Etteoh, Can you please post some pics of your woodied 325? I am thinking of going that route with mine and would like to see what you did. Thanks
 
NM saw them a few pages back

 

[Saintkeat]

jesus.. i checked out what the techheromods actually look like and they stick out like the alu mods from jaben!
 
not my thing.
 
Anyone makes more flushed wooden cups? like the shape of my grados as they are just want a different look.