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Post by MaN227 on Mar 30, 2010 8:44:11 GMT
your lookin good big fella. attilio shanks mang, wish I could say the same for you mate ;D your looking rather pale and blue ;D best get your @ss outside and get some sun pronto
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Post by attilio on Mar 30, 2010 8:48:39 GMT
Chaz, it's bloody snowing here right now in Glasgow attilio
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Post by mingo on Apr 28, 2010 19:49:16 GMT
Having had HD681 (modded by Frans) for a couple of months now, I find that I like them better. I do not know whether they are burned-in or just that I have got used to them. They sound more lifelike but are still bass-heavy on some recordings. They work well with some classical music. Right now I am listening to Wilhelm Kempff and the Berlin Philharmonic playing Beethoven's Piano concerto no 5 recorded in 1962. It sounds very enjoyable, indeed. Despite the fact that I like them better it does not mean that I have stopped dreaming about Sennheiser HD800!!
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2010 11:55:50 GMT
The original filter mod was designed to keep the character of the HD681 but get rid of the sibilance. Now it seems most people still find them overly bright and because of this find it to lack mids. So if you want your HD681 to sound more like a HD668B but with more bass ? For those that have the external filter this is good news. For those that have the filter inside you will need to operate... www.rock-grotto.co.uk/HD6812.pdfchange R1 and R2 from 56 Ohms to 47 Ohms. (this is the resistor in the input series filter) change R3 and R4 from 39 Ohms to 82 Ohms. (this is the resistor in the parallel filter that is connected to the + of the driver) Now the highs are just as subdued as the HD668B. added bonus: more mids and more bass then HD668B (which I personaly find the only weak point in the HD668B. The hump in the highs is almost 'flat' en the overly detailed sound is ... more flat (like the Skytronic) If you want to hold on to more of the original character of the HD681 (sparkly highs) but less sparkly then it is now but more sparkly then HD668B ? change R1 and R2 from 56 Ohms to 47 Ohms. (this is the resistor in the input series filter) change R3 and R4 from 39 Ohms to 68 Ohms. (this is the resistor in the parallel filter that is connected to the + of the driver)
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2010 11:10:55 GMT
The HD668B is a great phone but doesn't have the fun factor and extension in both directions that the HD681 has too much of. So the amount of treble can easily be adjusted with the resistors in the filter. Since I personally like sparkly headphones (am 48 years) and like deep lows but not over the top and I cannot make the HD668B give more bass and highs easily I decided I'd lower the amount of bass on the HD681. This can be done electrically but is not very practical plus it involves elctrolyte caps in the audiopath which I don't like. So took out some damping material (this came from a pillow by the way) and damped the cup of the HD681 with the proper amount. It's easy to vary the amount of bass by varying the amount of damping material. It leaves the deep lows intact but tightens the bass. The highs were already damped more into the direction of the HD668B so the end result is a can between the HD681 and HD668B meaning: Still deep bass (lots deeper then HD668B) but slightly less pronounced as stock HD681. Warmer mids (not as 'warm' as HD668B but warmer then stock/modded HD681) Sparkly highs (more sparkly then HD668B) but not over the top as stock or modded HD681. A good compromise in every way ... How to ? See the post above for altering the HD681 filter so the highs get less over the top. For a 'visual' on the amount of wool used see the pics below. Amount of damping material used in 1 cup. damping material in modded housing
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2010 8:30:55 GMT
If you want the sound signature of the HD681 to sound more like the HD668B Much less highs then stock HD681 but slightly more then HD668B for more neutral/flatter reproduction do the following filter modification: If you want the lows to be more in the direction of the HD668B (less bass but still deeper then HD668B) then do the wool mod described one post above. Takes some trial and error, make sure left and right have the exact same amount of wool !! Why a mkII filter ?The original filter was designed to keep the sonic character but remove harshness. This filter is designed to change the sonic signature to something more neutral. The mids will warm up, the open/forward sound remains. Happy listening !
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2010 15:05:36 GMT
[/quote] Chaz, it is essential to stick the large rings on as they add mass to the cup, instructions on how to do it are on reply 40 of this thread.They will sound rubbish if you just leave them in place, just need a little epoxy as per instructions, you can do both sides in under an hour, so don`t spoil the pudding. ;D[/quote] Hello, Mick! I am relatively new to this forum , but I have been reading all the posts with great interest, and have been 'infected' by this HD681 craze. Yesterday I received a pair that I ordered from a guitar shop in Tucson, Arizona (Rainbow Guitars) at the very reasonable price of $29.95 US, plus $5.99 US shipping to Colorado, where I live. I must say that the sound is amazing, albeit with the HF peak, and while it still does not compare to my Sennheiser HD600 with a Moon Audio Silver Dragon all-silver cable, it promises to hold its own after some modds suggested here, to be added to my collection of HP's. I have ordered the parts for Frans's filter, and plan to recable them as well. I was very impressed with all the glowing comments about the rings you have made , and wonder if you would be willing to make a set for my HD681's. I know that you have had many, many requests, and will understand if you no longer wish to make any, but thought I would ask anyway. Needless to say, I will be more than happy to pay whatever the cost involved. All the Best! imagmaker18
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2010 16:20:03 GMT
Imagemaker18,
You have a PM.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2010 17:06:42 GMT
Hi, Mick You have a PM. imagemaker18
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elysion
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Post by elysion on May 31, 2010 22:08:58 GMT
Just as side note: I've ordered two pairs of AKG K240 MKII replacement pads today.
Usually this is nothing that is worth to mention. The interesting things is: I'll pay only 20CHF for each pair (about 12£ at the moment).
I'd say this is cheap, isn't it?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2010 8:13:22 GMT
I say very cheap..
WHERE did you buy them and does the price include the shipping costs ? I only found them for a reasonable price from Thomann... but the shipping costs are killing unless you buy a lot of them at the same time.
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Post by Koolind on Jun 1, 2010 11:15:55 GMT
Just as side note: I've ordered two pairs of AKG K240 MKII replacement pads today. Usually this is nothing that is worth to mention. The interesting things is: I'll pay only 20CHF for each pair (about 12£ at the moment). I'd say this is cheap, isn't it? And it isnt the stock pleather ones ?
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elysion
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Post by elysion on Jun 1, 2010 23:40:15 GMT
I ordered the pads in the "House of Sound", look here. I was there Monday afternoon for buying the Behringer F-Control FCA202 FireWire interace and some cables. After asking them about AKG pads, they have called AKG directly. I don't know if the call was to Austria or a Swiss branch. I couldn't believe the price that I have heard thereafter. 20CHF for one pair AKG K240 MKII velours pads. That's about how much I'd pay for AKG pads in my dreams... I still can't belive it. I should get them within the next 10-14 days. The "House of Sound" is about 5-10 min by feet from my apartment away. No postage costs this time. I think it's safer to await the two pairs of pads before hyping this source to much. If I really get them this cheap, I could imagine that this dealer will get a few hundred orders from around the globe. I have asked back more than once regarding the price, it's really hope that this is true. As far as I know the "House of Sound" sells in Switzerland only, but I can ask them if they also send to the rest of Europe. Otherwise I could help as long as it doesn't gets a number to big for me. We have real trouble at work though: BTW: While I was finishing this post, I've got a phone call from my boss. BAD NEWS: We have lost one of our biggest customers. More than 20 people will be fired in the next few months. As far as we know at the moment, this will have no consequences for me (I'll keep my job), but maybe we all can't work 100% in the next few months. We'll see. Shit happens. I don't know what's going on in the next few weeks. A lot will change and probably not for the better. I'm already in contact with the labour union. Looks almost like a lot of "fun" in the next few months. Anyway I hope that I will find nevertheless the time for music. Music is a good way to relax and forget somewhat about the bullshit that's going on throughout the day. Maybe it's bad karma: Now I do have exactly what I need to hear music the way I do like. The FCA202+Neco Mosfet V.2+K702 combo is exactly what I have searched for. And now this f*ck*ng company is going south... I hope those that can stay have a change to get through the crisis there. I have my well-founded doubts...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2010 8:42:03 GMT
Sorry to hear about the job/uncertainties. The REAL crisis is still to come (instead of it being over as politicians/media would like you to believe in order to get people to SPEND and LOAN !)
You could order more pads for the community and sell them for less as Thomann does. This way you can make some money while members support (your hobby or yourself/loved ones) financially and they gain by spending less money then when buying from Thomann. Won't make a lot of money and will costs loads of time. I'll bet every member here has NO problems with that (you earning some money on it).
I hope things will work out for you !
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elysion
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Post by elysion on Jun 2, 2010 15:31:56 GMT
If the pads are really this cheap, then I think we will find a solution.
Shipping itself shouldn't be a real problem (padded envelopes should do the job), but I'm not a fan of having a lot of virtual money on my PayPal account as long as I don't like to buy other things with the PayPal account. I never did transfer PayPal money to a real bank account. I've heard it's possible but the feedback from my friends regarding this was not very positive. Probably it's easier than I think at the moment.
Maybe the "House of Sound" is interested to do the whole thing... I'll ask them as soon as I get the pads. I'll ask them also why they are so cheap. As I have understood they are ordering directly from AKG.
Regarding my job the only current problem is the uncertainity, I don't know how it will be in the end. But I'm on the lucky side and still have my job. Around 20 people aren't as lucky. It's not the end of the world if I'll lose this job. I think it's a lot harder in countries other than Switzerland. We don't have as much crisis as somewhere else. My problem is that I'm working in the printing industry which is very sensitive to economic problems (if the whole economy has a problem then we have one for sure as printing products are something that is easy to relinquish).
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2010 23:04:47 GMT
Hi, Mick The rings arrived today, and they are absolutely gorgeous!!! Thank you so much!!! You have a PM. Best Regards, imagemaker18
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elysion
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Post by elysion on Jun 16, 2010 20:15:49 GMT
Delivery of the AKG K240 MKII pads is still pending.
The "House of Sound" has confirmed me that I only have to pay 20CHF for each of the two pair that I have ordered. They are thinking also that the price is very low.
After the delivery they will be able to confirm finally the price from AKG. The 20CHF per pair is guranteed by "House of Sound" for the two pairs already ordered. Ordering of more pairs should be no problem for the "House of Sound", but we will see if AKG itself has a problem if I'm ordering a greater volume.
I have already tested the transfer of Paypal-money to my bank account and it works flawlessly.
In principle, I should be able to send pads to other Rock-Grotto members in Europe, but I guess the delivery time for the pads itself could be a problem. I'm thinking about ordering another ten pairs of pads after receiving my own two pairs. Probably it would take another couple of weeks to receive them before I can ship them from here. I can't say at the moment how much the pads would cost including shipping, but I will clarify this after I have my own two pairs.
The "House of Sound" has no interest in selling the pads directly to Rock-Grotto members (to much effort for them).
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2010 21:07:56 GMT
I searched and searched to find a seller in the US, who may carry the AKG 240/270 velour pads for my modded HD-681's, but to no avail. Just for fun ;D , I ordered a pair of pads made out of soft synthetic urethane from Hong Kong for the ridiculous low price of GBP 5.99 plus GBP 0.50 shipping. They just arrived here today (very fast, I must say! ;D), and to my surprise , turned out to be very comfortable! The fit is tight, but the material does stretch enough to allow mounting. They look, and feel about as soft as the original Sony MDR- V6 Studio Monitors' pads. Granted, they are not velour, but when I tried to order a set of velour pads from Thomann for 27.00 Euros plus 10 Euros for shipping, they canceled my order, stating that their minimum order is 50.00 Euros plus 30 Euros for shipping, which is ridiculous!!! Although I have no problem paying for quality, I am not about to support this unfair practice by paying 80 Euros for a lousy pair of pads, which is the price of THREE pairs of HD-681 cans! As a matter of fact, I just ordered another pair of the same pads from Hong Kong for my next pair of HD-681 cans coming in next week, which I plan to modify for a slightly different sound signature. Here is the link to the item for sale by the Hong Kong seller: cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250464398538#shId I have no financial interest in promoting these , but am posting this for the benefit of those members, who may be interested. I like them for my headphones. Your mileage may vary!
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jun 18, 2010 22:21:37 GMT
I searched and searched to find a seller in the US, who may carry the AKG 240/270 velour pads for my modded HD-681's, but to no avail. Just for fun ;D , I ordered a pair of pads made out of soft synthetic urethane from Hong Kong for the ridiculous low price of GBP 5.99 plus GBP 0.50 shipping. They just arrived here today (very fast, I must say! ;D), and to my surprise , turned out to be very comfortable! The fit is tight, but the material does stretch enough to allow mounting. They look, and feel about as soft as the original Sony MDR- V6 Studio Monitors' pads. Granted, they are not velour, but when I tried to order a set of velour pads from Thomann for 27.00 Euros plus 10 Euros for shipping, they canceled my order, stating that their minimum order is 50.00 Euros plus 30 Euros for shipping, which is ridiculous!!! Although I have no problem paying for quality, I am not about to support this unfair practice by paying 80 Euros for a lousy pair of pads, which is the price of THREE pairs of HD-681 cans! As a matter of fact, I just ordered another pair of the same pads from Hong Kong for my next pair of HD-681 cans coming in next week, which I plan to modify for a slightly different sound signature. Here is the link to the item for sale by the Hong Kong seller: cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250464398538#shId I have no financial interest in promoting these , but am posting this for the benefit of those members, who may be interested. I like them for my headphones. Your mileage may vary! I've got 1 set of red leather pads sitting here..... they are yours for £10 GBP shipped if you want them PM me. Mike.
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Post by jeffc on Jun 20, 2010 9:35:21 GMT
Guys, Not much to add here. However, I feel compelled to show off Mick's turned aluminium rings fitted to my HD681's. Why, firstly, they are truly a work or art, workmanship extraordinary, fit impeccable. Secondly, I’ve had these phones for quite some time now and know their sound signature well, and for whatever reason, added mass, resonance alteration or combinations thereof, their sound, to my ears at least, is altered substantially for the better. Cheers mate, really enjoying this improved sound, and of course, they now look ever so much more like the real deal. Next re-cabling and I’m also wondering about those sound tuning plastic ‘reflectors’, and it might have been discussed here already, but I’m considering replacing these with thin pieces of wood, ~0.5-1 mm thick, something like balsa stiffened with shellac, but expect different wood types to sound different, for more natural resonances. Could be good, could be crap, but I’m favouring for the former, we’ll see. cheers.. jeffc PS. forgot to note I have the velour pads too, but I wanted to assess sound changes with Mick's rings first, and now I know that, those old sweaty plastic pads can be retired.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2010 11:23:57 GMT
Hi Jeff, pleased you like them, actually the mk3 end-caps were designed to do away with the plastic brand name discs, hence the scrolled finish on end face, your prerogative of course!!.
Mick.
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Post by jeffc on Jun 20, 2010 22:18:02 GMT
Hi Mick, Hope you're enjoying Germany and thanks again for these rings, they really do provide a nice step up in sonic performance and they make the phones look so much more professional. Wondered whether the scrolled finish to the 'heavy' MkIII end caps was for looks, and thanks for confirming his. BTH I only stuck one of the plastic Superlux plates to the end cap of Right ear piece for the photo using 2 pieces of double-sided 3M VHB tape, so easy to remove. The other side I didn't bother and still shows off your fantastic handywork as I figured there was no point anyway until it attend to recabling. Anyone played with changing the plastic sound tuning plates for some other material like thin wood? I've seen that they can be removed altogether without any real sonic penality but figure the designers put them there for good reasons to tailor their sonic signature and improve their overall sound quality somehow. cheers.. jeffc
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Post by clausdk on Jun 20, 2010 22:34:53 GMT
I have been thinking about covering the rest of the plastikrings in leather..
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2010 1:32:56 GMT
Claus, you have a PM.
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Post by raberto on Jul 2, 2010 19:51:04 GMT
I'd like to just say that the info i have read on this thread has been absolutely fantastic, i just bought a pair of 681's solely on what i read on here. You guys are off the hook as far as modding goes and i take my proverbial hat off to you all
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