To be fair, that's an APS cable I sent him to install but I guess he could have shortened the lead up to where the heatshrink ends. But to me its a minor no-no. I'm just glad I got the headphones, unlike my ugly experiences with a certain SPA-hole.

Here's how I would look at this.

Hypothetical:

You put an ad in the FS forum asking for a service installing a High End cable on your UBER expensive headphones.

I respond saying I'll do it, I know what I'm doing.

I send you the above job performance.

Should I expect Good Feedback or Bad Feedback for that job that needs to be done over?

Don't make excuses for him, this is inline with the rest of the performance exhibited with this product. I don't see how anyone wouldn't be questioning the Longevity of the doping, amongst other seemingly obvious questions.

-=G-Mania=- level work being done here.

p.s. don't take this personal, but the fact that you're not really pissed about that makes any assessment of the SQ suspect at least to me.

The least I would have done would have been to add a piece of shrink above where Alex's stopped. That would have taken all of 5 minutes and made for a much better looking finished product, there's no excuse for amanufacturer not to do that. And that still doesn't explain the zip tie, assuming I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing.

I also don't think it's fair to invoke -=her=- just yet so let's avoid hyperbole for a little while longer.

I also don't think it's fair to invoke -=her=- just yet so let's avoid hyperbole for a little while longer.

You're probably right there. Mikahl-SP and -=G=- designators should be withheld for the most egregious of circumstances.

The least I would have done would have been to add a piece of shrink above where Alex's stopped. That would have taken all of 5 minutes and made for a much better looking finished product, there's no excuse for amanufacturer not to do that. And that still doesn't explain the zip tie, assuming I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing.

I also don't think it's fair to invoke -=her=- just yet so let's avoid hyperbole for a little while longer.

Well, I guess that's also true, it would have looked much better and more pro.

Anyway, just checked my picture again and with the headphone, its not a zip tie, its just the reflected part of the enclosure of cable entry point; ie, the cross section.

Mine arrived yesterday, running in as we speak. Left the Alessandros with Rhydon to mod and ship as a complete headphone. Didn't want to bother with exchanging the drivers. But then I would have a spare stock driver, oh well.

Now people, give Rhydon some slack, he came through in the end.

Haven't heard a stock MS2i before, think I may just go and audition a pair for comparison.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a289/jigster_sg/Magnum-1.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a289/jigster_sg/Magnum-2.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a289/jigster_sg/AlessandroMS2iMagnumMod-1.jpg

Oh my.... WTF did they do with my cable!

The wires are left long so that is is easier to install. You simply leave the extra or cut down to where you need them as opposed to what they did. Feel free to send the headphones to me and just cover shipping. I will fix it and get it right back to you. I would hate to have the cable fail due to a poor install.

Thanks,

Alex

I feel inadequate trying to write impressions, especially as I don't have a lot of experience with Grados, but here are my thoughts so far after a day with the new drivers and balanced from the Phoenix:

Tonally, my first impression was of mini-HD-800s with more fun/punchy bass. This hasn't changed with the new drivers. What has changed is, the level of detail. I've been enjoying listening to the decay of notes on instruments for example. Tricky, of course, is determining what is caused by the frequency response and what is really detail. However, after regular "over the shoulder" moments with background noises in live performances, I'm feeling they have very good instrument separation. The mids are more forward than the HD-800s, a bit too much for my liking, so the treble seems a tad rolled-off at times, such as when listening to Chopin. However, there is likely a peak in the treble somewhere, as I was getting sibilance with Soundgarden, of all things. I wish I still had K701s here to compare them with, or a pair of AD2000s as they might be closer in tonality. I might have to see if I can't borrow another amp to try them with too.

Anyway, just checked my picture again and with the headphone, its not a zip tie, its just the reflected part of the enclosure of cable entry point; ie, the cross section.

Glad to hear it, that would have been pretty awful. The heat shrink choice stands as pretty lazy, but otherwise probably fine.

Oh my.... WTF did they do with my cable!

The wires are left long so that is is easier to install. You simply leave the extra or cut down to where you need them as opposed to what they did. Feel free to send the headphones to me and just cover shipping. I will fix it and get it right back to you. I would hate to have the cable fail due to a poor install.

Thanks,

Alex

Thanks for the offer Alex.

However, I found an easier, intermittent solution. I opened up the enclosure and pulled more cable into the cup until the wires weren't visible anymore and secured it inside. Out of sight, out of mind. May just cut the excess at a later time if I needed to.

After a few more hours listening, I'm getting a strong impression that these are seriously fast and detailed cans, not just in the treble, but piano, for example, is coming through very convincingly, more so than I recall experiencing in recent memory. I've put jumbo pads on them, and now they are very open at the top, but not fatiguing as I was expecting, another good sign in my book. My HE-5s are unlistenable if I put them on straight afterwards. I've arranged to borrow a HA-02 for further listening, as I'm keen for tubes at the moment.

Accepting possibilities of new-gear syndrome (though I didn't find them as listenable with stock drivers) and lack of extensive gear experience, they are currently threatening not just my HD-800s, but have sent the HE-5s spinning and are threatening my Stax (and the HD-800s did the most convincing job of threatening the LNS previously).

When I get around to it, I'll take some close-ups of the drivers.

Looking forward to hear your impressions with the HA-02. I felt that amp wasn't particularly good with any Grado I've tried it with (RS1/PS1/325i etc).

Thanks for the offer Alex.

However, I found an easier, intermittent solution. I opened up the enclosure and pulled more cable into the cup until the wires weren't visible anymore and secured it inside. Out of sight, out of mind. May just cut the excess at a later time if I needed to.

Great. That is exactly as it should have been mounted from the start. I hope you enjoy them!

-Alex-

Mine are now sitting at the post office as I'm out of town for the week

Great. That is exactly as it should have been mounted from the start. I hope you enjoy them!

-Alex-

Kudos for offering to Fix them!

Shoddy workmanship in those pics, but is it really that much worse than what we usually get straight from Grado? Not excusing it of course; I'm just lamenting the lack of professional pride shown by some of these manufacturers.

Mine are now sitting at the post office as I'm out of town for the week

In Canada, Post ridicules slow you, eh?

It's a PITA to photograph black things, but I wanted to show that at least the drivers look like they were formed with much greater care than the 325 drivers. Notice the roughness on the plastic finish of the 325 drivers vs. the smoothness of it on the Magnum drivers. It doesn't show well, but the screen, apart from a bit of unevenness looks like it was attached with care, compared to the 325 screen which has bits of white thread sticking up at the edges. The differences are even more extreme on the side of the drivers, where the 325 one is a mess (with chunks of plastic broken off on one of the two parts of the shell and very unevenly applied paint) and the SM driver is completely smooth all the way around.

Full-res album available for download here.

So, I finally have my MAGNUM'd SR325 in my hot little hands... stock Grado cable has heat shrink exiting the aluminum body... overall they look great... got them burning in but first sneak-peek indicates the bass detail and slam absolutely smokes the stock SR325... which was better than the RS1s by a couple of notches, now it's a slaughter... I'm going to like these things, I think!

Oh and I can see the zip ties through the grilles on mine but they're inside the housing, keeping the cable from pulling out... think I would have used black zip ties.

Another sneak peek listen occurring currently... I did a lot of back and forth listening between my SR325s and RS1s before sending these off to Rhydon, and took notes to remind myself of the differences. I'm going to do the same again once the MAGNUM'd business is nicely run in. But suffice to say, I already like these more than my RS1s...

My SR-X Mk.III/Pros have been The Benchmark since their arrival last year, and I'm looking forward to the inevitable shootout... based on how handily these trounce my RS1s in detail and texture (and no fatigue at stupid volume...), I'm worried for the Stax...

I always thought the SR325s and RS1s had a very identifiable Family Sound, despite their differences. The MAGNUMs are definitely a different flavour... this is a big statement, but it kind of feels like all the things I loved about Grados and all the things I loved about Stax, merged...

Anxiously awaiting further burn-in...

My SR-X Mk.III/Pros have been The Benchmark since their arrival last year, and I'm looking forward to the inevitable shootout... based on how handily these trounce my RS1s in detail and texture (and no fatigue at stupid volume...), I'm worried for the Stax...

I always thought the SR325s and RS1s had a very identifiable Family Sound, despite their differences. The MAGNUMs are definitely a different flavour... this is a big statement, but it kind of feels like all the things I loved about Grados and all the things I loved about Stax, merged...

Anxiously awaiting further burn-in...

I have the SR-5NB and was thinking the same things. I can switch to the LNS and the treble is almost the same. (Calling ASR! I think I might have found the treble you were looking for! ) The weird thing is, despite being supra-aural, balanced out of the Phoenix the sound-stage feels larger than on the lambdas. It's usually the HD-800s that give that contrast so distinctly. When LobsterSan came around the other day he had a brief try of them and commented on how wide and clear they sound. This despite the more forward mids as well. I get the feeling I need a big, fast tube amp for them ideally though for the slightest touch more sweetness. Putting on the HF-2s today I was reminded why a nice chunk of bass is a lot of fun, and how I was missing that on some songs. However, with a track such as Tin Pan Alley by Stevie Ray Vaughan, with the HF-2s, the bass guitar fills out for a fun sound and Stevie is a bit distant, whereas with the Magnums he sits on the stage almost alone in the black, the other instruments coming out of nowhere, drawing you totally into Stevie and his guitar as each note echoes off the walls. Very kick-ass for guitar and piano solos, though sometimes I miss the HF-2 bass.

Yipes! Just freaked out at the dudes talking around 2:45 on track 6 of the Fleet Foxes album... which has never freaked me out before.

I'm pretty much in love with these headphones... it's kind of ridiculous... Rhydon, you're an alchemist... granted I haven't had any Stax on my head in weeks, and am just comparing to my RS1s, but this is ridiculous...

Waiting for more burn-in until I put them up against the SR-X/Pros...

Not sure if the bass is going to open up any more but even if it doesn't, I'm ecstatic with how it is now... really reminds me of the SR-X/Pros... it simply isn't peaky in the lower mid-bass and nice and fast... just put on what I know is a cloudy and nasty sounding remaster of Genesis' _Duke_ and am hearing detail in the bass guitar and kick drum which I've never noticed before... they are pretty hot sounding but it isn't annoying - like the ribbon tweeters on my Maggies......

Can also report that these seem to have the Stax-style "I turn it up and it just sounds better, not louder..." syndrome...

Yipes! Just freaked out at the dudes talking around 2:45 on track 6 of the Fleet Foxes album... which has never freaked me out before.

I've had a few head-turners on good studio recordings where someone made a noise over one side of the studio. That hasn't happened to me in a while either. The Stax comparison is more apt. I never believed it was possible for a dynamic headphone to have treble this clean. Only self-restraint prevents me babbling like a lunatic all over the forums on how much I think they are fantastic too. I suspect if I had the right tube amp if I put them on in the morning I wouldn't take them off until my ears were begging for mercy for relief from the bowls.

They've held up very well from new-gear-syndrome. The only thing is sometimes I feel like the more "fun" HF-2 sound, but only on more electronic music where the stronger bass makes it a more fun listen.

Glad to hear I'm not totally insane in my self-restrained desire to gush about these things.

I've never been a fan of "fun" bass, preferring something close to ruler flat all the way down to the low B on a 5-string bass guitar, something I've really only felt the SR-X/Pros achieved thus far in my listening career.

Still some more break in until the shootout...

What hippie wouldn't be happy to have a $700 pair of headphones? Not this one! Pic MySpace style for posterity -- extra points for dirty mirror! (though i lose points for not using a camera phone)

BTW, the original SR325s are quite clearly the best looking post-MAGNUM'd variant.

Why all the Australians I had met seem to have that kind of hairdo, feckn_eejit?

EDIT: Apparently I confused Canada and Australia in my delirium. My bad!