Bingturong
Previously known as VitalB
Pads do indeed make a lot of difference. I also have all three types though the foam in the weirdly shaped grey ones have completely disintegrated and those are on a pair I left behind in another country. Using the modern earpads on the 25 ohm DT-48S is the only way I can tolerate them, barely. I still hate that thing with passion.
I haven't really been focusing on the DT-48 in these passing weeks since I got my stax system finally set up.
Bahahahaha. This insane headphone. I bought one after thinking these vintage fans were smoking something funny. Then i got one and put some various on ear pads, and the psychotic nature showed itself. I knew there is some hidden magic in it. I mean they made this for so long.
Or perhaps I am the psychotic (I do have to take some funny pills). And sometimes enjoy a Gentleman's jack with cola and a red beer or two.
I don't know if its my mental health condition or the funny pills, but its midrange is magical. And my quest to make the BASS more phoenix-esque rising from ashes from its rather sterile essence of that BOOM BOOM BOOM when stock.
I do not tell this problem to my shrink about my quest for more bass in dt48/480 and my DI Y wooden dt48 (am I the first in all of history?) If I am. I am proud of the stupidity of ruining 2 headphones to make a SHAMUUU dt48 "1 of 1 prototypes" one (which i am convinced i fattened up the bass and with lambskin pads and wood cups. I can live with it's slightly less than perfect treble extension, which when i need to feel more "air" i just jump onto another open set (dt880) to breathe and also expand the soundstage. But even more soundstage with less precise positioning within that soundstage (cough k701) is also bothersome. Laser precision on dt48 spatial cues.
In conclusion, i agree pad-play and if especially sacrificed lamb, potential for magic. Why the fans have such small army and many enemies? XD But then again I started with cool BASS headphones like Sony XB1000 and end up with weird ones like dt48/480 and Sigma as end game.
The only other headphone i miss is JVC SZ and Biocellulose Fostex and xb1000 which i needed to let go to get the sigma and dt48A masterpieces
I am not a headphone nerd, but have been to a convention to hear "TOTL". Meh. But hell ya I would get them if i could. i meant meh, was like 5% improvement from dt880 which i use 99% of the time. Thank You
Reminds me when I got my first DT-48. After going around the city trying to find a DIN plug to make an adapter I finally got to try the legendary DT-48. What the hell was my first impressions. Something had to be wrong. After days of fiddling and mostly cleaning out the foam in the pads and finally just wore it. And well, except for the Stax SR-5 I was using regularly at the time, they remained my top headphones until I started going crazy on the stax. I do wonder though how they'll sound with proper leather ear-pads. I did shoot Dekoni a question if they have any earpads that will fit the DT-48