Are T50's just that good?

Submitted by TheGloriousPotato111 t3_yh3ewc in headphones

I recently bought a pair of t50rp mk3's to mod, and spent a weekend tuning them to be pretty flat. I was pretty blown away at the sound. The nicest headphones I own are the Focal Elex, and while they have a flatter FR and far better dynamics, I was amazed at how "fuzzy" they sounded in comparison. Every note on the t50 was noticeably cleaner and (dare I say) more resolving. (Might have been due to more compressed dynamics.) The distortion graphs didn't match up to the difference I was hearing , so I assumed it must just be the driver differences. I would usually chock this up to planars just "being better", but my old HE-400 never sounded this clean. I'm still amazed at how good this $100 +pads headphone sounds. Could it really be true?

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FastGecko5 t1_iuc5yid wrote

T50RPs are insane value lol

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mqtpqt t1_iuc8ly8 wrote

depends on where you live, from where i live the MSRP isn't very attractive

i'd rather get a used pair and mod them; since you'd be changing most of things on it anyways

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FastGecko5 t1_iucdth9 wrote

I should've mentioned that they're a good deal used. I got mine for around 110 USD on eBay. I wouldn't have bought them full price.

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rhalf t1_iucnfjo wrote

I got a broken T40RP. It's less sought after, but basically the same thing without vents. With mods you can get to similar state. Having a damaged cable made it rather cheap.

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TheRadiantSoap t1_iuc0yic wrote

I'm just drunkenly asking how you got into headphone modding and so good at it

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rhalf t1_iucn70y wrote

T50RP has a very well executed mod thread on Head-fi. Just search for it and you'll see that the effect is quite easy to reproduce. Half the recipe is Shure pads. The other half is taking the cloth off the driver and some less important details.

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mqtpqt t1_iuc8hbx wrote

its pretty easy too, all you need to do is dampen the back and close the vent, and get better pads.

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TheGloriousPotato111 OP t1_iucgkw5 wrote

Yeah definitely. For mine I stole my he400's zmf ori pads, dampened the back, put clay on the baffle, added a piece of furniture anti scratch stuff on the back of the driver, and did a bass vent mod instead of fully closing it. Pretty good if lacking a bit of midrange, but EQ fully perfects it.

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mqtpqt t1_iucgqse wrote

if you really want to, Dan Clark has a thread on head-fi where you can access resources to 3D-print a cup similar to the MrSpeakers Mad Dog

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TheGloriousPotato111 OP t1_iucgxq2 wrote

Yeah, open alphas are definitely the next step for these. If I get a 3d printer any time soon you can be that's the first thing I'm making.

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mqtpqt t1_iuch4sd wrote

I'm thinking of something else, but there's a closed version as well

edit: alpha dogs

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TheGloriousPotato111 OP t1_iuchrk7 wrote

I think it's just called open alpha because it's the open source version of the alpha dog, that confused me too when I was researching it earlier

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shaledecimal t1_iucy6bm wrote

Could you share some measurements? I'm still between 3-5dB under neutral between 1-4kHz. Have you done anything to attenuate the treble, because if not this could explain the 'cleaner' sound you're hearing: they're very elevated between 5 and 10kHz and I've found this is exacerbated by larger pads. The only way I've found to address this is to add damping material in front of the driver; the best thing I've found is 2 squares of very dense foam in opposite corners.

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TheGloriousPotato111 OP t1_iuemjr8 wrote

Totally! I did take measurements but take them with a huge grain of salt because they were done by sealing them on to a blue snowball. I haven't done anything for treble attenuation because I feel like mine didn't really need it. I don't really like frontal damping too much even on these because it makes timbre seem strange to me. They're not much brighter to my ear than my Elex. even with EQ the 'clarity' difference still remains, so I don't think it's anything to do with the FR. Right now, I'm still planning on other mods but I don't have the supplies. Once I get everything I'll be working on getting them flatter with measurements as everything so far has been done just by ear.

https://imgur.com/EDMMLoO

https://imgur.com/FIZqVFQ

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hgoel0974 t1_iudi9ro wrote

Yeah the T50rp has saved me so much money by being so perfect when modded that I barely even use my other headphones let alone consider "upgrading".

They sound great, super easy to mod and the suspension strap mod along with thicker pads makes them ridiculously comfortable.

I recall reading that the driver they use is the same as their higher end models, so maybe that's why it can be made to perform so well after some modding.

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SublimeIbanez t1_iuc4qxu wrote

Hopefully you don't get a pair that develops a buzz in the right earcup

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RayceManyon t1_iudegsn wrote

Hear me out... buy green Scrub buddies pads from the dollar store. They are a thinner version of scotch bright pads (because scotch bright are too thick). Open up the drivers and cut a piece and put it in there. I did it on my T60rp and it helps control the reverb in the cup and smooths the sound a little. It will help get rid of the plastic sound of the T50rp.

https://www.dollartree.com/ccstore/v1/images/?source=/file/v8103956897414892492/products/237252.jpg

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