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Miracles in Audio, by luck, by good choices,by design or by tweaking...

I owned a low cost headphone for many years, the Fostex TH7B, first version( a new one close version exist Fostex TH7BK), semi-open headphone...I was never completely satisfied by any headphones I ever owned: Hifiman 400, Stax basic lamda, Stax 5 gold,Akg 340,Akg 701, beyerdynamic 990, and T150... Because in each of them with all their qualities I never listen to at the same times, a confortable headphone with natural timbre and voicing, with a good imaging and a realistic soundstage(not too close to my ears)...


For the last days I tweaked this Fostex, to damp his internal resonance I used sorbothane, I put some shungite stones at the exterior part of the cups and I use some Herkimer diamond in the interior pads( 3 at 120 degree) … Now this low cost headphones crush all my others if I sum all his qualities... For example his mids and voicing cannot beat the AKG 340 but among all my other headphones it is the best that is near that mids and it is more confortable, and with longer cable than the 340...His imaging is better and more realistic than the 340 etc etc...It is the same if I compare with the others...


His most important qualities is natural timbre and clear imaging,very precise pinned point accuracy and natural, so clear it crush for that ALL the others to dust...In the French audio circle the reviews were more than very positive few years ago...Diapason d’or and choc Classica...I am not the only one impressed buy the ratio quality/price... But remember that thesae reviewers dont tweak their headphone...The difference between before and after the tweaks are staggering...


Yes Miracles happens in Audio: cost is under 100 American dollars... Few years ago they cost me 50 bucks new... I never dreamed that I will go back to headphones...


I will enjoy your miracles stories of any kind ….My best to all...
128x128mahgister
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,987 posts
 
Update:
After one hour listening, I add one small tourmaline stone to the H.D. on top of one of the plate behind each speakers... Now it is all perfect, imaging and timbre....

It is not surprizing at all for me after 2 years experiments with stones...
The 3 more potent stones that act very good in synergy with one another, is tourmaline, Herkimer diamond and shungite… Behind my speakers they make perfect harmony between imaging, timbre, tonal 
equilibrium...

My best...

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Keep adding different stones and before you know it you’ll have a Mini Brilliant Pebbles. 💥 Mini Brilliant Pebbles contains sapphire, quartz, ruby, black tourmaline, aquamarine, among other stones. 🎅 
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,987 posts
 
Merry Christmas G.K.

I will keep on indeed … : )

I already had try all these stones one by one ( except the aquamarine that must be very good);
You must add malachite to your list and chrysocolla....

My favorite, impactful trio, is hard to beat : (((Shungite+ copper tape, the so called "golden" plate)+Herkimer diamond, ) +tourmaline)))...It will be interesting here to try malachite or chrysocolla in place of tourmaline...Depend of your speakers, if too bright, malachite or agate; if already warm speakers, tourmaline would be better...
Very amazing behind speakers, I had 4 already of these modified "golden" plates, 2 behind each speakers, one aligned with the electronic component of the speakers, another aligned with the bass driver and the tweeter ...

mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,987 posts
 
I know for sure that it will cost me around 15,000 dollars of very wisely choosen audio parts to really "upgrade" my under 1000 dollars audio system...

(My system is now so good that I does not consider an upgrade not only for money reason but really because of his actual refine musicality)

For sure if the photos in the "virtual system" gallery gives me an idea of the average audiophile here, most people are there already, and many way more farther on the road...


Is it necessary in those system to use " golden" plates for example?

I will say yes, behind the speakers, with convenient stone for these speakers choice, and mostly on the central electrical panel, the modem-router, the interconnector, the power conditioner....If you had the money buy whatever will correct that, nevermind the cost....If you had not much money to spend, think about my "golden" plate and try them at low cost with parts easy to find on Ebay… But please report here...

Whatever their cost, speaker correction, acoustic treatment of the room, cleaning and decreasing the noise floor of the house, room, and audio system, are mandatory measures....


Then dont laugh, dont even smile at my wonderful now low-cost system, think twice, and think a third times... :)

I wish you a merry Christmas ...
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,987 posts
 
For those of you curious about my future upgrade, modulo my loto winning numbers :)

To beat my actual dac, Starting Point Systems Nos dac, tda 1543, internal battery by C. Mariac designer, powered by Ifipurifier,

I will need at minimum the Denafrips Terminator...( my actual dac is so good that it is a guess on my part about the Terminator)


For my Sansui Au-7700, a very good vintage, the Berning tube amplifier will do...( I had no doubt about that, it suffice to read about Berning design)


For destroying the Mission Cyrus 781, the Tannoy Harbeth will do … (No doubt either because of my past experience with top Tannoys)


Total cost around 15000 dollars...


I will accept donation of a rich benefactor, in the mean times, I enjoy too much my audio actual system to be bothered anymore by the silence of this absent benefactor...


My best wishes to all...
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