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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...
mahgister
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
13,799 posts
 
A note about Herkimer diamonds...

I use H.D. normally of 1 or 2 grams...

I try some very little one on top of tourmaline stones that are themselves on my S.G. They weigh only a fraction of a gram...

Incredibly for me they seems to work with the same impact that the bigger one...they are like thin sticks, like an antenna, that enhance the tourmaline stone linked to the S.G. the effect is mostly a more beautiful distinct imaging...


These S.G. modified transform the acoustical space in a way that no materials for room treatment, nor any resonator, Helmholtz one or others can equal...


I dont need an explanation to hear it tough.... :)

The cost for this experiment was a 2 dollars amount for 16 little H.D. 3.5 grams in total...

I test that with the 100 transcendental studies for piano by K. Sorabji, a genius for the future...


mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
13,799 posts
 
Update for the liliputian H.D.

The effect is confirmed for me and surprisingly subtle but evident, a more softness in the imaging, without any loss, in any aspects of the sound...The effect remind me of a change of cable ...Like with my Morrow M3 compared to ordinary interconnect...It is in the same order...

I am flabbergasted that adding a .200 gram thin Herkimer diamond produce a change....on top of a chunk of tourmaline... On 6 of my 8 Shumann generators...The liliputian H.D. seems powerful on another level compared to the 2 or 3 gram H.D. they seems to add a softness that was not there even with the big H.D.


For using behind speakers for example, a golden plate + a big H.D. will be better... We need a powerful action there to balance the shungite…


For using with the S.G. we need a more subtle action no less powerful but more toward softness than cleanliness...Then the liliputian H.D. are the best...


Audio is not what we think it is at all, engineers, audiophiles or whoever we are; audio is a complex activity combining many artefacts in an experience always new, implicating more than one science, and some unknowns to discover and perhaps even more than we think at the end....

I cannot stop listen what I listen to, now Vivaldi, with a softness that is miraculous with the Biondi violins...

All that for 2 dollars for my 16 liliputian marvels....... :)


mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
13,799 posts
 
second update for the liliputian H.D.

These liliputian H.D. are the way to go with the tourmaline+ the thin  golden plate on the Schumann generators... They are powerful...This is an incredible amazing tweaks, that cost nothing...The imaging and softness, and clarity of the sound exceed everything I added before... This was evident after few minutes of listening, but after many hours of listening the sound is so good on all files I know by heart that I am flabbergasted... I just said some days ago to my wife that I cannot imagine a new increase in S.Q. for the times to comes... :)


How can .150 of a gram of a variety of quartz stone( called Herkimer Diamond) can be so potent? Equal for his audible effect to 450 gram of shungite or tourmaline?


An effect very soft and powerful at the same time....I have no clue …. :)


I will go back to the magical Bach organ now.... My best...






mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
13,799 posts
 
third update on liliputian H.D.

I just put a photo in my "virtual system" section of a liliputian H.D. on top of Tourmaline+"Golden" thin plate with a cabled S.G. under that... :)
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
OMG! That was a close one! For a second I thought you were going to say you put a photo in your freezer. 🥶
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