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  3. 150390-100071

Miracles in Audio, by luck, by good choices,by design or by tweaking...

I owned a low cost headphone for many years, the Fostex TH7B, first version( a new one close version exist Fostex TH7BK), semi-open headphone...I was never completely satisfied by any headphones I ever owned: Hifiman 400, Stax basic lamda, Stax 5 gold,Akg 340,Akg 701, beyerdynamic 990, and T150... Because in each of them with all their qualities I never listen to at the same times, a confortable headphone with natural timbre and voicing, with a good imaging and a realistic soundstage(not too close to my ears)...


For the last days I tweaked this Fostex, to damp his internal resonance I used sorbothane, I put some shungite stones at the exterior part of the cups and I use some Herkimer diamond in the interior pads( 3 at 120 degree) … Now this low cost headphones crush all my others if I sum all his qualities... For example his mids and voicing cannot beat the AKG 340 but among all my other headphones it is the best that is near that mids and it is more confortable, and with longer cable than the 340...His imaging is better and more realistic than the 340 etc etc...It is the same if I compare with the others...


His most important qualities is natural timbre and clear imaging,very precise pinned point accuracy and natural, so clear it crush for that ALL the others to dust...In the French audio circle the reviews were more than very positive few years ago...Diapason d’or and choc Classica...I am not the only one impressed buy the ratio quality/price... But remember that thesae reviewers dont tweak their headphone...The difference between before and after the tweaks are staggering...


Yes Miracles happens in Audio: cost is under 100 American dollars... Few years ago they cost me 50 bucks new... I never dreamed that I will go back to headphones...


I will enjoy your miracles stories of any kind ….My best to all...
mahgister

Showing 3 responses by glupson

glupson
7,842 posts
 
thecarpathian and mahgister,

Thanks for your care about me. It is touching and I mean it. You made my day.

I am well but, after realizing that many threads I have participated at have been shut down, I also realized that my contributions were neither welcome nor necessary. Not that threads were shut down because of me only, but it became even more pointless participating.

At the same time, I have to admit that geoffkait was correct about my whereabouts. I was away. On the day (August 12) thecarpathian asked where I was, I was probably bicycling between the fields, up the hills, or around the lake after Fête des Vignerons had ended. A day or two later I dedicated my evenings to the Imperial torte and a few more childhood memories.

Having said all of these, again unneccessary, facts, I think I am quite close to geoffkait now and will go for a bicycle ride around. Good news may be, I do not know how he looks like so we may not recognize each other.

Again, thanks for your concerns about me. I appreciate them.
glupson
7,842 posts
 

mahgister,


Thanks for the reply. In the end, "not able to afford Hi-fi sound" seems not to be the case, or at least your focus, these days. That sentence implied that money for more expensive equipment was the issue and tweaking was an attempt to improvise and improve the sound at much lower cost. If I understand it correctly now, you are actually not interested in obtaining those "unaffordable pieces" regardless of you personal funds situation which makes my previous suggestion completely miss the target.

glupson
7,842 posts
 

mahgister,


"My experiments comes only from my desesperation because I cannot afford Hi-fi sound..."


What exactly would mean "affording Hi-fi sound" in this case? Is it a number/price attached to components you would buy if you had means? Is there a certain number/price that you think you could invest? Some highest limit?


I have an impression you enjoy this hobby of crystals and other unorthodox tweaks and that the road is actually the purpose. However, if you are really focused on final product, sound in this case, you may have better return of your investment and reach your perceived goal sooner, by building the system first. Starting with basic items (source, amplification, transducer) rather than collecting rocks. That is not to say that playing with whatever tweak you desire is not fun, but that achieving desired result is, to say it politely, somewhat dubious.


There are many contributors on this forum who bounce around names of their equipment with prices way into the category of "just because I could". Many people have extra pieces stashed somewhere in their basements, closets, and under the beds. Some of those items may, objectively, be closer to "Hi-fi sound" you mentioned. Sometimes, just asking may be enough. There are people who feel bad throwing perfectly functional equipment away, do not have any interest in extracting the last penny out of it by selling, and have no more need for it in the first place. They may be happy to give it to a good home.

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