Loaner: rhythmdevils modded vintage Yamaha Orthodynamic headphone loaner (HP-1a, YH1, YH3)

Received them yesterday, unboxed today. Completely different part of the color wheel compared to what I've been working on but I'll give them some more brain burn-in and be sure to compare to more well-known headphones like my Senns. Pretty close to the limit of what my Zampo Bachelor can put out juice-wise but I'll test with Magni 3+. Wish I had my S7 up and running.

 

feel free to be honest about impressions. No offense taken they are just headphones.

 

So my mods have measured and been heard as being bass lite and treble happy which is very unlike me. I had to stop listening to music completely for 8 years due to a chronic illness (also why I disappeared from this community for 8 years because I couldn’t use my phone or computer).

I got a little better from an experimental drug and this is how I’ve been able to start posting here again. And listening to music. But I never listened to any kind of neutral reference after those 8 years. It seems that after all that time and not coming back to music with a neutral reference has thrown off my once very accurate sense of neutrality.

but I’ve got my speakers fired up with a Bifrost 2 and Khozmo Passive Preamp and I’m doing serious recalibration now. Well it only took a couple hours really. But I’m giving it time to sink in.

So I’m recalling the Yamahas and will retune them to be neutral as I intended originally. This will take a couple weeks so I’m putting the loaner tour on hold temporarily so you get to hear these as I intended them to sound and as good as they can sound.

I’ll keep you updated on when they go back out.

thanks for your patience and sorry about the delay.

 

Thanks for sharing your personal story. That could help me understand better about current tuning. Looking forward to your next versions.

But more importantly, I wish you stay healthy and safe. I don't think I need to say this. But please prioritize health whenever feeling over-burdened with multiple circumstances (audio included).

 

Thanks! It’s difficult to not push myself but I’ve learned the hard way not to. At least I’m pretty good at it...

 

I think "a pair of bloody HD650’s to have as a general reference" will help provide most with a baseline for comparison.
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/wtb-hd650-oh-god-the-dark-side-please-don’t.10847/

I don't use mine much for listening, but they're useful as a reference point.

 

yeah my brain thinks this is a good idea but my gut won’t let me pull the trigger on a pair of HD650’s ive spent so much money already. I’m conflicted hence the weird WTB post. It’s a good idea but God I hate the timbre of the HD650 unless it’s driven by unobtanium amps and I still prefer a good, well modded ortho. I don’t know who will win the HD650 reference decision.

 

Maybe someone can loan you a reference HD6xx while you retune your loaner orthos. Then you won't have to buy a pair. I'd send you mine, I'm sure there's a pair closer somewhere ...

 

Same here. They're such a great baseline or control (or whatever you call) in many aspects. Many own or had them seriously at some point of this hobby. Good product to product variation (the lack thereof). Regularly and frequently various gear assertions made in the forum based on or for hd650. Etc etc.

 

I'd be happy to lend you my Massdrop HD 6XX for a couple of months, @rhythmdevils, if you'd like. They're in great condition, unmodded, and they're not getting much listening time at the moment.

I'd offer to let you have them for longer but I'm looking forward to getting a SW51+ in a couple of months' time and I'd like to hear how the HD 6XX pair with that amp. (I've been thinking about KISS modding or selling them; trying them with this amp may help me make up my mind about what I'll do with these headphones).

If having them for two months works for you, feel free to send me a pm.

 

Very exciting! Please add me, if possible.

Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

 

Sure! But there are more exciting modded orthos to come

 

You could also borrow my 6XX, not modded. You just need a Stratus too so they sound great.

 

thank you I love SBAF. @Tchoupitoulas is sending me his for a couple months because he won’t be using them. I want your Pavane not now though gotta stick with one source for now.

 

Interesting thread... I had a pair of YH-1 when I was in college, which were stolen after I moved to Colorado. The insurance company replaced them with a pair of YHD-1, which were the current model at the time (late 1980's). I still have the YHD-1, and pulled them out to listen... Not bad sounding, considering how old they are, but the YHD-1 may be the least comfortable headphones that I have ever owned... ;-)

 

Any update on where these are? I keep hearing rumors of the HPA1 being the bees knees.

 

I have finished re-tunig the HP1a and several YH3's using my speakers as a reference. They are as good as I can get them and I have made them both open back now. I just bought a few thin Forza Audioworlks occ copper cables and @dBel84 has generously offered to reachable them. As soon as I send them to him, I'l either send them in for measurements first, or straight out for a loaner tour. And I'll ping everyone on this list again to remind them and make sure they are still interested.