[Gluegun]

Why do my headphones have rattles? A creased diaphragm, right? But...all of my good headphones, KSC-35's, KSC-50's, SR-60's, DT-831's, occassionally suffer from a rattle whenever some deep, loud BASS is played. And it's only in one channel.

If I give the driver in question a solid *THWACK* the problem goes away, but I'd like it to go away permanantly. Especially with my DT831's....

 

[Xander]

I think this is due to the fact that the diaphragm is very small, along with the voice coil, making it extremely hard to allign perfectly. Even my AKGs with really low loud bass make noises, especially while running straight frequencies in the 25hz range at a high output level. My AKG's diaphragms are very thick and solid, so theyre definatly not "creased" or deformed in any way. The only explanation I can think of is some slight voice coil rub...

 

[chych]

Hm, just a warning gluegun, that 'grattle' you speak of was the reason I destroyed my DT-831s... though I haven't noticed with any other phone of mine...

 

[Tomcat]

This grattle could be a problem with the electronics, though. The more thoroughly warmed my Earmax Pro is, the less the danger of low bass grattle. After two or three hours of heating up, the bass just seems to tighten, and the dampening seems to improve.

Gluegun, just think about it: it's only in one channel and it's there with ALL you headphones. This indicates, that the explanation is to be found somewhere else, I'd say. It could even be your source.

 

[Matt]

...apply only to Grados, being a combination of "Grado" and "rattle"?

- Matt

 

[Wes]

Hey, Gluegun:

I've got to agree with Tomcat. It's not really likely that all your headphones are failing in the same way with all kinds of recordings in only one channel. The signal source is one possibility, for sure, but--ouch!--it could also be your ears.

At times, especially when I've got a headcold--now, for example--I get a rattle of sorts on loud passages in the mid- and upper ranges, never in the bass.

Have you tried reversing the cans to see if the problem migrates with them? I believe that there is some (relatively) harmless ear condition that has this effect. Could even be earwax, I suppose.

Good luck tracking this down.

 

[Gluegun]

No, it switches channels sometimes.....

 

[Tomcat]

I guess Wes could be right. This might be some harmonic resonance effect in the ear, as well. Gluegun, is this effect as pronounced when you reverse the phones? It would support Wes's theory if it wasn't.

 

[Tim D]

I doubt it is signal source, headphones, or ears...

Do you always use the TA?

Maybe the TA is clipping. But you would probably need to be pushing out overly loud volumes to do so.

The TA has loads of gain...I suppose to counteract the wimpy line-outs that people may find on things like MD players. Even on a panasonic however, I felt there wasn't a whole lot of usable thumb screw control for volume especially for any sensitive headphone.

The TA tries very hard to work with a wide range of portables, and a very wide range of headphones, using only 2 AA's. I would say that for the most part it excels at this very amazing feat, but sometimes gives...I could easily clip it on an AKG with the right music for example. Actually however, give the TA heavy bass sections on a current loving headphone at moderate volumes and I bet you could do the same thing.

Or you could be listening too loud. You can actually thwap the Beyer diapghram against the earcup casing from loud volumes of bass...but guess what...yes its most likely a stupidly loud volume.

 

[Gluegun]

I don't listen too loud, generally....

MIGHT be the TA, I dunno.

 

[Tim D]

Well like I said, the TA I had which was supposedly the last publically announced revision, had a bit too much gain with a portable and even the not highly sensative Ety4S. As in, I remember the volume thumb screw having three rotations. And I was comfortable with only the FIRST rotation up to 1 1/2 rotations. AKG501 was something that needed more...and the TA can do the job, but it was clear that at around 1 1/2 rotations (midway volume), it could easily clip on bass heavy sections.

Bass sucks out a lot of power from the amp. I didn't really like the limited volume usage on the TA...but I could also totally understand that MD line-outs are much weaker than even the Panasonics...and that there are plenty of cans that are much worse in sensitivity than even Ety4S...and that some people like it loud.