The Orthodynamic Thread

[deepak]

I've been messing around with the dampening in the HP-1 and these headphones are really growing on me. They sound killer on kraut rock, and have this ability for the soundstage to sort of disappear almost as well as the SR-007 MK1.

I was really set on going solid state for an ortho amp, but I think I might stick with tubes...

[Smeggy]

Whatever works, mine sound great out of my old Hafler MOSFET.

I love the orthos, trouble is I have so many now I have a tough time choosing which to wear. Luckily they all sound wonderful so I don't mind being spoiled for choice.

[spritzer]

I'm doing a little preresearch for my upcoming SFI woody. The drivers are small enough that two could be used per side, and I'm wondering how that might work. I'm kind of thinking one above the other. The idea would be to damp one for the best bass responce and damp the other for best mids and highs, thus creating a pseudo two way.

Any one want to chime in with their thoughts?

I've thought about this and my preferred way would be a Lambda frame with a new back section. Both drivers would be run full range and act as a line source. Another option is to use 3 drivers per side, one run full range pointing at the ear while the other two are angled at the ear and fed through a low pass filter. Some type of bass reflex enclosure would probably be needed though.

The only problem I have is that I've yet to come across a Lambda I couldn't fix...

[Duggeh]

You can buy lambda headbands and pads, just bodge a rectangular housing of the same size of of wood and apply parts. It'll take less time than waiting for a lambda driver to just fail.

Has anyone experimented with the benefits of mass damping in orthophones? I'm wondering that if I fill the Goldring housings with blue tac or something except for the "wind tunnel" where the felt and tissue goes there would be a worthwhile benefit.

[spritzer]

You can buy lambda headbands and pads, just bodge a rectangular housing of the same size of of wood and apply parts. It'll take less time than waiting for a lambda driver to just fail.

I'm already working on those...

Has anyone experimented with the benefits of mass damping in orthophones? I'm wondering that if I fill the Goldring housings with blue tac or something except for the "wind tunnel" where the felt and tissue goes there would be a worthwhile benefit.

I did do it in an SR-Ω shell if that counts...? Didn't do much to tame the inherent resonance in the Omega housing so I removed most of it. I do like to properly secure drivers though as the driver must get rid of all excess vibrations as quickly as possible or the sound will suffer. Mass damping would surely change the properties of the housing which can be beneficial if you don't want to spring for some custom machined aluminum shells.

[Duggeh]

I'm not going to a new housing anytime soon, the Goldring one is working very very well now and I love the sound I've got on the #3 and the most difficult bit was taming the shinyness in the treble without using a damping combo which also managed to kill off the low bass. When I get round to the #4 build ill be experimenting with the driver angle which is the only major variable I havent tweaked up yet. The mass damping isn't going to be a night and day thing simply because there isn't a huge amount of space inside the cups to fill up with tac or putty but its fun to experiment and I think that most of the SFI DIY orthophones so far have all been on the ear, around the ear is just plain comfier

[Kabeer]

I'm not going to a new housing anytime soon, the Goldring one is working very very well now and I love the sound I've got on the #3 and the most difficult bit was taming the shinyness in the treble without using a damping combo which also managed to kill off the low bass

I would love to know what you did to achieve this .

Thanks

[Duggeh]

A combination of dense felt on the back of the driver and toilet roll in the enclosure and an electrical tape reflex dot on the front. Also sealing the earcup as much as realistically possible to create a fixed airspace. I played around a lot with different amounts of loo roll. The distance that the driver is mounted from the ear in the housing also matters. The problem isn't eliminated, just tamed to a level that I find personally acceptable. Theres still a sheen, its just not grating anymore and that lowest end really does have some physical thump to it without the typical moving coil blunt smack, its like the whole earcup carries the energy rather than having the energy thrown down your ear.

The sound also changed notably depending on how it was amped, much drier from the B-Tech box run of the speaker taps, warmer and more mids but fuzzier out of the headphone socket on the front of the NAD. More limited dynamics and frequency extension out of an ipod or laptop.

[Kabeer]

Thanks, thats interesting, a reverse reflex dot! Kinda like the disc on the baffle side of Wualtas T50 driver.

And you stuffed the cup with toilet tissue :S! Very strange, so that works as well as felt? I guess its an easy source if it does! .

Im at the stage where iv gone damping crazy, and I need a proper reference headphone. Unfortunately anything worthwhile I cant afford .

Anyone in London with a really good headphone setup that wouldnt mind me comparing my Aiwas and YH-100 to?

[spritzer]

...I think that most of the SFI DIY orthophones so far have all been on the ear, around the ear is just plain comfier

Ditto and one of the reasons why the T-50 ended up on the FS forums. I can't do this on ear nonsense anymore...

[cetoole]

Ditto and one of the reasons why the T-50 ended up on the FS forums. I can't do this on ear nonsense anymore...

Exactly! That is the whole reason I have been unwilling to break ~$100 on orthos, but would have sprung for Steve's Donuts had I been fast enough. Loving the sound, but man, the ergonomics are killing me.

[wualta]

I think the reason the multi-SFI-drivers headphones aren't working (although I love the look of the plexi one) is that we're gaining lots of earcup volume but we're not getting that much more air being moved. If the drivers were little pistons, then it might work, but the diaphragm at max excursion is a dome, and of course the edges don't move at all. So merely by making space for 4 SFIs, we're killing it.

As for tuning one for bass and another for treble, that's great except the bassy one will not have very good damping, so the bass will be loud but sucky, which is what we've been trying to get away from in the first place. A two-way calls for two different drivers, each made from the start to do what it does best.

Besides, I like the idea of One Driver That Does It All. It just has to be kinda big and heavy, that's all. If you don't want big and heavy, concentrate on getting a YHD or YHE. Just a thought.

.

[cetoole]

Whut, these?

Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio - View Single Post - Orthodynamic Roundup

[Dusty Chalk]

Hot.

[Smeggy]

Merry Xmas or whatever you celebrate my fellow 'casers

Been having lots of fun with my Fauxstex T40, new set of Cherry clothes, headband and sexy pad configuration to make them supra-circum so they sound great and are nice and comfy. This time I went for a big-ish closed bowl. It's actually a really nice sounding driver and produces oodles of bass despite being a relatively small driver. I like it a lot and seem to be getting some really nice results from he old fostex drivers. Pics to follow once the camera is recharged...

[wualta]

Goody!

[Smeggy]

Here's pixies

Quite the internal pad rigging setup but it works very well and is good for long sessions. Big thanks to Spritzer for the Omega Pads that make these so comfy.

Damn I love orthos, so much fun to play with.

[wualta]

That's a Fauxpas T40 ??

You don't by any chance have photos of the process of getting from T40 to what we see in the photos, by any chance, would you?

[Smeggy]

Erm, sadly no. I always forget that part in my haste to get them finished. One funny part was trimming down the original driver/baffle plate to make it fit my wooden one. I put the drivers in the lathe to whittle them down and one of them escaped. It went hurtling across the garage and embedded itself in my garage door Glad it went that way instead of embedding itself in my forehead. Thankfully, no damage done apart from the hole in the door. The drivers were fine despite the immense abuse I subjected them to.

Tough little drivers

I'll try to remember fotos earlier next time.

[spritzer]

I told you that you'd find some use for those Omega pads...

[Smeggy]

Yes indeedy!

I had to wait for the right phones to come along.

[diebenkorn]

Got my Fostex T20's (thanks Deepak), they are awesome.

[faust3d]

Nice Fauxstex T40 you got there

[Guest sacd lover]

Anyone tried the new Fostex T50RP yet? Per the experts the new earpads are supposed to really help the sound. I may have to take one for the team and buy a pair. My Yamaha YH-1s get better and better the more hours I listen. The recable seemed to need some time to settle down and now 60-80 hours later the treble has smoothed out noticeably.

[spritzer]

The earpads can make or break a planar headphone so I have no doubt that they are better but the problem would be which version you are getting... Perhaps Faust(of an undecided dimension) would care to disclose where he bought his?