Wowza!Bass looks fine to me. I think it was smart using the thick pads. Headphones are coupled dependent. I was thinking replacing my shure 840 pads with some omegas or something one day but probably never gonna get around doing it.
But as I feared, the small driver doesn't like pushing bass in an OB.
What damping scheme did you go for?You have to dampen the driver quite tightly. I used a layer of felt, topped with some damping paper and another layer of foam that keeps the damping felt/paper pressed against the driver.
I have been testing pads extensively, and as all of you know the pads make a huge difference.Have you played with the Shure alcantara pads?
Have you played with the Shure alcantara pads?No, I haven't.
So, since there's a whole industry of modded closed T50RPs, any chance that someone will sell something like this?In my opinion there is nothing you can recommend as unequivocally as a (used) HD600. In fact it has been my reference headphone for quite some time now and I always find myself trying to tune my headphones to its sound signature. As for an open T50, there are hours and hours of work involved and I doubt - if you do that on a small scale - that they could be sold as cheap as a (used) Hd600. Sonically my open T50RPs are a step ahead of my HD600, comfort is better with the Senns though.
Although, after mods, done in small quantities, it could end up in HD600 price territory. Does it have any advantages over those?
You have to dampen the driver quite tightly. I used a layer of felt, topped with some damping paper and another layer of foam that keeps the damping felt/paper pressed against the driver.
The pads are essential. I have been testing pads extensively, and as all of you know the pads make a huge difference. Those who say this isn't so should see the wildly different frequency response plots when you swap pads (see attached pic of alpha pads on the same setup) I always start with pad rolling to see which pad has the best potential for the driver. The secret is synergy. Synergy between driver plus pads plus enclosure. Damping will do the rest of what is possible within this combination.
Strato: Have you tried these pads with a closed mod?Yes I did, I am enclosing a quick comparison of the FR curves. The closed version was not bad, and I am sure that one could straighten out the FR curve of the closed version with some effort. It's just that I wanted to try an open setup.
Very nice work! Ishcabible was trying to help someone in Boston (?) with a similar project. Both of us thought it was pretty unlikely to sound decent. What damping scheme did you go for?
I can't wait till Marv or Tyll measures TH500RP and puts that thread out of its solitary misery.
I just used some enclosures I had lying around. The baffle is solid wood, without any vent or port. I am using a modded pad, though. It seems to work with the closed T50RPs too.
Recently I bought a used Mayflower T50RP, which sounded and measured horrible btw. I left the damping untouched, just applied my pad and the attached pic shows how it measures compared to my open T50.
Yellow is open T50, red is closed Mayflower. Both setups use the 'StratoPad'.
Did you notice a significant change in clarity/imaging/sound stage between the open t50rp and the mayflower with the same pads?
Do you plan on parting with the secrets to your pad mod? 8)
Is your last iteration based on the HM5 pleathers?
No, I prefer the velour pads. The highs are smoother with them.
Nice, did you spend a lot of time tuning the open-cell foam vs felt thickness on your new pads?, is it critical for balanced response?If you have this sound-leaking felt ring between baffle and pad, you have to adjust the damping behind the driver to achieve a good balance. If you dampen your driver tightly, this may result in elevated highs. Then you can try to bring down the FR curve from 3 - 10 kHz with a layer of foam in the pad bottom. I tested/measured the effect of several materials and foam (like the one in a Grado S-cush) does the job best.
In your last iteration are you still using that foam donut on the 'ear side' of the pad?