**Updated tuning and New cup design needed**
I’ve been trying to mod the my mohogany X00 without ruining any low end sub or mid bass and open up sound stage without making the sound too sibilant and increasing any 6 - 8K peaks and I’ve nailed it…
Quarter turn of each of the four screws
This is the tuning to have: On the screw for the cups if you do a quarter turn of each of the four screws the soundstage opens up considerably without adding substantially much treble.
Bass:
You get added bass extension and detail of more luscious sub bass.
Mids:
the vocals come forward in the upper mid range. Heads up it does make the headphone substantially more intense. If you want that more intimate more relaxed tighter bass extension keep the cups 100% clamped down don’t untighten the screws.
Treble:
You’ll notice not too much has changed more detail is present during tracks and is tip toeing the line of ALMOST becoming sibilant.
Half turn of each of the four screws
This is going to be the final stop.
Soundstage:
This will open up the soundstage even more the most the headphone becomes the widest it possibly can without too much sacrifice even adding a more vertical soundstage slightly].
Bass:
Adding more sub bass but you start to lose the detailed bass you’ve most likely come to love. This is why I advise the quarter turn.
Mids:
You’re going to notice you’re starting to lose energy in the mids giving way to more peaks in the treble especially in the 6 - 8k range. its not too bad yet maybe to some its what they’re looking for.
Beyond the half turn [3mm spacers]
Soundstage:
Now you’re going to experience a much more open X00. its going to be like you’re not even wearing a semi open and it sounds almost completely open. [ Soundstage starts to feel similar to a MK3 Argon or a Verite closed.
Bass:
The Bass has gotten extremely muddy at this point. Its in the mids its in the upper mids its everywhere.
Treble:
surprisingly airy treble??? [ This must come at the cost of the energy being taken away completely from the mids] but you’ll notice you’ll have peaks in the 5 - 10 k range [Find any sibilant tracks and it gets too much, someone may like it not me].
Mids:
Biggest draw back is the once intimate gone forward mids become completely distant and you’ve made the X00 blatantly V shaped.
Tuning principals of the XOO and new cup design
The X00 series is extremely sensitive of any air added for the driver to move. Only changing cups, loosening the screws to add more air and pad swaps will affect the soundchange you would want. Adding in dampening ruins the bass COMPLETELY.
This leaves me at a weird point. [Not enough air being vented from the cup but the cup needs to be close to the driver] I think with a revised cup design perhaps similar to an Eikon/Atticus with the vent holes it could potentially harness all good points of tight bass control, airy treble and forward mids. I’ll be designing a mocked up cup design and getting it milled out on a CNC machine here in Australia and report back with my findings. Then release the successful cup designs for anyone to use and then let the Wood tuning begin. [Maybe some nice Tasmanian oak]. Its clear this biocellulose driver needs some air.
**PLEASE NOTE ** that this tuning was done with Dekoni sheepskin pads and that the heavier leather helps smooth out the treble slightly from stock pads.