[Cruelhand Luke]

All cool cities have a "bike collective" where you can bring your bike to work on yourself, get a hand from the local experts and take advantage of the tools and knowledge base of the collective.
Head Fi has a Mod Collective now.
Please post any mods you have done to your headphones. In order to have the broadest reach to help the most people, we have very few restrictions: IEMs, no matter the brand, no matter how major or minor the modification, please share it here. It doesn't matter if the same mod on the same headphone has been posted, please post your personal take on it. The only requirements are:
1) tell us what you did, why you did it, and what were the results.
2) PICTURES or it didn't happen!
That's it.
I have found from reading countless tutorials that sometimes the same mod, explained in a different way, with different pictures will clarify things for me. I have also found quite often that the principles of sound reproduction are somewhat consistent, so a cable mod on an MDR7506 could work just as well on a Beyerdynamic. It doesn't make sense for tutorials with broad appeal to be buried within a model specific thread.
I would like to encourage anyone who has ever posted any kind of mod with pics, please go find it for us and just copy paste it here?
You're welcome in the Mod Collective even if you don't have a tutorial to post! This is a great place to wander in and say, "Hey, has anyone ever tried _______"
Hopefully over time there will be enough content that you will have already found the answer by using the search function yourself
Thanks for joining us, at the expense of opening a pandora's box, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or suggestions. @Cruelhand Luke

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Place holder:

 

[Pruikki]

Allrighty,This is cool!
i ordered new another KZ Zs3 (current one defective) and will do again the Foam removal thing

-Different types of tips
-Foam removal mod
-Something,what ever someone requests me to test.

Will Update this post with time.

UPDATE
ZS3 with above mods, makes them better, how?

-More clear,Closer,sharper,more pleasant
and thats just the foam removal from the inside
and the red mesh with the new bee big tips.

TL;DR -Yes, to mod ZS3 is worth it, also because easy to restore if not to your liking.

 

[ivo001]

@Slater This would be a nice place to collect all your KZ mods in.

 

[CoiL]

Will reserve this post for editing. Atm I`ll just post pics of my mods - will add descriptions later.

It all began long time ago because of Piston 2.1 nozzle foam mod....
In order of making history (newest is last):

#1

Spoiler: Click to view

#2

Spoiler: Click to view

#3

Spoiler: Click to view

#4

Spoiler: Click to view

#5

Spoiler: Click to view

#6

Spoiler: Click to view

#7

Spoiler: Click to view

#8

Spoiler: Click to view

#9

Spoiler: Click to view

#10

Spoiler: Click to view

#11

Spoiler: Click to view

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

I did a simple cosmetic mod on my KZ ES3. I'm not a fan of the font on the shell and the way it is written is odd, so it looks like the model is SE3...but it's stuck in your ear at an angle, so it kinda looks like 'sex'...anyway, not a fan so I took some:
1500 grit wet/dry sand paper and gently sanded the lettering away

. That's the whole write up for the mod...it looks like this now

 

[dhruvmeena96]

@Cruelhand Luke

I actually wanted some impression on KZ ES3 and its comparision to KZ ZST.

Because i have to get one, and some people say it is super bright, some say it is super dark.

So i can't think of the mod beforehand. And see i live in india, so expensive iem are cheaper compared to chinese.

KZ zs6 costs rs 8k here, which is 150$ and shure se215 cost rs 5k, which is 80$.


I will gladly put up a mod, but is it worth penny or is like super bright kz zst or a younger brother to kz zs6, zs5v2.

 

[dhruvmeena96]

Well TinAudio T2 modded.

Will upload pics soon(via friend's cam), as my cam is screwed.

Tape the front small vent with micropore and use spinfit cp240. Insert it deep(i mean deep) in your canal and here goes super iem.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

@Cruelhand Luke

I actually wanted some impression on KZ ES3 and its comparision to KZ ZST.

Because i have to get one, and some people say it is super bright, some say it is super dark.

So i can't think of the mod beforehand. And see i live in india, so expensive iem are cheaper compared to chinese.

KZ zs6 costs rs 8k here, which is 150$ and shure se215 cost rs 5k, which is 80$.


I will gladly put up a mod, but is it worth penny or is like super bright kz zst or a younger brother to kz zs6, zs5v2.

I think I follow what you are saying...when I get my ZST I will post comparisons with the ES3...it seems like more than a few people are looking for that comparison..??
As of right now I have ZS3 (meh) ZS5 and ES3 ...I respect the ZS5 a lot, I think it has potential, but I need to tune it..it sounds kind of off to me. Whereas the ES3 is ..right now? love . it's the closest thing I have in an IEM to my Fidelio L2s...the Fiedelios are SO good, but I live in a beach town and I didn't always feel good about taking them out (I mean, what kind of a lunatic goes out on a zodiac chasing otters wearing Fidelios? that's just dumb.) I was hoping to get an IEM that would give me a similar sound...so far it is the ES3...they sound good with most of my music, the bass is deep and fun when it needs to be...I'd like a tiny more detail and clarity...but that's me TRYING to find something to not like....
but, for ten bucks?...so far a knockout. I'll let you know how the ZST compares

 

[Slater]

@Cruelhand Luke

I actually wanted some impression on KZ ES3 and its comparision to KZ ZST.

Because i have to get one, and some people say it is super bright, some say it is super dark.

So i can't think of the mod beforehand. And see i live in india, so expensive iem are cheaper compared to chinese.

KZ zs6 costs rs 8k here, which is 150$ and shure se215 cost rs 5k, which is 80$.


I will gladly put up a mod, but is it worth penny or is like super bright kz zst or a younger brother to kz zs6, zs5v2.

$150usd for ZS6? Wow that's crazy

 

[B9Scrambler]

Spoiler

My old ED9 "Blue" mod. With the brass filters you peeled the inner paper filter back a bit so the hole it was covering was open, toss in a square of porous blue foam (dentist's foam in this case) and throw on some Huawei tips from the AM12. If I recall correctly, this mod softened the treble peaks and lowered mid-bass making the ED9's brass filters more neutral-ish.

 

[dhruvmeena96]

@Otto Motor

I did your Santa mod on my brainwavz jive(but inside nozzle and no beard) covered it with stock nylon cover.

Ohh my mother god....

First of all, their is no venting on iem, so it isolates crazy.

Second, man the soundstage hit me like a bus.

Imaging, mid detail increased...


Jive now sounds like flagship phone on 70% volume on my phone...


This is crazy.


And then I used comply foam which was free with it.


Depth hit me like truck. Bass improved overall and more relaxed slam and I can go with them for hours.

Sound is faster than blitzwolf modded and more neutralish than fostex te02 mod.

 

[Slater]

So I have seen people ask for this info in the past, and thought I would share it...

"How do I remove the words/text/label/logo from my IEM?"

For example:

​

Sometimes you can use solvents - acetone, denatured alcohol, lacquer thinner, etc. That doesn't always work though. And often it can 'melt' the plastic, 'craze' or cloud the finish, etc. In addition, if any gets into a vent hole or the nozzle it can ruin the IEM.

You could also wet sand it, but that’s messy, slow, works best for totally flat surfaces, and like the solvent I don’t want to risk getting liquid in a vent hole or the nozzle and ruining my IEM.

Well, the following is the method I now use, and it is far faster and easier than trying different solvents or wet sanding. It works perfectly every time, and does not risk damaging the finish like some solvents can do.

I borrowed the idea from how many of the faceplates on many CEIMs are finished. Ever wondered how they get the faceplates to look so shiny and glassy smooth? Well, this is how many of the builders do it.

​

What you do is get a collection of the rectangular 'sanding blocks' used to finish nails. They have a stiff sponge core, with a sandpaper-like gritty material bonded to the outside of the sponge. The sponge is stiff enough to allow them to be easily held and used, and soft enough to allow them to conform to the curves of IEMs. Most measure ~1.5x1.5" wide, with an overall length of ~4" long.

You can get them from a local beauty supply store (I got mine from a nationwide chain of stores called Sally's Beauty Supply). You can also order them on Amazon, ebay, and Aliexpress, etc. Your significant other may already have some (just ask). You could also walk into any nail salon or full service spa type place and nicely ask (they'll probably give you some old ones for free).

Anyways, they are available in various grits, like sandpaper. I got a coarse grit (usually white), a medium grit (almost always yellow), a fine grit (black), and a 'buff and shine block'. The Buff and Shine blocks are double sided, with 1 side an ultra fine (grey on mine) and the other side a final buffing side (white on mine). They are incredibly cheap - all of mine were $1.20 each, and the Buff and Shine block was under $3. They are 1/3 of that on Aliexpress! They last a long time and can be used on numerous IEMs, so it is a cheap investment. The soft plastic dust can be blown/washed/cleaned out of the pores, making them able to theoretically last forever.

Here's what they look like (from left to right - coarse, medium, fine, buffing side of the buffing block);

​

Here's the ultra-fine side of the buffing block:

​

To use them all you do is hold the IEM in 1 hand (I leave a silicone eartip on so it is easy to hold), and gently sand the face plate like you are filing fingernails. Very little pressure is needed. You start with the coarse grit (until the writing is completely removed), then move to finer and finer grits (medium, fine, ultra-fine). Any dust can be blown off with your mouth, or canned air, or you can even just wipe the dust off with a soft cloth/your shirt/etc. Finally, you finish it with the buffing side. The result will be a glassy smooth and crystal clear finish. The total process takes about 5 minutes per IEM.

Here's what the KZ ZST looked like in-progress (I think this was when I was down to the fine grit (ie the 3rd out of 5th step):

​

Here's the final result, after buffing with the buff side of the block:

​

Here's a side-by-side comparison, showing the dramatic difference achieved from those last few steps:

​

Once I was done with the KZ ZST, I went ahead and busted out a pair of KZ ZS3:

​

This method is ideal for other plastic IEMs like the KZ ZSR, ES3, ES4, ED12, ED16, ATE, ATR, QKZ KD4, iRock i8, NiceHCK Bro, and hundreds of others. The IEM doesn't even have to be transparent. It works just as well on solid-colored IEMs, like the white/black/red ZSR (and my glossy black ZS3).

I would NOT do it to any IEM that has any sort of coating (rubberized or anti-sweat 'nano' coatings). I would also not use this method on painted IEMs (like the original silver-painted KZ ATE). Nor the original ZS3 with the matte finish. Also, like any mod, I am not responsible in any way for YOUR actions and YOUR gear.

Here's a sad fact - a number of IEMs (like some KZ models) have the text printed sideways and even upside-down (on every one, not a QC fluke). Why I have no idea, as it looks dumb IMO (who OKs these decisions?!?)

​

My final piece of advice specifically pertains to IEMs that have the words "Left" and "Right" printed on them (like the ZS3 and ZSR for example). Once you remove the text, it becomes harder to tell the sides apart. In that case I simply use the sharp point of something like a tungsten carbide scribe, scratch awl, the tip of a sewing needle, etc and scratch/etch and small "L" and "R" on each earpiece in an inconspicuous place. On some IEMs, there is already a tiny L/R printed on the earpiece in another spot (usually right by the cable). Therefore, you only need to do this step on IEMs that don't have any channel identifiers located anywhere else.

Here's an example of the "R" I added to the KZ ZST (small and very inconspicuous, but large enough to see when I look for it):

​

Enjoy!

 

[dhruvmeena96]

So I have seen people ask for this info in the past, and thought I would share it...

"How do I remove the words/text/label from my IEM?"

For example:

​

Sometimes you can use solvents - acetone, denatured alcohol, lacquer thinner, etc. That doesn't always work though. And often it can 'melt' the plastic, 'craze' or cloud the finish, etc. In addition, if any gets into a vent hole or the nozzle it can ruin the IEM.

Well, this is the method I now use, and it is far faster and easier than trying different solvents. It works perfectly every time, and does not risk damaging the finish like some solvents can do.

I borrowed the idea from how the faceplates on CEIMs are finished. Ever wondered how they get the faceplates to look to shiny and good? Well, this is how.

​

What you do is get a collection of the rectangular 'sanding blocks' used to finish nails. They have a stiff sponge core, with a sandpaper-like gritty material bonded to the outside of the sponge. The sponge is stiff enough to allow them to be easily held and used, and soft enough to allow them to conform to the curves of IEMs. Most measure ~1.5x1.5" wide, with an overall length of ~4" long.

You can get them from a local beauty supply store (I got mine from a nationwide chain of stores called Sally's Beauty Supply). You can also order them on Amazon, ebay, (probably) Aliexpress, etc. Your significant other may already have some (just ask). You could also walk into any nail salon or full service spa type place and nicely ask (they'll probably give you some old ones for free).

Anyways, they are available in various grits, like sandpaper. I got a coarse grit (usually white), a medium grit (almost always yellow), a fine grit (black), and a 'buff and shine block'. The Buff and Shine blocks are double sided, with 1 side an ultra fine (grey on mine) and the other side a final buffing side (white on mine). They are incredibly cheap - all of mine were $1.20 each, and the Buff and Shine block was under $3. They last a long time and can be used on numerous IEMs, so it is a cheap investment. The soft plastic dust can be blown/washed/cleaned out of the pores, making them able to theoretically last forever.

Here's what they look like (from left to right - coarse, medium, fine, buffing side of the buffing block);

​

Here's the ultra-fine side of the buffing block:

​

To use them all you do is hold the IEM in 1 hand (I leave a silicone eartip on so it is easy to hold), and gently sand the face plate like you are filing fingernails. Very little pressure is needed. You start with the coarse grit (until the writing is completely removed), then move to finer and finer grits (medium, fine, ultra-fine). Any dust can be blown off with your mouth, or canned air, or you can even just wipe the dust off with a soft cloth/your shirt/etc. Finally, you finish it with the buffing side. The result will be a glassy smooth and crystal clear finish. The total process takes about 5 minutes per IEM.

Here's what the KZ ZST looked like in-progress (I think this was when I was down to the fine grit (ie the 3rd out of 5th step):

​

Here's the final result, after buffing with the buff side of the block:

​

Here's a side-by-side comparison, showing the dramatic difference achieved from those last few steps:

​

Once I was done with the KZ ZST, I went ahead and busted out a pair of KZ ZS3:

​

This method would also ideal for IEMs like the KZ ZSR, ED12, ED16, ATE, ATR, QKZ KD4, iRock i8, NiceHCK Bro, and hundreds of others. In fact, a number of KZ models have the text printed sideways and even upside-down (on every one, not a QC fluke). Why I have no idea, as it looks dumb IMO (who OKs these decisions?!?)

​

My only other piece of advice would be on IEMs that have the words "Left" and "Right" printed on them (like the ZS3 and ZSR for example). Once you remove the text, it becomes harder to tell the sides apart. In that case I simply use the sharp point of something like a tungsten carbide scribe, scratch awl, the tip of a sewing needle, etc and scratch/etch and small "L" and "R" on each earpiece in an inconspicuous place. On some IEMs, there is already a tiny L/R printed on the earpiece in another spot (usually right by the cable). Therefore, you only need to do this step on IEMs that don't have any channel identifiers located anywhere else.

Here's an example of the "R" I added to the KZ ZST (small and very inconspicuous, but large enough to see when I look for it):

​

Enjoy!

Yeah, woooohooo we have slater mod(even if it is cosmetic one).


Well @Slater , you know @bluemonkeyflyer

This guy is messiah of modding, and I think he should join both of the headphone and iem thread to give us pointers.


His work actually started the whole t50rp modding mania.

 

[CoiL]

Will reserve this post for editing. Atm I`ll just post pics of my mods - will add descriptions later.

It all began long time ago because of Piston 2.1 nozzle foam mod....
In order of making history (newest is last):

#1

Spoiler: Click to view

#2

Spoiler: Click to view

#3

Spoiler: Click to view

#4

Spoiler: Click to view

#5

Spoiler: Click to view

#6

Spoiler: Click to view

#7

Spoiler: Click to view

#8

Spoiler: Click to view

#9

Spoiler: Click to view

#10

Spoiler: Click to view

#11

Spoiler: Click to view

Adding Mod #12 (iBasso IT01):

Spoiler: iBasso IT01 mod