Kabeer Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Well the T50RPs are in the house. Sonofabitch these things are hard to drive. The poor little Starving Student seems to be struggling. In stock form, it shouldnt struggle thaat much...especially with a starving student. I dont have the T50RP, but I have an older T50 style driver, and the Starving Student does a decent job. Also does a great job with the much harder to drive Yamaha HP-3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swt61 Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Yeah, but based on their specs they shouldn't be that hard to drive (98dB/mW, 50ohm). Right now I'd swear the right channel is fading in and out periodically so it could be that I've just got a wonky pair. And that's what fools so many. Based on specs the Donuts should also be easy to drive, but they're near as difficult as K1000s. Glad to hear you got them in. Hopefully they'll open up a bit after a few hours of a strong signal stretching their legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Chalk Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 I'm driving them with the Radii HAP-02 (MG Head clone) okay. A little "cupped" sounding, but they're unmodified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetoole Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Hey Nate, glad to see you joining us orthoists, hope the T50RP work out for you. Those are probably next on my list to buy. Their's planars, of course they are hard to drive. The original T-50 makes most amps cry... And burn... And that's what fools so many. Based on specs the Donuts should also be easy to drive, but they're near as difficult as K1000s. The Donuts had specs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smeggy Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 (edited) Nate, the fading in and out is a problem with the arecup connector, swiveling the connector a bit should help. Mine did the same, one reason mine are rewired. On the efficiency thing, I don't have trouble driving mine from a DAP or any of my amps. I still can't say enough about getting them properly housed. they are just outstanding. Mine now have Omega1 pads and some internal epoxy putty molding inside the pads. They're fairly heavy but very solid and I love all aspects of them. I can't point to a single thing I would like to improve. For me they do just about everything perfect. The driver is unbelievably hampered by the housing. Solidity and mass are the two keys to these things. Add them and the driver becomes a real eye opener. Edited January 9, 2009 by Smeggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_maher Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 So far when they sound good they sound pretty damn good, I'd swear there are times they sound like near ass though... Thanks for the suggestions Smeggy, I'll play with them more tonight and we'll see how quickly I tear into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smeggy Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 They need a few days to loosen up, more than I was expecting. The diaphragm seem tight to start with and they went fairly low but not much power there, now... holy crap. I even said on H-F that these will never be bass monsters with that piddly little driver. Was I ever wrong. A week or so later and these completely outclass all the other orthos easily (with appropriate mods). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swt61 Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 They need a few days to loosen up, more than I was expecting. The diaphragm seem tight to start with and they went fairly low but not much power there, now... holy crap. I even said on H-F that these will never be bass monsters with that piddly little driver. Was I ever wrong. A week or so later and these completely outclass all the other orthos easily (with appropriate mods). If you keep talking like that smeggy I'm going to send her... to pluck your pubic hairs, one by one until you clone me a pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smeggy Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 If you keep talking like that smeggy I'm going to send her... to pluck your pubic hairs, one by one until you clone me a pair. Ooh, she's hot!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kabeer Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Ooh, she's hot!! Its the pink hat thats doing it for you huh . To match your hair . Im gonna send you someone with a brown hat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wualta Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 The intermittent channel on some T50RPs is due to manufacturing/storage crud on the removable cord. Wiggle it back and forth a few times, or, better, slobber some good contact cleaner on it and THEN wiggle it back and forth. Good to hear your results with attempted breakin, Smeggy. I got violent with my original T50RP, as did HFer gerG, trying to eke even the tiniest bit more bass out of the damn things, and we both got nowhere. Of course, if your earpads are undercutting-- literally-- your efforts (and your bass), the changes won't be audible. With the v2 earpads, we can finally hear the results of our headphone torture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smeggy Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 The bass is great walt, better than the NAD and T30. Supra it's too much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wualta Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Yep, I could hear it loud and clear when I put the v2 pads on my old broken-in T50RP what's got the damping films peeled off. Pure unadulterated neodymium sound in a silly plastic enclosure. Which probably needs a gasket as well as damping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duggeh Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 I advocate that you project forth greater quantities of your fabulous, perspicacious wisdom here wualta. It's not right seeing you pasted as Newbie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_maher Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 How does one know if they have v2 earpads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smeggy Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 How does one know if they have v2 earpads? If you look at my photos on the previous page you'll see how they should look, soft and smoothish, not crinkly like the Koss-style pads of old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_maher Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 V2 pads in the house! And the T50s sound pretty good out of the Menace fed by the Buffalo DAC. I'm going to let the headphone rig pound on them for a while tonight to aid in the "loosening" process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mypasswordis Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Yay for another T50RPv2 owner! It should sound very good after modding. I might be overly sensitive to nasty enclosure resonances after owning the K340, but this thing seriously needs damping. wualta, how did you remove your stock damping films? Mine are glued on very tight, I ended up just cutting the center holes out and might end up just cutting out the other holes if I can't figure out how to remove them. Well the T50RPs are in the house. Sonofabitch these things are hard to drive. The poor little Starving Student seems to be struggling. Sound so far is pretty stuffy and congested, I'll let them run this afternoon and hope things improve. Tonight I'll subject them to some abuse at the hands of the Menace and see what's what. Stuffy and congested because of the crappy resonances. They're probably the easiest to drive out of all my orthos. You want inefficient? Try a 120-ohm SFI driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duggeh Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Are the 120ohm SFI drivers particularly hard to drive? *Has just built Orthodome #4 with 120ohm SFI drivers* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smeggy Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 V2 pads in the house! And the T50s sound pretty good out of the Menace fed by the Buffalo DAC. I'm going to let the headphone rig pound on them for a while tonight to aid in the "loosening" process. I blasted the shit out of mine over a few nights at very high volume off my power amp. The housings are very thin and if you tap the housing you see just how crappy they are. There's no padding of any kind inside to damp them. Even when damped it's still not solid enough to let the driver work well. It's like a loudspeaker with a plasti case, no matter how much damping you apply it'll never sound as good as a solid/rigid box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mypasswordis Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Are the 120ohm SFI drivers particularly hard to drive? *Has just built Orthodome #4 with 120ohm SFI drivers* Really? Yours aren't? Maybe I'm doing something wrong... What do you have your Orthodome hooked up to? It's like a loudspeaker with a plasti case, no matter how much damping you apply it'll never sound as good as a solid/rigid box. Aw, don't be like that. =( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duggeh Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Headphone socket on my NAD C352. My TRS headphones have a not too nice hard and harsh and dry sound out of the switch box from the binding posts. I also get hum from the Aleph in the right channel. Oddly isnt there on the K1000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mypasswordis Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Hm, all I know is it is the least efficient of all of my non-electrostats (not really a comparison there), including the Fostex T40, which is slightly less efficient than my K340. What do you think of the 120-ohm's sound compared to the 32-ohmer? Are you still using a Goldring frame? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duggeh Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 I am, but no two of the builds are the same so a comparison wouldn't be fair. A change in the damping can make a huge difference to the efficiency even on the same driver. Each new build was basically taking what I learned from the previous one. I think I've got it just right this time. I'll lay down the claim that this is the best circumnaural ortho in the world! Ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mypasswordis Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Gah, I'm stuck with this supraaural frame. At least it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, and it sounds pretty good, to boot. I'm close to getting the sound just the way I want it. I'm glad you like your Orthodome #4! Gives me hope that I can yet make a good circumaural SFI with the right donor headphone. I still have a matched quad of drivers left, I was hoping to think up some crazy headphone implementation for them, but nothing yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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