Hack Headphones Contest

Oppo PM-1 #headphones, Astell & Kern AK100II #hackheadphones

I'm very interested in making video game blogging, YouTube and voice acting a bigger part of my life like I've always wanted, but never had the courage to pursue until now.

I've started my YouTube channel and want to elevate my audio to the next level.

I love my HD429 headphones, and they pair really well with my Blue Snowball microphone.

If I could change one thing, it would be the audio cable because it's very thin, and I feel like it could easily break. I would also make the cable removable to make traveling with them easier.

I'm always seeking the next opportunity to help achieve my dreams, and a headphone hack would be just what I need to get there. #HackHeadphones

The Black Dragon tightens up the top end and smooths out the bottom end of the Grado PS500e headphones.

http://www.moon-audio.com/black-dragon-cable-grado-rs1e-headphones.html

Drew Baird, P.E., President of Moon Audio Hacks the Grado GS1000 headphones with our Black Dragon V2 Headphone Cable! Grado GS1000 - http://www.moon-audio.com/grado-gs1000e.html Black Dragon V2 Headphone Cable - http://www.moon-audio.com/moon-audio-black-dragon-v2-headphone-cable.html

Moon Audio HACKS the Fostex TH900 headphones in this video. This customer wanted to add our Black Dragon V2 headphone cable as he wanted a warmer tonality and more bottom end weight.

He listens to Electronica, Pop, Dance and Hip Hop mostly so the Black Dragon and the TH-900 are a great match for this genres.

@Moon_Audio My awesome SennGrado, Big thanks to the guys at HeadFi's SennGrado Thread! #hackheadphones

After experiencing just how much a great quality cable improves the sound (as I did when you sent me a Black Dragon for my HD700 review), I would like to experience how much better my favorite pair of headphones the Bowers & Wilkins P7 can sound.

The P7 are my standard for how I want audio to sound. The oh so sensual mids with the warm and inviting but not too heavy bass with the treble being accurate and chill giving. Are these the best?

Oh goodness no, but they've done me better than any other pair I have ever owned and just want to bring out the full potential in them, and know that your cables in both quality and craftsmanship are absolutely top notch. Thank you for reading my reasons for applying for this contest amd I humbly look forward to hearing the results. Best wishes.

Army-Firedawg
cc.@Moon_Audio Here's my @BowersWilkins & @SennheiserUSA headphone setup. Think these need some #hackheadphones

This is my main setup. I alternate between electrostatics and orthodynamics.

I'd like to know what a headphone hack can do for me.

Hacking Beats Headphones at Moon-Audio.com with our Blue Dragon headphone cable V3.

Read More about how we can hack your headphones and why BEATS headphones or not at : http://www.moon-audio.com/beats-headphones-or-not

Currently hack-less #hackheadphones

Better than hacked? Double-Hacked! Fostex with 1/4" and balanced plugs from @Moon_Audio #hackheadphones

Hacked Fostex TH900 / Dragons / Hugo from @Moon_Audio - - - Love my hacked headphone setup #hackheadphones

@Moon_Audio Another #hackheadphones a D5k with WoodCups n Leather Pads. But this one needs a gorgeous new cable!

I started my journey with a pair of Sony XB 700 Headphones. I was an avid dub step listener at the time. So for me bass was EVERYTHING. So with little funds and an itch for more bass I did my first #headphonehack my self! I found the instructions on head fi, an to my surprise the hack worked great! Now I was hooked on the whole headphone modding or hacking scene. As time went forward I moved into better headphones an expanded my listening preferences. An moved into a more balanced set of headphones, though still a bass head at heart in May of 2014 I got my next bass heavy headphone, a Denon D2k. I loved the sound an, keeping true to my last bass head phone, this was another #hackheadphone. The pads were custom, the driver enclosure was custom even the drive it self had mods to it! So not content with my headphone I sent it away to have a cable mod. Sadly though when I'd gotten it back the 4pinXLRplug was terminated wrong! So I sent it back again, an this time the pin out was right but the connections were weak! I was so disappointed, an at this point I was almost ready to give up on aftermarket cable options all together, thankfully on the third attempt as was well! Now content with my LAD2k I thought I could rest easy, well sadly as life unfolds I had to part with my hacked D2k. Though it wasn't long before I got my hands on yet another #hackheadphones! This time it was a Denon D5k, already terminated to meet me needs.

As per my usual habits, I began to mod it little by little my self. Starting with the pads, I made a few changes to the drivers an even did some repair work to the head band. Thankfully, I'm stilling the proud owner of it, though I know there's still one thing missing. There's one last step to creating my own TOTL bass head phone! An that's the cable, sadly I'm still using the Stock cable.

Sound wise it's sufficient, the original fabric wire casing is starting to fray, that an I know my D5k deserves better, so here's to hoping with the help of you guys an gals at Moon Audio my D5k can reach it's fullest potential! Bringing an end to my search for a unique TOTL Bass Heavy #hackheadphones

#hackheadphones

#hackheadphones "Why do I want them hacked?

I've always believed 3rd party and non-OEM cable had nothing to offer, but perhaps I could be wrong, afterall!"

Audeze LCD-XC
Sieveking Sound Omega Headphone Stand
Schiit Mjolnir
Schiit Pyst
Schiit Gungnir
APC G5 Power Filter
Blue Jeans 4 Pin XLR Extension Cable

The Pono has a Silver Dragon, the HiFiman HE500 has a Black Dragon cable.

Please hack my Audeze LCD-3 or Sennheiser HD800. I can't have the Pono outperforming LCD-3 or Sennheiser HD800!

#Hackheadphones

I brought out all the headphones. The Pono has the Silver Dragons Balanced with Shure 535. The Hifiman HE-500 has the Black Dragon single ended. The Seenhieser HD 650 just a balanced cable. The Grado's a regular single ended. Now we come to the headphone amp which is a Bryston BHA-1which will drive just about anything.

The equipment is a Bryston BDP-2 with the new sound card. All I can say is wow. Anyone who has just a DAC they need this. It will play standard files from MP3 up to 196K. It will also play SACD,DSD (it's your turntable) and if you look in the next picture there is a Bryston Bot-1 drive that will transfer everything over to the Bryston BDP-2. The DAC is a Bryston BDA-2. OK so there's at least $10,000 in cables. So do I think cables are important.

#Hackmyphones, my Audeze LCD-3 are a great phone with superior Bass but miss the subtleties of the Sennheiser HD800. The Sennheiser HD800 need the slam and impact the Audeze LCD-3 provide. I switch my phones out depending upon music. It would be nice to use one #hackmyphones or maybe 2.

The other picture I sent is what these phones must contend with. It's what I must contend with! Basically, it's "turn down that music". I have more of an opportunity to listen to phones.

"Come on man" #hackmyphones!

@Moon_Audio I'd love to hear the clarity of the Silver Dragons in person.

Maybe I will in Denver! #hackheadphones

My entry for #hackheadphones by @Moon_Audio — gorgeous @ZMFheadphones Omni and outstanding @resonessence Concero HP

Now, I'm listening to outstanding ZMF Omni. They are already hacked to the limit, as it is a Fostex T50RP at it's core, but not much left from them. Zach changed almost everything inside them.

But can they be hacked even more with excellent Moon Audio cable? I'd like to check :)

@Moon_Audio my first #hackheadphones w1000x with a braided half sleeve cable!

No hack. No fun.
#hackheadphones

I bought this HD600 setup with a Bottlehead Crack for my dad along with a vintage EAD CD player so he can enjoy his CDs on the side of his vinyl.

I would really like to have his headphones hacked because the final component to this system would be a nice silver cable to pair with the HD600. I myself enjoy Mr Speakers Alpha Dogs with an aftermarket cable and I think an OCC cable could do wonders for an HD600.

I enjoy having a fully immersed listening experience and that's what headphones do for me. The look on my dads face and hours spent on his chair after dinner really told me that he digs headphone audio. Thank you Moon Audio for promoting and selling quality headphone items and best of luck to everyone participating.

#hackheadphones

@Moon_Audio #HackHeadphones Budget Setup in need of Hacking.

Velodyne VTrue cans and Sansui 9090 receiver.

I always had my eye on the Velodyne V True headphones because they are simply the nicest looking headphones I had ever seen.

Since I am a 20 year old college student who happens to be an audiophile, my budget is humble at best. So, given the stylish looks and their mid-level cost I decided to pick a pair of V True's up. I paired them with a monster vintage Sansui 9090 receiver I picked up and I was very happy. Then over time, I became aware of a lack in upper range for the Velodyne's. I noticed it more often while listening until I came to a dilemma. While these are the most well engineered and built headphones I have seen, and they are certainly the nicest looking, I became slightly disappointed in the sound quality.

The problem is that given my budget, I would have to sell these beauties to move on to something like the Sennheiser 650's, and I simply didn't want to let these V True's go. So I began searching for mod ideas, and began asking around, I even thought of ordering a extremely small micro tweeter from Japan that I could somehow get to work within these housings to clear up those high frequencies. I really am not good at DIY, so I looked at cables to fix the treble. But, ultimately I decided to put the search on pause.

Then I saw this contest, and I realized I am the absolute perfect candidate for this. My headphones are the perfect pair for some fine tuning, and it is something I have been wanting done on my cans for months now. Whether is be internal modding, or cable switching, these headphones with some added clarity to the high end, could be some of the finest pairs out there. I hope this potential is seen and it is decided that my pair are the perfect candidate for a hack.

Thanks,
Nate

Astell & Kern AK100II - Oppo PM-1 headphones.

I would love to here the difference with balanced mode. As of now, I am using a single ended version.

Thank you,
Michael Zay

My Sennheiser HD598s sound great but the recessed connector makes cable swaps difficult.

Plus, they'd go together well with my fanless, silver and chrome "Hackintosh" PC with a cable hack.

#hackheadphones

Well, first of all, I love to tinker with my gears. Then I love to seek out the best possible result from my gears. My #hackheadphones story went like this.

I had been seeking out good quality headphones or IEMS that provide quality audio in details retrieval, soundstage, and realistic tonality together with portability. I work a lot, and so I need my quality music with me. I love my music and listen to it at the least 2 hours a day. I don't exactly like any extra such as amplifier as I believe it colors the music out from the source. The ZX2 was the one I picked as a good start in portability.

Since having ZX2, I loved everything sonic quality wise from the player, and I am just like many other head-fi members who love to seek out new headphones, cables, IEMS and see what I had been missing out. One day I decided to go with MdR-Z7 headphones, it came with removable cables, and was around 70 ohms that I figured my Zx2 could drive without problems. I was very happy with my purchases, but then later on I found out that my Z7 has a "tint" of metallic tone in it sound produced. That same day, coincidentally I also met a member who happened to also love hacking headphones for better results. He told me that his end-game was MDR-SA5000.

I went on and on in private messages with this fellow, and to find out that his end-game sound preferences is the same as mine: details, life-like performances, realistic tonality, and huge life-like soundstage. I learned that SA5000 is fast, efficient at 70 ohms, similar to Z7, and with the potential to be the end-game when I hacked into it under the guidance of this fellow. I thought to myself that I could buy an Hd800 and an amp if I wanted, but then I would need to sacrifice my "portability". In the end, SA5000 and ZX2 would do just find, if the result would be exactly as I was told. I took the risk and found out that before modding, the SA5000 has it flaws, which turned many audiophiles away in it time. It was very bright, fatigue, and lacking bass, but it excels at speed, and details retrieval.

I proceed onto damping the headphones housing, so the "bell-effect" would be controlled, and the trebles would not be amplified and distorted by the "bell-effect". Simply put, I needed to control the housing resonances, which made the SA5000 extremely bright and fatiguing from the first place. It took a couple hours, some tools, and porous paper tape. The end result was beautiful ! But then I bumped into another problem. I love "dynamic bass bloom" and SA5000 had it so "subtles". Later on I found out that the bass ports on the drivers were larger on the Q10 Qualia, so I heat cut and made my SA5000 bass ports larger. Yes, just as intended, the bass bloom away, and the rumbles felt more vibrant. Then I needed even more "portability". So I proceeded to hack into it again, upgraded my cables to be removable cables, and upgraded the drivers wire in the same step.

It turned my SA5000 into an superb sounding "headphones" which is live-like performance, wide and deep staging, detailed notes, and realistic tonality, also be portable with removable solid-silver cables, and so efficient to drive that I can use it out of ZX2, smartphones, iPad Air 2. I am very happy, and more than likely wanting another stock pair of SA5000 to keep as a spare. I think to myself if my modded SA5000 stopped working, I would be broke down and sad. Because in the end, I really have found it, the goals which I had been looking for in the last 15 years or so, beginning the day that I was able to afford the hobby.