The vintage Ortho thread

Maybe someone can produce uncompensated graphs?

 

Sure. I’m about to try a 1.5mod. Ill take measures and post uncompensated/compensated.

 

I expected more bass shelf from the compensation

 

I think @purr1n has a SBAF compensation, and a flat plate coupler simulator comp? I'll look in the EARS thread

 

For those looking for the EARS threads:
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...g-sbaf-compensations-from-minidsp-files.7067/
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/calibrating-minidsp-ears-part-2.6880/

 

accidentally deleted post. here it is:




these were the graphs @spoony was referring to in post #263

edit: mod1.5 is the felt disc and foam disc, no micropore

 

mod1.5 is the defacto recommended mod for newbies in ortho roundup: felt behind driver, then held in place with a foam layer behind that.

 

Or the converse. Assuming the Changstar 2011 measurement is raw and was on @purr1n 's v2 flat-plate coupler, here's the red channel raw and with the SBAF flat plate 2.1 compensation (= SBAF perceptual neutral for that coupler & mic):



Raw is red, compensated is blue, and the comp curve is tan.

Upward tilt along the lines of @E_Schaaf 's compensated (right?) EARS measurement a page back.

 

Mod1.5: Less congested midbass vs 1.0. Some moments of treble pierce but I wonder if that was there with mod 2.0 which appears to have smoother treble in exchange for overall lighter tone.

Next, back off damping directly on driver and aim for increased backwave dispersion -> absorption, and sealing vents.

 

@rhythmdevils Look at what happens when the FR reference you posted is compensated against the modern SBAF target. Maybe your perception of 'neutral' hasn't shifted at all, maybe you just don't agree with the SBAF 'neutral' target. I had my headphones tuned flat for a long time and they did not sound wrong at all, I just craved a bit more bass and less fatigue, so I tend to agree with the SBAF target nowadays, however, it's still very much subjective.

 

On the other hand, we also have measure from Innerfidelity by Tyll which don't seem to suggest that they were too bright.

Regardless, I am still amazed at @rhythmdevils ability to modify a headphone to his desired target FR curve. I have heard most of these vintage orthos stock and they tend to vary wildly among models with regard to frequency response. In fact most examples of even the same model tend to vary quite a bit depending on age and condition.
I have worked on these orthos for over a decade and know how difficult it is to achieve such consistency. Personally, I tip my hat to RD for these headphones and am sure that each of these headphones would sound great if combined with a synergistic system and judicious equalization.

 

There's no denying or undermining the skill that went behind the mods

 

Also, I think what @dBel84 and @E_Schaaf have said about listening levels might be a factor. I know in my bedroom system my T50s take more volume than my HD6XXes to wake up in the mids and highs, so those areas seem more recessed than at the louder-than-bedroom-levels I listened when modding them.

Is this maybe something particular to, or more exaggerated with, planars vs dynamics? (could also be my bedroom amp - Vali 2 at low volumes might not provide enough kick even for relatively high-impedance planars at low SPLs - but if it was the amp I would've thought the bass would suffer first).

 

I did it before I can do it again

 

Felt removed from behind driver. Vents blocked with butyl, because easy to mold, noise isolation, and maybe enclosure resonance control. There is still a small air leak at point of headband joint/pivot. I wanted to try without foam but it was hard to stomach knowing that metal hinge was there looking to reflect back beams. Measurements: mod3 looks worse than mod2. I only did one side so havent listened yet. But first will remove foam then apply a thin felt sticker on that metal surface instead.

 

^ = mod4, m4

looks bad

 

What's the more glaring issue you're trying to fix right now?

 

Mod2 was not bad but wanted more bass without losing damping/driver control. Stock may be most balanced but least resolving. I think I prefer the extremes to the middle. I know it can be done, see @dBel84 measurements.

Edit: Ill try putting the driver felt back on combined with mod4 components. Basically mod4 semi-seal replacing micropore semi-seal effect.

 

mod5 = mod4 + felt on back of driver