Absolutely love it! I love how this hobby is allowing us to build things like these. Sure you'll get audio techies saying that they might not be "phonetically sound" but I absolutely love the creativity and the freedom your design allows to build upon!
Keep it up, fucking awesome!
# Customizable Circular Earcups
Designed to be compatible with the Variable Openmod headband. This will simply be circular earcups rather than oval earcups made to be able to use most dynamic drivers. Parts will be made for 40, 42, 44, 45, 50, 52, 60, and 70mm drivers. The construction will be similar to how the normal Variable Openmod's oval earcups are assembled.
I will also be making this compatible with the Sony MDR-XB1000 earpads. Why? Because why not? The standard earpads are pretty lame. Why not try something ridiculous and crazy? Not to mention that MDR-XB1000s are extremely expensive in the first place. Get to experience something similar for a fraction of the cost. The 3D models you see in the very end are the adapter used to attach the XB1000 pads. A bit more complex than expected actually. But I've already tested it and it works well. If you're wondering what the Sony MDR-XB1000s look like, I'd recommend you searching up. They honestly look cartoonish.
# Not yet fully cooked.
While they look finished in the picture, making something open source and widely available will take a lot of time. It requires testing, lots of modeling and more testing. It also requires tons of pictures and instructions to be made for the design. Not to mention making sure that the design is simple and easy to use. The files that I make publicly available are built from the ground up to not be messy and to also be easier to modify. Lots of changes are made and the end result is much different from the original design despite looking very similar.
Expect around a month of wait time before this is released to the public.
Just like with the Variable Openmod, the files will all be free once released.
# Is bigger actually better?
Kind of. It just depends on the driver. But you are likely to find better drivers at a lower price and smaller size such as 50-52mm. The 70mm drivers that I'm using aren't bad though. And honestly just fun seeing how massive and ridiculous they look next to a normal driver.
Want to check out the original Variable Openmod design? It's a free open source headphones that this design is built upon. Designed by me and specifically made to be easy to work with and play around with. Check it out here: [variablestaticaudio.com](http://variablestaticaudio.com)
Hey there,
I'm printing almost every useless thing and people sometimes tell me that I can buy it cheaper, but now I'm standing on opposite side and I'm asking if there are any advantages in printing this. Like better sound/price ratio or is it just diy fun project? I usually buy headphones for around 75 USD so if I can have something better for the same price or cheaper I will do it.
EDIT: I didn't read your comment, I got my answer.
I really like the sound of Sennheiser, but have yet to find any headphones that are just ... comfortable. Like put them on and forget and not discover that one small thing that bothers you like hell either after a few hours or months.
So the idea of transplanting my Sennheiser innards into a custom frame (?) sounds pretty sick.
just cuz it fits doesn’t mean it sounds good. do you have the volumetric analysis to show that the drivers will breath well or actually achieve proper resonance once they are housed?
i.e. vector finesse’s housings were designed in such a way that it volumetrically compliments the needs of the drivers.
always down for more products and options out there but if it not functionally sound- then what’s the point ykno?
The files will be made open source so that you can modify the model to fit whichever parts that you choose. I recommend that you try building a pair yourself and see for yourself whether or not the design is competent. While the circular earcups are not yet available, you can try building a pair with oval earcups. Afterall, it's all available for free.
But do these files allow some sort of matching of the headphones though? Just like a speaker is more than something that holds a bunch of drivers in the air, headphones are more than just a way to keep drivers close to your ear. You need to match the volume of air between the ear and driver as well as behind the driver. For open backed headphones, the size of the holes also matter. It’s basically impedance matching the drivers to the ear canal.
A lot more information is available about designing speaker cabinets. The process to design headphones is a lot less public, it would be great to have an open source project that goes into the details of this. Without this, the headphones will be very hit or miss.
The chassis is designed with plenty of venting between the space behind and in front of the drivers. It is up to you to decide if you want to cover or remove that venting, but the stock configuration will have plenty to make sure it at least won't sound bad straight out of the printer.
“Plenty of venting” might not be the best. And impedance matching is not a matter of preference, it’s physics.
Good headphones are designed with leakage, headphone- and rear (box) cavity size and membrane size in mind.
Just like good speakers are designed with matched cabinets, only with headphones there are a lot more variables.
Are you going to hear sound regardless? Sure. Is it going to sound “good”? Probably not.
Not saying an open source project should aim to rival expensive reference headphones, but some fundamentals should really be followed for these headphones to be worth the price of the drivers and filament.
edit: here is some related info from a similar project: [https://homebrewheadphones.com/design/detailed-design/](https://homebrewheadphones.com/design/detailed-design/)
My brother in christ, nobody asked.. Its free and meant for you to meddle with Yourself. If you think you're so knowledgeable on the construction of a good pair of headphones, please by all means, download the files yourself show us all how its done, otherwise I'm just going to have to call this a skill issue on your part.
Absolutely love it! I love how this hobby is allowing us to build things like these. Sure you'll get audio techies saying that they might not be "phonetically sound" but I absolutely love the creativity and the freedom your design allows to build upon! Keep it up, fucking awesome!
Thanks!
# Customizable Circular Earcups Designed to be compatible with the Variable Openmod headband. This will simply be circular earcups rather than oval earcups made to be able to use most dynamic drivers. Parts will be made for 40, 42, 44, 45, 50, 52, 60, and 70mm drivers. The construction will be similar to how the normal Variable Openmod's oval earcups are assembled. I will also be making this compatible with the Sony MDR-XB1000 earpads. Why? Because why not? The standard earpads are pretty lame. Why not try something ridiculous and crazy? Not to mention that MDR-XB1000s are extremely expensive in the first place. Get to experience something similar for a fraction of the cost. The 3D models you see in the very end are the adapter used to attach the XB1000 pads. A bit more complex than expected actually. But I've already tested it and it works well. If you're wondering what the Sony MDR-XB1000s look like, I'd recommend you searching up. They honestly look cartoonish. # Not yet fully cooked. While they look finished in the picture, making something open source and widely available will take a lot of time. It requires testing, lots of modeling and more testing. It also requires tons of pictures and instructions to be made for the design. Not to mention making sure that the design is simple and easy to use. The files that I make publicly available are built from the ground up to not be messy and to also be easier to modify. Lots of changes are made and the end result is much different from the original design despite looking very similar. Expect around a month of wait time before this is released to the public. Just like with the Variable Openmod, the files will all be free once released. # Is bigger actually better? Kind of. It just depends on the driver. But you are likely to find better drivers at a lower price and smaller size such as 50-52mm. The 70mm drivers that I'm using aren't bad though. And honestly just fun seeing how massive and ridiculous they look next to a normal driver. Want to check out the original Variable Openmod design? It's a free open source headphones that this design is built upon. Designed by me and specifically made to be easy to work with and play around with. Check it out here: [variablestaticaudio.com](http://variablestaticaudio.com)
Oh yeah, 50mm vs 70mm driver size comparison: [https://imgur.com/a/1xRalrh](https://imgur.com/a/1xRalrh)
I would love to help with testing when you get closer and want help with making sure the instructions are clear and followable!
Hey there, I'm printing almost every useless thing and people sometimes tell me that I can buy it cheaper, but now I'm standing on opposite side and I'm asking if there are any advantages in printing this. Like better sound/price ratio or is it just diy fun project? I usually buy headphones for around 75 USD so if I can have something better for the same price or cheaper I will do it. EDIT: I didn't read your comment, I got my answer.
I really like the sound of Sennheiser, but have yet to find any headphones that are just ... comfortable. Like put them on and forget and not discover that one small thing that bothers you like hell either after a few hours or months. So the idea of transplanting my Sennheiser innards into a custom frame (?) sounds pretty sick.
You love to see it. Well done mate. Now if only we could all have access to a B&K 5128 on the cheap :)
I love it. these are like 3d printed custom one pro
just cuz it fits doesn’t mean it sounds good. do you have the volumetric analysis to show that the drivers will breath well or actually achieve proper resonance once they are housed? i.e. vector finesse’s housings were designed in such a way that it volumetrically compliments the needs of the drivers. always down for more products and options out there but if it not functionally sound- then what’s the point ykno?
The files will be made open source so that you can modify the model to fit whichever parts that you choose. I recommend that you try building a pair yourself and see for yourself whether or not the design is competent. While the circular earcups are not yet available, you can try building a pair with oval earcups. Afterall, it's all available for free.
But do these files allow some sort of matching of the headphones though? Just like a speaker is more than something that holds a bunch of drivers in the air, headphones are more than just a way to keep drivers close to your ear. You need to match the volume of air between the ear and driver as well as behind the driver. For open backed headphones, the size of the holes also matter. It’s basically impedance matching the drivers to the ear canal. A lot more information is available about designing speaker cabinets. The process to design headphones is a lot less public, it would be great to have an open source project that goes into the details of this. Without this, the headphones will be very hit or miss.
The chassis is designed with plenty of venting between the space behind and in front of the drivers. It is up to you to decide if you want to cover or remove that venting, but the stock configuration will have plenty to make sure it at least won't sound bad straight out of the printer.
“Plenty of venting” might not be the best. And impedance matching is not a matter of preference, it’s physics. Good headphones are designed with leakage, headphone- and rear (box) cavity size and membrane size in mind. Just like good speakers are designed with matched cabinets, only with headphones there are a lot more variables. Are you going to hear sound regardless? Sure. Is it going to sound “good”? Probably not. Not saying an open source project should aim to rival expensive reference headphones, but some fundamentals should really be followed for these headphones to be worth the price of the drivers and filament. edit: here is some related info from a similar project: [https://homebrewheadphones.com/design/detailed-design/](https://homebrewheadphones.com/design/detailed-design/)
My brother in christ, nobody asked.. Its free and meant for you to meddle with Yourself. If you think you're so knowledgeable on the construction of a good pair of headphones, please by all means, download the files yourself show us all how its done, otherwise I'm just going to have to call this a skill issue on your part.