where can i get drivers for homemade headphones?

[jason41987]

well... i decided im going to make my own pair of headphones/headset... this way, i can have all the features i want together in something on the inexpensive side, but more importantly, made out of some durable hearing protection earmuffs.... theyre less likely to break, and if they ever do, i can just put the guts into a new frame
 
so..im going to start out with some hearing protection ear muffs, probably mount speakers to a flat piece of plastic, and epoxy-glue some points inside the earmuffs which will allow me to screw a flat plate into which will hold the speaker... itll have a detachable cord on the left ear piece, a four-pole jack, a 3.5mm microphone jack so it can be used as a headset as well..
 
anyway, i need to find speakers... if i can get high quality replacement drivers i could hot-glue them to the screw-in platform... so im looking for a source and recommendations for high quality drivers
 
kind of undecided between 40mm and 50mm... but leaning more towards 40... i tried headphones with 50mm drivers and i could hear the bass a lot more, but at a sacrafice to the high notes... 30mm drivers used on the on-ear headphones lose too much base and the 40mm drivers seem to be a good compromise of both so thats why im leaning towards that
 
so.. suggestions?

 

[eltocliousus]

You could get a pair of headphones that are easily modified and on the cheap, Fostex T50RPs come to mind but theyre planar magnetic, quite easy to rip the insides out though and mount them in earmuffs for example, and they're a long standing with the T50RPs therefore you'd have a very easy asking for advice on altering the sound and whatnot.

 

[jason41987]

not sure if anyone cares... but these wont be typical noise isolating headphones people make out of these.. in fact, i do not like noise isolating headphones.. they allow no pressure to freely move, and the music then gives me a headache.... besides, i like to hear whats going on around me.... so, im going to decide on a symbol or pattern to cut into the cans of the earmuffs, and on the inside ill epoxy-glue some foam or a wire mesh and make these "open back" style headphones

 

[jason41987]

hmm, any way i can get the speakers alone?.. would be a lot cheaper then

 

[RushNerd]

Dude, I would still go with T50RPs. I see no reason you couldn't transform them into stellar open headphones. They are cheap and a fantastic product with a great modding community.
 
I've only owned the mad dog mod of them, but I wouldn't say they give that fatiguing sound you speak of, they are pretty darn smooth.

 

[jackwess]

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hmm, any way i can get the speakers alone?.. would be a lot cheaper then

 
I doubt this. The only way is to cannibalize headphones. 

 

[Ishcabible]

If I recall correctly, buying the drivers straight from Fostex costs about as much as a new pair itself.
 
Typically, if you contact a company, they'd be willing to sell you drivers. I know Beyerdynamic and Audio Technica do for sure (W5000 drivers are $60 each for example). 

 

[jason41987]

so what makes the t50rp so great?.. what makes them different than other high end headphones for the same price and performance?

 

[eltocliousus]

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so what makes the t50rp so great?.. what makes them different than other high end headphones for the same price and performance?

 
They're not high-end ($80-120) yet perform as if they were worth four times that price with a bit of modification, only downside is they sound best with quite a bit of juice so amplification is very recommended.

 

[jason41987]

the issue i have is that most headphones wont fit my enormous head comfortably... so im always reluctant to spend a lot on headphone

 

[ValeTudoGuy]

I wouldn't bother, my brother in law gave me some Sony DJ headphones with 50mmdrivers that had snapped at the headband.
Long story short, I get Peltor's free from work so the drivers found their way into a pair....... Crap........ Total and utter crap! Where the hell did the bass go? Even worse why does the treble sound so muddy?

Fun project, but i suspect your not going to end up with something to seriously listen to music with.

Put it this way, I got my sister some Sennheiser HD201's as stocking fillers last crimbo and for all of about £18 they pi$$ all over the Frankenphone Peltors.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

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well... i decided im going to make my own pair of headphones/headset... this way, i can have all the features i want together in something on the inexpensive side... itll have a detachable cord on the left ear piece, a four-pole jack, a 3.5mm microphone jack so it can be used as a headset as well..
 

 
Depending on what drivers you use, this might not be ideal. Headsets may not generally sound that great, but the thing is the drivers are normally chosen for better sensitivity and low enough impedance. When you have a 4-pole jack, it'll be for use mostly on smartphones and other mobile devices, like tablets, and if you're using drivers that may need an amp, you'll end up plugging l that into the same jack on the amp, and perhaps exempting soundcards with a better amplification circuit, I don't think there are any amps that integrate the wiring for the microphone. Even some soundcards/motherboards still have them separate. If however your goal is to use it more with a smartphone and maybe protable, rather than home listening and occasionally using it on online games, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
 
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something on the inexpensive side...anyway, i need to find speakers... if i can get high quality replacement drivers i could hot-glue them to the screw-in platform... so im looking for a source and recommendations for high quality drivers
 
kind of undecided between 40mm and 50mm... but leaning more towards 40... i tried headphones with 50mm drivers and i could hear the bass a lot more, but at a sacrafice to the high notes... 30mm drivers used on the on-ear headphones lose too much base and the 40mm drivers seem to be a good compromise of both so thats why im leaning towards that
 
so.. suggestions?

 
This may not be as cheap as you might think. Sennheiser sells replacement drivers of their HD580/600/650 (and maybe the similar chassis HDxxx cans), or at least these are the ones you easily find listed on their website,but I think they're are $60+ each. They come mounted on the plastic baffle but you can transplant them, just need to remove them properly. Unlike speakers, they're glued, not screwed, so it'll take a lot more than a screwdriver.
 
You could try Grado drivers though. Heck, if you can work wood, I suggest you start out with a Grado to begin with, instead of ear muffs, since you can keep the headphones open-back. You already start out with a sturdy enough headband, then make a chassis using wood, following the basic shape but modding them in some key areas, like making them bigger to use full-size earpads from other manufacturers like Beyerdynamic (and they have gel pads too); through this and other design mods you can increase the distance between your ears and the drivers; maybe make the chamber longer; and adding your provisions for a microphone.

 

[wolfetan44]

You can buy HD650 or HD600 drivers.

 

[laon]

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You can buy HD650 or HD600 drivers.

where, how and how much?

 

[wolfetan44]

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You can buy HD650 or HD600 drivers.

where, how and how much?

From Sennheiser, not sure. Something like $120 for both.