The muddyness started getting better for me the more I used it…
I have no padding, inside or outside of driver, took off the plastic mesh thing against the driver and use XL perforated pads.
No plastic and foams, and i bought used from a guy who used from 6 months already. Sad…
Maybe sell it for a sundara?
3 Likes
Could try EQ but otherwise agree, go for the sundara
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With the equalizer I can improve a little. In reality, I’m only using it with EQ. But I still have a feeling that the velour is absorbing the music, I don’t know how to explain, as if it left the vocals “fluffy”, giving me the impression that they are “massaging” my brain, without the body, power and presence that i want.
I try to increase the volume, and when I can hear the vocals well it seems like the rest of the song is much louder, as if the width of the sound stage is disproportionately higher than the depth.
How much I paid for it used: R$1300,00
Sundara: R$3800,00
My month salary: R$1600,00
Minimum month salary on my country: R$950,00
I cant pay more than R$1500,00 on a headphone, at least not in my current situation.
Massdrop dont delivers here soo the only ones that i can bought with this price is the Fidelio X2hr and the Sennheiser HD599, that costs ± R$1100,00 each. They will be better than the Phantom?
Is that South African rands?
Yep, from Brazil
Because we don’t know how much money is that. US dollars UK pounds and euros we understand 
Sorry, the main purpose was to show that Sundara here costs 3x more than I paid in my used Thieaudio Phantom, that it would be unfeasible to buy. And show that the only options I have would be Sennheiser HD599 and Fidelio X2hr.
The 4xx is in that range too, if it’s available.
The Hifiman He4xx i can buy on amazon, would be $180,00 + $250,00 Shipping & Import Fees Deposit. $430,00 that is ± R$1980,00. 
Shipping always gets ya.
Hey, I am new here. I basically created an account just for this thread 
I got my Phantoms around 2 weeks ago and even though I knew that I wasn’t to expect much from the stock Phantoms, I was still disappointed… but not for long.
What I was looking for: well, I like punchy, fast but detailed bass like the Blon-03 deliver and everything else from the Fearless Audio S6 Rui (yes, I come from the iem realm). Oh, and I am sensitive to fatigue.
I applied the following mods:
- Removed the inner square foam. Resulted in more open playback and a lot more comfort.
- Removed the outside mesh and one of the 2 foam circles, the other one was placed in the center as advised. The result was huge, less muffled sound (but still muffled) and slightly more bass.
- Then I applied the fuzzer mod and boy did I hit the jackpot here… that upped the base so much and not just the amount but the quality! It also made the mids a bit more refined.
As a source I use the FIIO M11 in combination with the JDS Labs Atom Amp.
@ Mapin002 Even though I love the Phantoms by now (mostly for the bass and the relaxed and enjoyable, warm playback) I agree with you, the vocals are still a little bit muffled and too much in the back. But maybe don’t abandon your Phantoms just yet, since you can still try some more pads and specially the fuzzer mod (oh glory to the fuzzer mod)! Plus those mods are cheap in comparison to new Headphones. Oh and even though its not a headphone, have you tried the BLON-03? Might be what you are looking for and they are very cheap (like 30$)…
Anyways, I have the Brainwavz hybrid coming in tomorrow and the ZMF Suede are on the way (1-2 weeks i guess) I will post what the differences are with them!
6 Likes
Thanks man. IEM’s i already have the Kz Zsx, Tin T2 and yes, the Blon BI-03. Love them. Im using the Zsx for something more energetic, T2 for relaxing and BL-03 for pop, jazz and any bassy music.
Now im looking for an openback over-ear. If possible, after you change the earpads, come back here and say what you think.
Yes, I will update you! Btw. What are you using as a source?
Oh, thanks for reminding me, if possible do you test it on your computer and see how it looks?
I’m using the Fiio BRT3 bluetooth, my macbook and computer, that have a really good motherboard. I don’t understand much about it, I just know that at the maximum volume with it on my macbook and computer the Phantom is VERY loud. On the BRT3 is acceptable.But that may be the problem too, sometimes being loud doesn’t mean it’s good (as I said, I don’t know much about amplification).
But you described well what I thought of the vocals, as if they are behind the music, without body and muffled. With EQ i can make it better, but this feeling that it still behind the music and somehow muffled still bothers me
Quick update, the Brainwavz XL hybrid arrived today. Until now I used the stock pads.
The Brainwavz hybrid make quite the difference. The Phantoms are very responsive to any kind of minor changes.
@Mapin002: I can’t say the hybrid pads completely solves the issue but it actually helps with the mids. The overall sound is clearer and the vocals (specially female) are more present. Interestingly enough, the bass goes a tiny bit down in comparison to the smooth stock pads but barely audible so its not a issue for me. Big improvement in comfort as well.
Also: you also get better mids and overall better presentation with a balanced output. Maybe you try the PowerDAC V2 from Linsoul. Lots of people reported that its a good match for the Phantoms, plus it has a balanced output and is very cheap.
What exactly are the benefits of the fuzzer mod ?
Where do you get the material for the fuzzer mod? Is this it?