[Bigrock2150]

Hi frank,
 
In order for the w5000 pads to fit you'll need a 4in circular shape. The stock t50rp shape is oval so I don't think they'll fit properly. 
 
To answer your other question, No. The W5000 pads don't have any humps that I know of. They are indeed leather, I'm unsure if they are lambskin but the person from AudioTechnica that I spoke with said that they were a made of a special leather from Japan. They certainly feel like lambskin to me but they could just be regular ole' cow hide. 

 

[joelpearce]

I've redampened mine with the stock pads.
 
Currently, I have the gaps in the baffle loaded with some blu-tack for mass.  I put a thick but light foam behind the driver, and removed the fabric in front of the driver.
 
They sound fantastic.  They are brighter without being harsh, still have enough bass, and are starting to get those sweet ortho mids.
 
I'm hoping that proper damping with the wood enclosure will bring out the bass while maintaining the current mids and highs, but if I never got around to finishing the thunderpants, I'd still be totally happy with them as they are.  They get plenty of head time.
 
Just make sure you have an amp with enough juice to make 'em sing.

 

[ujamerstand]

The main idea is to mass load the enclosure and baffle to kill resonances from the driver. So yeah, you can take the stock cup, fill it up with tack, dynamat, whatever, do the same with the baffle, and follow the damping scheme in this thread. In the end you'll get something that's much improved.
 
Edit: Joel beat me to it.

 

[leeperry]

One of my most hardcore test tunes for headphones is "The Stranglers - Golden Brown"....it sounds so natural on the t50rp drivers, a real treat. Harpsichord on headphones usually sounds muffled and metallic/resonant IME.
 
The Snatch OST has a lot of great tracks to test headphones like the contrabass intro of the diamond tune, or the inverted kick drum of "disco science". Both sound eye popping on a modded t50rp.

 

[frank2908]

Quote:

Hi frank,
 
In order for the w5000 pads to fit you'll need a 4in circular shape. The stock t50rp shape is oval so I don't think they'll fit properly. 
 
To answer your other question, No. The W5000 pads don't have any humps that I know of. They are indeed leather, I'm unsure if they are lambskin but the person from AudioTechnica that I spoke with said that they were a made of a special leather from Japan. They certainly feel like lambskin to me but they could just be regular ole' cow hide. 

thanks bigrock. I would make an adapter for the w5000 pads using boilermakerfans method. since you've mention it, does the t50rp has any weird shape that even a DIY pad adapter wouldn't fit? And making the wooden cup just improve the bass?
thanks

 

 

[Bigrock2150]

I think an adapter should work fine, the shape of the t50rp isn't weird or anything it's just not circular. 
 
I think that question might be better directed Sachu or somebody more experienced with both the Thunderpants and a modded T50rp. I've had little experience with the stock t50rp so I couldn't really tell you of the differences.
 
I would think that the dampening would help with 75% of the sound and the wood cups (making it into a complete closed headphone) would help with the other 25% and Bass. But I'm not too sure. 

 

[dBel84]

The modded stock housing just doesn't get to where you want it. They are very linear but never carry the weight or scale of the TPs ..dB

 

[sachu]

^^ what the doctor said x2

 

[mmayer167]

got bored between class today so im posting the picts of the recable. things went smoothly except for the braid... oh well. I like the bare wire look but something about that dang blue just doesn't work

. i'll be looking into some dhc or other bare wire sometime this winter because it would look way better imo.( and most likely sound better.) this works great for now. oh almost forgot, its mogami 2534 neglex quad cable, and a neutrik plug. Sonically it sounds basically the same as the stock hd600 cable i had in before...
 
I have a little dot 1+ on its way with the base tubes, i have some ef92's and we408a on the way as well, and a bb2107 op amp to try and match with the TP. I'll give a brief word or two on that combo with the TP if anyone is looking for a hybrid for their tp. This might work well

 
Best, M
 

 

 

 

[NapalmK]

Bigrock, could you give a quick comparison between the AD2000 and Thunderpants please? It's going to be a little while before I can start this project and it'd be nice to have something to tide me over.

 

[Bigrock2150]

Sure, I can do that. I'm not to good with comparisons but I'll give it a shot.
 
Just give me a few and I'l test with a variety of different genres and come up with an overall overview. 
 
I have a feeling that they match up well against each other since the both have heavy emphasis on mids. 
 

 

[Bigrock2150]

Geez what to say about the two... 
 
They share similar characteristics surprisingly, The Ad200 almost sounds like a "half brother" to the Thunderpants. 
 
The Thunderpants beats the Ad2000 in just about every characteristic but the Ad2000 faired well against the mighty TP. I like to think of the Ad2000 as a ninja and the Thunderpants as a Samurai. 
 
The Ad200 is lighter, quicker, and punchier and the Thunderpants is stronger and uses more impact with each strike.
 
Anyway on to comparisons that actually make sense...
 
 
Bass: Thunderpants wins in quality and quantity without a doubt. But interestingly enough, I found the bass on the Ad2000 to sound similar but just with less impact.
 
Mids: Here is where things get interesting, I think it comes down to matter of preference. If you like airy open mids the Ad2000 is a winner, if you more enjoy the closed thicker and more impactful mids the Thunderpants would be a clear winner. For me, It's tough to decide which one I more enjoy. I feel that some songs complement airy open headphones and others complement the closed better. 
 
Highs: The Thunderpants is a clear winner here, Sometimes the ad2000 can sound slightly sibilant due to its extreme detail. I find this to be a problem with most open headphones. The Thunderpants is just smoother and more laid back, allowing the Highs to be less harsh.  
 
Soundstage: Obviously the Ad2000 is the victor here, but not by much. The Ad2000 is known for its up front mids and slightly recessed soundstage. I thought the TP's did well in this department but if was just well for closed headphone standards. 
 
Side Notes: The Thunderpants have this amazing ability that produces mindblowing sound with Live recordings. I've said it a few times on this thread but I really can't say it enough. On a nicely recorded live song the TP's just sing. Overall I'd pick the Thunderpants over an Ad2000 anytime, except for Classical. For me, I really need that open airy sound when I'm listening to something with a lot of instruments. 
 
Honestly I liked my Bass light version a little more than my Bass heavy that I have now. It just sounded better overall, the only thing it lacked was Bass impact. The bass was much like the bass in the Ad2000, so it wasn't bad, just not that of an average "Thunderpants standard".
 
My god that was a terrible review but hopefully that will tide you off for now Napalm. 

 

[momomo6789]

just buy another run of mogami and braid the 4 copper wires together.

 

[Epoch]

All of this talk of these cans has gotten me interested in making my own Thunderpants.  I have a T50RP on order with a local music store, and I am just tracking somebody down to turn the wood enclosures.  A local wood dealer might be getting me a piece of Ipe to use for this purpose, otherwise I have to track down something else to use.
 
I have read through a bunch of the thread but between this and the Orthodynamic Roundup thread its a little bit daunting to gather all of the information I need.  I will probably buy W5000 pads as I really don't want to spend the extra on a set of Stax O2 pads.
 
My questions are as follows:
Is there a large benefit to using the UHMW polyethylene as a baffle instead of wood?  I will track it down if its worth it, I just haven't started looking yet.
I am a little unclear on the mounting of the driver on the baffle, I am not sure what materials are supposed to go between the baffle and the driver aside from some foam for better seating.
 
In return for any assistance, I promise to post any pictures I take of my build.
 
Thanks

 

[Bigrock2150]

@Epoch Any kind of strong adhesive will work to attach the driver to the baffle. I literally just used CA glue to bond the two together. 
 
I think Smeggy is the only one who could answer your question about the baffle material differences with certainty. Honestly I think it wouldn't make any musical difference what material you use.
 
The plastic might be a little lighter in weight though. The Thunderpants can get a little heavy after all the wood and leather (especially with exotic hardwoods) so Plastic would certainly help take off some of that weight.