Is that the ear pad of a Focal Clear Professional?
Feeling like quite the âgeniusâ todayâŠ
A couple weeks ago I posted about not liking the sound of the Grado pad mod. Of course I realized today that I bought the wrong pads (much smaller than the cushion pads), and now the shipping times for all of the correct ones are a few weeks.
Looking forward to getting the correct pads and trying again.
Decided to try out the Grado pads on a second (non Yaxi) set I had around. Definitely gets a little more width, imaging, and low-end compared to the Yaxi pads. Iâll be doing an MMCX mod in this pair as well as possibly different tuning (foam maybe try to close them idk yet).
Probably wouldnât recommend them over the Yaxi pads but theyâre fun if youâre just looking to mess around.
1 Like
indeed they are. Just put those on out of curiosity. I havenâtry tried any other pad yet but this sounds quite nice!
I just got a pair of these suckers and Iâm looking to use them on my amps. I noticed somewhere (I forget where, I think on the packaging) a warning about using TRS adapters with these headphones. Could this cause issues? Will anything adverse happen if I use the 1/4 adapter (from my 4XX) on an amp?
I use a 1/4" TRS adapter with mine on many amps and no issues.
I bought these for the hell of it for $20 bucks and Iâm like damn, these are great. Right now I have no AMP/DAC, well actually I do have a Yamaha RX-V363 home theatre thingie for speakers and it does have a headphone output but I switched the headphones from there directly into my PC, and couldnât tell much of a difference. Iâm pretty happy with them, but would they benefit much from a better amp?Anyone recommend an DAC/AMP combo or stack to drive these and SHP9500s which are the only other headset I own lol
Iâd use them for gaming, video content, and lastly music.
1 Like
Literally anything will drive those but a true tube amp. JDS, Topping, Geshelli, SMSL, Schiit, Drop brandsâŠ
a true tube amp? I think you mean classic tube ampâŠa OTL, not hybrid. 
a hybrid would drive them just fine 
I received the proper full-size Grado cushion pads today (made by Geekria, from Amazon) and just finished a couple hours of listening through my test track list.
All I can say is wow. I liked the Yaxiâs, but these ones are just so much more open and airy in comparison that I am now ruined with the Yaxiâs for music (they sound so congested now). That set will still be my go to for YouTube/Netflix/Plex.
The Grado set pairs perfectly with my LG G7+ with the G series (I think the Vâs have it too) impedance matching feature providing a nice power boost. I need to do some testing with my desktop rig to see how it compares.
The sound profile from sub-bass through the high-end extension is awesome to my ears, and I have not used any EQ thus far. I have only found a few tracks that touch the edge of sibilant/crispy, and that is more to do with the mixing/mastering. Another plus is that given the open/airy-ness I am hearing little details in mixes now that I have never heard before, even with my IEMs.
Given what I am hearing now, I am just not in as much of a hurry to try modding them anymore.
1 Like
Would you mind linking to the exact model you purchased? I see a few different options for Grado pads from Geekria
Yeah, they definitely make a few. Thatâs how I initially got mixed up.
Itâs:
https://www.amazon.com/Geekria-Earpad-Replacement-Cushion-Earpads/dp/B0155XZLUU/
Thanks, I might get these but honestly right now even with stock pads I donât find them particularly uncomfortable. Are these sitting on top of the pads you have now or did you remove the stock pads?
I got Yaxi pads on the way, and when my 2pin connector comes in Iâm going to do the detachable cable mod and the pad swap then.
Iâm trying to do the 2 pin mod now. Never soldered before, so Iâm doing it in phases. I dread to think what it would have been like if Iâd gone for MMCX.
I removed the stock pads as Zeos mentioned in the video.
For me it was not about comfort, but sound (although the comfort was greatly increased with both). I found the sound with the Yaxiâs was a big step up from stock, and then going to the Gradoâs was another big step up from the Yaxiâs.
I am contemplating the detachable cable mod as well as I have some IEM cables that I think would sound really good.
Hm so I bought the wrong size cable for the connectors Iâm using. I bought .78mm 2-pin connectors and a cable that is MMCX connector, Iâll need to return it. Also the cable I got has a 4.4mm jack which fits my amp, but now Iâm reading that you shouldnât plug unbalanced headphones into a balanced amp, so Iâll get one that terminates into a standard 3.5mm.
If youâre planning to run one wire to each driver, youâre essentially converting it from single ended to balanced with your mod. The main thing is not shorting the ground by trying to combine the L- and R- signals from the balanced amp into the same pole in a single ended connection to the headphone.
Ah okay, so the mod does have one wire to each driver, so I should be safe in going to 4.4mm. So like a bad thing to do would be like my monoprice retros that have a cable on only one earcup, and terminate in 3.5mm, if I just added a 3.5mm to 4.4mm adapter at the end and plugged it in that would be a no-no?
Depends how the 4.4 adapter is wired internally, but generally thatâs correct.
I donât know if should have posted this here or where it is. It has to do with the KPH30i and the DIY pad swap. Very interesting results by mistake! (Two different sets/sized Grado replacement pads and what a difference between the two).