Removable Balanced Cable Mod for Beyerdynamic DT-1770 Headphones

I'm personally digging the newer, more upscale DT-1770 and DT-1990 from Beyerdynamic. The sound is more balanced and not quite as peaky in the upper midrange. The DT770, 880 and 990 are still incredible values though, and I'd recommend them to anyone looking to get into headphones. 

There's one glaring omission that Beyer could have done better with 1770 and 1990, and that's not using a 4-pin XLR with isolated grounds so the headphones could be run with balanced amps. For a headphone costing nearly $600 and given how little it would cost to implement is a strange business decision. Drop has actually released a version of the 1770 called the DT-177X which uses a 4 pin XLR, so I encourage anyone considering the DT-1770 to get that instead. 

3-pin XLR? That's no good!

Fortunately for Beyer fans, the existing units can be modified for balanced amplifiers. This involves removing the 3-pin XLR and much of the existing wiring and isn't very difficult. 

Below you'll see the offending 3-pin XLR which needs to be replaced. To open up the headphones, first the earpads are removed, then pry off the retaining ring using an envelope opener or similar tool. 

Under the retaining ring are the drivers. If you look carefully, there is a little indent on the outer edge of each. Using a small flathead screwdriver, you can apply some pressure to pry up the driver frame and remove it from the cups. This should all be done carefully as to not damage the drivers or the fabric on the driver frame. 

The drivers will often have a number on them. This is likely for matching purposes at the factory. In addition they will have a red dot near one of the wires. This tells you which side is positive. The wires can be trimmed and the drivers removed. Next the headband has to come off to replace the wire between the cups. There are a couple of screws to remove on the plastic brackets and you can then open up the headband and remove the wire. 

Other items that need to come off are the 3-pin mini XLR and the little strain relief pieces. The mini XLR has a plastic ring that screws it in place. There's a little bit of adhesive but it's not difficult to get off. The strain relieve pieces have a metal retaining piece, remove that and pull them out of the cup. They will need to be cleared out inside with a drill or dremel to provide clearance for thicker wire. 

Once everything is out, the replacement wire is soldered to a 4 pin mini XLR (Switchcraft or similar) and is fed through the strain relief pieces (orange circle below) through the headband and out the other side. The plastic pieces holding the headband in place have small indents where the wire enters and exits (red circle below). Inside, a zip tie should be placed right under the strain relief so the wire can't yank on the driver connection if it gets caught, and some light adhesive can be placed, then the metal retaining piece can be reinserted. 

Once everything is in place, you can insert the mini XLR back into the cavity on the bottom of the cup and screw on the stock plastic ring. Use a bit of adhesive or Loctite to ensure this does not come undone. 

Below you'll see the wire running to one of the headphone drivers. Beyerdynamic is now using small pins and a circuit board for ease of assembly. The pins are too small to solder to directly, so the wire should be soldered close to the board with a little bit of room for flexibility. Adhesive heatshrink should be used to prevent shorting. 

If you decide to try and remove the pin jacks and solder directly to the PCB, be very careful as you can damage the diaphragm wire which is quite thin. I personally do not recommend this as you'll likely find yourself buying a new set of drivers, but if you'd like to try it, godspeed. 

 

Once you have everything in place, you can reassemble the headphone. Below you'll see the modded DT1770 Pro (sans earpads, they were retained by the owner) and a spiffy new Zynsonix Ballista cable to go with them. 

I hope you enjoyed this brief tutorial and hope your mod goes well. If you'd prefer someone else have all the fun, please contact Zynsonix Audio who would be happy to handle it for you. 

Disclosure: Please remember that using a soldering iron and/or modifying headphones can be dangerous to you and/or your surroundings and should only be performed by a certified technician. The owner of this blog and all associated parties can not / will not be held responsible if you attempt a modification posted above and cause physical harm to yourself or your surroundings. 

Four Pairs of Headphones for Any Studio Setup

This guest post is brought to you by my friends at Headphone Ninja. Anyone following the blog knows I love headphones, and Jo-Ann and company have culminated four tried-and true classics to discuss.

Studio headphones fill the market today. However, many of them are either far too expensive or far too inaccurate when it comes to meeting the referencing demands of producers and audio engineers. While everyone would love to own a pair of the sleek Sennheiser HD800s or the beautiful Japanese cherry birch wood Fostex TH 900s, we don’t all have a Hans Zimmer’s budget.

In this post we explore four of the more preferred headphones available in 2017 that are well suited to the modern day studio.


Closed-back headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-M50X

Comfort is key when it comes to long studio sessions. The generously padded earcups and adjustable headband of the ATH-MX50 provides comfort, and while the headphones do clamp down reasonably hard, they do not physically strangle the life out of your temples. They are slightly heavy at 10-ounces, but this should not be a deciding factor for those looking to use these in a studio environment.

The ATH-M50X is fitted with large 45mm proprietary drivers that deliver exceptional clarity. Some individuals who have used these thought that the bass is slightly high, but the mid frequencies are fairly well represented. The higher frequencies also appear to be slightly bright, but not to the point of fatiguing the ear. The 90-degree swivelling earcup is great for single ear monitoring and the frequency response ranges from 15 - 20,000Hz.




Sony MDR7506

Introduced back in 1991, the Sony MD7506 has remained a firm favorite amongst many looking for high quality and reliable headphones. Their durability is as decent as a pair of plastic headphones can get, with the only real issue of deterioration being the earpads on the cups, but these are replaceable. At around 8-ounces, they are light enough to not burden the wearer much.

The MDR7506’s frequency response ranges from 10 - 20,000Hz. It has revealed a solid bass response in tests, albeit slightly bumped up in the 60 -100Hz range. Mids remain fairly flat while the low treble to the high treble frequencies are quite inconsistent; the sibilance range is slightly boosted and can be slightly piercing to the more sensitive ears. The soundstage is decent for a closed-back pair of cans. They have an 63-ohm rated impedance and their low leakage is also suitable for recording purposes.

The coiled 9.8-inch cord is more than enough for studio environments and it does come with a ¼ inch adaptor. The Sony MDR7506 gives many mid-range referencing cans a run for their money.




Open-back headphones

Sennheiser HD 650

The Sennheiser HD 650 are slightly pricier, but it seems important to add these cans for those who enjoy the spacier sounds that open-back circumaural headphones offer. The suede-like fabric is a nice touch on the large, encompassing cups that house the efficient neodymium magnets.

The slightly under-emphasized low bass frequencies with the minor boost on the high bass gives the headphones a more natural sounding low end. The mid range responses are pretty much flat throughout and the treble frequencies are consistent. Their impressive frequency response coupled with the spacious sound created by the deep drivers and open-back design makes these excellent for critical listening.

Needless to say, their isolation is pretty much non-existent, making these more suited to quieter environments. They are also less suitable for recording purposes, because they do leak quite a bit of additional noise, which in turn will bleed into your microphone. 

The Sennheiser HD 650 is an excellent referencing headphone and offer an awesome frequency response, though they are less suitable for recording purposes however.

Editors Note: The 650s can sound a little dull in the treble with the stock cable in some setups. A replacement featuring silver-clad copper can bring out the highs. Check with Zynsonix for additional details.


AKG K712 PRO


The AKG K712 PRO are another great choice for mixing and mastering purposes. The design is slightly bulky, but they are purposefully built for studios, so that is completely understandable. The memory foam earcups captures the shape of your head, but they are rather large. Sound wise, they deliver a spacious and accurate audio reproduction, but the sound is a bit warmer in the upper bass. Still, it is well controlled overall. The mids are represented accurately.

Sensitive ears may find the slightly boosted (and somewhat inconsistent) higher frequencies a tad overwhelming, as they can sound harsh. The frequency response ranges from 10 - 39,800Hz in its entirety and it has a low harmonic distortion.

As a whole, the AKG K712 PRO have a natural sound and are well suited to intensive referencing sessions. The open-back design means they are more suited for mixing and mastering in studios.

Wrap up

This is by no means a comprehensive guide to selecting studio headphones, but a look at some of the more popular headphones around at the moment for any type of studio. While they may mostly be mid-range headphones, they perform well within their specific categories and are well suited for studio use.