2. misc-audio
  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...
128x128mahgister
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I got the thin fo.Q tape mostly for CDs but also for power cord plugs, wall outlet covers, Schumann Freak USB devices, back of TV panel, Walkman CD Player case, TV connectors, headphone a frame.

I suggest removing the Sorbothane. And burning it. 🔥 You’ll thanks me later. 🤗 the reason you thought the tape was subtle because Sorbothane is over-kill in the sense it over does it. It’s what the Japanese company Acoustic Revive calls over-dumping. 
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,474 posts
 
Without sorb the Fostex would not be to my liking... And remember you must use the right duro and if possible apply some pressure on the sorb. (duro 70 for headphone)...The Fo.Q tape act subtly in the higher frequencies for my Fostex and refine the effect of the sorb...They complement one another for my ears...

The Fostex are made with 2 plastic cups, almost impossible to overdamp them... I damped them progressively and at each addition of sorb they transformed itself for the better...I owned no other headphone so cheap that outclass everything I had listen to for natural timbre(except Akg340) and holographic 3-d imaging like AKG 340 but with a 3-d sounstage unlike them.... The AKG 340 is a mythic quality can and this cheap Fostex improve on them for the soundstage … Without sorb. nor Herkimer diamonds and micro crystals they dont compete tough with this TOTL AKG..
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,474 posts
 
The effect of my Fifth S.G. is stupendous, probably because it is the first one at the recommended elevation of 5 feet, and connected with cable to the stones grid that fifth meet some threshold that makes the sound imaging more impressive than ever...In nearfield like at a regular distance from the speakers... I will try it with my headphones this evening...
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,474 posts
 
In the next month my project is making my own micro-crystals bands… The reason is I cannot wait to try some recipe of my own: for example I dreamed about a mix of shungite sand mixed with malachite and tourmaline....Next taping that around my speakers cable ….I am so grateful for Whostolethebatmobile who send me his samplers of micro crystals that I pray for him ….By the way I pray for the damned Geoffkait also …. :)
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,474 posts
 
I listen Sorabji transcendental studies for piano, by Fredrick Ullen, perhaps one of the greatest piano creation of the last century with Scriabin....The fifth modified S.G. connected to my stones grid had the same impactful effect with my headphones like with my speakers, in nearfield or regular position : transformation of the sound space, imaging, better timbre etc....


Why?


It is not an effect which is directly linked to the acoustic atmosphere of the room only, more so an interaction trough the linked stones between the frequencies of the many electro-magnetic fields interlocked in my audio system...It is only my guess... But the results is astounding for the cost... Perhaps the height where this S.G. is placed (5 feet) improve the effect on the acoustic atmosphere of the room also, then a greater impact...
More to discover