Loaner: rhythmdevils modded vintage Yamaha orthos

Loaner: rhythmdevils modded vintage Yamaha orthos

Yamaha HP-3
Yamaha HP-1 Anistropic

Modded to the best of my ability including new damping, holes drilled into the cups to make them semi-open back and recabled with Forza Audioworks OCC copper cable with 1/4" plug.

(Starting a new thread since the old one is pretty old)

My modded HE6 and Audeze's are technically better, but these give you an idea of what was actually possible in 1978 and if nothing else are interesting for learning about headphone history. But they sound very good IMO. Yamaha drivers have some of the best tonality of any headphone ever made, they're just pitch perfect in a way that nothing else is. Instruments have a way of just sounding "right". Many die hard ortho fans still listen to vintage Yamahas and think they are still the best headphones around.

I'm sorry about not following through with the old loaner thread. I had to completely stop listening to music due to a chronic illness for 7 years, and when I started listening again, I had no neutral reference and was using iems which threw off my once well calibrated sense of neutrality. So I recalled my last modded Yamahas and have spent a lot of time with my Mackie HR624 mk1 reference monitors and also just modding more headphones. I consider these to now be reference neutral and as balanced as they can be. They are ready to be heard! Thanks to @dBel84 for recabling these for me.

The only thing to be aware of is that the leather headband strap on the HP-1 is a big fragile but I can get a new one for $25 so not a big deal.

They take a bit of power to drive but otherwise aren't picky about amps. They sound right out of an iPod if it could get them loud enough. They really love hybrid amps like Cavalli's designs.





HP-1 Anisotropic driver:


Standard rules.

• Open to ALL friends and contributors on case by case basis but do not be shy to ask
• 5-10 days per person (or longer if you want. There’s no rush these were made to be shared)
• Insure for 300$
• FedEx UPS only
• Impressions required here
• Canada and the EU is welcome after the US. I made these to share so don’t mind them being on permanent loan. I’ll also pay for shipping into and out of Canada and the EU.
• Post with your location if interested

List

US
@Vtory Philly
@E_Schaaf NY
@Gazny LA, CA
@Tchoupitoulas NJ

CANADA
@k4rstar Toronto
@Biodegraded Vancouver, BC

EU

 

sign up for this one right away! my RD modded HP-1s are something I won't sell!

 

always wanted to hear these. Sign me up

 

Yes please! Vancouver BC Canada.

 

Only 3 people? What gives? I even had these recabled for you all. I think if you heard these you would be glad you signed up

 

I'd love to hear them but was reluctant to sign up because of the fragile plastic on the headband. I'd hate for anything to happen to them.

It would be a shame for these headphones not to be heard, though, so please add me to the loaner, if you wouldn't mind? I'd be very, very careful with them. I'm in NJ.

 

Oh heavens! I didnt mean to make a big deal about it. Just to say not to hold them by the headband.

But look, I can get a brand new headband for $25 if anything happens to it

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144357284324?hash=item219c5d59e4:g:CkIAAOSwBfJcs-Ky

which is far less than I paid to have them recabled for this loaner. I really don't care about that, I made these to be heard and even if they get obliterated in the process, that would be better than sitting around here.

Please feel free to sign up and don't worry about breaking them.