StratoMagnum V6

Discussion in 'DIY' started by stratocaster, Nov 2, 2015.

  1. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    I thought I might just as well share my latest DIY build, using the new Symphones Magnum V6 drivers that Rhydon has just released (see Symphones website).

    Cups were made from Karelian Birch with Rosewood inner sleeves, pads are hybrids made from Grado L-cushs (with top removed) and pleather pads (that come with Mi Headphones) glued on top of the L-cushs.
    stratomagnum_V6_0.jpg

    stratomagnum_V6.jpg

    stratomagnum_V6_2.jpg


    Measurements:

    Magnums V6 in undampened cups and flat pads:
    Very nice midrange and highs, very resolving, better bass extension than earlier versions, but too much of a bass hump for me. I would also expect the treble to go up and turn the whole thing into some kind of U-shape if people use L-cushs.

    stock.jpg


    Below the V6 drivers plus damping plus hybrid pads and a little felt in front of the drivers. Yeah, this is what I like to see....

    modded.jpg

    modded_csd.jpg
     
  2. kapanak

    kapanak Canucklehead - Friend

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    Hot damn, Stratocaster! :bow: That doesn't measure like any Grado I've ever seen! If Grado style headphones could sound this good, I'd build one. Share your secrets please ;)

    Also, I really think one day you should send that Tyll's way and see if he likes it :D
     
  3. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    For reference, the V6 (blue) compared to HD600 (red) on my rig:

    V6_vs_HD600.jpg
     
  4. spoony

    spoony Spooky

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    Amazing work as always. How are these in technicalities when compared to the HD6X0?
     
  5. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    The V6 driver is extremely resolving and capable of better bass extension than the HD600 driver. I would say that together with the V4 this is definitely the best Magnum driver I have worked with. Personally, I would not waste it in a Grado-like setup, which would not show its full potential. But it is not easy to get it right, even more so if you do not have a measurement system to assist you.
     
  6. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    Stratocaster,

    I'm currently building a V6 - are you willing to provide insight into the materials/sizes used for the tweaking?
     
  7. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Wow, you turned the headache headphone into a high-roller slayer?

    :bow::bow::bow:
     
  8. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Damn, that looks pretty good! Only thing I'd be worried about is I found the HD600 pretty even, just too hot and emphasized in the 2-5KHz area. I know not everyone hears it that way. I'd be worried that this V6 mod might still be too upper-mid and treble emphasized for me, just based on your relative/comparison measurements. Even then, measurements might not correlate subjectively. But, regardless, very cool, and nice work!
     
  9. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Where can I get the V6 drivers now?
     
  10. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    Symphones.com - $115.00 shipped.
     
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    How would you guys feel if I used SBAF funds to buy a set of V6 drivers and test on different enclosures and pads? We can put this out as a loaner. I know Strat would more than happy to send one of his creations to the USA, but let's say we had some international delivery issues last time. Besides shipping is stupid expensive between USA and Austria.
     
  12. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I would feel alright about it.

    Awesome work Strato!
     
  13. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

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    I vote yes.
     
  14. DrForBin

    DrForBin Friend

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    hello,

    as do i!
     
  15. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Please prove Sony wrong. Yes!
     
  16. stratocaster

    stratocaster Friend

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    You may tune it like this as well, looks kinda HD800-like, doesn't it?

    [​IMG]

    Internal damping:

    The driver has much too much bass, since it has 3 venting holes open. This, of course, makes only sense if you put the driver into a Grado cup and use leaky foam pads.

    I am using (p)leather pads, obviously, so I have to use internal damping to balance out the FR. Below you will find a pic with the damping materials I am using. Start with the coffee filter paper on the left as the first layer behind the driver and then work yourself outward by applying layer after layer to the right.
    Coffee filter paper, felt (~ 2mm thick), cotton, foam (~5mm thick, working as a spring that presses the damping against the driver), felt disk (~4mm thick), plastic mesh (this is flexible, so I can put it in, listen, measure, take it out again, change the damping .....)
    innerdamping.jpg

    Start like this... and put layer after layer in.
    damping_beginning1.jpg

    You will eventually have to bring down the region between 5 and 10 kHz a bit, and what I am using is this:
    lens_damping.jpg

    A disk of less air-permeable cloth (~1cm diameter) is fixed on a thin felt piece. This thing will be placed directly in front of the driver and the cloth disk will just cover the driver dome, resulting in the desired treble reduction.

    The pad consists of a Grado L-cush, with the top centimeter or so cut off, leaving a felt ring. This is glued on a felt pad, which is then mounted on the pleather pad.
    pads.jpg

    Finally, I put the felt/cloth disk into the Grado/pleather hybrid pad and mount the pad on the cup:
    pad2.jpg


    Et voilá, this is where it all ends:
    final.jpg

    Hope that helped. Now I am completely without any secrets, when it comes to that build. :D
     
  17. feilb

    feilb Coco the monkey - Friend

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    I thought for a moment that the left-most damping dealio was a dehydrated apple ring... Delicious.
     
  18. spoony

    spoony Spooky

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    BTW, the Symphones V7 driver is available for $60 a pair as of now.
     
  19. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    Thank you for the heads-up. Any idea what Rhydon's plan is? Another update or quitting again for a while?
     

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