Mochan
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2009
- Posts
- 2,005
- Likes
- 47
The M50 is one of my beloved bass head cans that delivers beautiful, plump bass. At the $100 price point it is seriously one of the best offerings you can get and is serious bang for the buck. To this day I still recommend it to bass lovers and even general users looking for a real treat for a very affordable price.
Well, today I finally completed my "secret weapon," a monster that, for about $100, managed to outdo the M50 (and a lot of other headphones, open or closed) in bass quantity, impact, slam and just sheer decadence!
I present... the Grado GS800-XB.
What exactly is this thing?!
Basically it's a heavily modded SR80i with components chosen to accentuate bass over pretty much all else. As an extreme bass head it was the perfect project for me.
What's it made of? Well here's the recipe:
Grado GS800-XB
1 Grado SR80i
2 Mahogany Mushroom Cups
2 Mahogany Liberators
1 Pair of TTVJ Flat Pads
1 Pair of CDR King L660 Pads
First, separate the cups of the SR80i from the headband. This can be done by pulling the gymbals apart a bit so that the cups slide off. Next, use a spoon to separate the cups from the chamber by sliding the stem of the spoon in between the space between the cup and above the pad indentation and twisting to force it open. This will break the hard glue and allow you to pry the cups off the chambers.
Then insert the Mahogany Cups onto the Chambers, taking care to place the cables in place with stops. Next, attach the Liberators (if you don't have the circle locks you can use Blutak to stick it on semi-permanent).
Now, reattach the new wooden chambers onto the gymbals.
Then, squish the Flat Pads and insert into the CDR Pads, with the part that attaches to the chambers facing outwards from the CDR Pads. You can then attach these onto the Liberators.
You see those black donuts? This amalgamation is the secret to the bass sound and is the reason I can boldy call these "XB" (eXtra Bass). I call them BBB Mk1 Pads (Badass Bass Beasty Pads) -- composed of the TTVJ Flats and the CDR-King L660 Leather Pads.
In my country CDR-King is everywhere but elsewhere unfortunately you will be challenged to find these 50 cent faux leather pads.
http://www.cdrking.com/?mod=products&type=view&sid=5206&main=34
It seems unbelievable that such a cheap upgrade can do such wonders to the pads, but these pads really work incredibly well with just about any Grado pad you can stuff into it. I've stuffed Bowls, Comfies, and Flats into it and they really work to add warmth to the sound, improve bass response and widen soundstage without much detriment to the overall sound sig, if any. If you can somehow get your hands on these pads you should experiment. I believe you will be pleased with the results.
The TTVJ Flats along with these pads offer the best results thus far. I've used these with the SR80, SR125, SR325, MS2i, the MS Pro and of course the GS800 and the results are just staggering. They don't turn into bass head fart cannon monsters but achieve a level of warmth and satisfying bass without compromising the other frequencies, while simultaneously removing glare and smoothening out the sound considerably. If you loved the brightness and sometimes sibilant highs of the Grados these won't be for you, but for everyone else these pads will probably be a welcome experience.
Anyway, the GS800xb is a basshead's bass heavy can, no ifs and buts. It is not a detail freak, it clearly is nowhere near as refined as the MS Pro or even just the MS2i, but it offers a sea of bass that is unparalleled in the Grado world while still retaining enough of the mids and highs to prevent it from being unlistenable. But the bass is all that it's about.
The BBB Mk1 Pads are the secret ingredient, but the wooden cups add to this. Without buttons the air flow increases, enhancing the vented bass port design that gives Grados its low range power. The mahogany cups also seem to dampen the highs and especially the mids, thus allowing the bass to gain prominence. In addition, the damping effect fattens the bass and makes the midbass plumper, the sound softer and warmer without a hard edge to it.
Finally the Liberators (which share the damping characteristics of the cups) add space, increasing soundstage and pushing the mids back further, resulting in a very un-Grado-like sound, and enhance the bass flow for even moar bass.
The end result, is a sea of bass you can swim in! And if you want to exacerbate the effect further chain it to an E7 which has more bass and recessed mids.
Anyway, compared to the M50, it has slightly more bass, basically the M50 has tighter, more taut bass in comparison whereas the GS800 has more midbass, and the bass is softer and "chewier." Or chocolatier. A lot of people here would call it mud, I guess. It's the kind of one-note bass that has very slow decay, which gives the bass a very subterranean quality that crawls over you. It's certainly a fun experience over the M50 for any bass head.
Well, today I finally completed my "secret weapon," a monster that, for about $100, managed to outdo the M50 (and a lot of other headphones, open or closed) in bass quantity, impact, slam and just sheer decadence!
I present... the Grado GS800-XB.
What exactly is this thing?!
Basically it's a heavily modded SR80i with components chosen to accentuate bass over pretty much all else. As an extreme bass head it was the perfect project for me.
What's it made of? Well here's the recipe:
Grado GS800-XB
1 Grado SR80i
2 Mahogany Mushroom Cups
2 Mahogany Liberators
1 Pair of TTVJ Flat Pads
1 Pair of CDR King L660 Pads
First, separate the cups of the SR80i from the headband. This can be done by pulling the gymbals apart a bit so that the cups slide off. Next, use a spoon to separate the cups from the chamber by sliding the stem of the spoon in between the space between the cup and above the pad indentation and twisting to force it open. This will break the hard glue and allow you to pry the cups off the chambers.
Then insert the Mahogany Cups onto the Chambers, taking care to place the cables in place with stops. Next, attach the Liberators (if you don't have the circle locks you can use Blutak to stick it on semi-permanent).
Now, reattach the new wooden chambers onto the gymbals.
Then, squish the Flat Pads and insert into the CDR Pads, with the part that attaches to the chambers facing outwards from the CDR Pads. You can then attach these onto the Liberators.
You see those black donuts? This amalgamation is the secret to the bass sound and is the reason I can boldy call these "XB" (eXtra Bass). I call them BBB Mk1 Pads (Badass Bass Beasty Pads) -- composed of the TTVJ Flats and the CDR-King L660 Leather Pads.
In my country CDR-King is everywhere but elsewhere unfortunately you will be challenged to find these 50 cent faux leather pads.
http://www.cdrking.com/?mod=products&type=view&sid=5206&main=34
It seems unbelievable that such a cheap upgrade can do such wonders to the pads, but these pads really work incredibly well with just about any Grado pad you can stuff into it. I've stuffed Bowls, Comfies, and Flats into it and they really work to add warmth to the sound, improve bass response and widen soundstage without much detriment to the overall sound sig, if any. If you can somehow get your hands on these pads you should experiment. I believe you will be pleased with the results.
The TTVJ Flats along with these pads offer the best results thus far. I've used these with the SR80, SR125, SR325, MS2i, the MS Pro and of course the GS800 and the results are just staggering. They don't turn into bass head fart cannon monsters but achieve a level of warmth and satisfying bass without compromising the other frequencies, while simultaneously removing glare and smoothening out the sound considerably. If you loved the brightness and sometimes sibilant highs of the Grados these won't be for you, but for everyone else these pads will probably be a welcome experience.
Anyway, the GS800xb is a basshead's bass heavy can, no ifs and buts. It is not a detail freak, it clearly is nowhere near as refined as the MS Pro or even just the MS2i, but it offers a sea of bass that is unparalleled in the Grado world while still retaining enough of the mids and highs to prevent it from being unlistenable. But the bass is all that it's about.
The BBB Mk1 Pads are the secret ingredient, but the wooden cups add to this. Without buttons the air flow increases, enhancing the vented bass port design that gives Grados its low range power. The mahogany cups also seem to dampen the highs and especially the mids, thus allowing the bass to gain prominence. In addition, the damping effect fattens the bass and makes the midbass plumper, the sound softer and warmer without a hard edge to it.
Finally the Liberators (which share the damping characteristics of the cups) add space, increasing soundstage and pushing the mids back further, resulting in a very un-Grado-like sound, and enhance the bass flow for even moar bass.
The end result, is a sea of bass you can swim in! And if you want to exacerbate the effect further chain it to an E7 which has more bass and recessed mids.
Anyway, compared to the M50, it has slightly more bass, basically the M50 has tighter, more taut bass in comparison whereas the GS800 has more midbass, and the bass is softer and "chewier." Or chocolatier. A lot of people here would call it mud, I guess. It's the kind of one-note bass that has very slow decay, which gives the bass a very subterranean quality that crawls over you. It's certainly a fun experience over the M50 for any bass head.
