Solderdude Cable Filter: 250 Ohm Beyers

Discussion in 'Closed Loaners' started by CEE TEE, Mar 4, 2020.

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  1. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    I would only be in for the Arya filter in 4-pin XLR. That’s the only way I can actually use it (I don’t have 3.5 or 1/4 amps).
     
  2. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Just build your own. If it's a peak that you need to tame, just R L and C in parallel. Double up parts on balanced. Even easier on planar with stable Z.

    Edit: No need to double up, just need on one leg. Was thinking active circuits with filter in feedback loop.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2020
  3. wadec22

    wadec22 Almost "Made"

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    I'm interested in trying the Beyer filter. Not sure I qualify as only a contributor but maybe with the lower cost of the item an exception could be made?
     
  4. ergopower

    ergopower Friend

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    Definitely interested in the DT880 filter. I also have an HE-4XX - close enough to a 400S to be worth trying or not?
    4XX to me is brighter than HD650, but there is some music for which I kinda like the additional 'air'.
    DT880 is just too bright, almost never use them anymore. But they have bass response that I consider really close to ideal. 4XX not quite as good, but still better than HD650.
     
  5. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    Okay, cool. I'll send the first one to @ergopower .

    There is one more in the US that is an extra because one was thought lost in the mail. I'll try to get that one for @wadec22 to try.

    Both please PM me your info including phone numbers. We'll get this show on the road! :punk:
     
  6. RedFuneral

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    Would this be suitable for the T70(250ohm?)
     
  7. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    I don’t think Solderdude has optimized a filter for T70.
     
  8. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    @RedFuneral Solderdude says that the Beyer filter should work on the T70, but it is not perfect...
     
  9. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    @dncnexus I just saw you in the thread, sorry I missed you when I went back and made the current list.
    Are you still interested in trying the filter for the Beyers? If yes, please PM me name, address, phone number.
     
  10. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    @ergopower A filter was shipped out yesterday to you, you should receive Monday or Tuesday. Please let us know here or PM me when you receive it. Thanks!

    @dncnexus I am shipping one out to you tomorrow, you should receive by Wednesday or Thursday!
     
  11. ergopower

    ergopower Friend

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    Got it today, will do at least a little listening this evening
     
  12. ergopower

    ergopower Friend

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    Some initial impressions. This is using Spotify on a Surface Laptop > iFi micro iDSD BL as an AIO. Doing this just to be able to quickly skip around to a bunch of different songs to get a feel for the differences. Over the next few days I'll also be playing CDs on a Sony X800 > S/PDIF coax > Modi MB V2 > Gilmore Lite Mk II.

    Difference is quite noticeable, and so far seems all for the better, not hearing tradeoffs yet. I played tracks that I knew were piercing on the og DT880. Few examples:
    White Stripes 'Fell In Love With a Girl'
    West Side Story 'America' and 'Dance at the Gym'
    Jackson Brown 'Redneck Friend'
    All tamed down pretty well, without losing much if any air at the top.

    The other thing that was really apparent is the effect on male voices. Sinatra is a good example. HD6XX seems designed around Frank, just the best presentation of his voice I've heard. og DT880 makes his voice seem thinner and less weighty. The filter corrects a lot of that, maybe still not equal to HD6XX. I'll spend some time comparing that specifically.

    But encouraging start, I think
     
  13. dncnexus

    dncnexus Friend

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    Received today. Will start testing out, gotta remove the toilet paper mod before I start
     
  14. ergopower

    ergopower Friend

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    Solderdude DT880 250 ohm filter review

    Chain - Spotity on Surface Laptop > USB > iFi Micro iDSD > og DT880/DT880 with filter/HD6XX
    I briefly set up with a Sony X800 > S/PDIF coax > Modi MB V2 > Gilmore Lite, but just found it too time consuming as I wanted to go through a number of different genres. Probably listened to at least 40 different tracks over 5 days

    I hadn't listened to my og DT880 for quite a while, so I spent some time getting reacquainted. Yeah, things go south fairly quickly; sometimes in just a few songs if they're shitty recordings, but even with good recordings, can't last an hour.
    My actual usage is roughly 50% modern pop, 30% blues and older pop like Sinatra, 10% opera, 10% the rest
    My observations:
    • Blues tend to have really good production values, voices and instruments in a particular place, minimal reverb and other effects, good control of clipping and sibilance; fewer overall voices and instruments, so not so complex
    • Classical/opera even more so on the production values, but often a lot more complex
    • Modern pop is mostly shite; 60's/70's stuff was mixed for car/transistor radios or the old portable turntables, but otherwise not as bad as later pop, still had some dynamics; as pop 'evolved', just got more and more compressed, right on or over the edge of clipping, mixed for ear pods; can be very complex with a lot of overdubs (thank you, Phil Spector)
    On first listen with the filter, it was immediately apparent the big treble peak had come way down. Overall not nearly so bright. As noted in earlier post, tenor voices had more weight and seemed much more 'right' to me. Went back and forth on 20+ songs across genres. I did not hear much if any affect above and below the problematic peak. Air was still good, and had a hard time discerning any added dip below the band stop that might have affected lower voices and instruments. Someone very familiar with or plays a lot of piano might have more accurate take on this.

    Edit: Sorry, overlooked a section of my listening notes
    In addition to male voices, I did a lot of listening to acoustic instruments, blues and jazz. As with the voices, the filter makes the unfiltered Beyer sound too tipped up on guitar and saxophone passages that reach into the treble peak. To me the sound with the filter was more realistic. I'm not as familiar with piano, thus the comment above. Acoustic guitar especially it was really hard to discern any difference in the woody resonance you hear in a good recording. Guy Davis has some great songs with unaccompanied guitar playing, mic'd very close so you hear the fingers dragging across the strings. Really close between the two, the filter is not making itself known that I can hear.

    At this point, I stopped comparing to the og DT880, except for an occasional sanity check here and there. For me there's no going back once you've heard it. It does what it says on the tin.
    I was interested in comparing to the HD6XX. I've been using that almost exclusively for a year or so. When going back and forth between og DT880 and HD6XX, the DT880 immediately sounds very bright and a lot of voices are off; but in the other direction, the HD6XX immediately has that veil, and lower-pitched voices can be chesty. But I acclimate to that pretty quickly and then kinda don't notice it. The reverse is never true, I can't acclimate to the brightness.

    The filtered DT880 back and forth with the HD6XX is less obvious. The chestiness and veil of the Senn is still there. The Beyer still has the additional air, but over a bunch of songs, it seems that the filtered Beyer is more revealing, but mostly in a bad way with modern pop. I'm more aware of what I assume is clipping at the beginning of a vocal line as the singer exhales that is slightly louder than the rest of the line. And there are what I assume are added effects that result in harmonics or distortion at pretty high frequencies. The White Stripes 'Fell In Love With a Girl' I mentioned is awful - there are backing vocals (not actual words) that bug the shit out of me, either recorded at way too high a level or some distortion intentionally added. These effects are not as pronounced on the HD6XX, which is overall more tolerable with a lot of what I listen to; where the filtered DT880 can be just too honest.
    A really good recording, then yeah I can appreciate the additional air. But I never listen to a single genre in a session, I like to jump around. Even throw in the odd Gregorian chant once in a while. Very soothing.
    Listening to that White Stripes track a couple times this evening, I decided to try some TP in the filtered Beyers. First a small piece of 2 ply folded over once. That rolled off things too much, upper end was slightly duller than the Senns. Tried a single piece of 2 ply and, huh, we may be on to something here. That's beyond the scope of this loaner tour, so I'll end here, but I dunno, maybe I'm approaching the rabbit hole that is modding.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2020
  15. dncnexus

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    Solderdude DT770 250 ohm filter Review

    Chain

    iMac 5K -> Schiit Modius -> Asgard 3

    I never really listen to the DT770 for many reasons but the primary reason is treble which feels like ice picks going into my ears. I was looking forward to trying out this filter to see how it would make these headphones and let me fully see if I actually enjoy them or not.

    When first listening to the filter I really could tell the difference in the 7k region. It was brought down significantly and as a whole the treble felt much more mild. It didn't lack air, but it felt much more listenable. This bringing down of the treble almost made me feel like staging was increased. I am not sure if that was placebo from me being able to actually listen to music without thinking about the treble or if lowering the FR in that region actually does something in regards to perceived soundstage.

    This filter did make it known to me that I still felt the treble quality on the DT770 isn't very good. I felt it was a bit grainy up top. The DT770 also has a bit too much bass bleed that affected the mids and made the whole mix feel a bit muddy in my opinion. This is not anything to do with the filter, rather just my assessment that even with the filter bringing down the treble down to listening levels, I still felt this headphone was not a very good listening experience. When switching back to the HD 6XX I felt a breath of fresh air with the clarity, especially in the mids. Everything also felt like it just had a bit more space that it deserved.

    While I feel this filter does do what it is advertised to do and does a damn good job at it, it didn't change my opinion that I am just not that big of a fan of the DT770. Maybe higher up Beyers will draw my attention, but from looking at the FR graphs I don't think I would enjoy those either. I guess I will just stick with my HD 6XX and ZMF cans for now!

    Big thank you to @CEE TEE for letting me be a part of this loaner!
     
  16. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    ^No problem! Thanks for quick audition and review...I'll figure out the next person and PM you tomorrow. :piratemug:
     
  17. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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  18. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    Is there any topic for his cables? I tried to search but didn't find it (other than this one). I just received the one i ordered but it's not for these headphones and so it seems out of place to talk about it.
     
  19. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    @Walderstorn I don't think there is a topic yet...feel free to chat here or start a topic?
     
  20. Walderstorn

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    Maybe as moderator "we" would able to open a new topic and move the reviews/impressions there?

    Anyway i bought the filter cable for the HD800SDR to further decrease that infamous peak and Solderdude made a great job, as usual. Although i don't really hear it in some more modern music, listening to some of the classics became a tad more enjoyable, as i was hoping. When i take some measurements i will share.



    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2020
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