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...
128x128mahgister
In a word:

--Passive acoustic treatment is the art to create a balance between absorbant, reflective, and diffusive surface with inert materials...

There is no rule in the absolute, except for specifically designed acoustic room ; but with small ordinary living room, we must use the ears, because of the different acoustical properties of the material content in the room, and because of the great difference in geometry and topology room to room...And contrary to what many said, it is not only a bass trap problems and calculating the right nodes....This is too simplistic and good for those who want to sell you their materials :)


-- Active acoustic controls use more diffusion process and passive and active resonators, and Schumann generators grid, active acoustic use devices not only inert materials...

«No, sound is not only a plant, it is an animal» -Groucho Marx
The end of this thread is probably near....

I reach the limit of my actual audio system.... And it is a good one...

I will not upgrade any part because of the heavy price to pay to extend the S.Q. It will be silly except for a man richer than i am...

My speakers Mission Cyrus 781 can be upgraded, even if they are very good, especially in the bass extension.... I listen to 7 inches driver with my stomach sometimes.... The active controls of the acoustic help...Replacing it by a Top Tannoy....  :)

My Sansui AU 7700 amplifier is a marvel i know now, but A Berning TUBE ZOTL will beat it easily at 6000 dollars price and i would perhaps use it at pre-amplification for one of my 2 Sansui....

Then without changing my dac, i am already near 10,000 to upgrade... :)

My dac is too cheap cost and too good to be upgraded tough.....I have no idea if some hyped dac of this year will crush it really and at what price and which dac? :)

Replacing speakers is easy, amplifier too for me, but a dac not so easy.....How do you know if a dac is good without trying it? For dac, reviews means less than in speakers and amplifier case....

But now i am too much happy with the music i have in a marvellous natural way, on all counts, to be sorrowful because i will never be able to upgrade...

I know my audio system is limited but i dont feel it anymore at all now, like 2 years ago.... Thanks to embeddings controls....

I hope some will be inspired by my journey.....

My best.....
Hi Mahgister. Regarding the spring footers. Do you have any idea as to the amount of weight that one footer at full capacity (7 springs) will handle at 30% compression? I realize I can adjust down in number of springs. Thanks for the link.

Looking forward to your photos of non-approved WAF golden strings and ceiling :,-)

Keep creating. 👍
It takes me i dont know precisely around 80 lbs including speakers at least perhaps 85 on each 4 footers with 7 springs you are right not 6.... Try adding some concrete on top and listen... If the upper frequencies are harsh it is not enough.... When mids and bass are dominant it is there...with the precise weigh of the concrete you will deduce the weigh compression and after that keepinng the number of springs needed.... I go more swiftly with my ears.... :)

My wife in fact approved my  diffusor devices dangling from the ceiling with 59 cabled "golden strings" and the "Bell of bells"... She said this is amazing and fascinating, my grand children also....   :)

my best to you derek
UPDATE about the new 7 cone bells+ herkimer diamond inside, on 2 strings of copper tape...

I connected them to the "Bell of bells" in the center of my room dangling from the ceiling, all that connected already to the Schuman generators grid around the room, and wow, they give me better higher frequencies and bass....A not so slight improve, very audible.... It takes me 5 minutes and a thin copper phone cable to make it... Cost 1/2 peanut...With my experience now i know what the effect would be.... :)


And some audiophile speak about 10,000 dollars upgrade....And some even speak about the  "indicible and unspeakable" quality of high-end.... They dont say that  like a testimony about the difficulties linked to a description of perceptions with words, they say that first and foremost to suggest the almost sublime superiority of costly high-end..... Tragical and comical misinformation and stupidity of people only able to upgrade without never listening to what they just bought, unable to embed it, and even not knowing that embeddings controls are necessary for any audio system....It takes me few months to figure it out.... Some never figured it in 40 years... Too much upgrade to manage probably.... Luckily i was poor, if not, i certainly will be in an upgrading process without end, toward "indescriptible" high-end and inaccessible to the poor, true high-end, i read that in a post today.... :)

I cannot resist mocking clowns sometimes.... I apologize....But they merit mockery to encourage others in the same money pit dead end....They cannot face truth for themselves and hide it to others.... Consumerism +blinders....

They will kill themselves listening to my under 500 dollars system connected with 10 dollars Schuman generators and copper tape and crystals....

My Moravec Chopin Nocturnes was out of this world..... Complete extasy.... I know this cd for 15 years.... I listen to it the first time really this evening....

This cd is a marvel.... And a test for any system....


Ok this time i am done, my imagination envision nothing more, no new creations........

Dead thread..... :)



My best to everyone....