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Post by lecky on May 22, 2010 10:40:30 GMT
So more changes and significant improvements today...
Firstly, I reasoned that it wasn't the paper that had caused the harshness but just the unfiltered treble bouncing off the cheap plastic grille. So forstly I added back some paper, starting on the rear bottom hole, just below the rear lower screw, then every other hole, covering four holes. The result was really interesting. I have bass that is fairly strong, and goes fairly deep! And the balance is better. The bass isn't the most refined and detailed but it's not bad either. What it also did was to reduce a 2500 - 3000 hz bump which was not very attractive.
Next... I got some fine copper mesh and used one of the cups as a mould to shape two new cups from the mesh. They fit nicely, but are not strong so I got a hack saw and cut the top off the cups - leaving about two centimeters of the edge of the cups, and the edge of the cups goes under the mesh and gives it a bit of strength - I'll provide photos. This is a really significant mod because a lot of what I'd been struggling with was nasty reflections from those nasty plastic cups. Suddenly, listening to sine sweeps it's clear that the headphones are a less all over the place - quite smooth. The bass is back to normal - not as deep or loud, but fine for most purposes. Both of the fabric filters becomes superfluous and can be removed, and balancing can be done entirely with covering holes with paper in the way that Ian does. Listening to music and I'm happy! I'll listen more before photographing where I'm up to. It's all good because it's all cheap, and not difficult to make!
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Post by lecky on May 22, 2010 12:26:02 GMT
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Post by lecky on May 23, 2010 14:14:15 GMT
I've covered another hole, but basically it's done now - I can't see how these can be improved more. They sound great. My variant on Ian's mod is finished.
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toad
Been here a while!
I am the Super Toad, the Original Toad, the Whole Toad and nothing BUT the toad.... don't forget it!
Posts: 1,223
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Post by toad on May 26, 2010 11:59:08 GMT
OK time for an update myself. I got some of the speaker grill foam from lecky's supplier and modded my pads with a disc of foam as per lecky's instructions. I kept the same 5 baffle holes in the skytronics. Result a subtle but noticeable improvement in detail and instrument placement. Definitely an improvement. I liked lecky's copper mesh mod but wondered if a circle of the speaker grill foam on the inside of the current plastic grill would suffice as I like to keep my mods really really simple Well IMHO it does a great job lifting the subtle improvement still further combining to make a really worthwhile improvement. I brought my workplace baffle modded skytronics home for a direct comparison yesterday and the difference was quite pronounced. The foam modded cans have more control across the sound spectrum giving better detail. They are also a little smoother in the mids and are a tad more neutral than they were, probably due to the 2500 - 3000 hz bump that lecky mentions. I daren't compare these to my AKG K701s as I fear they may be better all round now LOL. Ian
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Post by lecky on May 26, 2010 12:32:24 GMT
I like the idea of soaking up some of the reflected sound in the cups with foam - seems like a good approach if you don't want to go for the mesh cups. I'm glad my contributions have worked well for you Ian.
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toad
Been here a while!
I am the Super Toad, the Original Toad, the Whole Toad and nothing BUT the toad.... don't forget it!
Posts: 1,223
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Post by toad on May 26, 2010 13:47:14 GMT
You've turned what was already a great headphone into an even better headphone lecky. Many thanks
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Post by lecky on May 26, 2010 21:10:10 GMT
And you haven't even heard how good they sound with better cups!
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toad
Been here a while!
I am the Super Toad, the Original Toad, the Whole Toad and nothing BUT the toad.... don't forget it!
Posts: 1,223
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Post by toad on May 26, 2010 21:56:20 GMT
Must... res... resist...
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Post by lecky on May 26, 2010 22:41:29 GMT
It's ever so easy to do the cups - you use the existing cups as a former, and mold the mesh over it (slowly and carefully does it, not difficult though), I marked the edges using the existing cups as guides, the stuff cuts very easily with scissors, you can try the mesh on its own without cutting the original cups to see how it sounds, at that point nothing's irreversible, and if you like it then it's just a bit of rough hacksaw work... all much easier than you might imagine.
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toad
Been here a while!
I am the Super Toad, the Original Toad, the Whole Toad and nothing BUT the toad.... don't forget it!
Posts: 1,223
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Post by toad on Oct 2, 2010 10:38:00 GMT
I was sitting listening to some music on jamendo.com the other night downstairs while my better half was watching TV. She moaned that my skytronics were too loud. They do leak sound a bit after all Being a cheap as chips mod type person I thought. I wonder if I can mod one of my pairs of skytronics to be closed back. 20 minutes later I was enjoying my closed back skytronics. The end result is great and so easy to do. I started with a pair of skytronics that only had my paper baffle mod holes. I then opened the cans and stuck black electricians tape strips to the inside of the cups until I had covered all the holes effectively closing the can. I then cut 2 rings of speaker foam and put a ring in each cup. They sound a little closed in but better than most closed cans I've listened to. They still retain a pretty good soundstage. Bass has improved a little over the open can. Highs sound fine but mids have become a tiny bit in your face but not so much as to be that noticeable and certainly not annoying. Overall they are impressive for closed cans and could most likely be improved further by applying some of Mikes Putty stuff, blu tac or similar. Ian
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Post by lecky on Nov 9, 2010 12:22:42 GMT
Quite recently I got another pair of these to mod for a good friend of mine. After a little while (before full burn in for sure) I decided to do some of the mods and see what they'd do - I added a ring of the speaker grille foam under the pads and removed the cups. I was amazed that even without full burn in they sound better than my fully modded old ones. None of the paper is cut accordingly there is bass, but without the cups, and able to breathe at the front, it's not the dirty blurry bass of old, everything else is crystal clear. Could be in part down to manufacturing inconsistency...(?) These are amazing. I'll have to get another to see...
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toad
Been here a while!
I am the Super Toad, the Original Toad, the Whole Toad and nothing BUT the toad.... don't forget it!
Posts: 1,223
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Post by toad on Nov 10, 2010 18:08:03 GMT
I think I remember when I tried the speaker grill foam in an unmodded set of mine that still had the paper, the bass was nice and tight, the mids were good but the highs lacked some of the detail and sparkle of my modded ones. I know I went on and modded them as per my other pairs.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 10, 2010 23:46:26 GMT
I still have my pair of SkyTronics and they are hanging from a beam in the workshop... last I saw there was a spider making a web around them (seriously ).... they're cheap (yup) but no point throwing money away.... if anyone would like them free of charge please PM me. (they will come spider free ) Mike.
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Post by UzminiNu on Nov 11, 2010 0:32:31 GMT
Mike you got a PM I like spiders, no arachnophobia here.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 11, 2010 0:35:02 GMT
Mike you got a PM I like spiders, no arachnophobia here. They are yours.... guaranteed spiderless Mike.
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