How are using âdynamicâ? Does that refer to the sound/music definition of difference between loud and quiet? Or is it that T50âs are planars that sound like dynamic driver headphones?
The âdynamicsâ of the sound - in this case meaning difference between loud and quiet - arenât the problem I noticed when the Blues are underpowered. When I was experimenting with them, powering them with a Fiio K3 - good sounding little amp, but not a powerful one - the biggest issue was the sound was muddy and sloppy, particularly in the bass and mid-bass, and lacking in instrument separation. The Atom got significantly more out them, but the Magni gave them their clearest, âeasiestâ sound. The Atom definitely improved the overall sound, decreasing the muddy/sloppiness and increasing instrument separation, but still maintaining some of those sonic flaws when compared to the Magni.
I asked the question about your meaning of âdynamicâ because my hypothesis is that the power-hungriness comes from the fact that their small-ish planar drivers end up adopting some impedance properties similar to that of dynamic drivers. Namely, in comparison with larger planars their impedance is much less even across the frequency range, causing them to behave more like how a dynamic driverâs impedance changes with frequency. Adding more amplifier power means adding more current which means more force to control the driver. Once the driver is more controlled, the sound is cleaner.
And maybe thatâs a bunch more than 20 characters saying the same thing you just did? But I agree with your assessment that they are good sounding cans - once you get them properly powered.
A good amp can offer better speed and control, and therefore enhance other aspects. It can also even out the frequency response by providing adequate power to all ranges.
So, you get better sub-bass with this⊠âmodâ (I donât even think I dare to call this a mod⊠but huh, thatâs a modification). Which adds much-needed warmth to this⊠Japanese mech / cold precision machine.
You also get to hear the mids, finally. Because the plateau isnât there anymore, stealing the show.
You still get clarity with this modification, I mean hell, dare I say twice the detail?! Because you finally hear the mids, and the plateau is not entirely gone, thereâs still a 9-10khz peak. And I swear just doing this stupid thing adds soundstage and air to T50RPs.
If youâre more into the 100hz âknockâ, which may be what people call planar (kick) slam, you may not want to do this. This makes T50RPs more neutral, harman neutral in the sub-bass region. But some will see this as added muddiness, changing âkicksâ into âboomsâ. But youâll hear the bassist in Metallicaâs Kill em All.
Anyway, try it, itâs free, and seriously, itâs like having brand new headphones for free. Itâs a BIG change!
Edit: This makes these⊠âU-shapedâ. You get muddy sub-bass (100hz and lower) and sibilance (10khz range peak). So, unless you only listen to music at low volume, donât do this.
I literally just took the foam and turned it 45 degrees, âhidingâ the four corners of the planar driver. And just this thing got rid of the 4-to-8khz plateau (high frequencies), because T50RPs are far from neutral, even with Shure 840 pads (yes, I said they were studio-ready a few weeks ago in this damn thread. I changed my mind apparently⊠perfectionism â Iâm also treble-sensitive and got tired of the treble boost⊠I thought the JDS Labs Atom would fix all my problems, but it did not).
Iâm waiting for someone to tell me itâs the worst idea ever (itâs my first ever mod), and talks about distortion etc⊠but my ears could finally enjoy music⊠for a few hours. Because this makes these⊠âU-shapedâ. You get muddy sub-bass (100hz and lower) and sibilance (10khz range peak). So, unless you only listen to music at low volume, donât do this.
Edit: Itâs a 4-to-8khz plateau to my ears⊠Sorry. In many graphs itâs a⊠huh⊠4khz-to-12khz mountain peaking at 10khz.
-Hiding, like, 3 millimeters from the top and rear of the driver, gets rid of the 4khz-to-8khz plateau, so theyâre more neutral (Harman neutral) now. Thatâs my goal.
-Cutting the foam at the front also adds âfrontâ soundstage, I think!
-Cutting the foam at the bottom definitely gets rid of the muddiness. Even at dangerous, dangerous volumes. Planar bass/kick slam is back.
(And yeah, I also have HD58Xs. Thatâs what I used for comparison â I love these.)
Like, 24 hours after I bought T50RPs you ask me âwhatâs your next planarâ and now you ask me âwhatâs your next modâ
Currently enjoying âJazz at the pawnshopâ I just bought (flac) with these. I just⊠could not enjoy jazz with these before. They sounded way too clear, bright, analytical, precise, mechanical, etc. Now they just sound⊠great. More or less, as neutral cough natural-sounding as my HD58Xs, but with a 10khz-ish peak I think (canât do a frequency response graph, sorry). And now, my T50RPs got greater high-treble extension too (air!).
Iâm just speechless. Because of this stupid free and five-second mod I swear I hear twice the detail. And twice the soundstage. From my Denon AVR which is not a clean source. And I can use these in the studio now. âŠfucking hell, lol.
I definitely wonât mod my HD58Xs⊠heh.
And my HD280 Pros are a lost cause, zero detail compared to these. Still excellent for monitoring though.
I wasnât expecting to mod these at all, I just underestimated what the 5dB bump would do to my treble-sensitive ears. I remembered having a crappy bluetooth speaker with black tape on it to quell the highs (lol!), looked at my T50RPs and went âhmmâ, and there you go. No tape involved for my Fostex lol.
I just deleted one or two messages (and pictures) because there was too much conflicting infos and too much mistakes were made. Also clarified my mod(s) in the last message (see what I replied to). What I wrote makes sense now, lol.
Had a pair of t50rp mk3âs for a little while now, and I REALLY like them. They are so different from anything Iâve ever heard. Their soundstage surrounds you and the imaging is the best Iâve ever heard. It does have a big bump in midbass and mids in general, then I feel like it spikes a little in the upper mid-range and then drops off from there. I tried using the Shure 840 pads and the headphones just became a mess. Bass was out of control and bloated, and I didnât hear any sort of highs or imaging whatsoever. What I ended up doing what taking rolled up toilet paper under the stock pads and it fixed the comfort. It sounds identical with a little more soundstage compared to stock. I have some planned mods for it. I have the Mayflower mod kit coming with the baffle upgrade and Iâve never been more excited to see how it turns out.
I had my T50âs modded to Argons and theyâre crazy completely different from stock, big sound stage, amazing low end, incredibly detailed mids and air SO much air in the highs its nutts
Just put the T50RPs with Shure 840 pads over a yoga block or a DVD rack or something for a few hours to crush em a bit and make em thinner if you want something more neutral-ish.
Ya I totally agree with treble murder at stock. Honestly everything sounds muderous stock, but once I did the toilet paper mod it helped it out a ton. Still treble(sometimes a little too much) and the sweet mid-range bump is still there too
Just got hooked on Z-reviews and slowly getting particular with audioâŠstarted with set o wharfedales at work nuther at home (with smsl18)âŠgot Xmas shp9500s and just picked up set of dt 770 pro 80 Ohm (replaced old pads and planing removable cable 3.5 mm jack mod) and a Schiit fullaâŠIâm a DIY lover and have access to printers and a small CNC Mill. Curious if any of you gents have files for the Cup mods ⊠Outside Mr. Speakers open source printables. I have little to no background in acoustic shape/knowledge but love to learn as well
If no, a repository of .STL files and DIY catagory might be in order. I volunteer to open one.
what I replied to). What I wrote makes sense now, lol.