# ATH-M50 Removable Cable Mod



## meizumintyboi

Hi guys!
   
  I just got my M50's (coil cable) yesterday, and I'm slowly loving them more and more.
   
  This coil cable is a little too long, a bit heavy and annoying, esp. for portability. So I will be using the last 10cm off the original cable towards the 3.5mm jack just before the coil starts, soldering it to the driver, using the same config as stock. This will be handy as I can plug in my SGS headset controls here, perfect remote control and mic positioning... I've ordered a custom made cable 1m 3.5mm male to female ext. from AudioSpares for listening elsewhere.
   
  If I did this, would it create microphonic noise, which I definitely don't want as it'll be portable. Would it make a difference if the cable coming out from the cup was male/female? Would the SQ change?
   
  Thanks in advance


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## meizumintyboi

Well no one helped me here... So I went out and did it myself:
   
  My M50 mod and DIY Neutrik terminated cables:

   
  I used the Lumberg 3.5mm female chassis for the left ear cup hole, which I made bigger by using a file.

  Works really well, the Lumberg chassis has a good lock onto the 3.5mm plug and doesn't come out unless a considerable amount of force is used.
  I filled in the gaps with clear silicone, after about 12 hours it set, and holds the chassis strongly in place with some flex when inserting/removing cables.


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## meizumintyboi

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## meizumintyboi

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## supergolf

Looks good. I think you could have done a slightly better job with the silicone adhesive as its all over the 3.5mm chassis in the picture. I am about to do a similar mod to my AKG K518 so will post some pics when I am finished!

Good Effort!

supergolf


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## meizumintyboi

yeah it was hard to keep the silicone tidy, I'm re-doing the mod later when my new iron comes through the post as my one died . hopefully it will be a bit tidier now I've had a go at some modding


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## supergolf

Quote: 





meizumintyboi said:


> yeah it was hard to keep the silicone tidy, I'm re-doing the mod later when my new iron comes through the post as my one died . hopefully it will be a bit tidier now I've had a go at some modding


 


  I had a go at modding the AKG K518.  Added a detachable cable mod.  Have a look here.


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## neato

I've been on planning to do this to my M50's, as it would greatly increase it's portability. After a lot of hesitation and experimenting, I did it. It's my first DIY project, so that's why I was hesitant. I actually couldn't get the wires to tin, so I couldn't use these for about a week while I tried to find what went wrong. I'm happy with the final product though, and I've discovered how fun DIY can be (and frustrating, lol).
   

   

   

   
  I'm using aiaiai's straight cable. Now these cans are much more portable. Yay!


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## Ultrainferno

Looks great! wish I could do that to mine


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## meizumintyboi

dude v. jealous, much better job than me... which chassis did u use?
   
  well I just modified the mod, pushed right in with a washer on the outside, this is the best I've got.. also added some cut top old socks on, less sweaty, only slight leakage more, but not as bad as the DT250 pads, sound sig hasn't changed either, as I'm still using the m50 pads and foam.


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## neato

Haha, thanks a lot man! I used a Philmore 504K. It looks identical to yours. You cleaned yours up really well. I like the washer. It makes the jack look more robust. How did you put socks on your pads? Got a picture? I actually prefer the sound sig with the DT250 pads (I found the highs to be piercing sometimes with the stock pads). I'm interested in your sock mod though for future headphone mods. I hate sweaty pads.


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## meizumintyboi

Yeah your chassis looks exactly the same.

 Very simple mod, just on a trial basis got a pair of old socks, cut the tops off, with a bit of trial and error to find the best length.



   
  Works nicely, sound sig is pretty much the same, not a lot of leakage, most importantly not sweaty ears!
   
  Next thing to do it to put on some fresh socks with double sided tape.


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## mraudio

Hi Guys!!
   
  Really amazing Mods out there, congratulation!!
   
  I am about to do the same and already ordered/got some of my customization parts. I am still wondering how to safely attach my 3,5mm chassis with
  no chance for it to come out while detaching/attaching the male plug.
   
  Are you able to post some pictures of your phones inner life? Just to get an idea?
   
  Thanks


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## neato

Take a look at the picture of the jack in the second post. See the part with the vertical ridges near the top? That screws off. On the M50's you should be able to put that top part through the hole where the cable usually goes, and then screw the ring back onto the jack from the outside of the cup. This secures it from coming loose. Sorry if that was confusing. I don't have any pictures, because I borrowed a camera to take those. I don't have a camera for the mean time.


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## mraudio

Thanks a lot! I didn't notice the screwing off part before. I think i'll return my chassis because i wasn't able to find a nut fitting on it. In addition the lumberg one is much cheaper than my current one 
   
  Is there something what has to be considered when putting the chassis between the 2 plastic bolts. (Where the cable originally wraps around, seen here
  Or will it just fit nicely between them?


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## neato

Actually I had to break off the left bolt because it was in the way. Also, the plastic enclosing the driver was hitting the jack, preventing me from closing the cup. I just melted away some plastic with the thicker part of my soldering iron. I'm not sure if that's the best way though. I was pretty scared just melting stuff right beneath the driver, lol. As I've said this is my first DIY, so I might not be giving the best information. I'd like to know how meizumintyboi did it.


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## TheGomdoRi

Cool mod!


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## meizumintyboi

Yeah I used pliers to snap off the left piece.
The connection it's very strong, no flex at all when inserting/removing cables


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## meizumintyboi

Yeah I filed down the bottom part of the plastic that enclosed the driver as well


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## mraudio

Same result for me!! THX!
  
 I also happily offer support for anyone who is interested in getting their pair modded or will mod them for you!


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## neato

Nice job!


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## necorn

heys guys, im also going to mod my m50's, and i got a few questions, if you'll hear me out
  i ordered a soldering iron and solder, off ebay, cuz i dont have one yet and it was so cheap!
  jus wondering if the soldering iron and solder is right for the job:
  iron:
  http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190494367117&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
  solder:
  http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150582186138&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
   
  i bought lead and tin with resin core because thats the one im familiar with (used at school before), so will it work?
   
  also, i bought a chassis, tried to get the same one as your ones, to avoid any problems,
  http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380324103907&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
  is this one fine?
   
  last thing. im not too sure what you mean by male/female sockets and jacks, could anyone explain and will it make a difference to what ive gone and bought already?
   
  thanks in advance


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## Yoga Flame

Quote: 





necorn said:


> heys guys, im also going to mod my m50's, and i got a few questions, if you'll hear me out
> i ordered a soldering iron and solder, off ebay, cuz i dont have one yet and it was so cheap!
> jus wondering if the soldering iron and solder is right for the job:
> [...]
> ...


 

 Those all look fine to me. That soldering iron is 60W, which is a bit on the high side. So be careful not to apply heat for too long when working with electronics, or components that have plastic parts.
   
  I highly recommend getting the helping hand clamps. Makes soldering a lot easier. This was the cheapest one I found on eBay:
  http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HELPING-HAND-SOLDER-STAND-MAGNIFYING-GLASS-LED-/190551007949
  It's also the fanciest looking one. Go figure. You can probably also find it at a local electronics store.
   
   
  Quote: 





> last thing. im not too sure what you mean by male/female sockets and jacks, could anyone explain and will it make a difference to what ive gone and bought already?


 
   
  The one you bought is a 3.5mm stereo chassis socket. Female = jack = socket. Male = plug. I believe "chassis" refers to the fact that it screws on to the chassis (i.e. outer body) rather than being fixed onto a circuit board or in-line with a cable.


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## necorn

ah i see, thanks a lot.
  i placed an order on the helping hands so now all i got to do is wait for all my stuff to arrive.
  ill post pics of my m50's soon(~a month's time)


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## meizumintyboi

try and get a temperature adjustable one if you can


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## neato

Here a few pictures of the inside of mine, per request of another forum member. Hopefully these pictures can help anyone else out there wanting to do this.
   

   
   
  Here's where I melted a part of the driver encasement to make room for the jack.

   
   
  This is where I broke off the plastic bolt to make room for the jack. Also, you'll need to cut the cotton padding on the inside of the cup for room for the jack.


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## necorn

wow, finally we get to see the insides of a modded m50!
   
  is there possibly another way to make the socket fit without melting the driver case?
  bit worried about possibly damaging the driver..


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## meizumintyboi

yeah I just filed it down, but you don't need to worry about melting the driver, that piece can be unscrewed, and the white insulation can be taken out very easily, it is held down by just 3 small star head screws, I would advise you take it off before melting/filing, then wash and dry before re-installing.


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## jadawgis732

Question: I am in the process of doing this with my ATH-M50s (pics to follow) but I cut the wire connecting the left driver to the headphones so that I could dremel down the plastic prong which blocks the socket jack I am installing. The reason was that I didn't want to break out the dremel right near the driver.
   
  So after the fitting process was complete I started stripping wires, getting ready to solder. But here is where my problem arose. I see that the wire going to the right driver has two solder point on the left driver's circuit board. It is a red wire and, I believe a ground wire, but both are encased in one small wire. How do I get around this, can I just solder the wires back together, or do I have to separate these wires? Thanks.
  uQ


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## jadawgis732

Well, it does work, but the right channel has lost its ability to reproduce any bass at all. So I guess I'm on to replacing the wire running to the right can? Am I going to be able to hide it as it was originally?
  W


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## neato

I'm not sure I'm reading it right, but it doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with the wiring. Got a picture?


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## jadawgis732

After further evaluation, the right channel is getting a signal, but there is no differentiation between Left and Right. For example, when I play a sound testing the sound card in windows, there is a jingle in the left ear, then the right ear. Using my ATH-M50's the sounds play on both ears simultaneously. It's really sad, because I feel like I've ruined my headphones, but given a free afternoon I'm sure I can iron out the kinks.


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## Lonic

hey! awesome thread guys.
  helps me building confidence toward doing this exact mod to get rid of the oh so annoyingly heavy and prone to tangle coil cord.
   
  before I begin tho, I'd like to confirm some steps of the process.
  First the only cutting involved is inside the left cup, on the main cord going out the headphone?
  Second, the only soldering is on the 3 exposed wires (ground red green) to connect them to the new female 3.5 chassis?
  This means no desoldering on the drive board and no touching the wires reaching for the right cup.
  Is there any enamel coating on the wires or are they simple twisted copper threads.
   
  and last but not least, did any of you guys experienced a reduction in audio quality after doing this mod?
   
  I guess thats it question-wise... until I start modding and have a ton more for you hehehe


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## neato

Quote: 





jadawgis732 said:


> After further evaluation, the right channel is getting a signal, but there is no differentiation between Left and Right. For example, when I play a sound testing the sound card in windows, there is a jingle in the left ear, then the right ear. Using my ATH-M50's the sounds play on both ears simultaneously. It's really sad, because I feel like I've ruined my headphones, but given a free afternoon I'm sure I can iron out the kinks.


 


  Ah, the picture clears it up. You should have desoldered the wires off of the driver instead of cutting it. Dang. It looks like you need to completely re-cable your headphones. But maybe somebody else can chime in. I don't know very much about DIY.


  Quote: 





lonic said:


> hey! awesome thread guys.
> helps me building confidence toward doing this exact mod to get rid of the oh so annoyingly heavy and prone to tangle coil cord.
> 
> before I begin tho, I'd like to confirm some steps of the process.
> ...


 

 Yes to the first two questions. There is an enamel coating, but it should burn off when you tin the wires. I didn't hear a reduction in audio quality. You sound like you know what to do. Good luck with your mod!


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## liamstrain

Quote: 





jadawgis732 said:


> After further evaluation, the right channel is getting a signal, but there is no differentiation between Left and Right. For example, when I play a sound testing the sound card in windows, there is a jingle in the left ear, then the right ear. Using my ATH-M50's the sounds play on both ears simultaneously. It's really sad, because I feel like I've ruined my headphones, but given a free afternoon I'm sure I can iron out the kinks.


 

  
  I sounds like the problem may be over on the other side... did you resolder anything regarding the cable that heads over to the right side? Circuit board, etc? 
   
  I'm wondering if extra solder or something is causing a jump (e.g. you're sending the left signal everywhere). 
   
  Or accidentally use a mono jack for the cable termination?


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## Lonic

Quote: 





neato said:


> Yes to the first two questions. There is an enamel coating, but it should burn off when you tin the wires. I didn't hear a reduction in audio quality. You sound like you know what to do. Good luck with your mod!


 


  excellent! thanks for the fast answer.
   
  Now I bought a very (very) cheap pair of earbuds to get my hand on some copper wire soldering.
   
  The wires consisted of very fine color coated (enamel) copper threads twisted around some white thread. (how does that compare to the wires found inside the M50?) 
  I had the worst time trying to solder anything, even tinning the wires wouldnt work. I used a 30W iron and lead free 60% rosin solder.
  The solder would just bead and drop down without even touching the wire. so no luck tinning anything, even less soldering 2 wires together.
  I got the sound back on both earpieces using a 3rd hand to hold everything together so I guess the enamel did burn while I was *trying to* solder.
   
  Should I use flux and what kind of solder works the best on the M50 wires?
   
  Im gettin there!


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## neato

The M50 wires also have that fine enamel and white thread. Is your solder at least sticking to your iron, or is it just beading off that too?


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## scootermafia

You absolutely cannot work with enamel wire this way, you will fail.  Either pay up $30 for a solder pot (a Tenma one will do the job) and a $25 one pound bar of lead solder, or don't do it at all.  Using flux will help you on wires that aren't enameled/litz, but it won't do a damn thing on enamel wires since they're coated in a very strong coating that can only be burned off in a solder pot.  Simply immersing the wire in a blob of solder that is on the end of your iron is nowhere near hot enough.


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## mraudio

got some spare metres of canare l4e5c lying around, please pm me if you are interested.


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## RzN036

Cool mod.  I really want to attempt, but kinds hesitant.  I think I can follow along on how to put the female socket and everything, but where I'm stuck on is how to even open the headphones.  I don't see any screws that will open them up.  I've searched for a while but I came up with nothing.  Can someone point me in the right direction.


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## jadawgis732

So I finally got my headphones back, and now I remember why I bought them. Such a great set of cans, and to have been without them for like 4 months because I suck at removable cable mods hurt. But now I am better.
   
  My problem was mostly due to the cube-style Radio Shack 1/8" panel mount jacks. I'd advise people to stay away from them for three reasons:
  1. The protrusion is so short that once all three wires are connected holding it from one side while securing from the other can be a chore.
  2. The nut that secures it from the outside is too thin to get a hold on it and secure it so the jack is quite loose, and eventually one channel starts cutting out.
  3. The prongs which you solder L/R/Gnd wires to are worthless, basically after bending once they're screwed.

 Here is my solution, which solved the problems on all three fronts:
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ML4A2Q/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
   
  Here are two images showing the finished product.

   
   

   
  Having done it, I am happy with the result, but would issue a *disclaimer to anyone attempting this mod*:
  It's not enough to have experience with soldering and disassembling electronics, You must have small, nimble fingers, a long attention span, and the ability not to spaz out when things are not working out because your big sausage fingers are inept for this type of work. Otherwise you are good to go! Enjoy, and happy modding.
   
  Thanks to everybody who has helped this thread develop. The diagrams, closeups of the innards, and descriptions were all essential in completing the mod.


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## mraudio

Congrats, nice job.


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## jadawgis732

Quote: 





rzn036 said:


> Cool mod.  I really want to attempt, but kinds hesitant.  I think I can follow along on how to put the female socket and everything, but where I'm stuck on is how to even open the headphones.  I don't see any screws that will open them up.  I've searched for a while but I came up with nothing.  Can someone point me in the right direction.


 


  Remove the fake leather pad. Underneath it you'll see four black philips head style screws. Remove them and the driver, and encasing will pop off. Then, perform the tube sock pad mod showcased on page one of the thread. It was very easy to do, did little to change the sound (at least as far as I can tell, but I could never tell one headphone cable apart from another just by the sound) and best of all, now my ears won't get all sweaty!


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## AkoSiMrSuave

So if i were to start all this modding from the ground up (getting a soldering iron and supplies, all the necessary cables/jacks and what not) how much should I expect to spend?


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## scootermafia

See the HD595 thread from this week.  I have a list of what you need for this week.  You can get a pretty cost no object DIY setup for around $1000 and a basic but fairly complete setup for maybe $500, and some of the bare essentials for maybe $200...just depends on what you're willing to compromise on.  I mean I like to throw a dremel, heat gun, solder pot, all the trimmings in when I consider setting someone up for DIY.  But the bare minimum is soldering irons, heat guns, glue guns, wire strippers, etc.


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## Autiep03

I recently attempted this mod and for some reason, I cannot get equal volume out of both sides. I have resoldered many times, always getting more volume from my right side. I have checked my connections many times, all is exactly as before, except I now have an output jack where the cable was. I cannot figure this out and I'm afraid my brand new cans are ruined! Please help!
   
  Thanks!


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## Autiep03

Ok, I've had some time to play around with it and it turns out that when directly connected to an audio soure, the right driver is louder than the left. How did this happen?


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## jadawgis732

Need more info, like a picture of the inside of the left can. From what you're saying it just sounds like the prong connecting the left wire from the jack is not a clean connection. Or the inside of the jack has some defect.


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## Autiep03

Well first off, I am using a radioshack stereo audio jack, the black box shaped one. I haven't soldered anything on the left or right can, only the three wires.
   
  Here is what I have done, it's all I have done actually. I only cut off the wire, and soldered on the corresponding wires to the jack. This picture is from my first try, I later re-did the soldering because I did not think the connections were strong enough. 
   
  I know my connections were strong the second time because when I plugged in an audio source into the jack, I could get perfect audio in other headphones by manually contacting the wires from the jack to the headphones jack. The channels were also correct. 
   
  I'm confused as to how such a simple process damaged my headphones so much, I would say the volume is nearly twice as loud in my right side as my left. I just cut and soldered, never touching the inside components. I have done this in the past with other cans, but this one has stumped me.
   
  Thanks for all the help!


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## scootermafia

It's likely that the "quiet" driver is out of phase.  Try reversing the two wires connected to it.  It's easy to get them mixed up.


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## Autiep03

I wish that were the problem, but after trying this, and even after connecting the original chord, I still have this issue.


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## scootermafia

Lots of soldering irons run too hot for this sort of work.  When you desoldered the wires, if you took too long to do it, the heat on the solder pad travels up the wire to the voice coils and before you know it, your driver is a crispy critter.  At least you didn't mod HD800s...


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## Autiep03

That could be the issue, I used a 15 watt iron. And great point about the HD800s. Is there any way to avoid this in the future?


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## jadawgis732

doubt that, 15w is pretty tame. I still don't see a picture in your post. Read my post on page three. The boxy types of jack suck.
   

 Does this mean that the problem is unfixable? Couldn't he just replace the wire running from the left speaker to the right and be okay?
  Quote: 





scootermafia said:


> Lots of soldering irons run too hot for this sort of work.  When you desoldered the wires, if you took too long to do it, the heat on the solder pad travels up the wire to the voice coils and before you know it, your driver is a crispy critter.  At least you didn't mod HD800s...


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## Autiep03

I agree the jacks are low quality (which sucks cause they fit perfectly). But as stated earlier, I know my connections from the jack to the wires are strong and in working order. Why would I have to rewire anything inside the cans, the problem existed before I ever touched any of it. Therefore I know the problem is not in the internal connections.


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## jadawgis732

Just wanted to let people know that the DT250 Pads are awesome! So comfy, and don't impede the jack's connection.
  Plus no sweaty ears. I hate sweaty ears. Here are pics, which I did go overboard taking.


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## determinedd

To all those who came before me...who inspired me to not only buy the cans, but to immediately mod them....thank you!
   
  So, I'll start by saying that I bombed the first try, almost giving up in hopes to salvage what I had. (Wrong type of solder and old iron were to blame.) But, with a little perseverance, creativity and the grace of God I did it. Here's my pictorial with extra info so that you get it on the first try!
   
   
  First, here are the tools I used (plus wet sponge in bowl). There are good videos on youtube to give you good techniques for soldering, especially tinning the wires! That's a 15W/30W switchable iron, and I kept it on 30W.

   
   
  Initially I went with some thick solder I had lying around, then I remembered I had some good stuff along with a fresh tip for my iron at home, and it worked perfectly!

   
   
   
  I went at it....and here's the result. If at first you don't succeed.... 

   
   
   
  Here's what I did to keep the wires from breaking off the driver while I stripped and soldered. Yup, that's a rubber band. I also snipped out the section where the jack will hit the driver enclosure and left the foam pad intact.

   
   
   
  When I initially played around with the fit of the jack and tightened the ring nut on with pliers, I noticed when I plugged then unplugged a cable, the slightest clockwise twist would cause the jack to break free and spin. NOT GOOD!! So, initially I thought to use a peice of the removed sheath/plug to snug up the space around the jack in the hole, but instead went with a folded peice of electrical tape (THREE (3) LAYERS WAS PERFECT) SUPER GLUED around the jack. I then took the cutout rubber ring, split it, and glued it into the cup to help support the jack. I also placed electrical tape where the foam pad around the driver and in the cup will hit the jack's soldered connections.


   
   
   

   
   
  I ended up fully opening the rubber cutout, adding super glue and placing the jack inside it as I slid it into the hole. I also put super glue around the tape on the jack (already super glued on) before inserting into the hole. After GINGERLY ADJUSTING WIRES to close the can, I then added super glue around the outside ring before screwing on the ring nut and used pliers to tighten.

   
   
   
  I'm pleased with the result! Also to note, I kept an audio source plugged in most of the time after soldering to make sure nothing went out!!


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## Delgadido

Does anyone do this mod for a fee with good reviews from other members?


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## scootermafia

Nice job, but I think this mod would be even easier to do with the aid of a hot glue gun.


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## Pasiasty

Does anyone know hot to open ATH-M50's jack? I've tried to unscrew it but I find it may have a connection with these little holes on both sides of the plug.


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## eriktheg

Hey guys I have a question. Do you think that I will still need to melt down or cut the plastic if I use the "liberty cable 3.5mm Mini Female Chassis Mount"? Or will that not work? What problems may it have? Thanks.
   
  *edit
  Okay *DISREGARD MY PREVIOUS QUESTION*.
  I was wondering, will this work?
  http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/718145-REG/Comprehensive_MJS_CM_MJS_CM_Stereo_3_5mm_Female.html

  I noticed a guy at whirlpool forum moded his ATH-M50's and it looked like he didn't need to melt anything or file anything.
  http://s1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa405/willytboy/ATH-M50%20Mod/
   
  Do you think this works?


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## determinedd

Quote: 





scootermafia said:


> Nice job, but I think this mod would be even easier to do with the aid of a hot glue gun.


 


  True.


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## determinedd

> I noticed a guy at whirlpool forum moded his ATH-M50's and it looked like he didn't need to melt anything or file anything.
> http://s1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa405/willytboy/ATH-M50%20Mod/
> 
> Do you think this works?


 


 Except for pic 5 of 9 which looks like him melting away the plastic stem that's usually in the way, the other pics don't suggest if he had to melt/file or not. However, looking at the size of the jack he used and that you plan to use I would concur that your options are to melt/file/snip the driver casing and stem like the rest of us, melt/file/snip the driver casing and trim the original hole to make the jack go through at an angle to fit between the stems, or have the jack protrude farthur out of the cup like the OP originally did.


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## ncorrigan2014

Does this affect the sound quality at all? And did you just cut/strip the stock wire and jack right out of the headphones? I REALLY want to do this but don't want to affect the sq at all.


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## determinedd

Technically yes since the stuff has been removed/added in the left cup, but it could be negligible. Folks in other ATH-M50 threads have said things like removing the padding adds bass, which may be the case if you cut out some of the padding to make room for the jack. Also, in this thread improper rewiring could throw off the balance and stereo, if you like that sort of thing. I personally chose to make as little modifications as possible, leaving all padding intact and not desoldering the wires from the driver and they sound the same to me.
   
  To remove the stock cable I cut it just outside of the cup, then when I opened the cup I just pulled the cable through so it remained connected to the driver and I could just strip the cut end to solder to the new jack. Not sure what you mean by stock jack (I assume you mean plug), but as you read through the thread you'll see that the stock cable was still used by soldering a plug to the cut-off end.
   
  If you're unsure you could get a cheap (< $30) pair of over-the-ear's to try this mod and observe the sound before and after.


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## ncorrigan2014

yes, i was going to do this with my sony mdr v150 but they have a cable coming out of each driver. I have previous knowledge of electronics and wires, etc. I did see a picture thought of someone who saved the wire and somehow put another male (i think) jack on the end that the stripped? So under the cushions there are screws and you just unscrew them and the case will come off? Will i even have to cut the plug  out  if i do this? Also, i already have wire strippers, hot glue gun, iron and wire.


----------



## ncorrigan2014

Oh and by the way, I don't want to make any more modifications that are unnecessary, just so that you can remove the stock plug/jack and insert the other one so that the connector is removable.


----------



## determinedd

Quote: 





ncorrigan2014 said:


> So under the cushions there are screws and you just unscrew them and the case will come off? Will i even have to cut the plug  out  if i do this? Also, i already have wire strippers, hot glue gun, iron and wire.


 

 Yes, it's very simple to open and the "plug" sticking out of the cup pops out and the cable slides through it, it's not glued at all. When you read through each of the posts in this thread in detail, multiple times like I did so I wouldn't make any mistakes, you'll see there are at least three different ways this mod was done and you can pick and choose what you think is best for you. Have fun!!


----------



## eriktheg

Hey can anyone identify what 3.5 female jack chassis he is using? It would help me if i used that because no heavy modifications are needed.


----------



## determinedd

It looks like this
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103452&clickid=prod_cs

   
  Have fun!


----------



## Gunny McSmith

Hey!
   
  I've been looking at this thread for information about the mod, and after waiting a few days to gather the materials, I did it! (Thanks alot guys who posted some info on how to do it!)
   
  I've successfully modded my Allen & Heath Zone XD-53! 
   
  (The coiled cable was bothering me for portable use, since I have an Ipod Nano 6th gen, I was having too much cable to deal with in my pocket... :S)
   
  Also, when I opened the housing of the headphones, I realized that I had alot of room do install the jack, almost looks like Allen & Heath originally designed it to house an audio jack!
   
  EDIT: Yes indeed, they just released the XD2-53, which now has a removable cable... -_-"
   
   
   

   

   

   
   

   
   
  BTW: I'm currently waiting on an AIAIAI Straight cable to replace the coiled stock one! (should get it tomorrow)
   
  PS: Don't get the Square audio jack, it sucks! (doesn't require alot of force to pull the plug out of it...), if you are going to do the mod, I highly suggest getting the Lumberg one!
   
  PPS: for newbies like me who dont know know which color is Left, Right or common ground on their headphones, when I cut the cable, I used an OhmMeter to help me determine where the current was passing for each wire!


----------



## ncorrigan2014

hey man what chassis did you use? it looks really slick and nice i wanna get it and do this mod to my m50s


----------



## ManuallyAuto

Does anyone know wheRe I can get a tutorial or something for this?
  Im kind of a noob at this, and wouldn't really know what to do


----------



## Gunny McSmith

I used the Lumberg chassis (see link)
   
  http://canada.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?sku=24M4867
   
   
  As for a tutorial, its fairly simple, just cut the wire, strip them, and connect to the right position, and voila you are done!


----------



## ManuallyAuto

The thing is, I don't have a soldering iron, and I think I would mess up with the hole and such, and don't know what the right position IS.
  Is there like a place I could send these into, or bring it to?


----------



## determinedd

If you really want this done and can't do it yourself you can try contacting local electronics repair shops or maybe even a music/audio store where the technician might do it on the side.


----------



## GL1TCH3D

I was wondering if anybody would be able to do this to a pair of edition 8s?


----------



## Gunny McSmith

Well, if you have no prior experience with soldering of you are not a DIYer, I wouldnt recommend attempting this mod yourself, you dont want to mess up your expensive headphones.... :S


----------



## rklein

Interesting thread.  I will use this info to do the same to my M50's.
   
  Thanks!


----------



## stofstik

Hi guys,
   
  I'm new on the forum.
  Seems like a nice place, I've been browsing around for the past four to five days and today I registered.
   
  First I'd like to say:
   
  Thanks for everyone who gave info and pictures on this thread!
  You have really helped me a lot! You guys make the world a better place!
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  I haven't soldered in years, but when I saw this mod I just had to get at it again.
  Bought all I needed yesterday and this morning I cut the main wire of the M50.
  Ouch that was a nasty "no going back now sound".
   
  With all the helping pictures, text, tips and tricks I was well on my way.
  I accidentally broke the red and black audio cable from the circuit board (it was only hanging from the synthetic wire), but I was able to solder them back on luckily.
  Should have done the rubber band trick by determinedd.
   
  Eventually everything worked out and the result is very nice. Decided to use it as my avatar
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  Took me about an hour and a half or something I think, probably longer.
  Again, thank you very much!
   
  Cheers,
   
   
  Daan
   
  edit: P.S. I used a regular Zippo lighter to strip the wires, is this a bad idea?


----------



## Gunny McSmith

Congrats bud, looks very clean, and I hope your headphones still work perfectly! 
   
  Yeah I hear ya on the "omg, if I cut the wire, there's no going back.... (worried face)... SNAP.... o well, too late" 
   
  For me, I just rubbed the wires on the soldering tip to "burn" the insulating coating off them!
   
  But as long as you didnt leave the wires in the flames for too long, I thinks that ok! (I've read some ppl doing the same with regular lighters too!)
   

  
  Quote: 





stofstik said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> I'm new on the forum.
> Seems like a nice place, I've been browsing around for the past four to five days and today I registered.
> ...


----------



## d_headshot

Cool mods guys! But I wish audio technica would just release the m50's with a removable cord already.


----------



## KimChee

I know this is old, but I figured I'd post this up here:


----------



## thermalboyz

hi all, i am interested to mod my headphone to detachable cable like the M50's you guys did here. Just wonder which method is better?
   
  1) Solder the wire connected the driver (Replace the original cable without cutting it and reconnect using new cable to the chassis)
  2) cut the cable and not touching the connection of the driver. (Using the cut end to connect direct to the chassis)
   
  Reason is i do not want to mess up the driver and cable (I am not experience in soldering) and your comments are much appreciated.


----------



## KimChee

I would use method number 2 just because you are doing less soldering.  Less soldering/less chance of making mistakes, bridging the connections, or heating up the driver.  If you cut the original cable, you make three solder connections to the chassis, and you're done. 
  
  Quote: 





thermalboyz said:


> hi all, i am interested to mod my headphone to detachable cable like the M50's you guys did here. Just wonder which method is better?
> 
> 1) Solder the wire connected the driver (Replace the original cable without cutting it and reconnect using new cable to the chassis)
> 2) cut the cable and not touching the connection of the driver. (Using the cut end to connect direct to the chassis)
> ...


----------



## Soundpro99

Hello:
   
  Thought this might look interesting to folks reading this thread:
   
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?item=ATH-M50-R
   
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/ATH-M50-RETROFIT
   

   
  Chris Carfagno
  The Sound Professionals


----------



## KimChee

Interesting idea, could do that with a clip too


----------



## Rightio

Hey guys, speaking on behalf of all the amateurs out there, can someone please post a complete method to perform this procedure (including parts list). I know this may be a bit difficult, but i would really appreciate it, i really want to mod my m50's.
  Many thanks !


----------



## KimChee

Post #57 has a good picture instruction, 
   
  Basically you're going to need a soldering iron (I have a weller soldering gun), solder, solder wick (in case you make a soldering mistake), I used hot glue, and a way to strip the wire (I used the scissors on my swiss army knife), the chassis, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ML4A2Q/ref=oh_o01_s00_i01_details.  
   
  1 Take the pad off, pull around the edges and you will see the lip of the pad, pull it off.
  2 There should be four screws holding the cup together, unscrew those.
  3 Pull the cups apart carefully you should see the insides of the cup, don't tear the wires.
  4 I used my snips to cut the cable from the inside of the cup, just about long enough to reach where the cable is exiting the cup.
  5 The strain relief has to be removed.  There is a lip on the inside of the cup that is holding it in by tension.  You need to get this out.
  6 There are four screws holding down the driver cover.  Unscrew these.  You will need to snip out a section of the driver cover because it hits the jack.  Put the jack inside the cup and figure out where it hits the driver cover.  I used snips to cut out the section.  I did not cut the cotton ring underneath the driver cover.  Screw the driver cover back on.
  7 There are two pegs close to where the cable exits, break off the left peg with pliars, you are doing this to make room for the jack.
  8 You will need to carefully strip the big black covering of the cable, there are three wires under there that you will connect to the jack (again I used my swiss army knife).
  9  Strip the wires and tin them.  There is white threads that are in the way, this is enamel, you need to burn the coating off with a lighter.  Loop the wire through the holes on the jack (center-black, red-right, green-left).
  10 Solder the wires to the chassis, solder the holes closed.
  11 Unscrew the top of the chassis ring, put the jack to the hole so the threads are sticking out.
  12 screw the ring on the threads, I used superglue and a pair of pliars to get them on all the way.
  13 I used hot glue to secure the jack on the inside.
  14 close the cup, put the pads on, plug in new cable, and enjoy.
   
  I think I got it all if not pm me. 

  
  Quote: 





rightio said:


> Hey guys, speaking on behalf of all the amateurs out there, can someone please post a complete method to perform this procedure (including parts list). I know this may be a bit difficult, but i would really appreciate it, i really want to mod my m50's.
> Many thanks !


----------



## Rightio

Thanks so much for the method.  I'll be looking to order the equipment today. Also i'd like to ask about the part where you cut the cable. So im cutting the cable from the inside, not the outside of the headphone? Because i read somewhere earlier in the post it was the outside of the headphone. Just wanna double check. Thanks


----------



## KimChee

You can cut in outside the cup, the reason I cut it inside the cup is because the strain relief was hard for me to get out of the cup.  I didn't want to pull the strain relief and risk pulling the wires that are connected to the driver off the solder pads, so that's why I did that.  
  
  Quote: 





rightio said:


> Thanks so much for the method.  I'll be looking to order the equipment today. Also i'd like to ask about the part where you cut the cable. So im cutting the cable from the inside, not the outside of the headphone? Because i read somewhere earlier in the post it was the outside of the headphone. Just wanna double check. Thanks


----------



## MooKitty

I REALLY want to do this, is there a guide somewhere? Am I missing something because I dont see one?


----------



## Rightio

you might wanna check the bottom of the previous page. KimChee posted an awesome method.


----------



## ncorrigan2014

*how did everyone get there wires to tin? i cant seem to get the solder to move from the soldering iron onto the chassis and secure the wires ):*


----------



## determinedd

Quote: 





ncorrigan2014 said:


> *how did everyone get there wires to tin? i cant seem to get the solder to move from the soldering iron onto the chassis and secure the wires ):*


 


  
  I used a brand new tip and electronics-grade silver-bearing solder. It has a very small diameter. There were better suggestions from the more experienced folks in this thread.


----------



## ncorrigan2014

thank you but i later found out that it was that the iron wasnt hot enough, i got a better one and it was so easy but thanks anyways!


----------



## Fabie37

can someone please do a video because i'm not very good at reading instructions and would be very grateful if someone could make a video thanks, i would love to do this or someone do it for me
   
  ~sincerely Fabrizio ~


----------



## jadawgis732

Quote: 





fabie37 said:


> can someone please do a video because i'm not very good at reading instructions and would be very grateful if someone could make a video thanks, i would love to do this or someone do it for me
> 
> ~sincerely Fabrizio ~


 


  Anyone who has already done it is not going to be able to do a video showing you how to do it. It's kind of a one time deal.


----------



## Fabie37

Thanks for the quick reply but it doesn't give me much info on how to make the mod


----------



## Fabie37

How hot was it?


----------



## jadawgis732

How hot was what? If you mean how hard was it, the answer is: not very hard if you have small fingers.
  I suggest you look at this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/559367
  If that is not helpful enough, go through the thread from page 1 and you will find answers.


----------



## ncorrigan2014

Has anyone found a good auxiliary cable for after the mod? I was going to buy the beats solo cable with controltalk but alot of them online are fake. Are there any cables that are about 3 feet long, have a L-shaped connector and maybe with control talk? I was looking at v moda crossfade lp cable but they're out of stock online.


----------



## jadawgis732

Quote: 





ncorrigan2014 said:


> Has anyone found a good auxiliary cable for after the mod? I was going to buy the beats solo cable with controltalk but alot of them online are fake. Are there any cables that are about 3 feet long, have a L-shaped connector and maybe with control talk? I was looking at v moda crossfade lp cable but they're out of stock online.


 


  Yes! I got the beats solo one too, but didn't like it. I ended up buying this one and it's PERRRRFECT! Has everything you just mentioned, except it's about 6 ft. There's also a button on the mic that, with the iPhone controls play/pause/next track/prev track on music, answer/hang up on calls, and holding gives you Siri.


----------



## Fabie37

what parts do i solder to other parts, what parts do i cut? can someone please show me a picture of there headphones that have the mod, the inside of it please


----------



## jadawgis732

I suggest you look at this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/559367
  If that is not helpful enough, go through the thread from page 1 and you will find answers.
  I won't be posting with help anymore until you at least make the effort to do those two things.


----------



## Fabie37

Thanks for the reply! it really helped! But i'm still confused ( that might be because i'm only 13 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





) do you think i should just go to an electrician and pay them to do it? and how much do you think it's going to cost?


----------



## jadawgis732

Yes, that or have your parents help. Still, at 13 nothing was going to stop me from opening things up to see how they work. So take it from me, if you don't want to experience the feeling of knowing you just ruined your awesome, brand new, $150 headphones do not do it yourself.


----------



## Fabie37

Cheers! I will just go to an electrician to mod it for me cause i don't want to ruin my own headphones. any idea on how much it would cost for them to mod it for me?


----------



## jadawgis732

Not a clue. Good luck though


----------



## Fabie37

1 last question 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 what pads are the best for the ath m50 or should i just use the socks mod?


----------



## ncorrigan2014

see, i already have one thats about 6 feet... thats why i mentioned the 3 foot length. Thanks anyway though


----------



## jadawgis732

This one is 3' http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Technology-Hands-Free-Mic-Cable/dp/B003DPPYKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333752423&sr=8-1


----------



## determinedd

Quote: 





fabie37 said:


> what parts do i solder to other parts, what parts do i cut? can someone please show me a picture of there headphones that have the mod, the inside of it please


 


 Reading is fundamental...to doing this mod! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 You should buy a cheap pair of over-the-ear headphones and try it. It's fun and you can do it!


----------



## Fabie37

thanks for the Encouragement,determinedd


----------



## Fabie37

i was looking at AKG K518 K81 mod / http://www.head-fi.org/t/559367/akg-k518-k81-detachable-cable-mod-single-entry-guide-lots-of-pictures 
   
   
  and i got lost at part 5 and there forth 
  what wire is to be cut or do i have to cut all of them?


----------



## RzN036

Can someone help me out,  I have attempted this mod and now I'm not hearing anything in my headphones.  Im using the chassis http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103452&clickid=prod_cs
  my interconnect cable works, so im guessing it has to do with what i did to the headphones.  If other picutes are needed or more information is need, I'll try the best I can. Hopefully its not that bad, I can't afford to buy another pair, still a highschool student...well Thanks in advance.


----------



## determinedd

Quote: 





rzn036 said:


> Can someone help me out...


 


  Did you verify you could hear audio before you soldered the wires? Based on the chassis design, I am led to assume the green (left audio) and black (ground) are reversed. You could simply desolder and test again. I left an audio source plugged in as I modded to make sure everything was still working. HTH.


----------



## Yoga Flame

Maybe there is still some enamel on the wires?


----------



## RzN036

I think there was still enamel on the wires, but I was able to get the solder on.  I just finished it mod.  The problem was the red and green wires on the back of the left headphone speaker was disconnecting.  So i just needed to strip it a bit and resolder it to the back of the headphones.  Thanks determinedd and Yoga Flame.  but the left headphone sounds kinda less powerful or good as before, but maybe im just crazy,  Imma have my brother and my friends try them since they have better hearing.  Well thanks for the help and the guides everyone.


----------



## Rightio

For the replacement cable, if i get a cheap cable on ebay such as this one :
  http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3-5mm-AUX-Auxiliary-Cable-iPhone-4-4S-iPod-MP3-Car-Stereo-Cord-M-M-Plug-/330631212725?pt=AU_Electronics_Accessories_Wires_Cables&hash=item4cfb27eeb5
   
  will there be a noticeable difference in sound quality or not.
  Thanks.


----------



## Gunny McSmith

Yep, I've tried.....lol
   
  I recommend either the AIAIAI TMA cable, or the V-Moda ones! (V-moda one is cheap, and wuality is really good!


----------



## RzN036

I'm having a problem with my cable after attaching another male 1/8 jack to the cable.  I've striped it tinned the ends of the wire and soldered it to terminals on the jack and after like several days, the sound cuts off and then I have to restrip the wires and solder again. I've done the so much in the past week I think I may have broken my jack ( I suck at soldering).   Does anybody know of a solution to my problems,  I was thinking I should just resolder the wires one last time and this time hot glue the ends of the terminals and the wires so it doesn't bend or break once I buy another jack, one that doesn't suck because I just bought one from Fry's today the sound quality is terrible.


----------



## stofstik

Quote: 





gunny mcsmith said:


> Yep, I've tried.....lol
> 
> I recommend either the AIAIAI TMA cable, or the V-Moda ones! (V-moda one is cheap, and wuality is really good!


 
  Dude!!! No ******* way!
  I've been searching for so long, for a replacement cable with a mic, after my M50 mod.
  All I had was a ****ty Monster iSonitalk cable which doesn't work well because the "answer call" button is ****.
  And the sound of the mic isn't that great either.
  Every time I Googled for an alternative cable I got bs results.
  I just couldn't find a cable with: trrs mini-jack, to mic, to mini-jack trs.
   
  You pointed me at V-Moda and one of the first cables I saw was exactly the one I needed!
http://v-moda.com/3-button-remote-mic-cable/
  You are a hero! Thank you so much! I just ordered two.
  Can't wait to ritually burn that annoying Monster cable!
   
  Thanks man,
   
   
  Daan


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *meizumintyboi* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Very simple mod, just on a trial basis got a pair of old socks, cut the tops off, with a bit of trial and error to find the best length.


 
   
  I'm going to have to give this a try. The sweaty ear thing really bugs me.


----------



## Rightio

I have the lumberg chassis (the one thats a cylinder). Does it matter which wire is attached to which of the ends of the chassis, and if so, what colour goes with which end?


----------



## kore

wow... they all looks great...
  i think i wanna do it...


----------



## Gunny McSmith

Quote: 





stofstik said:


> Dude!!! No ******* way!
> I've been searching for so long, for a replacement cable with a mic, after my M50 mod.
> All I had was a ****ty Monster iSonitalk cable which doesn't work well because the "answer call" button is ****.
> And the sound of the mic isn't that great either.
> ...


 

 Yep,
   
  I almost went for the Monster cable route, but it felt so cheap when i tried the cable at besbuy (when trying out a pair of "****ty" beats....) so i trashed that idea, and I came accross the V-moda cable!
   
  Anyways, IMO the V-moda cable is the way to go, by far the best removable headphone cable out there! the fabric/kevlar insulating layer makes this cable so much more flexible, and it doesnt freeze during winter!
   
  Plus, the 3 button mic/remote is so good! doesnt feel as cheap as the ISonitalk thinggy....!


----------



## Soundpro99

Hello:
   
  In case there are folks out there that don't want to try this themselves, we offer this modification and guarantee our work for 5 years:
   
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/ATH-M50-RETROFIT
   
  Our techs are completing about 10 of these per day so if you have any questions, shoot an email to techsupport@soundprofessionals.com
   
  Hope this helps!
   
  Chris Carfagno
  The Sound Professionals, Inc
  800-213-3021


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I have Mogami cable going to both ear cups on my M50s. Could you still do this?


----------



## mcvin

Can someone make a video tutorial of it? 
 Or a step-by-step tutorial with pictures? 
  I know nuts about wires...and I don't wanna mess up my cans.


----------



## determinedd

Quote: 





mcvin said:


> Can someone make a video tutorial of it?
> Or a step-by-step tutorial with pictures?
> I know nuts about wires...and I don't wanna mess up my cans.


 
  There are lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions in this thread. I suggest reading through the thread at least twice before attempting the mod as we've learned from one another the best tools and methods to use. You'll probably be able to do yours better and add your successful tools and methods to this thread for the next person who wants to do the mod.
   
  My primary suggestion is to first try this on cheap cans!


----------



## FloppyDawg

Just joined up to reply to this post.
 Really awesome thread, I have a good idea on what to do thanks to all the awesome people posting guides, pictures, etc.
 I also had a problem with sweaty ears but now I have some DT250's on the way to fix that thanks to you guys.
 I am planning on doing this mod with my Dad who has lots of experience with soldering (Manual Arts teacher for nearly 35 years).
 My main question though is where I can find a high quality 3.5mm jack like the ones being posted in the thread.
  The problem is that I live in Australia and I cannot seem to find anywhere to buy one and ship it to Australia (I was thinking of using a parcel forwarder but it cost lots of money).
 So if anyone knows where I can find a 3.5mm jack like the Lumberg in Australia or anywhere that ships to Australia for a low price I would really be thankful.
 Thanks in advance 

 EDIT:
 So after looking for ages I finally managed to find two different 3.5mm female chassis.
 For anyone who wants to buy a chassis in Australia here are the links:
 The first is the Lumberg at:http://au.element14.com/lumberg/klb-4/socket-3-5mm-jack-chassis/dp/1200144
  The second is one that someone on a thread said was really good. However from this website the shipping is $40: http://au.mouser.com/ProductDetail/161-7300-EX/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMv0W4pxf2HiV2oxafp8PWP3uLV6puKy7fU%3D


----------



## ryugen

Heya - I just registered after doing the mod.
   
  I did a few little things differently - here's a short summary:
   
  Tools used: - Dremel (Proxxon), - Soldering Iron, - Glue Gun, - Solder (60% Sn, 38% Pb, 2% Cu), - KBL 4 (Lumberg), - Knives!
   
  Basically the only things i did differently are beauty things (even tho nobody's gonna look inside my cans anytime soon  ).
   
  I dremeled the little pin away and the enclosure above the driver was dremeled in a more or less nice way as well. I didn't resolder anything - the only things i soldered were the 3 wires (Green for left - Pin #1 on KBL4 and Red for right - Pin #2 on KBL4 and the ground one).
   
  It did take much longer than i expected (*sigh*) but now I'll be prepared for the next mod ;D
   
  I wanted to make a video for youtube but i kinda forgot ... :>
   
  I'll add pictures soon.
   
  If anybody's got a better idea of what solder to use just tell - definitely not using lead free cuz i don't have a proper iron for that. And the ones with Silver in are kinda expensive.
   
  Oh and something regarding the enamel coating: The general idea is to get it off with something hot. I found it to be better to use a good knife and scratch it off. You'll see your success because after the coating is off the copper wire starts to be shiny.
   
  P.S.: If somebody from Germany or around needs some kind of advice in German feel free to PM


----------



## mcvin

Is this mod method suitable for Koss Pro DJ 100 too?


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





mcvin said:


> Is this mod method suitable for Koss Pro DJ 100 too?


 
   
  I would think any headphone with a full sized ear cup is ok.


----------



## ryugen

Did anybody feel like he was losing some sound quality after the mod? I'm not sure.
   
  I think mine sound better now ;D - Might be the DT 250 earpads as well though.
   
  But what I'd really like to know is how much impact the chosen solder has on the sound quality - i suspect next to none ?


----------



## ryugen

Heya - it's me uploading a few pictures of different angles of the ATH-m50s being opened up and exposed  I hope they help


----------



## arctyler

Can you do this with other headphones too? say the AKG K550?


----------



## Gunny McSmith

Quote: 





arctyler said:


> Can you do this with other headphones too? say the AKG K550?


 

 Depends of the space available insid the headphones, I was able to do it to my Allen & Heath XD-53.....


----------



## Rightio

Just out of curiosity, would anyone be interested in buying a modded ath m50 in almost new condition? Not officially selling yet, but would just like to know.


----------



## Rightio

Hi all, so i recently attempted this mod and it didnt turn out so well. I think the issue is getting rid of the enamel on the wire. So when I use a lighter to burn off the enamel, when i try to apply solder to it afterwards it doesnt stick. So I also tried it without using the lighter to burn off the enamel, and this time, the solder did stick, but when i plug in an audio source, theres no sound, so i think the problem is the enamel. Im running really short on the wire after so many tries, so im kinda desperate for help right now.
  Im using a 25W soldering iron, if that helps.
  Thanks.


----------



## ryugen

Heya,
   
  I used a 30W Iron and used the following procedure:
   
  1) Remove the isolation
  2) Remove a bit of the isolation from your first wire
  3) Use a lighter to burn off the thread
  4) Use a sharp knife to SCRAPE the enamel off - You'll see your success because the copper wire will shine after you scraped the enamel off
  5) Apply solder to the wire
  6) Apply solder to the connector
  7) Hold the wire and the connector together and apply heat - usually you don't need extra solder if you prepared both parts properly
   
  Good luck ;D


----------



## Rightio

Quote: 





ryugen said:


> Heya,
> 
> I used a 30W Iron and used the following procedure:
> 
> ...


 

 Thanks for the reply. Just wanted to clarify wat did you mean in step 3, burning off the thread. Which thread is this?


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





rightio said:


> Thanks for the reply. Just wanted to clarify wat did you mean in step 3, burning off the thread. Which thread is this?


 
   
  In the wire, there should be the +/- leads, and some cloth-ish fibers. Instead of risking cutting the wire more, or your fingers, use a lighter to burn off the fibers. Won't harm the wire or covering.


----------



## Rightio

How long do i put the wire under the lighter?


----------



## Rightio

ok, so i put the wire under the lighter for a second and it burned a small distance up the wire. Then i got a knife to scrape it, but nothing is scraping off.


----------



## ryugen

Hmm there should be. I usually place the wire flattened out on my table and start scraping. You'll even see the scraped off enamel on your knife and on your table. (Along with some soot from the lighter procedure)


----------



## Rightio

after i put the wire through the lighter, it turns black and when i scrape it, black soot come off. Is this the enamel? If not what colour is the enamel?


----------



## Rightio

w8, how will I know when the wire is ready to be soldered? So it shiny and what colour? The same colour as wat it originally was?


----------



## ryugen

Try not using a regular lighter but a storm lighter - so one with a blazing flame if you know what i mean. Something like that http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zippo-Multi-Purpose-Butane-Lighter/dp/B000OE07T6/ref=sr_1_6?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1340107057&sr=1-6
   
  That flame is gonna be hot enough to a) Burn the thread and b) Burn off the enamel
   
  It will be shiny and copper colour (lighter bronze kind of colour) then you scrape until its shiny.
   
  Maybe your lighter just wasnt hot enough


----------



## determinedd

I never had problems with enamel when doing this. I used wire strippers to remove the black sheath and then the black, red and green sheath for each of the wires. Then I tinned each wire using silver electronics-grade solder (after my thicker generic solder wouldn't stick) and tested by touching the leads on the jack and got audio without a problem. Maybe the problem is the solder.


----------



## Juicepool

This thread took me from a non-working pair of ATH-M50s to a modded, detachable cable set.
   
  Much obliged.


----------



## busstonedfx

Did anyone send theirs to the Sound Professionals that the dude earlier was advertising for? Reviews?
  Worth 40? I'm nervous as hell....
   
  Oh, what are you guys using to secure the chassis inside of the cup? Hot Glue? Silicon?
   
  Hows that looking.... cosmetically? Anyone got any closeups?


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I plan on sending my M50s into SP. Will report back here once I get them back.


----------



## vayne08

Quote: 





mraudio said:


> Same result for me!! THX!


 
   
  is that the original cable? how did you fixed it to have a male plug on the cutted side? sorry for asking a noob question.. will try to do this after i get my m50's 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





... if you can, can you also post pics of it?


----------



## jadawgis732

I'm selling already modded M50s if you want to check them out.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

vayne08 said:


> is that the original cable? how did you fixed it to have a male plug on the cutted side? sorry for asking a noob question.. will try to do this after i get my m50's  ... if you can, can you also post pics of it?




You have to buy a male plug and solder it on.


----------



## TrajanNapier

I'm looking to get rid of my modded Limited Edition M50's if anyone is interested. They're roughly a week old and look new, still have the original packaging.


----------



## iTzTECHKiNG

I'm just gonna buy a pair from SP with the removable cable mod already done, (For about $150 shipped!)
  My only question is coiled or straight cable?


----------



## jadawgis732

What's it matter? You can replace the cable at that point. If you are interested, I am selling mine for $140 with a Mic'ed/Control cable, and a pair of Beyerdynamic DT250 Velour pads: http://www.head-fi.org/t/617290/modded-ath-m50s-use-with-iphone-velour-dt250-pads


----------



## ryugen

The question is why is everyone selling their M50s - what did I miss ?


----------



## jadawgis732

Only two people right?


----------



## lemonspark

alo guys, i have some questions to ask, I'm gonna send my m50 to a guy that does all these service and stuff..
  and he says he will be installing this inside the headphone
   
or a Bella female socket mini stereo.. he let me choose tho.. so help!
  and this male plug for the m50 stock cable.(so that i can use the stock cable again! )\
   
_Vermouth_ MP-S-_M02_
   

   
  what do you think of the jacks he mentioned??
   
   
   
  thanks


----------



## ryugen

The socket just looks so large ;D. And about the male plug - i prefer Neutrik stuff but since i don't know anything about vermouth I'd say give it a shot. It will work I guess 
   
  @jadawgis - thanks for pointing that out - but I've seen a few people wanting to get rid of their m50s and I actually just wanna know what's their alternative.


----------



## Pingupenguins

Quote: 





determinedd said:


> It looks like this
> http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103452&clickid=prod_cs
> 
> 
> Have fun!


 
   
   
  Personally, I use this (except the Kobicon brand) and it works great. Never tried the barrel plugged ones, but dont' think I'd want to. Those just look too large to fit in the M50's.


----------



## jadawgis732

I would not advise anyone to use that jack. First the prongs are flimsy, making it very easy to break. Second the jack does not extend from the hole left by the removed wire far enough to have the fastener securely attached. Here is the one I used after putzing around with the Radio Shack type and learning that they were a mistake.
   

  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ML4A2Q/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
  Since installing it (which was very easy, compared to the radio shack type) I've had no issues. It's very sturdy and will make your life a lot easier.


----------



## Pingupenguins

Quote: 





jadawgis732 said:


> I would not advise anyone to use that jack. First the prongs are flimsy, making it very easy to break. Second the jack does not extend from the hole left by the removed wire far enough to have the fastener securely attached. Here is the one I used after putzing around with the Radio Shack type and learning that they were a mistake.


 
   
  I've had no problems with the same looking jack from Kobiconn. If the leads are too long, just trim them with a wire cutter.
   
  I would never suggest anything from rat shack, but Kobiconn is reputable and I've never had any problems reported to me about them.


----------



## rcjroy

modded my m50 after less than a year having them, used the barrel type jack from amazon
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=090-317
   
  and soldered the original cable with this
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=092-157
   
  and added this just for fun as well, just in case anyone was looking for a cable with mic
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006NGHN5A/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00
   
  the mic isnt going to be as good as a boom type mic but the build quality and clarity is good for the style it is
   
  heres some pics

  personally i think the black and red are sexy

   
  the annoying part about this mod is that the barrel type gets in the way of the plastic that holds the speaker in place, you need to cut the plastic and butcher the insides, you need to add a wrap about the threads of the barrel in order to keep it tight as well


----------



## CptSamir

Hey I did the same mod with all the same parts as above, or I should say I am in the middle of doing it. Just a few questions. 1. My red and green cable have detached themselves through me trying to do this mod. Would it be better to still stick with the stock cable or just get my own wiring and solder all 3 to the board and the jack? Also for the coloring on the jack, from what I see people have black on the longer connection, red on the gold connection, and green on the none gold shorter connector. Is this the right order? Would it matter if I switched the red and green wires? Also for the making your old cable into a aux cable, I bought the part, would I solder them the same way I am about to the aux jack? Thank you for the help guys. 
   
  p.s. This is my first time soldering, so I am trying to learn a little more, anyone have any good videos they can recommend?
   
  CptSamir


----------



## Rightio

Quote: 





cptsamir said:


> Hey I did the same mod with all the same parts as above, or I should say I am in the middle of doing it. Just a few questions. 1. My red and green cable have detached themselves through me trying to do this mod. Would it be better to still stick with the stock cable or just get my own wiring and solder all 3 to the board and the jack? Also for the coloring on the jack, from what I see people have black on the longer connection, red on the gold connection, and green on the none gold shorter connector. Is this the right order? Would it matter if I switched the red and green wires? Also for the making your old cable into a aux cable, I bought the part, would I solder them the same way I am about to the aux jack? Thank you for the help guys.
> 
> p.s. This is my first time soldering, so I am trying to learn a little more, anyone have any good videos they can recommend?
> 
> CptSamir


 
  I would stick with the stock cables, but nothing is stopping you from using different cables. Just make sure they're the same size. If your gonna use new wires, one idea is to cut some of the length off of the old cable and use the wires inside. As with the connections, when I did it, the black one went on the longer connection and the other two i just put randomly on the other two connections, so im not sure if theres a specific place to arrange those two. With the aux cable it would be the same way. 
  Just on soldering, make sure your solder is good quality and also that you iron is hot enough, i.e. probably around 30W. You could probably survive with a 15W like me, but i had to have a few goes before I got a good connection. 
  Also another useful tip, before soldering the new plug onto your cable, make sure you put on the screw on part through the cable first. 
  Good Luck!


----------



## CptSamir

Quote: 





rightio said:


> I would stick with the stock cables, but nothing is stopping you from using different cables. Just make sure they're the same size. If your gonna use new wires, one idea is to cut some of the length off of the old cable and use the wires inside. As with the connections, when I did it, the black one went on the longer connection and the other two i just put randomly on the other two connections, so im not sure if theres a specific place to arrange those two. With the aux cable it would be the same way.
> Just on soldering, make sure your solder is good quality and also that you iron is hot enough, i.e. probably around 30W. You could probably survive with a 15W like me, but i had to have a few goes before I got a good connection.
> Also another useful tip, before soldering the new plug onto your cable, make sure you put on the screw on part through the cable first.
> Good Luck!


 
  Thank you. I did solder the old cable last night after writing this (figured hell with it I will try) and it seems to be working all fine today when I tested it in the car. So thank you. I am using a 30w solder so no worries on the heating. I will try to keep using the stock cable for the internal hookup of the headphone, if you could answer just 2 more questions. 1, should I solder the red wire on the gold part of this jack and the green to the shorter part, and the black on the longest part? Or are the green and the red interchangeable on the jack? Second question, for soldering the main board of the headphones, do I need to remove the old solder that was there? And any tips on how to solder the 2 piece back into the main board (Example: Do I have to take off the board before I solder the 2 wires that came out?) Just in case you need it here is a picture of what the board is currently looking like on my end. Yes I did burn the space needed for the jack, I was to lazy and could not find a good way to cut it, so fire it is!
   
  Thank you very much for the help!
   
  CptSamir


----------



## determinedd

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *CptSamir* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Second question, for soldering the main board of the headphones, do I need to remove the old solder that was there? And any tips on how to solder the 2 piece back into the main board (Example: Do I have to take off the board before I solder the 2 wires that came out?)


 
   
  You can get a cheap "solder wick" which picks up heated solder. You don't need to remove the board. You can check YouTube for vids with tips on soldering, but the most important things i recommend are 1) don't hold the iron on too long, 2) use a clean, pointy tip and 3) use fine "electronics-grade" solder.
   
   
   
  Quote:


cptsamir said:


> should I solder the red wire on the gold part of this jack and the green to the shorter part, and the black on the longest part? Or are the green and the red interchangeable on the jack?


 
   
  Congrats on taking the dive. The red and green are right and left audio. If you swap them then left channel audio will be heard in the right ear cup and vice versa. I recommend that after you've resoldered the wires to the board that you lightly solder the red wire to the gold pin on the jack (since some jack pinouts are different) then test to see if 1) audio is heard, 2) when audio output (from stereo or audio software) is right channel only you hear it out of the "R" ear cup and 3) when audio output is left channel only you don't hear anything at all.


----------



## NAWilson9

I'm going to be doing this mod but I was wondering what kind of male connectors you guys have used on your interconnects that go into the headphones? I'm talking about the male 3.5mm plug that goes into the female jack on the headphones. Will a Neutrik fit? Some pictures would be nice.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

You're going to want a set that locks together..


----------



## miniq

The reason people are having trouble tinning the wire once they remove the enemal coating from it is because if you use a lighter to burn it off its leaves the wires surfaces pretty crappy and contaminated
   
  It needs to be cleaned afterwards simple as that
   
  or a different method to remove the enamal can be used
   
  On larger enemal wire sandpaper can be used to remove the enemal
   
  Cleanliness is important when soldering - (reason flux and flux wire is used)
   
  Also making sure the surface/material bieng soldered to is at a nice temperature to allow the Flux to stick
   
  Also remember to tin the tip of the soldering iron.


----------



## NAWilson9

I didn't do the removable cable mod, as I am planning another project that will require a purchase from Mouser, so I'm holding off on the jack for the left cup, but I did re-cable mine with Mogami W2893. I desoldered the right channel from the PCB inside the left cup and directly connected those two wires to two of the wires in the cable and I kept the left and right grounds separate until reaching the plug. I went into this not expecting (read: believing) the different cable will make a difference in terms of sound, but now I feel like there is a difference. The bass seems punchier and more clear. I'm not sure what I think about the highs. Perhaps recessed is the word. I guess you could say that's a good thing as they were almost piercing to me. I'm not sure if anything actually changed but I did go into it not believing in the whole upgraded cable thing. Anyhow, I figured I would just share my two cents.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I bought my M50s from another Head-Fi-er, and they were recabled with some Mogami 2534. Only thing is, that cable is about 10 (12?) feet long.. Too bad I can't solder with any kind of precision.


----------



## ridhuankim

I had plan to do this mod once I get my M50s (which I got today) as my ATH-AN7b also has it OOTB and that was fantastic.
  Now when I got my M50s, I was wondering.... do I really have to do it?
  Because the cable was already looped and tied, it wasn't that long.
  The tied cables easily go into my pocket so I don't think I would go with this mod, changed my mind.
   
  Instead, the ear pad was really really sweaty and I am considering to make the "SOCKS" mod since everyone was saying the sound signature changes dramatically(in bad ways) so the SOCKS mod seems to be the safest way to go.
   
  Anyway, thanks for sharing your hard work, they are fantastic!


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Get some Beyer DT250 velour Like I did, and just don't use the piece that actually covers up the driver. I used it because the sound change really didn't bother me vs. the upgrade in comfort.
   
   
  Quote: 





ridhuankim said:


> Instead, the ear pad was really really sweaty and I am considering to make the "SOCKS" mod since everyone was saying the sound signature changes dramatically(in bad ways) so the SOCKS mod seems to be the safest way to go.


----------



## ridhuankim

After days of use, the looped cable does get in the way.
  So I guess I will go ahead with the detachable mod, just need to find the parts(in Australia).
   
  I am seriously considering the parts suggested by "rcjroy".
   
      modded my m50 after less than a year having them, used the barrel type jack from amazon
    http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=090-317
   
      and soldered the original cable with this
    http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=092-157
   
      and added this just for fun as well, just in case anyone was looking for a cable with mic
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006NGHN5A/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00
   
   
  And the "cable with mic" does seem to be a good option, my wife would call my phone while I am listening to music and I literally have to get my headphones off my head to answer the phone which I inconvenient, thanks for the tip jcjroy, but I wonder if that affects the sound in anyway when using the non-stock cable. Is the cable compatible with iphone?
   
   
  And by the way, the socks mod, it was pretty easy to do and works amazing.
  I does leak some sound compared to without it but there is no SWEAT!
  As a first time M50 user, it was shocking to me how much sweat I had, and considering that I am walking outside during my lunch hour, I really need to get this solved somehow.
  I will need to find a better looking socks(
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





) to make it look a bit better than my current one though.
   
  A little bit of sound leak was a trade off that is acceptable to me.
   
  Anyone from Australia(NSW)? Do you know where I can get those parts to perform the detachable mod?
  Or did you purchase them off ebay?
   
  Thanks!


----------



## ridhuankim

Quote: 





lemonspark said:


> alo guys, i have some questions to ask, I'm gonna send my m50 to a guy that does all these service and stuff..
> and he says he will be installing this inside the headphone
> 
> or a Bella female socket mini stereo.. he let me choose tho.. so help!
> and this male plug for the m50 stock cable.(so that i can use the stock cable again! )\


 
   
  You know what?
  The mod everyone here is doing is basically installing the 3.5mm female jack at the hole where the cable exits from the left headphone.
  And that requires heavy modification internally, not only do you have to open up the unit but you will need to break some parts in there to force fit the female jack.
   
  But if you were to use the above, you won't have to open up the M50 at all.
  You just need to cut the cable near the hole and connect this to the cable.
   
  It will not be as "CLEAN" or "NEAT" as it would have been with implanting the 3.5mm female jack in the headphone and will leave this connector dangling on the headphone but I am thinking this might be a better way to ensure that you don't damage the headphone and you will have another chance to go ahead with the implant mod in case you didn't like it.
   
  This looks more tempting to me.
  I really didn't like the idea that I need to break inner parts of the M50 to fit in the female jack but this really is a good way to avoid that.
   
  Thanks for sharing!


----------



## ridhuankim

Hi, All.  Can you advise if the following can work as well?
  The length looks much shorter which is good because we don't have to break the inner part of the left headphone.
 LUMBERG - 1502 04 - CONNECTOR, JACK, 3.5MM, 3POLE  Also, here is the specification.
   
  If this can be used, I think it would be a good for the mod.


----------



## fzsrv

I went the easy route and sent mine to Sound Professionals for the detachable cable mod. 
  Total cost with shipping was $63.51. Of this cost $23.52 was shipping costs (total for both ways). The good news is the turn around time is FAST!!! Got an email the day after they received them stating that the job was complete and were already shipped. The bad news is the return shipping is UPS Ground and that is as slow as turtle. I should receive them tomorrow sometime but with work, etc I won't be able to check em out until Thursday evening.
  Once I've checked them out I will post pictures.
   
  PEACE
   
  Mark M


----------



## infinity404

Before I do my removable cable mod, does anyone know what colored wires inside the M50 (Black/Green/Red) correspond to on my female headphone jack (left/right/ground)?


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





infinity404 said:


> Before I do my removable cable mod, does anyone know what colored wires inside the M50 (Black/Green/Red) correspond to on my female headphone jack (left/right/ground)?


 
   
  You could do the 9V battery trick.. I think we can all agree, green is typically ground. Touch the green to one terminal on the battery and any other wire to the other terminal. Where ever you hear a little pop noise, that'll tell you what side the wire goes to.


----------



## t0wer

black is ground
  green is left
  red is right


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





t0wer said:


> black is ground
> green is left
> red is right


 
  Oops. Sorry for my misinformation earlier then. Hope it didn't mess anyone up.


----------



## Ptruslow

i think to reduce risk of confusion, we should say that black is common. ground is commonly confused with it, but ground would mean that it is grounded to the earth, but common would mean it is shared between multiple circuits.
  Quote: 





t0wer said:


> black is ground
> green is left
> red is right


 
  i will be preforming this mod pretty soon. As i have seen it requested multiple times, i will be recording my work as i do it, and will upload it to youtube. it will be a long video, but will hopefully help anyone trying to preform the mod without much experience.


----------



## ferrari486

I'm hoping to do this mod soon. I will post pictures when I'm done


----------



## Skoobs

Quote: 





fzsrv said:


> I went the easy route and sent mine to Sound Professionals for the detachable cable mod.
> Total cost with shipping was $63.51. Of this cost $23.52 was shipping costs (total for both ways). The good news is the turn around time is FAST!!! Got an email the day after they received them stating that the job was complete and were already shipped. The bad news is the return shipping is UPS Ground and that is as slow as turtle. I should receive them tomorrow sometime but with work, etc I won't be able to check em out until Thursday evening.
> Once I've checked them out I will post pictures.
> 
> ...


 
   
  thinking about ordering the ones with a detachable cable directly from sound professionals. what is the quality of the jack like? would it ever fall out? does it snap in nicely? how many times do you think you could remove and plug back in the cable before it started wearing down?
   
  i just plan on using these daily for studio use as well as portable use, and am not sure if i should just get the regular cable for durability's sake.


----------



## ridhuankim

Quote: 





t0wer said:


> black is ground
> green is left
> red is right


 
   
  I just finished my mod 
   
  When you open up the plug, the black is the common and is to be connected to the biggest connector part.
  Then the green one need to  be connected to the pole that is in the end.
   
  ||==)=)=>
  b     r   g
   
  I hope this makes sense.
  b = black
  r = red (right audio)
  g = green (left audio)
   
  At the jack, as you can see the green one is the tip.
  If you  have the diagram of  your jack then  it would be good  to check which should  connect to the green.
   
  Once you can figure that out, your job is complete 
  Even if you get it wrong, you just need to resolder by switching the red and green so nothing to worry about.
   
  I used Virtual Haircut to confirm the left and right was correct.
   
   
   
  And the JACK!
   
  I used "Lumber Jack 1502 04" which does not penetrate too much to the inside of the headphone.
  This worked out well so  I did not have to break much inside the headphone.
  I did however had to cut one of the plastic pole where the cable was initially going around it.
  I don't think it was a must but it did help me to  perform the mod easier.
   
  The bigger job was expanding the hole where the cable was going into the headphone, the place where the jack sits.
  The Lumberg Jack was thicker than I hoped for and had to make the hole a bit larger to fit in.
  Once the jack went in tightly, all I had to do was to lock it with the nut it came with.
   
  I will post some pictures soon but it was late at night and the flash made things look messy but it could still be helpful to anyone who is considering to use the Lumber Jack 1502 04.


----------



## ridhuankim

Here is my shot after the mod.
  I used Lumberjack 1502 04 pair so the plug has a screw cover on it.

   
  This is when unscrewing and unplugging the Lumberjack 1052.
  But other plugs also fit perfectly.


----------



## Skoobs

Quote: 





ridhuankim said:


> Here is my shot after the mod.
> I used Lumberjack 1502 04 pair so the plug has a screw cover on it.
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
   
  that looks really good, and i like that it is threaded. i may just order the regular version and copy you.


----------



## 346056

Is there a change in sound when finished the removable cable mod?


----------



## stiltzkin

Hi folks,
   
  I've been thinking about doing this sort of modification to my M50s - the 11.5ft straight cable is a real hassle while walking down the street - I can't find anywhere to put it. A removable cable would mean I could switch between longer cables for use with my amp at home and shorter cables while out and about with them.
   
  I was reading a different thread and saw the following photo, which was posted by racer_x124 here.
   
   

   
  So as you can see here, he's used a 3-pin mini-XLR jack instead of the Lumberg or another 3.5mm TRS chassis. I like this idea a lot more for a couple of reasons. First, the cable locks in, so there's less chance of pulling it out by mistake. But more importantly, the panel mount jack for a mini-XLR seems to be a lot smaller on the inside than most of the 3.5mm ones I've seen used in this thread. The question I have is whether or not there would be enough room to mount the jack and connect the driver to it without disturbing the internal structure - i.e. without clipping or filing the plastic ring as is necessary for most of these 3.5mm mods. The connector I was looking at possibly using is a Switchcraft TB3MB, which is a standard 3-pin mini-XLR jack with a mounting nut. The B model is painted black, which should look nice with these cans. There is a detailed spec sheet for the connector here.
   
   
  The specs look to show a depth of about 0.488" maximum from the ring to the back of the module. I may need to open up my cans and do some measurements to see if there's enough wiggle room in there. But just looking at it it does seem like it takes up much less room on the inside than these TRS barrel jacks. racer_x124's post says that "I had a mini XLR in mine with no problems at all. There is a ton of room in the M50," so that sounds hopeful. I think I should PM him as well even though it doesn't look like he's posted in the last year.
   
   
  If anyone has any advice or comments on this idea I'd love to hear them. I just want to do this safely and modify the internal parts of the headphones as little as possible.


----------



## ridhuankim

Quote: 





eliseo jacobo said:


> Is there a change in sound when finished the removable cable mod?


 

 No, not that I can notice.
  I jumped in to this mod after throughly checking that everyone said there was no change in the sound signature or any harm.
  I was also concerned about potential sound leakage after the mod, but I don't find any leakage at all even after the mod so I am happy with that.
  Another concern was, if the jack becomes loose... so I went with Lumber Jack with threaded cap.


----------



## 346056

Thank you! May I ask where did you purchase you lumber jack?


----------



## ridhuankim

Quote: 





eliseo jacobo said:


> Thank you! May I ask where did you purchase you lumber jack?


 
   
  I got mine from au.element14.com here


----------



## alrgeez

Quote: 





stiltzkin said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> I've been thinking about doing this sort of modification to my M50s - the 11.5ft straight cable is a real hassle while walking down the street - I can't find anywhere to put it. A removable cable would mean I could switch between longer cables for use with my amp at home and shorter cables while out and about with them.
> 
> ...


 
   
  thanks for posting this up. i was looking for a mini 3pin xlr jack to mod mine with. this one looks great.
   
  do you know of a suitable female 3pin xlr connector that i can use for the stock headphone wiring?
   
  i'm looking at the mouser catalog (http://www.mouser.com/catalogviewer.aspx?page=1356&highlight=502-TA3FLX&catalogculture=en-US&catalog=645) and am unsure which connector to get. the TA3FX or TA3FLX (larger cable)


----------



## SwimToTheDeath

Hey, I'm new to the forum but I've been following this topic and I'm ready to mod my own M50s (white)! I've purchase the right chassis and also ordered a REAM 3.5 mm headphone jack (owned by Neutrik) but have no clue how to install it on the original wire. I've Google it and nothing really conclusive has come up, so I thought I'd see if you guys could help me, especially since meizumintyboy actually put Neutrik connectors on his. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, as I'm a complete newbie to this whole thing. Thanks!


----------



## RzN036

Hi I did this mod some time ago and I just very recently realized that my sound is switched...  The sound that should be coming from the left is played on the right and the right is being played on the left headphone. Please help me. I'm very annoyed with this mistake that I made and can't figure it out...
   
  Forget it. Its cool I fixed it. I thought I solder the correct wires to the correct terminals when I was repairing it before but I guess is reversed it.


----------



## bavman

Quote: 





swimtothedeath said:


> Hey, I'm new to the forum but I've been following this topic and I'm ready to mod my own M50s (white)! I've purchase the right chassis and also ordered a REAM 3.5 mm headphone jack (owned by Neutrik) but have no clue how to install it on the original wire. I've Google it and nothing really conclusive has come up, so I thought I'd see if you guys could help me, especially since meizumintyboy actually put Neutrik connectors on his. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, as I'm a complete newbie to this whole thing. Thanks!


 
   
  Solder L to tip, R to the middle and ground to the sleeve.


----------



## vivalacarlo

may i ask how easy is this to do? I have no wiring experience what so ever. From one to ten how hard will this be?


----------



## bavman

Its very easy to do this mod.
  Open left driver, cut wires soldered to driver leaving 4-5 inches, mount your jack in the opening, solder the wires from the drivers to the correct ones on the jack. The driver is labeled with L/R so you know which wire is for which.
  All you'll need is a jack, soldering iron ($10 one from radioshack will do perfectly) and some solder. Also possibly a drill/rounded file to adjust the size of the hole to your need.


----------



## redrox

Hi all,
  After reviewing this thread, I'm looking for someone to mod a pair of ATH M50S LE's. The forever-long straight cable isn't going to cut it on the train. I'm giving these as a gift so the mod needs to be squeaky clean and look great, but I'm just not willing to do it myself.  I will surely ruin something if I undertake it alone. So, recognizing that there's a huge amount of trust involved to send a great pair of cans away to someone you don't know to do surgery on them and then simply cross your fingers and hope that they are returned to you safely, if there's someone out there who's doing this as a gig on the side for a reasonable price, I'd be interested in knowing about it. Thanks.


----------



## surfman2006

Hey guys,
   
  New guy here, I just did the removable cable mod on my AT-50s.  However I can't seem to figure out how to upload pics (using the pics button up top) of my work and a slight improvement on the wiring/soldering that im sure will help other people interested in performing this task.
   
   
  thanks in advance


----------



## aznatama

I just got my M50's in white, and want to do the detachable cable mod.  however, I'm thinking that it might be a better idea to have a dongle.  Just clipping the stock wire about 1~2 inches from the can, then terminate it w/ a locking female socket.  Then, I can get a long male to male cable from Monoprice, cut it so that I have one long (home/computer use) and one shorter one (portable), and terminate those w/ the corresponding locking male ends.
   
  Looking at the Calrad female connector
http://audio-video-supply.markertek.com/broadcasting/Locking%203.5mm%20Stereo%20Audio%20Plug
   
  Seems to be easier than opening up the can and possibly messing w/ the sound of the cans. 
   
  Any reason this would not work or not be ideal?  Sure a flush socket may look more sleek, but who cares what it looks like when it's unplugged since you need it to be plugged in while using it.
   
  Thoughts?


----------



## Angular Mo

looks much nicer than my black socks mod, thanks!


----------



## Angular Mo

to #56 looks much nicer than my black socks mod, thanks!


----------



## jmwreck

Quote: 





stiltzkin said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> I've been thinking about doing this sort of modification to my M50s - the 11.5ft straight cable is a real hassle while walking down the street - I can't find anywhere to put it. A removable cable would mean I could switch between longer cables for use with my amp at home and shorter cables while out and about with them.
> 
> ...


 
  I'm planning to do this, there is also a cheap version of this mod, which uses multicomp instead of switchcraft


----------



## bavman

Post pictures when your done! and let us know how you like it. I've been thinking of converting my 3.5mm mod to xlr because of the locking feature. I find myself constantly tugging on it ever now  when i'm walking causing me to lose audio in one ear.


----------



## exhornet

I plan to do mod mh HD 518. Can some one help me with stereo jack? I could find small chasis ones only in ebay. Which one would you suggest?


----------



## wy2sl0

Oh god. I bought the parts from Newark and did the mod today. I am pretty good at DIY but no matter what I did I couldn't get the solder to turn bright silver. I ended up trying to resolder so many times that I melted the plastic behind the flat connectors and even broke a piece off. I got it all hooked up and it seems to not sound any different...

Good mod and all, I just don't understand.


----------



## jmwreck

I have done it last night and i'm having a hard time closing back the left cup, I wonder what's keeping it up, I have checked everything, melted the holder of the driver but its still opening, I have tried removing the round foam and it fits very well, maybe its because of the wires. However, I put back the foam


----------



## questionasker

Looks good, jmwreck. I am not sure whether to use a Mini XLR or 3.5mm. XLR provides a secure connection that won't fall out and hopefully I won't have to cut or melt anything, but the 3.5mm is obviously compatible with more things.


----------



## Mad Max

You intend to make the M50's cable multi-purpose or what?


----------



## questionasker

Quote: 





mad max said:


> You intend to make the M50's cable multi-purpose or what?


 
  No, just make it so the headphone itself is compatible with more cables and devices.


----------



## wy2sl0

How did the soldering go for all of you.... The wires to the right speaker that is...not the connector.


----------



## jamontoast

Hi guys,
   
  I just did this mod on my M50s... it was damn fiddly but I got there! Australian guys, you can get the Lumburg jack from:
http://australia.rs-online.com/web/p/jack-trs-connectors/5051429/
  It's out of stock until March 2013 
   
  So the jack that I got was this one from Jaycar:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=PS0133&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=990#1
   
  It works well! It's spring loaded so it grips tightly, doesn't crackle and fits nicely inside the enclosure. Make sure you mount it so the thinest part is facing you so that it sticks out of the hole as much as possible to give the nut something to grip on. Like the other sockets, you'll have to snip away some plastic to make room.
   
  M50s with the v-moda cable and remote is amazing! Such a good fit and it looks awesome! Beats guys suck it!
   
  edit: Everyone do yourself a favour and unsolder the original wires and use standard grade wire with no nylon. No stripping / messing around required...


----------



## questionasker

Thanks for the info. Do you have any pictures of it? I know there are a lot of others, but I'd be interested to see yours.


----------



## wy2sl0

Yeah I am really interested to see some pictures of the re-soldering of the wires to the speaker.


----------



## playdo2

Just finished this mod with radioshack 3.5mm jack.
 I just had to remove one plastic column inside the headphone. It was very simple and I recommend this part. Just be careful not to pull and snap the cable because that's what I did and I had a hell of time trying to figure out why my right channel was not working. I ended up just wiring right channel wire to right channel wire from the jack.


----------



## MiyuuKun

Hey guys , I think I wanna Mod my M50 to be detachable cables .So, all i need is these things right :-

 # Solder / Solder Sucker / Solder Welding 30W / small screw driver 
 Is there any particular type of any item above that i need to know?
   
  By the way , I'm not sure about the chassis and the cable that would replace its original ones (preferably coiled ) ! So, can suggest or give me link ? 
  How did you guys cut the hole for the chassis and stripping the wire? 
   
  # I live in Malaysia .So , most product wont be available in my country and one more thing , I'm only 15 and I need guidance for modding my M50!


----------



## TulianJan

This may have been asked already... but is there a quality difference I should be looking for in the female jack?


----------



## MiyuuKun

Bumps , still having the same prob


----------



## Thriolith

I used the Lumberg KLB 4. Thanks to everyone who's posted about their attempts. I'll try to remember to open mine up again and get some pics of the inside.
  I suggest reading through the posts again if you're still not sure what to do for this mod, especially determinedd's post. If it still seems daunting I'd probably consider not attempting it.


----------



## surfman2006

I went with a quick disconnect incase I get the wire caught on an edge. I don't want to rip out the plug or cup on accident lol


----------



## surfman2006

Here is a shot of new solder joints I made to the speaker. Much stronger/secure and slightly thicker wire. Trying to tin the factory wires resulted in a tapestry of obscenities 

I hope this helps others.


----------



## surfman2006

Finished product


----------



## kcazbarach

anybody got any reviews on the mod from soundprofessionals? It might just be easier with my schedule to get it done like that.


----------



## soldiersinx

I got mine done by them, took about a week.  Looks really slick and works with no problems, really makes the headphone more versatile.  My only issue is that the cable they sent was bad, the connector wasn't soldered properly and kept coming off, they made it right though, they gave me a shipping label to ship back the bad cable and they sent me a new one after determining it was their fault the cable was bad.  So in total, took about two weeks to get everything done.
  Quote: 





kcazbarach said:


> anybody got any reviews on the mod from soundprofessionals? It might just be easier with my schedule to get it done like that.


----------



## PETEREK

Sorry these aren't M50's, but I wanna show off my DT770 detachable mod I just did


----------



## surfman2006

Sometimes if you want something done right you gotta do it yourself


----------



## aznatama

I just finished my mod, used 24ga speaker wire to substitute for the internal wiring instead of dealing with the coated wires.  I'd post pics, but I keep getting a "problem submitting this to the server" error when clicking on the insert image button...


----------



## pdbr01

Alright, before I do this mod I want to check that I'm getting this right:





  so the tall silver metal is the one I attach with the black wire, the gold metal is the one I attach with a red wire, and the shorter silver metal is the one I attach with green wire?
  also, do I need to apply flux to the metals that I'll be soldering or is it okay? Thanks.


----------



## Nick47

I just completed this mod and im quite satisfied  This mod will definitely make me use my headphones more! Waiting for new ear pads as well!


----------



## rsxboy

Can anyone tell me how to disassemble the ears to open these up?


----------



## Tangster

Quote: 





rsxboy said:


> Can anyone tell me how to disassemble the ears to open these up?


 
  Remove pads. Remove screws. Open cups.


----------



## iamloco724

if i get the ones already modded by sound professionals does anyone know if it comes with short cable
   
  or what kind of cable do i buy ive never had to get my own headphone cable and i want to make sure i get the right thing i need like 4 foot one


----------



## aznatama

Any cable shoudl be fine.  Depends on if you care about the "quality" of the cable.  I usually use monoprice, and they have a perfect length 3' one that I'm using.  I terminated the end of the OEM cable that I have so I got a long coiled one in case I needed it.  I usually use monoprice for all my cabling needs, since the price is spot on.
   
  If you're looking for some pricier premium cables, then you can probably find them by searching this forum.


----------



## iamloco724

i usually use mono as well i is it male to male 3.5?


----------



## pdbr01

pdbr01 said:


> Alright, before I do this mod I want to check that I'm getting this right:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Nvm. Figured it out using a computer software. Feels good to have a modded m50


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I finally got my M50s sent into Sound Professionals for the removeable cable mod. My cable is dual entry so it was twice the price. Oh well. Will post pics when I get them back.


----------



## usamaamin

Just making sure but...

I've ordered this chassis...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170865711580?redirect=mobile

The brown wire goes to the middle one but what of the other two?

Thanks


----------



## CptSamir

Black goes to the long one, and test for the other two to see what side is left and what side is right. 
   
  Plug in a aux cord to the jack and your phone when you have the black wire attached, then attach the red wire to the right side and play from this website http://www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_stereo.php.
  If you hear it playing on the right with the red plugged in, you have found the right jack. 
   
  Also has anyone found another cable to use aside from the ones inside the cable? I tried those but am having trouble fitting everything after the mod so I was gonna just use some new cables but I do not know what size wiring or any of that. Thanks for the help.


----------



## usamaamin

Thanks
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I'll be performing the mod sometime this week...


----------



## humanafterall27

I'm thinking about getting these headphones to do this mod on them, I made an account here to ask this question -
  Is there any 3.5mm chassis small enough so that I won't have to cut the driver cover?
   
  Thanks


----------



## ben_r_

I bet units like this could be bent to work without removing the post: LINK
   
  Crap, just realized thats a 1/4" one, Ill try and find the 1/8" version.
   
  And it doesnt seem to be made in that style of course. I swear I have some laying around the house though from years ago. Ill have to check.
   
  Meanwhile I found this one that might actually fit in between the two posts: LINK Ill have to find the datasheet for it, open my M50's and bust out the digital caliper and find out...


----------



## Lern2Swim

So, our kitten just chewed right through the cable on my M50s, giving me some pretty solid incentive to do a detachable cable mod on them.
   
  Since I use them only for studio use, I'm leaning heavily toward going the mini xlr to 3.5 route.  I could use some help making sure that I order the correct pieces and then wire them up correctly. 
   
  So, I'm planning on getting the male mini xlr that was already posted a couple pages back:
  http://www.avalive.com/Switchcraft/TB3MB/130592/productDetail.php?utm_source=googleBase&utm_medium=feed&utm_content=TB3MB
   
  Would this be the correct female connector to pair that with?
  http://www.avalive.com/Switchcraft/TA3FBX/130548/productDetail.php
   
  Could someone recommend me good cable to go with for this?
  (Alternately, if someone could point me in the direction of a suitable premade mini xlr to 3.5 cable, I'd really appreciate that)
   
  Once I am sure that those are the right pieces, and I receive them, I'm going to need some help figuring out what gets wired to where.  Is that something that I could get some help with here?


----------



## Lern2Swim

Anyone?


----------



## atticus92

Are there any shops in the UK I can bring my pair of ATH-50S to get modded with a removable cable?
  I'd do it myself if it wasn't for all the soldering involved.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Once you get the hang of it, soldering is quite simple. I learned in 15 minutes. Practiced on a few wires. Now I'm confident I'll be able to fix any problem I may have in the future.


----------



## Kench33

Hey guys I am considering doing this mod or purchasing from Sound Professionals.  The lowest I can get an unmodded m50s is 119 from SP.  Amazon is around 120-130 I think.  The modded m50 from SP is 160.  Is this a better deal than having to do it myself?


----------



## ben_r_

Quote: 





kench33 said:


> Hey guys I am considering doing this mod or purchasing from Sound Professionals.  The lowest I can get an unmodded m50s is 119 from SP.  Amazon is around 120-130 I think.  The modded m50 from SP is 160.  Is this a better deal than having to do it myself?


 

 Thats something only you can answer for yourself. Is it worth ~$40 to just have them modded with you get them? Or would you rather save the $40, spend a bit in parts and tools if you dont have them and do it yourself?


----------



## PETEREK

Quote: 





kench33 said:


> Hey guys I am considering doing this mod or purchasing from Sound Professionals.  The lowest I can get an unmodded m50s is 119 from SP.  Amazon is around 120-130 I think.  The modded m50 from SP is 160.  Is this a better deal than having to do it myself?


 
  I would recommend buying the un-modded pair for 119 and doing it yourself. Knowing how to solder is a very good skill to have, and its fairly simple. And if you ever want to have this mod done to another pair of headphones you'll have to pay to have it done again. (and being on this site, the chances of getting more cans is high) Also, if you do it yourself, you'll have much more fun showing them off -_-


----------



## PETEREK

Also, the tools and parts are cheap. You can get a soldering iron, solder, 3.5mm jack, and a small bit of wire for under $25 together.


----------



## Kench33

Ok, would you guys be able to list what parts I'll need to do this?  Pretty sure my dad has a soldering iron.  Also what cable do you recommend using?


----------



## Kench33

Quote: 





peterek said:


> Also, the tools and parts are cheap. You can get a soldering iron, solder, 3.5mm jack, and a small bit of wire for under $25 together.


 
  Also I saw your mod, what did you use to put on the pads?


----------



## PETEREK

Quote: 





kench33 said:


> Also I saw your mod, what did you use to put on the pads?


 
  I dont know what you mean by that. I posted my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros, I dont even have the M50s haha I just wanted to share my results somewhere. 
  My thread for the MOD:
  http://www.head-fi.org/t/643648/beyer-dt770-pro-80-detachable-cable-mod


----------



## Kench33

Quote: 





peterek said:


> I dont know what you mean by that. I posted my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros, I dont even have the M50s haha I just wanted to share my results somewhere.
> My thread for the MOD:
> http://www.head-fi.org/t/643648/beyer-dt770-pro-80-detachable-cable-mod


 
  Oh shoot haha, I wasn't paying attention when I posted that I just saw the ear pad mod and didn't see they weren't m50s haha.  Thanks though.


----------



## MooKitty

Help! I cant get the ear cap part to close because my new plug is blocking it  sound and everything works but the bump from the new jack is just too big!


----------



## ben_r_

Quote: 





mookitty said:


> Help! I cant get the ear cap part to close because my new plug is blocking it  sound and everything works but the bump from the new jack is just too big!


 

 Thats why everyone had to grind or hot knife or melt out that portion of the ear cup, to create clearance for the jack. Read through the thread, there are many posts about it and some pics too.


----------



## Lern2Swim

No help with doing an xlr version of this?  Could someone perhaps point me in a good direction to get some info about how to do that then?


----------



## ben_r_

Quote: 





lern2swim said:


> No help with doing an xlr version of this?  Could someone perhaps point me in a good direction to get some info about how to do that then?


 
   


 ? What help did you need? There is already a number of people who did the mini-XLR version of the mod with images and mart numbers in the thread. Other than that the process is the same.


----------



## ARealHero

Quote: 





pdbr01 said:


> Nvm. Figured it out using a computer software. Feels good to have a modded m50


 
  So was it correct? Longer connection to the black wire, the gold one to the red wire and the shorter silver one to the green wire?


----------



## Lern2Swim

Really?  I'm only finding the one picture and no reference to which parts were specifically used or any wiring help, and I've searched, both on HF specifically and just as a general Google search. 
   
  I posted my specific questions a couple pages back.


----------



## Thriolith

Inside of mine. I hope this is useful to someone, even with the silicon tape covering the jack..


----------



## ben_r_

Huh, and no one is noticing a change in sound after removing that chunk out of the driver housing huh?


----------



## Lern2Swim

These are the parts I currently have lined up.
   
  http://www.redco.com/shopexd.asp?id=1302&bc=no
   
  http://www.redco.com/shopexd.asp?id=3093&bc=no
   
  http://www.redco.com/shopexd.asp?id=209&bc=no
   
  I'm pretty sure those are the connectors I need, but I'm trying to nail down what cable would be best.  I see a lot of people using 4 conductor cable for this type of application, and I'm not quite sure why.  Could someone point me to the correct cable at Redco to buy for this application please?


----------



## ben_r_

Quote: 





lern2swim said:


> These are the parts I currently have lined up.
> 
> http://www.redco.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?search=yes&bc=no&CatalogId=3093
> http://www.redco.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?search=yes&bc=no&CatalogId=1302
> ...


 

 All Three of those links show the same thing...


----------



## Lern2Swim

That was weird. 
   
  It should be fixed now.


----------



## MooKitty

Just finished mine
  I HIGHLY recomend you just scrap the wires that are connected and rewire the 3 colored wires (leave the black one)
  The wire connected has some kind of white thread (insulation?) that prevents most solder from sticking to!
  Makes it a HUGE pain in the butt
  I almost quit because of it, then i decided to rewire (cut up an old ethernet cord, works well for wire when youre desperate) 
  the whole rewiring + attaching / finishing took only 20 minutes compared to the previous 3 hours of trying to get solder to stick the stock wires!


----------



## bavman

The thread is actually to relieve tension on the cable in case it gets pulled hard, because the wires are so thin they might break if it wasn't there. I'm not sure why but I had a big hassle getting it soldered too....maybe if I would have used flux it would work better.


----------



## at-fan

check out the sound professionals.  they did an awesome job on my removable cable mod and I got a 2 year warranty with them.


----------



## Lern2Swim

Just finished mine with mini xlr to 1/4 TRS and mogami cable.  It wasn't the easiest thing in the world but I managed it over the course of a couple hours.  The mini TRS still required a bit of grinding on the plastic driver housing, and I ended up replacing all of the wires except the ones coming from the right cup.  I accidentally reversed left and right on the female TRS (It's easy to get mixed up if you don't pay close attention to the numbers), but that was an easy fix once I realized I'd done it.
   
  I'll post some pictures when I get a chance (I didn't take any in progress ones though).


----------



## MooKitty

Quote: 





bavman said:


> The thread is actually to relieve tension on the cable in case it gets pulled hard, because the wires are so thin they might break if it wasn't there. I'm not sure why but I had a big hassle getting it soldered too....maybe if I would have used flux it would work better.


 
  That threading gave me such a headache. I would highly recommend everyone just rewires it. Its really easy


----------



## cereal

*ATH-M40fs:*
  I was concerned that the chassis wouldn't line up well since the cable opening as it was at an angle and not flat like on the M50's but once I removed the rubber gromment that sits at the base of the cup (the hole where th cable feeds through) I found that it's perfectly suited to use a jack with. It was basically made for this mod to be done which surprised me. The 40fs's don't require the driver housing to be chopped so it was actually simpler than this thread describes. Album of the finished product below:
   
  http://imgur.com/a/UCxyc
   
  Thanks for the inspiration. I think I'll do this to just about every set of wired headphones I own.


----------



## ARealHero

Ok, so I just finished my mod last night. Parts took longer than expected to ship but at least I got it done. Just one problem, I occasionally get no sound coming from the left ear cup. Anyone know what I might have done wrong? Hope I didn't mess up any of the wiring. I'll try to upload some pictures of the inside of the cup a little later.


----------



## ARealHero

Bump


----------



## PETEREK

Just sounds like you have a weak solder.


----------



## anthonycarbajal

pdbr01 said:


> Alright, before I do this mod I want to check that I'm getting this right:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




So, this is indeed the correct wire-to-pin setup?


----------



## calijoe

Hi everyone - Long time lurker, but I have been following this thread closely to do my mod.  I finished my mod, ordered some beats cables and can't be happier. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  The result of my mod is my avatar pic, and if I can figure out how to post the pics of the process here I'd be glad to do so!  I'm not sure if I can't post pics because I'm new


----------



## arbiche

Let me post my Modded M50
   
  Here's the Female plugs that I used.
   
   




   
   
   
  and the low profile m50


----------



## Finjima

arbiche your links did not work.


----------



## burritoboy9984

Quote: 





arbiche said:


> Let me post my Modded M50
> 
> Here's the Female plugs that I used.
> 
> ...


 
   
  Quote: 





finjima said:


> arbiche your links did not work.


 
   
   
  fixed


----------



## ben_r_

How about posting the links to where you bought those?


----------



## westinlennox

I just picked up these two connectors (because the black matches the HP), and plan on doing this mod as soon as they come.  These seemed like a pretty good deal if anyone is looking to do the mod without mounting a female jack to the headphone cup itself.  I am too scared to melt/file away any of the cup! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  LINK: http://www.pacrad.com/catalogsearch/result/?order=relevance&dir=desc&cat=&q=Calrad+30-296-BK+


----------



## westinlennox

Here is a shot of the completed job, just a quick solder to get the plug in place, and it works like a charm!
   
  .


----------



## DarkNexiz

Hey guys, I'm a new Head-Fier, a new ATH-M50 owner and a new DIY-er

I finally bit the bullet when the new Daft Punk album came out and ordered a pair of M50's. I was researching them and found this thread in the process and man, does this look intimidating to someone new 

Basically I have no experience with soldering or wire-work but my father might, so I probably would pull him into some of the more tricky parts of the wiring. 

From what I understand after reading through *the entire thread*, the basic process of doing this mod is:
-opening the cups
-cutting the OG wire to the exterior cable
-melting the colored enamel off the Red Green and Black cables inside (not sure which cables represent which part of the sound, but would love to find out)
-soldering those now-exposed wires onto the new 3.5mm jack
-hot-gluing the jack in place
-closing the casing back up

Just wondering if I missed anything there or if you guys think that any of those steps require more clarification. Other than that I was wondering what you guys think the best 3.5mm jack would be for use with the V-Moda 3 button+mic cable. 

Hope you guys can help a new headphone owner out, I'm deathly afraid of killing my brand new headphones.

-Darke


----------



## kols

The minijack I got:
   
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130877638295 (MJ-073H - 3.5MM JACK SOCKETS, STEREO, PANEL MOUNT)
   
  Cheap, comes with a spare one if you make a mistake with the first. Reasonably fast shipping. 
  It is just a millimeter bigger than the original hole, but a few twists with something sharp cuts it perfect.
  The metal ring screws on from the inside, so no glue required. The socket will look flush with the casing 
   
   
  The basic process:
   
  - Open the cups
  - Cut or desolder the original cable. The original cable has plastic threaded cables, so it's not always an easy task to solder them.
  - Fit the minijack into the original cup. Cut / melt whatever is in the way (measure twice, cut once!!).
  - BEFORE you solder, put the metal ring of the minijack connector around the wires, and put on cable shrink wrap if you want to. You will not be able to do this after the cables are soldered into place!! 
  - Solder the wires. Minijack: Long pin is ground (black). Left is left (green), Right is right (red). Housing, from the left: Green (left), red (right), black (ground).
  - Test the headphones before closing up. Repeat solder step until working. If you butch the solder job and solder flows between the three points in the housing, you will need a tool to suck the solder out. Don't try to scrape it away.
  - Tighten the minijack-ring. Shrink  shrink wrap if used.
  - Close casing.


----------



## ImRyan

Hi, I'm 16 and have a moderate amount of experience soldering. I was planning on doing this as a plan B in case my M50 cable has issues. How difficult was this? Could a new DIY'r successfully do it with the right amount of caution?


----------



## ridhuankim

Quote: 





arbiche said:


> Let me post my Modded M50
> 
> Here's the Female plugs that I used.
> 
> ...


 
  Wow, that fits really nice!
  Well done!!!


----------



## ridhuankim

Quote: 





westinlennox said:


> Here is a shot of the completed job, just a quick solder to get the plug in place, and it works like a charm!
> 
> .


 
   
  Well done!
  What you did was going to be my plan "A" but then later I changed my mind.
   
  It seems like you did not use "heat shrinking tube" for the finish.
  I think It would look much better and cleaner if you did.


----------



## ortizthx1138

Bought this jack from Amazon a few months ago. I was scared to start. But I went through with it anyway. For those of you that are afraid of ruining your sweet M50's, this is the easier route. 






[/IMG]


----------



## ridhuankim

Quote: 





ortizthx1138 said:


> Bought this jack from Amazon a few months ago. I was scared to start. But I went through with it anyway. For those of you that are afraid of ruining your sweet M50's, this is the easier route.
> 
> [attach]858407[/attach]
> 
> ...


----------



## westinlennox

Quote: 





ridhuankim said:


> Well done!
> What you did was going to be my plan "A" but then later I changed my mind.
> 
> It seems like you did not use "heat shrinking tube" for the finish.
> I think It would look much better and cleaner if you did.


 
   
  I do too, and if I ever sell them I will redo it that way! This was unfortunately one of the all-too-common situations where you remember the heatshrink _after _the soldering is complete. I'm just an idiot!


----------



## DSW92

I did this mod not long ago. Used a cheap square 5 prong phone jack (I was cheap and just got it in the dollar store), soldering iron, hot glue gun, solder and cheap $1 iphone usb cable from ebay, and sand paper to smooth out any mess you made.
   
  Steps were 
  1. Cut the old wire
  2. Open the left side with screwdriver.
  3. Put the phone jack in.
  4. Melt away the plastic behind the driver (didn't have strong enough scissors back then) until the thing fits and you can close it. You probably need to remove that round damping material. If hole isn't big enough use soldering iron to fix that.
  5. Unsolder the old wires and resolder with the cheap usb wires. (Don't have to worry about that cotton-like material wrapped around the old wire)
  6. Solder the cheap wire to the jack.
  7. Test/solder until you get sound.
  8. Lots of hot glue to make sure that jack stays in place and won't fall out EVER.
  9. Wait for glue to harden.
  10. Damping material might not fit anymore. This WILL change the sound and cause a bit of channel imbalance. To fix this just replace the damping material with kitchen paper towel (or remove the damping material from the other cup, but I like the sound with the damping material better)
  11. Put everything back together.
  12. Use sand paper to clean up mess.
   
  Benefits:
  Much improved portability!
  Now you can attach cables that allow you to control your iDevices!
  No perceived decrease in audio quality even though I decided to be cheap and use cheap materials
   
  It was my first soldering project and besides a carpet burn (The solder tip wasn't screwed tight enough), it turned out wonderfully.


----------



## White Lotus

Mod worked great for me, thanks for all the help guys.

I took it to the next step and had a try at DIY cabling. 

Never attempted a headphone DIY cable before this, so thought it was worth a shot.

Needs more heatshrink, and the braiding isn't perfect near the connectors. But for $25 worth of materials, I'm definitely happy with it!


----------



## scope1992

So if I were to use the Lumberg chassis all I have to do to hold it in place is to glue in on the inside of the housing? Obviously glueing it on the outside will make it look unprofessional and non-oem like.


----------



## White Lotus

Personally, I glued on the inside, looks fine from the outside. Although, I'm not too sure which chassis the Lumberg is exactly (google images spits out a few different results).

I used these:


----------



## scope1992

Quote: 





white lotus said:


> Personally, I glued on the inside, looks fine from the outside. Although, I'm not too sure which chassis the Lumberg is exactly (google images spits out a few different results).
> 
> I used these:


 

  Apparently they look like this:
   

   
  I ordered a similar looking one call philmore something. Hopefully it will be the same quality. The one you showed seems to be more compact and the padding might not need to be removing to insert it.


----------



## TylerJayEvansIV

Quote: 





ortizthx1138 said:


> Bought this jack from Amazon a few months ago. I was scared to start. But I went through with it anyway. For those of you that are afraid of ruining your sweet M50's, this is the easier route.
> 
> [attach]858407[/attach]
> 
> ...


----------



## scope1992

Does anyone know where to get a plug that looks similar to the OEM plug on the M50, with the relief spring coil, gold plated, and is has thread locking that is compatible with the lumberg chassis threads? I might as well shorten the original cables and keep it looking OEM.


----------



## frag2

Hi
   
  I just got the headphones and I'm thinking of sending it to sound professionals to get the cable detached.  Any reviews or pictures?
   
  Anyone know of any other service/shop that does it as well?


----------



## thoraxxe

Hello,
   
  I'm in the middle of this mod right now and i can't get any sound to come through. I'm using the Philmore 504k phone jack and have tried every possible combination of wires without soldering and I get nothing. I have the female end plugged into my computer playing music constantly and I can't get anything. 

 I figured the small silver plug is the ground. The large one and the gold small one are the left and right, though i don't know which is which. 

 My fear is that i possibly stripped the wires wrong and cut off too many of the thin braided wires and the headphones aren't getting enough voltage or something? Would it be better for me to solder new wires to the driver. 

 Thanks


----------



## scope1992

Quote: 





thoraxxe said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm in the middle of this mod right now and i can't get any sound to come through. I'm using the Philmore 504k phone jack and have tried every possible combination of wires without soldering and I get nothing. I have the female end plugged into my computer playing music constantly and I can't get anything.
> 
> ...


 
   
  The middle large plug is the ground. And the other 2 smaller plugs are the signals. The black wire is the ground. Make that connection first. To help know which plug is for which channel, plug in the headphones and play some audio in one of the channels, right or left. You can change those settings if playing from a computer. While playing some audio, solder one wire to see if the correct side of the headphones are playing. If not, desolder it and try the other terminal. Make sure the audio is still playing through after the solder had solidified. Do the same for the other channel.
   
  Also it really helps to tin the wires after stripping them.


----------



## mclldavidson

I have the wires soldered on but the voices in songs sounds weak..

edit: Now I screwed it up, would anyone be willing to solder this if i mail it to you?


----------



## White Lotus

You can do it, buddy.

Send us some photos, we can help you.


----------



## ben_r_

Since this seems to be the only thread anyone actually still uses to talk about the M50's, those of you that have tried other ear pads, which ones have you tried and liked? I bought the Beyerdynamic Velour Pads (LINK) and while I do think they are more comfortable than the stock, I kinda feel like they "muffled" the sound a bit. I did use the flat, thin piece of black fabric they came with (lower right in pic) to protect/cover the speaker.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

^I have done the same as you with my M50s. I'll agree on the bit muffled part, but, when I want to listen to anything electronic, they're my go-to can since they gain a bunch of bass.


----------



## PETEREK

EDIT


----------



## PETEREK

Quote: 





ben_r_ said:


> Since this seems to be the only thread anyone actually still uses to talk about the M50's, those of you that have tried other ear pads, which ones have you tried and liked? I bought the Beyerdynamic Velour Pads (LINK) and while I do think they are more comfortable than the stock, I kinda feel like they "muffled" the sound a bit. I did use the flat, thin piece of black fabric they came with (lower right in pic) to protect/cover the speaker.


 
  The stock pads make a better seal to your head allowing less sound to get out. You probably hear much less bass with the velour pads than with the stock ones. One thing you could do is change out the inner padding of the velour pads with something more sturdy. Memory foam would even seal better than whats in there now, and would probably be more comfortable. All of the velour pads used by beyerdynamic are different depending on what headphone they're used for. The DT770 has a harder padding on the inside, the DT880 has a softer padding. I havent gotten my hands on a pair of DT990s yet so I dont know what theirs is like, but they're all designed to work with the headphone they come on. Hopefully you bought the DT770 padding, because the M50 and the DT770 are closed cans. Another thing you could do is remove the thin piece of fabric you mentioned completely so that you can see the driver. Anything that is put between your ear and the driver will reduce the clarity of the sound. It causes reflection of noise. However, in an open style phone, having that fabric there will increase the bass. I'm not exactly sure what will happen in a closed phone. Give it a try!


----------



## cammerarian

I also replaced the stock pads with the Beyer DT250 velours last week. I have only had an hour or two with the new configuration but my immediate observation was a small reduction in bass quantity and detail.
   
  On the positive side though was a substantial improvement in comfort as I personally struggled with the stock pads.


----------



## PETEREK

They're hard to find, but you could search for a pair of Beyerdynamic gel pads to get the fully closed sound back, and have the comfort as well. They pop up in the classifieds here every now and then, but don't stay there long.


----------



## ben_r_

Wow, well Im glad I posted about it then! Good to know its not just me! I think Ill go back to the stock pads as they really werent THAT bad to me. I really liked how much better they seemed to sound though. Ill just give these pads to my dad. He's got a pair a of Sennheiser HD-280 Pros that are in terrible need of new pads. Hopefully we can make these fit.


----------



## ben_r_

Yep, put the stock pads back on and muffled gone. Sad as Ive always liked the feel of velour over pleather, but in the end sound is always more important.


----------



## White Lotus

I used the velour pads for a while, as well as stock. But the pads that win it for me:

 The brainwavz HM5/FischerFA003 pads. In my opinion, far more comfortable than stock. 
   


 (Obviously, they are the ones on the right)


----------



## coolkidsforlife

How much would it cost to get someone to mod my m50s when I get them?


----------



## PETEREK

Quote: 





coolkidsforlife said:


> How much would it cost to get someone to mod my m50s when I get them?


 
  PM'd


----------



## athinkerer

Check out these if you don't want to mess around with the insides of the can:
   

 This female cable end retails for $19.46 on Amazon, but Markertek seems to have the same product for a lot less - $2.79.
 This one seems to be more like what ortizthx1138 has.
 A black version.
 Yet another one.


----------



## athinkerer

Quote: 





tylerjayevansiv said:


> Wow that looks great! It really goes with the style. I want to do mine the same way, but I can't find the jack, can you send me the link please?


 
  Check out this post.


----------



## bankai

Hi, does anyone here do this modification on the m50's in LA county ? specifically Pasadena Area.


----------



## listen4joy

great mod i should try it too!!


----------



## FrozenPanda

This is a great and simple mod. I used a TecNec AC116 Chassis Mount 3.5mm miniJack Connector from Markertek but alternatively you could pick up a jack at radioshack, they are similar. and I did not need not need to alter the hole at all. All I had to do was snap the plastic in the way and its a tight squeez with the foam in there. Pictures Below:


----------



## ben_r_

Quote: 





frozenpanda said:


> This is a great and simple mod. I used a TecNec AC116 Chassis Mount 3.5mm miniJack Connector from Markertek but alternatively you could pick up a jack at radioshack, they are similar. and I did not need not need to alter the hole at all. All I had to do was snap the plastic in the way and its a tight squeez with the foam in there. Pictures Below:


 
  You say you used this one: LINK and you were able to get it in there without having to modify the cub at all? No cutting? No grinding?


----------



## FrozenPanda

Yup, it's either that or the radioshack ones.. Very similar same concept. The threaded part just goes right in and there's just enough sticking out to get the nut on with some pliers

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4


----------



## Mad Max

Quote: 





athinkerer said:


> Check out these if you don't want to mess around with the insides of the can:
> 
> 
> This female cable end retails for $19.46 on Amazon, but Markertek seems to have the same product for a lot less - $2.79.
> ...


 
   
  Even better: link
   
  Markertek has a bunch of good connectors of various types at excellent prices, but factor in shipping, then they are not as cheap as other online vendors for individual components or small amounts of parts.  If I am ordering a bunch of materials at once, markertek is one of my first choices.  Partsexpress, DaleProAudio, and Redco are some of the other good vendors for DIY parts.


----------



## mraudio

hi guys,
   
  still fantastic results over here. i am glad this thread was started.
  if there is someone from near / around germany over here who wants to have this done for a small fee
  feel free to contact me. would be glad to help others to get rid of the cable and enlarge our little community 
   
  also still having some spare metres of canare l4e5c lying around, up for sale.
   
  cheers


----------



## DapperDan

So, forum, I am torn. 
  I LOVE my ATH-M50 headphones. They are perfect for my needs. Well.. Almost. The cable is a little heavy and often gets more in my way than anything else. 

 So, I have found two options: 
  1.) I KNOW what parts I would buy (Thanks to this forum). Because I don't already have any Soldering equipment, it would cost me around $40 to purchase everything I need.
  I have little-to-no experience soldering AT ALL. But I do understand the process very well. Watching enough videos and seeing what other people have done, the process seems simple and a fun DIY project. 
   
  2.) I send the headphones over to The Sound Professionals. At the moment, the whole process seems like it would be about $50+ but not much more. With this option I get a warranty and guaranteed "no screw-ups". 
   
  So what should I do? I was thinking about buying a cheap, crap pair of headphones and testing those first. And if I did well enough, moving on from there. 
  I would like do it DIY because... well, let's face it, it's cool! But I am not very confident in my ability to NOT ruin my beloved headphones XP


----------



## Mad Max

Quote: 





dapperdan said:


> So, forum, I am torn.
> I LOVE my ATH-M50 headphones. They are perfect for my needs. Well.. Almost. The cable is a little heavy and often gets more in my way than anything else.
> 
> So, I have found two options:
> ...


 
   
  I like doing things myself, usually, and I practiced on a couple of cheapies picked up at a Big Lots! store as well.  You'll get the hang of it quickly, just remember to keep driver heat to a minimum to prevent burning the voice coil.


----------



## DapperDan

Quote: 





mad max said:


> I like doing things myself, usually, and I practiced on a couple of cheapies picked up at a Big Lots! store as well.  You'll get the hang of it quickly, just remember to keep driver heat to a minimum to prevent burning the voice coil.


 
  thank you for the quick response! 

 So, I have to ask:
  What was the hardest thing for you to do? 

 (Also: Do yours still work? Did you notice any sound loss [just curious]?)


----------



## Mad Max

I gave one away, and the other I kept (JVC Flats).  I kept the one with the uglier looking cable, lol!  I didn't notice any sound loss.
   
  Hardest thing?  Building a custom cable takes more effort and time, usually.   Making an M50's cable detachable is quick and easy.
(or maybe I just feel that way because of my diy experience)


----------



## FrozenPanda

Quote: 





mad max said:


> I gave one away, and the other I kept (JVC Flats).  I kept the one with the uglier looking cable, lol!  I didn't notice any sound loss.
> 
> Hardest thing?  Building a custom cable takes more effort and time, usually.   Making an M50's cable detachable is quick and easy.
> (or maybe I just feel that way because of my diy experience)


 
   
  I agree. But building custom cables has the advantage that you can make the cable whatever length you want. I made a cable for my M50s for portable use that is just the length I need to hold my phone with my arm straight down.


----------



## Mad Max

And with those lovely Amphenol plugs, too!


----------



## FrozenPanda

Quote: 





mad max said:


> And with those lovely Amphenol plugs, too!


 
   
  I think they are my new Neutriks 
   
  The inside is well done too i'm quite proud.. these are my first without using heatshrink.


----------



## DapperDan

So, I decided to perform a proof-of-concept on an old broken pair of headphones as I never have done this before. 

 After doing this one, I still do not yet feel 100% certain of my abilities. 
   
  So, I am going to buy a pair of cheap headphones and try to really get down the technique of everything. 

 Here was the finished product after about 2 hours of cutting, soldering, shimmying, and gluing (I used 2 stage plastic epoxy that secured the 3.5mm jack firmly).


----------



## Mad Max

Quote: 





frozenpanda said:


> I think they are my new Neutriks
> 
> The inside is well done too i'm quite proud.. these are my first without using heatshrink.


 
   
  Have you tried out the Amphenol full-sized TRS?  I think you'll love it as well.


----------



## FrozenPanda

Quote: 





mad max said:


> Have you tried out the Amphenol full-sized TRS?  I think you'll love it as well.


 
   
  Those look gorgeous and.. I like the specification:  Diecast Shell And I think if I did not begin this hobby ordering form markertek.. I would have probably chosen aphenol to begin with; They are my favorite right next to the canares. Where are those plugs from though? there's a variation in the size of the shell? that's peculiar; on redco I only see 2 variations in design: right angle and straight
   
  Unfortunately.. I have not really tried many full sized TRS's because.. I just don't have equipment that uses them T.T.. I made 1 full size neutrik which was meant for my keyboard.. and it lead to a 3.55 inline jack.
   

   
  This is one of my first cables so the quality isn't excellent but.. it works and I really like bigger neutrik connectors like the 1/4" and the XLR's.. very easy to assemble and they look great : 
   

   
  I think this hobby has been turned into just having fun testing out different connectors and materials.. What kind of equipment is essential and uses 1/4" connectors? I can only think of amplifiers. I wanted to make a Tube Amplifier probably the starving student since I have not much more money to spend on this at the moment.. but I don't know if making an amplifier DIY would be a good idea. I made a CMOY but.. its not even functional T.T I just realized this is the thread on the M50's Mod.. PM me about it.
   
  TL;DR : I would like equipment to use 1/4" connectors..what's essential?


----------



## FrozenPanda

Quote: 





dapperdan said:


> So, I decided to perform a proof-of-concept on an old broken pair of headphones as I never have done this before.
> 
> After doing this one, I still do not yet feel 100% certain of my abilities.
> 
> ...


 
   
  Not too bad.. See, I have a pair of Sony V6's and some people have done the removeable cable mod on them as well.. but the cans are metal and the hole is really small so... I didn't dare touch them.. but it looks like you are using a switchcraft jack? you shouldn't have to change the hole in the M50's apart from removing the little plastic part inside the cans? I think an important part of this mod is choosing a jack that is as SLIM as possible to to reduce any changes in the cans.


----------



## Mad Max

Quote: 





frozenpanda said:


> Those look gorgeous and.. I like the specification:  Diecast Shell And I think if I did not begin this hobby ordering form markertek.. I would have probably chosen aphenol to begin with; They are my favorite right next to the canares. Where are those plugs from though? there's a variation in the size of the shell? that's peculiar; on redco I only see 2 variations in design: right angle and straight
> 
> Unfortunately.. I have not really tried many full sized TRS's because.. I just don't have equipment that uses them T.T.. I made 1 full size neutrik which was meant for my keyboard.. and it lead to a 3.55 inline jack.
> 
> ...


 
   
  Partsexpress has the jumbo that you see in the linked photo.  Neutrik also churned out its own jumbo version of its NP3X.
   
  Desktop amplifiers and instruments use 1/4" TRS jacks.  That's about it as far as audio of the top of my head.  Right-angle TRS plugs are a good choice for cables to be used with keyboards and pedals and such as long as the jack on those things isn't recessed, I think.
   
  On topic: I have an NP3XB on my M50, may do the detachable mod later if I feel like it if the M50 hasn't sold yet, hahaha.


----------



## TrippleHelix

iamloco724 said:


> if i get the ones already modded by sound professionals does anyone know if it comes with short cable
> 
> or what kind of cable do i buy ive never had to get my own headphone cable and i want to make sure i get the right thing i need like 4 foot one



Hey so can you give me the link to the site to buy the modded M50s?


----------



## J.Pocalypse

tripplehelix said:


> Hey so can you give me the link to the site to buy the modded M50s?





http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/ATH-M50-RETROFIT


----------



## Ampersand19

I'm getting my stuff ready to do this mod in a week or so.
 Let's hope it works!


----------



## White Lotus

Quote: 





ampersand19 said:


> I'm getting my stuff ready to do this mod in a week or so.
> Let's hope it works!


 
  Don't be nervous, we are all here to help if you need


----------



## DapperDan

Quote: 





ampersand19 said:


> I'm getting my stuff ready to do this mod in a week or so.
> Let's hope it works!


 

 I had NEVER soldered or messed with electronics before.

 I suggest practicing before if you're a complete novice like me.
  But once you learn the basics of the idea, it's ACTUALLY pretty simple.


----------



## Ampersand19

Quote: 





white lotus said:


> Don't be nervous, we are all here to help if you need


 

 Thanks! I might have to turn to you guys for help since this is my first time in 5 years soldering anything.
  Quote: 





dapperdan said:


> I had NEVER soldered or messed with electronics before.
> 
> I suggest practicing before if you're a complete novice like me.
> But once you learn the basics of the idea, it's ACTUALLY pretty simple.


 

 Yeah, I have a pair of crappy Coloud R2-D2 headphones lying around that I'll mess with first, just in case


----------



## Ampersand19

A bit off-topic: Where do people get all these awesome cables?

 Are there any specific manufacturers to go for? (in terms of quality and looks)

 I live in Norway so most of what you guys post in terms of "where to buy" sadly doesn't help me that much


----------



## FrozenPanda

Quote: 





ampersand19 said:


> A bit off-topic: Where do people get all these awesome cables?
> 
> Are there any specific manufacturers to go for? (in terms of quality and looks)
> 
> I live in Norway so most of what you guys post in terms of "where to buy" sadly doesn't help me that much


 
   
  I made mine. Materials all from redco. Visit the Gallery and the Question and Answer thread if you want to know more.


----------



## Ampersand19

Quote: 





frozenpanda said:


> I made mine. Materials all from redco. Visit the Gallery and the Question and Answer thread if you want to know more.


 
  Thanks a lot! I'll check those threads out and keep this one on-topic.


----------



## Mad Max

Lumberg jack for $2 shipped for us in the States.


----------



## DapperDan

Quote: 





mad max said:


> Lumberg jack for $2 shipped for us in the States.


 
  Thanks for this! 
  WAAAAAAY better than the deals I have been finding.
   
  Also: I tried this mod out on a throw-away pair of headphones and the left side worked at first, but then cut out. 

 I had some issued with it before. Could this just be a bad soldering?


----------



## White Lotus




----------



## DapperDan

Quote: 





white lotus said:


> (Insert Photos here)


 
   
  That turned out GORGEOUS!
   
  I almost got the white headphones, but all of my equipment is black >.<

 You did a great job. Did you make the cable or did you order from somewhere?


----------



## White Lotus

Thanks! I made the cable. Couldn't stand to use a black cable with white headphones!


----------



## PETEREK

Quote: 





dapperdan said:


> Thanks for this!
> WAAAAAAY better than the deals I have been finding.
> 
> Also: I tried this mod out on a throw-away pair of headphones and the left side worked at first, but then cut out.
> ...


 
  If something worked and then didnt, yeah probably a bad solder. Sounds like your ground was probably touching your right signal or something. That would make the right not work at all, and the left might get signal for a moment if its also a cold joint solder.


----------



## Ampersand19

Quote: 





white lotus said:


> --PHOTOS--


 

 That looks great! Good work on the cable 

 I'll be able to start my mod next week, looking at solder-related videos on youtube like crazy, haha.


----------



## Mad Max

My turn:
   

   
   
  "Wireless" listening, ha!  Just need a band to hold the J3 in place.


----------



## DapperDan

Quote: 





mad max said:


> My turn:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  That looks fabulous! How did you manage to keep the jack in place? Did you use an epoxy or glue?


----------



## Mad Max

Epoxy.  I carved out shallow curves on opposite ends of the jack's black plastic so that the epoxy gets more grip on the jack.  The jack also has a tight fit in the hole.


----------



## DapperDan

Quote: 





mad max said:


> Epoxy.  I carved out shallow curves on opposite ends of the jack's black plastic so that the epoxy gets more grip on the jack.  The jack also has a tight fit in the hole.


 
  Sweet! that is a great idea! I noticed that your jack is sticking our a little farther than many others. Did you end up cutting the housing for the speaker? Or did you leave it intact and just have the jack not intersect with it? (Sorry for all of the questions. When I do this to my own pair, I want to see all of my options because I would rather change as little as possible to the actual build itself.)


----------



## Mad Max

I cut it a little at first, not creating a hole in that main chamber, but since it seemed to not be enough, I just made the jack stick out more instead.


----------



## Ampersand19

Quote: 





mad max said:


> My turn:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 That looks great! Did you find it difficult to achieve a nice solid fit? I'll be doing this later this week and I just wanna know what people thought about it.

 I might just go as "non destructive" as you did too, cause it doesn't look that bad with the jack sticking out.


----------



## Mad Max

I had to widen the hole for sure.


----------



## DapperDan

If you are looking for good velour ear-pads, Shure HPAEC940 Replacement Velour Ear Pads work wonders. They are not perfect, but until Audio-Technica makes some, they work fabulously.


----------



## oats2012

I need to do this mod! good job guys!


----------



## Ampersand19

I just got all the stuff I need yesterday so this weekend I'm ready to jump in!

 Though I'll murder and/or mod and old pair of not-so-good [edited for profanity, whoops] headphones first, to be sure I can do it.


----------



## PETEREK

Good idea. haha and good luck!


----------



## XcaninoX

ortizthx1138 said:


> Bought this jack from Amazon a few months ago. I was scared to start. But I went through with it anyway. For those of you that are afraid of ruining your sweet M50's, this is the easier route.


 

 l want to do it exactly like you did ortizthx, i don't want to take the chance to ruin the phone forever by any little possible mistake, so doing this without having to open them is definetly the best option for me.. Also i would like to know what is that on your earpads? Socks? Seams like a very velvety cloth.

 The female connector you chose is of very good taste, and it even combines with the original cable, i'm sure the similarities aren't a coincidence right?! 




 Initially i decided to use some sort of locking mechanism same as the one used on Shure headphones, but since i didn't find any connectors with such sofisticated mechanism i had no choice but to use the standard more traditional locks - the ones you have to tighten till is tight enough - such as the following ones:





 But then reading this thread i discovered the V-MODA BoomPro Gaming Mic, and it was love at first sight, i had to give up on the locking connectors tho because it wouldn't be possible to mod the V-MODA mic. I don't know if it is going to work tho, cuz the position is quite weird for the BoomPro mic to sit and work properly, the mic will sit approximately 6cm below where it should actually be since it will not be connected directly to the headphone instead it will connect to a soft and easily bendable cable. So i don't know if it will be able to capture and also isolate sounds to the point of being good enough for use. But i am so in love with the BoomPro mic that i'll give it a try.


----------



## Mad Max

Dat mic, wow!  I gotta get me one later.


----------



## PETEREK

That is an awesome mic. I've thought about buying another Boom mic from Astro gaming and making something similar to this out of it. I wonder how the sound quality is in this V-Moda one, and how it compares to the Astro one I mentioned. You can order the one from astrogaming.com for $15 I believe.


----------



## westinlennox

xcaninox said:


> Initially i decided to use some sort of locking mechanism same as the one used on Shure headphones, but since i didn't find any connectors with such sofisticated mechanism i had no choice but to use the standard more traditional locks - the ones you have to tighten till is tight enough - such as the following ones:


 
  
 I used the Calrad locking connectors and they worked out very well, if you decide against the gaming mic (which I want now, by the way!).


----------



## Ampersand19

I made a "dry-run" on my horrible Coloud R2-D2 headphones (I would love them if they didn't sound like ass and clamped my head to bits) and I have to say I was successful!

 The only problem I faced was that the cups were simply too small and rounden to fit the 3,5mm jack and the speaker so it looks kind of...weird.
 I'll try to get some pictures of them up tonight 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I like the V-moda BoomPro, but as I'm using my M50's for commuting and such I ordered the SpeakEasy cable and it seems to work quite well.


----------



## Ampersand19

I made it guys!

 I struggled with using the original cable as the coating on them made it a bitch to get the solder to stick.
 So after I gutted some cheap cable and tried again it worked much better.

 The soldering iron I used had an awful tip so the actual soldering itself isn't exactly beautiful but during the process I checked with an audio source at all times to see if the connections were good.
 (I did put some hot-glue on the back of the speaker and on the connections on the jack to make sure there would be no wrong connections made during use.)

 Overall, I'm very happy with the result! 

 Thanks to all the head-fiers who've posted valuable info in this thread through the years.



  
  


 Here's the V-moda cable in action. It really works great!
  



 Now all that remains is getting the original cable all plugged up and ready for use.

 (edit: and getting some 940 pads for them. The sock mod I usually have on works but it isn't exactly good-looking.)


----------



## White Lotus

Excellent job.


----------



## Ampersand19

Thanks!

 Now I just have to find some more uses for my newly re-developed soldering skills...(and a better iron to do the actual soldering...)


----------



## FrozenPanda

ampersand19 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Now I just have to find some more uses for my newly re-developed soldering skills...(and a better iron to do the actual soldering...)


 
  
 Make custom cables for your new detachable cable modded M50's of course..


----------



## DScience

neato said:


> I've been on planning to do this to my M50's, as it would greatly increase it's portability. After a lot of hesitation and experimenting, I did it. It's my first DIY project, so that's why I was hesitant. I actually couldn't get the wires to tin, so I couldn't use these for about a week while I tried to find what went wrong. I'm happy with the final product though, and I've discovered how fun DIY can be (and frustrating, lol).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  
 What kind of pads do you have on your m50's??


----------



## Ampersand19

frozenpanda said:


> Make custom cables for your new detachable cable modded M50's of course..


 
  
 Aha! Well that seems to be the next logical step


----------



## playdo2

congrats! i remember soldering being really hard because I damaged the trace


----------



## XcaninoX

ampersand19 said:


> (edit: and getting some 940 pads for them. The sock mod I usually have on works but it isn't exactly good-looking.)


 

 Refined job there, can't tell it was a DIY mod looking at the pictures, gratz.

 Since you mentioned pads, i had two earpads laying around here from my previous headset, the Corsair V 2000. One made of microfiber and the other made of leatherette, both with internal memory foam (great for comfort as opposed to hard foam). Unlike the majority of people i personally don't like microfiber earpads, because although they are with no doubt less hot compared to the leatherette they absorb the water of your sweat and start to stink after few weeks of use, the also get very dirty specially on ambients where the air is not clean or not properly filtered, they also become a pile of wool if you have animals that release wool such as cats or dogs... at least for me earpads made of microfiber is bads news..

 So, as i said, i also had another one laying around here made of leatherette, and i decided to try them on the M-50 because the originals that came with it doesn't fit my ears very well and i keep finding myself every 30 min or so struggling to make it comfortable.. YES, I HAVE BIG EARS. Not big in height, but big in width terms. So the more oval the earpad is the worst it is for me, the more round it is better for me...  And that is why i bought the V2000 in the first place, because it had almost perfectly round earpads, which basically means more comfort for me.

 I tested them out on the M50, and they fitted without any trouble, their thickness is a bit lower compared to the M50's original, few millimeters only i'd say, in fact i liked it a lot because i stopped feeling that pressure on my ears, it felt like a real over the ear while with the original pads it felt a bit more like an on the ear, again, bcuz my ears are big.

 There was a problem tho, the originals had a mesh made of foam to prevent any possible dirt and sweat from infiltrating the inside compartment of the drivers, but the ones i chose to use didn't have such foam sewn into them, they are open, and i didn't like the idea of leaving the drivers exposed. Since i liked the new earpads a lot i decided to cut the foam from the originals, i started the cut with a razor then proceeded with a scissor till the end. Then after putting the earpads i placed the foams inside and it is since then working pretty well, the foams are fairly secure even though they are not sewn, i intend to sew them into the earpads in the near future, but i might end up not doing it because it is just working very well.

  


Spoiler: FINAL RESULT














  


Spoiler: EXTRA PICS - difference between originals (left) and V2000's (right) earpads














  


Spoiler: CLOSER LOOK AT EACH EARPAD



M50's original with removed foam (pardon me, i forgot to take a picture of this one before removing the foam):



V2000's leatherette:



V2000's leatherette coupled with M50's foam:



V2000's microfiber:


----------



## EmanT

Are There any full step by step guides for doing this? I just got mine and haven't done any DIYs before, so I'm pretty afraid of messing up the cans.
 I checked everywhere and couldnt find a guide, but if there were any nice guides I missed, sorry, and please link?


----------



## DapperDan

emant said:


> Are There any full step by step guides for doing this? I just got mine and haven't done any DIYs before, so I'm pretty afraid of messing up the cans.
> I checked everywhere and couldnt find a guide, but if there were any nice guides I missed, sorry, and please link?


 
  
 There really aren't. 
 Someone posted a bit of one earlier in the forum, but it does not detail anything. I am thinking of doing this mod to a different pair of phones. As much as I would like it for my M50's, I honestly don't wish to risk ruining them.

 If I find the perfect pair I wish to do this to, I will be certain to make an in-depth guide!


----------



## PETEREK

emant said:


> Are There any full step by step guides for doing this? I just got mine and haven't done any DIYs before, so I'm pretty afraid of messing up the cans.
> I checked everywhere and couldnt find a guide, but if there were any nice guides I missed, sorry, and please link?


 
  
 Here is my somewhat step-by-step process of doing the same mod on my old Beyerdynamic DT770's. They arent't the same headphones, but the process is the same for the most part.
  
 LINK: http://www.head-fi.org/t/643648/beyer-dt770-pro-80-detachable-cable-mod


----------



## White Lotus

The 770 felt so rewarding after I performed the mod.


----------



## EmanT

Thanks. As far as I understand, the process is:
 1- remove earpads
 2-unscrew screws
 3-cut wire
 4-solder off something that's in the way
 5-skin the wire
 6-skin the smaller wires
 7-match the conductive parts of the smaller skinned wires with the parts of the female panel mount jack
 7.5-do the same with the rest of the wire with a male panel mount jack to keep wire (steps 5-7)
 8-use glue gun to make the jack stay (and also use it on the skinned wires that are connected to the panel mount jack??)
 9-close it all up
 10-enjoy
  
 This seems fine? My only worries are with step 3 and step 8 - are these steps safe? Also, does cutting the wire make the quality suffer at all? Is glue-gunning the naked wires safe? Is there something better than a glue gun to use? Not to mention, would it off-balance the cans, killing the bass?


----------



## TheMcgician

emant said:


> Thanks. As far as I understand, the process is:
> 1- remove earpads
> 2-unscrew screws
> 3-cut wire
> ...


 
  
 I just completed this mod a couple days ago, thanks everyone here by the way, and yes you have the process right. I have noticed no change in audio quality, and bass seems to be the same. From my point of view, there is no noticeable change in sound quality. I didn't glue my jack in, so if i need to replace it for any reason I can. As for the off balance, its such a minimal change it doesn't make any difference.


----------



## Advil

Hello everyone. I bought my M50's from soundprofessionals and was thinking of sending them back to get the mod done. Should I get locking or non-locking? Also I need a cable for the gym, are there any good cables with an iphone controller (3 button + mic) out there?


----------



## Kamakahah

advil said:


> Hello everyone. I bought my M50's from soundprofessionals and was thinking of sending them back to get the mod done. Should I get locking or non-locking? Also I need a cable for the gym, are there any good cables with an iphone controller (3 button + mic) out there?




I'm going to do the mod as well but am trying to decide the same. I originally considered doing mini xlr. 

I'm wondering about the locking and what jacks people used that worked well for both trs and those for mini xlr?


----------



## shinyredbike

I found some 3.5 mm male-to-male couplers (2 for $1.71 USD) for those that want a tangle free experience with their M50s.
http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/264374422.html


----------



## PETEREK

shinyredbike said:


> I found some 3.5 mm male-to-male couplers (2 for $1.71 USD) for those that want a tangle free experience with their M50s.
> http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/264374422.html


 
 For NON-headbangers only. Haha


----------



## Kamakahah

Could do a 5 inch cable like that with dual lock and secure it to the side of the cup.


----------



## rohtoora

Hey everyone, I'm having some issues doing this mod.. tried the female jack and tested it and no sound... wired back up the original wire and still no sound. No idea what went wrong here... if I had wired the female jack wrong the headphones should have at least worked when I wired the original cable back. Help is very much appreciated. thanks.


----------



## White Lotus

Photos?


----------



## rohtoora

Sorry I don't have pictures but this is the headphone jack im using: 
  
http://www.a1parts.com/Audio/images/24-288-0.jpg
  
 I also used the original wires that are inside the can, (black, red, green) I'm assuming black is ground and red/green are left and right. 
  
 Tried wiring the jack and tested with a vmoda talk easy wire and no sound. Tried the original wire and just wired back the black to black, red to red, green to green and still no sound.


----------



## rohtoora

I just read in another thread that the original wires for the M50s are coated in enamel could this be the cause?


----------



## PETEREK

You need to use new wire to solder from the new jack and the drivers. The enamel is definitely the cause of the issue.


----------



## Levictus

Successfully performed my removable cable mod today, but I can't post the pics cause apparently I'm too noob to the forum and not allowed. Will post pics when I get a few more posts under my belt...


----------



## playdo2

levictus said:


> Successfully performed my removable cable mod today, but I can't post the pics cause apparently I'm too noob to the forum and not allowed. Will post pics when I get a few more posts under my belt...


 
  
 You can post your photos on imgur and link them here. Been there myself.


----------



## Kelpocalypse

I want to mod my M50's but iv'e never soldered anything before and don't know how lol. I'm a complete noob. Has anyone sent their M50's to soundprofessionals to get the mod done? Im thinking about doing this since I would have no idea what im doing if i tried to mod it myself.


----------



## Kamakahah

If you don't mind the cost, then go for it.

You could also find a competent member on here that might do it for you for cheaper.


----------



## Kelpocalypse

If anyone here can do it for cheaper please let me know.


----------



## Mad Max

rohtoora said:


> I just read in another thread that the original wires for the M50s are coated in enamel could this be the cause?


 
  
 To tin the wires in order to make a proper connection, you must burn off the enamel coating with a lighter.  You should end up with shiny copper.  Overdoing it with the lighter action can leave the copper black with oxidation, and thus useless; then you'll have to snip off the oxidized part and try again.  You only need to tin a few millimeters of each wire.  With my adjustable Hakko 936 soldering station, I just crank up the heat then burn away the enamel and tin the wires in one go quickly.
 You can easily find youtube videos on soldering to help you get the hang of it.  There might even be a video or two on working with enamel-coated wires specifically.


----------



## mraudio

sad: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EA4YHQA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EA4YHQA&linkCode=as2&tag=m0494a-20


----------



## XcaninoX

i didn't know these existed, shait!






  
 And there's a black standard version too it seems:


----------



## Kamakahah

Soundprofessionals has been selling them for quite a while now.


----------



## XcaninoX

jezz that's true


----------



## PETEREK

Yeah but why pay $180 for it. That's pretty steep. You can have someone here do it for pretty cheap. You can get the headphones new on Amazon for $99 and I've modded these for $35 including shipping (plug).


----------



## davidwyl

3.5mm female socket with locking
http://www.ebay.com.my/itm/200768470901?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
 3.5mm male plug with locking
http://www.ebay.com.my/itm/180882568016?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
  
 with these can easily turn the non-detachable to detachable.
  
 these come with locking mechanisms, it is something good to have


----------



## J.Pocalypse

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category/525/audio

Removable cable modded, M50s: $150
Send your M50s, they'll do it for you: $40


----------



## Mad Max

peterek said:


> Yeah but why pay $180 for it. That's pretty steep. You can have someone here do it for pretty cheap. You can get the headphones new on Amazon for $99 and I've modded these for $35 including shipping (plug).


 
  
 Or even ~$50 for a used one then order a Neutrik mini and "Lumberg" jack from Dale Pro for ~$4 shipped.  ~$54 for an M50 with detachable cable for us DIY'ers in the States.


----------



## Levictus

Here is a pic of my M50 detachable cable mod for my M50s. Very clean and rock solid with this connector:
http://www.newark.com/pro-signal/mj-073h/connector-rca-phono-jack-3pos/dp/24M4866?Ntt=24M4866


----------



## White Lotus

Great work!


----------



## jabrowski

levictus said:


> Here is a pic of my M50 detachable cable mod for my M50s. Very clean and rock solid with this connector:
> http://www.newark.com/pro-signal/mj-073h/connector-rca-phono-jack-3pos/dp/24M4866?Ntt=24M4866


 
 Wow i had to register to address this post; it looks fantastic. Im about to do this mod and im looking for the right chassis and if that fits as nice as it looks in that photo, i think ive found the right one. How did you go about affixing it? Did you need to bore out the hole in the housing to fit it through at all?
  
 TIA


----------



## PETEREK

jabrowski said:


> Wow i had to register to address this post; it looks fantastic. Im about to do this mod and im looking for the right chassis and if that fits as nice as it looks in that photo, i think ive found the right one. How did you go about affixing it? Did you need to bore out the hole in the housing to fit it through at all?
> 
> TIA


 
 It looks like these just pop in after removing the old cable. He might have had to drill it out a little but I doubt it. The backside is pretty small. These look pretty nice and easy to use. They don't look very deep either so the insides might not have to be modified to make the mod fit.
  
 Link to the chassis: http://www.vetco.net/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=14088


----------



## Levictus

jabrowski said:


> Wow i had to register to address this post; it looks fantastic. Im about to do this mod and im looking for the right chassis and if that fits as nice as it looks in that photo, i think ive found the right one. How did you go about affixing it? Did you need to bore out the hole in the housing to fit it through at all?
> 
> TIA




Jabrowski
It has been over a month since I modded my cans cause I was too noob for pic permissions. I don't recall having to enlarge the hole at all, however, just like most of the detachable connectors, you do have to remove a small plastic peg and some of the plastic driver support ring to accommodate. It also helps to make a small channel in the white baffling for easier reassembly. The nice thing about this connector is it has a larger ring on the outside and screws down on the inside making it much more stable than the other connectors (and I ordered like 7 different ones to try them out). Hope that helps...


----------



## jabrowski

levictus said:


> Jabrowski
> It has been over a month since I modded my cans cause I was too noob for pic permissions. I don't recall having to enlarge the hole at all, however, just like most of the detachable connectors, you do have to remove a small plastic peg and some of the plastic driver support ring to accommodate. It also helps to make a small channel in the white baffling for easier reassembly. The nice thing about this connector is it has a larger ring on the outside and screws down on the inside making it much more stable than the other connectors (and I ordered like 7 different ones to try them out). Hope that helps...


 
 Much appreciated levictus. I'm not terribly worried about modifying the insides of the headphones, but i'd like to avoid hacking up the hole through which the chassis goes. Yours looks unbelievably clean so I think i'll be going with that one. Did you use any glue to fasten it in place? Does the 3.5mm plug fit snugly in it/not too loose?
  
 Thanks again.


----------



## Levictus

jabrowski said:


> Much appreciated levictus. I'm not terribly worried about modifying the insides of the headphones, but i'd like to avoid hacking up the hole through which the chassis goes. Yours looks unbelievably clean so I think i'll be going with that one. Did you use any glue to fasten it in place? Does the 3.5mm plug fit snugly in it/not too loose?
> 
> Thanks again.




I didn't use any glue but I did put some thread lock on it before tightening down the inner nut. The plug does fit very snug which is why I chose this one initially. Good luck!


----------



## BlackBear98

It work great!! I had to resolder it twice because the headphones where only carrying out the instrumentals and all vocals were quiet. I would suggest unsoldering the wires completely and replace them with your own wires so they accept solder. But otherwise I'm very impressed by the quality


----------



## PETEREK

blackbear98 said:


> It work great!! I had to resolder it twice because the headphones where only carrying out the instrumentals and all vocals were quiet. I would suggest unsoldering the wires completely and replace them with your own wires so they accept solder. But otherwise I'm very impressed by the quality


 
 Yes, always use new wire when soldering headphones that previously used enameled wire. You can burn the enamel off with a lighter but that can affect it's conductivity afterwards. I would just replace it all together just to be safe. 
  
 Nice clean job, by the way.


----------



## SquishyJohnny

So guys I bought the ATH-M50 LEs a year or so back from the soundprofessionals with a detachable cable mod. I haven't used them for a long time and it has been sitting in my closet. The reason I haven't used them in a while is because the audio input is reversed left is right and right is left according to sound tests. Is there a way I can fix this with software or I have to do some handiwork?


----------



## Mad Max

Depends on how the female jack in the cup is wired.  It could be that the cable is wired backwards instead.  Some handiwork on your own part would be simple desolder/resolder just to switch left and right around.


----------



## White Lotus

squishyjohnny said:


> The reason I haven't used them in a while is because the audio input is reversed left is right and right is left


 
  
 ...Seriously?
  
 If yes, tell the people you bought it from. I'm sure they would be more than happy to sort you out.


----------



## SquishyJohnny

white lotus said:


> ...Seriously?
> 
> If yes, tell the people you bought it from. I'm sure they would be more than happy to sort you out.




Yea seriously. I did talk to sound professional customer service a long time ago but I can't recall of I had to pay for the shipping cost. However the whole shipping process and waiting was too much of a hassle for me so I didn't do it. I'll try it again just because I guess I have time now.


----------



## White Lotus

mad max said:


> Depends on how the female jack in the cup is wired.  It could be that the cable is wired backwards instead.  Some handiwork on your own part would be simple desolder/resolder just to switch left and right around.


 
  
 +1


----------



## BlackBear98

All you have to do is swich the red and green wire that is connected to the jack then it should be fine


----------



## listen4joy

i am doing the mod and i using canare L-4E6S Cable and i have there the grey cable (shield)  that going to grund (middle tunnel)
 and i joined the two white cables toghter and also the blue cables but i dont know which side the white goes and which side the blue goes.
 blue for the left side and white for the right?
  
 picture:
  
http://oi44.tinypic.com/2meu3hw.jpg


----------



## PETEREK

It doesn't really matter how you do it but for the sake of explaining this, do it the way I wrote in the picture. I'm assuming you don't have a multimeter to determine which is left and right, so your left and right may get switched.


----------



## XcaninoX

peterek said:


> *Yes, always use new wire when soldering headphones that previously used enameled wire. *You can burn the enamel off with a lighter but that can affect it's conductivity afterwards. I would just replace it all together just to be safe.
> 
> Nice clean job, by the way.


 
 I have a question for all of you guys, since the right thing to do is use new wire (one that can be easily soldered), what do you guys do with the old cable? the one that you unsoldered from the headphone? re-use it or throw it away?

 Bcuz my friend told me it is extremely hard to solder this enameled wires making it so hard that doesn't worth the time spent, better off buying a new one, but my point is that i would like to use the coiled cable, which is quite expensive if bought separately.

 So i guess my question is, do you solder a plug on the cable that you have previously unsoldered from the headphone, even if it is a hard task, or do you just use a new one? Btw, by you, i mean all you guys in general..


----------



## PETEREK

You can solder a 3.5mm jack on the end of it, it's just more of a pain to do it on enameled wire. I did it on a pair of M50s for a user in this thread and it turned out fine, but it will be more difficult for a soldering noon. You really have to get to the bare wire. If you don't think you can do that, just use the solders that were used on the driver on the jack. Those will make a good connection.


----------



## ctowne

Anyone know how to get the stock 3.5mm plug open so I can snip the wire shorter and re-solder it back on? 

Sent from my Moto X


----------



## PETEREK

It isn't meant to be opened up, so it's probably glued together. Just order a 3.5mm jack and use it. They're pretty cheap. Rean (Neutrik) are simple to use, you can get them pretty cheap off eBay. Radio Shack sells them too if you dont want to wait for shipping.


----------



## ctowne

peterek said:


> It isn't meant to be opened up, so it's probably glued together. Just order a 3.5mm jack and use it. They're pretty cheap. Rean (Neutrik) are simple to use, you can get them pretty cheap off eBay. Radio Shack sells them too if you dont want to wait for shipping.




Alright thanks man. Any chance you could post a link to one? I can't tell the difference between a bad one and a decent quality one.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk


----------



## PETEREK

I would go with these. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-Neutrik-Rean-NYS231BG-3-5mm-3-Pole-Plug-Gold-Contacts-Black-Metal-Handle-/230909403476?pt=US_Cables_Snakes_Interconnects&hash=item35c345e154


----------



## White Lotus

peterek said:


> I would go with these.
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-Neutrik-Rean-NYS231BG-3-5mm-3-Pole-Plug-Gold-Contacts-Black-Metal-Handle-/230909403476?pt=US_Cables_Snakes_Interconnects&hash=item35c345e154


 
  
 +1.
  
 Great connectors. Easy to use. Good solder points. Nice, subtle look, and a brand name to back it up.


----------



## ctowne

Alright thanks guys I'll order one right now

Sent from my LG G2!


----------



## FrozenPanda

ctowne said:


> Anyone know how to get the stock 3.5mm plug open so I can snip the wire shorter and re-solder it back on?
> 
> Sent from my Moto X


 
  
 You could probably just take 2 pliers and twist them apart... much like the DIY plugs you see most plugs are assembled the same way.
  
 However, they are machine assembled so it won't be easy to solder by hand, you're still better off buying a DIY Plug


----------



## ctowne

frozenpanda said:


> ctowne said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone know how to get the stock 3.5mm plug open so I can snip the wire shorter and re-solder it back on?
> ...




Alright thanks man

Sent from my LG G2!


----------



## davidwyl

Spent sometime to mods my ATHM50RD today. Very please with the outcome.
 No cutting on the inner part of the case, no hot glue, no super glue.. :thumbup:
 These 3.5mm jack that I got from eBay come with locking mechanism, fit perfectly into m50.
 *using 3rd party cable with volume control + mic, perfect for smartphone. :sly:

 Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## listen4joy

i just want to make sure that i will wire correctly 
  
 green wire for gold connection black for ground and red for the second connector?
  
 pic:
 ------
  
 http://i41.tinypic.com/2ryhcpe.jpg


----------



## ben_r_

davidwyl said:


> Spent sometime to mods my ATHM50RD today. Very please with the outcome.
> No cutting on the inner part of the case, no hot glue, no super glue.. :thumbup:
> These 3.5mm jack that I got from eBay come with locking mechanism, fit perfectly into m50.
> *using 3rd party cable with volume control + mic, perfect for smartphone. :sly:
> ...


 
 Post a link to those connectors you got.


----------



## White Lotus

davidwyl said:


> Spent sometime to mods my ATHM50RD today. Very please with the outcome.
> No cutting on the inner part of the case, no hot glue, no super glue.. :thumbup:
> These 3.5mm jack that I got from eBay come with locking mechanism, fit perfectly into m50.
> *using 3rd party cable with volume control + mic, perfect for smartphone. :sly:
> ...


 
  
 Amazing!


----------



## ctowne

davidwyl said:


> Spent sometime to mods my ATHM50RD today. Very please with the outcome.
> No cutting on the inner part of the case, no hot glue, no super glue.. :thumbup:
> These 3.5mm jack that I got from eBay come with locking mechanism, fit perfectly into m50.
> *using 3rd party cable with volume control + mic, perfect for smartphone. :sly:
> ...




Can you possibly post all the things that you bought to do this?

Sent from my LG G2!


----------



## davidwyl

> Can you possibly post all the things that you bought to do this?
> 
> Sent from my LG G2!








Ask you need is these 2:
http://m.ebay.com.my/itm?itemId=200768470901
&
http://www.ebay.com.my/itm/180882568016?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

the 3.5mm jack plug with locking mechanism come with a black rubber tension release, im not happy with that. So i got this http://www.ebay.com.my/itm/140584282253?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 and swap the rubber with the metal spring.
look much nicer, and matching with the other end of the athm50 cable.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## davidwyl

listen4joy said:


> i just want to make sure that i will wire correctly
> 
> green wire for gold connection black for ground and red for the second connector?
> 
> ...


 
 that should be right..
 use multimeter to check to be 100% sure...


----------



## ctowne

davidwyl said:


> > Can you possibly post all the things that you bought to do this?
> >
> > Sent from my LG G2!
> 
> ...




Thank you so much! I've wanted to do it without cutting any part of the headphones and this looks perfect. 

Sent from my LG G2!


----------



## davidwyl

ctowne said:


> davidwyl said:
> 
> 
> > > Can you possibly post all the things that you bought to do this?
> ...




Yes, searching around for this jack with locking everywhere. Got it from eBay, the only seller willing to post it to me with reasonable shipping fees.. 

No cutting, the only thing u need to cut is 2 rubber that stick out to hold the old cable. Cut down that 2 rubber, u are good to go.. 
this female jack little bit bigger than the original hole. Just slowly files or drill the hole bigger.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## Riktar

I'm really excited to get my hands on the components for this mod. I'm picking up the plugs and tech flex from parts express. I am however having some problems determining which cable to get in order to make my own cable. Does parts-express carry any quality cables i can use for this? do i need microphone cable? or any particular type of cable? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## davidwyl

riktar said:


> I'm really excited to get my hands on the components for this mod. I'm picking up the plugs and tech flex from parts express. I am however having some problems determining which cable to get in order to make my own cable. Does parts-express carry any quality cables i can use for this? do i need microphone cable? or any particular type of cable? Any help would be greatly appreciated!








 (not my pic, I grab it from post#15 mraudio post)

You don't need extra cable, just cut the cable where the red line is. And connect that part to your new female jack.

You don't have to desolder the part circle in green. Less soldering, less messy, less problem 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## Riktar

davidwyl said:


> (not my pic, I grab it from post#15 mraudio post)
> 
> You don't need extra cable, just cut the cable where the red line is. And connect that part to your new female jack.
> 
> ...


 
  
  
 Thanks for the heads up!
  
 I was mainly asking about wiring for the 3.5mm male to male connector that would plug into the headphones. If i wanted to make my own wiring as i've seen people do it on here, what kind of wire would i need to get? 
  
 thanks


----------



## PETEREK

riktar said:


> Thanks for the heads up!
> 
> I was mainly asking about wiring for the 3.5mm male to male connector that would plug into the headphones. If i wanted to make my own wiring as i've seen people do it on here, what kind of wire would i need to get?
> 
> thanks


 
 This question would be answered better in this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/676402/diy-cable-questions-and-comments-thread/885#post_10041358


----------



## Riktar

thanks for link!


----------



## Take a chance

I'm looking into doing this with a mini-xlr connector just because it can lock and is a better connector imho.  Would I need a 4 pin or 3 pin connector? also how much bigger would the hole have to be?


----------



## PETEREK

take a chance said:


> I'm looking into doing this with a mini-xlr connector just because it can lock and is a better connector imho.  Would I need a 4 pin or 3 pin connector? also how much bigger would the hole have to be?


 
 You could do 3 or 4, it just depends on what cable you're going to be using. I would just do 3 to keep it simple, 1-left signal, 1 right signal, 1 ground. The hole will need to be a lot bigger. I honestly don't think you will be able to fit a mini xlr chassis in there without doing a LOT of cutting. It would be a mess. You could do a pigtail with a mini xlr in-line jack like on my Denon D2k (Pic below, it has 2 pigtails though). That's the only way I can see you having a mini xlr at all on the M50's.


----------



## Take a chance

stiltzkin said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> I've been thinking about doing this sort of modification to my M50s - the 11.5ft straight cable is a real hassle while walking down the street - I can't find anywhere to put it. A removable cable would mean I could switch between longer cables for use with my amp at home and shorter cables while out and about with them.
> 
> ...


 
  
  


peterek said:


> You could do 3 or 4, it just depends on what cable you're going to be using. I would just do 3 to keep it simple, 1-left signal, 1 right signal, 1 ground. The hole will need to be a lot bigger. I honestly don't think you will be able to fit a mini xlr chassis in there without doing a LOT of cutting. It would be a mess. You could do a pigtail with a mini xlr in-line jack like on my Denon D2k (Pic below, it has 2 pigtails though). That's the only way I can see you having a mini xlr at all on the M50's.


 
 From the top post it looks bigger but definitely not bad. he said that there was plenty of space inside too. thank you for the info, though!


----------



## PETEREK

You could use this 3.5mm chassis for where you plug the cable in, and then whichever stereo chassis you want for the mic. 
http://www.kvconnection.com/product-p/km-161-7900.htm
  
 Those fit nicely into the M50 cups. I just used a 3 pole version of that for someone here on head-fi yesterday.


----------



## Alphas

No, not using a 3 pole jack, but a 4 pole jack. This allows the mic signal to be carried in a single wire. Another 3 pole jack can be use to attach a mic to the m50.
  
 lumborg has a 4 pole jack with screwing nut.
 http://www.newark.com/lumberg/1502-02/connector-rca-phono-jack-4pos/dp/54M1763


----------



## PETEREK

peterek said:


> You could use this 3.5mm chassis for where you plug the cable in, and then whichever stereo chassis you want for the mic.
> http://www.kvconnection.com/product-p/km-161-7900.htm
> 
> Those fit nicely into the M50 cups. I just used a 3 pole version of that for someone here on head-fi yesterday.


 
  


alphas said:


> No, not using a 3 pole jack, but a 4 pole jack. This allows the mic signal to be carried in a single wire. Another 3 pole jack can be use to attach a mic to the m50.
> 
> lumborg has a 4 pole jack with screwing nut.
> http://www.newark.com/lumberg/1502-02/connector-rca-phono-jack-4pos/dp/54M1763


 
 The jack I linked IS a 4 pole jack. Here is a diagram of how I imagine you would be wiring this (excuse the terrible artwork):

  
 The area within the LEFT cup in the drawing became pretty congested, sorry about that.


----------



## Levictus

_Whew, that's a lot! Save yourself the trouble and just get one of these:
http://v-moda.com/boompro-microphone/_


----------



## Alphas

The difference is the mic is non detachable and moreover, you cannot change the mic!


----------



## teslakiiing

I successfully replaced the cable with a jack in my M50's today. I also made a short cable with L-shaped plugs to plug into a bluetooth receiver attached to the side of the cup. Nice with good wireless headphones. I am fortunately not an audiophile by long shots so maybe the sound is not top notch but its still alot better than most ~100$ bluetooth headphones I've tried. I will post pictures as soon as I have attached the BT with using a better method than tape


----------



## PETEREK

In a week I'm going to be selling a BRAND NEW pair of Red M50's that I'm only going to open to do the detachable cable mod to.


----------



## ben_r_

Anyone out there who did the mod with an internal Mini XLR jack have any pics they can post of the inside of the can after the jack had been installed? I havent gotten around to doing the mod yet and I wanted to see if anyone else had done it the way I wanted to and had some internal pics.


----------



## PETEREK

Brand new Red M50's. I made a 3.5 foot Canare cable for them as well. These will be in the classifieds, and my sig if anyone is interested.


----------



## CarbonFlux

Is there a way that we could still use the cable that we cut off? 
 Like a headphone jack head that we could attach it to?


----------



## kylesheadphones

Hey White Lotus!
 How good of a fit are the Brainwavz HM5 on the M50's?
 And do your ears still touch the driver?


----------



## kylesheadphones

white lotus said:


> I used the velour pads for a while, as well as stock. But the pads that win it for me:
> 
> The brainwavz HM5/FischerFA003 pads. In my opinion, far more comfortable than stock.
> 
> ...


 
 Forgot to quote.....Hey white lotus. How good do the HM5 pads fit on the m50's? And do your ears still touch the inside?


----------



## slntdth93

carbonflux said:


> Is there a way that we could still use the cable that we cut off?
> Like a headphone jack head that we could attach it to?


 
 I suppose you can re-terminate that with a 3.5mm jack on the side you cut off and you'd be good to go


----------



## CarbonFlux

slntdth93 said:


> I suppose you can re-terminate that with a 3.5mm jack on the side you cut off and you'd be good to go


 
 Do you know what the head of a 3.5 mm jack would be called? I have no luck on finding it.


----------



## PETEREK

3.5mm connector.


----------



## CarbonFlux

peterek said:


> 3.5mm connector.



I found out that its called a TRS Solder Plug


----------



## PETEREK

That is another name for it, but it is also a 3.5mm connector.


----------



## ianalitis

I just performed the mod, one of my first time soldering and spent almost the whole day in frustration  My first buggaboo was accidentally yanking the wires from the driver. So the whole day was spent trying to solder and resolder and i just had my first success (sort of) the headphones work left and right, but i only hear in mono. I've been having the worst week and today topped it off lol, my headphones are potentially broke, and i stabbed my self in the thumb about a 1/4 inch deep with my xacto and also stabbed my arm the complete length of the same blade lol. I'm attaching some pics, I believe the problem may be the left green solder to the panel mount as i believe i may have missed the whole because i accidently soldered over it and I am in lack of solder wick. Is that a viable first thing to check out? Also I noticed a substantial decrease in sound quality as well as some static after the mod. Would this be caused by the mono and should i electrical tape things up to prevent interference? Do you notice any other issues? Please help, and if you cant is there anyway that the warranty covers this or i could get a replacement? Also will soundprofessionals possibly be able to fix it if I can't? Sorry for so many questions but I am desperate and very upset now ;( Any help would be appreciated thank you very much.


----------



## ianalitis

apparently i cant post pics


----------



## Kamakahah

Sounds brutal man.

My experience was totally different. I was watching some anime at 1am and just decided to mod mine. Here are some late night cell pics from an hour later. It was quick and painless for me.


----------



## PETEREK

kamakahah said:


> Sounds brutal man.
> 
> My experience was totally different. I was watching some anime at 1am and just decided to mod mine. Here are some late night cell pics from an hour later. It was quick and painless for me.


 
 Nicely done sir. I also used Canare wire for the mod.


----------



## Kamakahah

peterek said:


> Nicely done sir. I also used Canare wire for the mod.


 
  
 Thank you. Can't really beat Canare for the price. Just took one wire out of the twist from the 6 or so inches I cut. 
  
 For some reason I had built up doing it in my mind as something that would be time consuming. 
  
 It took me as much time setting up and breaking down my equipment as it did the actual modding. 
  
 I did remove one of the support pegs. Just used some cheap $5 flush cuts and it came off clean and easy. That was all the modification I had to do. 
  
 Decided to actually use my solder sucker this time instead of wick to avoid additional heat- worked like a charm.


----------



## PETEREK

meizumintyboi said:


> Well no one helped me here... So I went out and did it myself:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




You didn't have to file out the original hole, the lumber fits through the stock hole as is, you just had to remove the nut and then slip it through the hole and then screw the nut back on.


----------



## Wasgo

Is there any way to search if anyone in Vancouver, Canada would be able to do this mod for me?


----------



## Kamakahah

Not really. You can post asking here or in the For Sale area maybe and find someone that way. 

If you were CONUS, I would offer.


----------



## 65535

The worst thing about the M50's is the enameled wire, if you replace it the task is pretty easy.


----------



## PETEREK

I ordered a pair of ATH-M50s last week and just got around to opening them up today and doing the detachable cable mod to them. I only bought these to sell (I had some Amazon credit that I wanted in my PayPal account instead of stuck on Amazon).
  
 While I had them opened up for the detachable cable mod, I put *Dynamat* on the inside of the cup and cut a hold in the foam padding that's normally against the back of the cup. I had thought about doing this the last time I had some M50's but ended up not doing it. It made the mids come out a little more, there is actually MORE Bass, and more treble. I did that mod to the left cup before I did it to the right cup to see if I could hear a difference, and to decide if I wanted to reverse it or not. I liked what I heard and did the right cup as well (obviously Haha). If anyone has some M50s I HIGHLY recommend you try this, keep the padding you cut out just in case you want to put it back.
  
 These headphones are for sale here in our classifieds.
 LINK: http://www.head-fi.org/t/701738/brand-new-ath-m50s-w-detachable-cable-mod-4-foot-straight-cable
  

  
 BTW the hot glue strings have been removed Haha


----------



## davidwyl

Good jobs for everyone who take their time and efford to do detachable cable mods and share their info. 
For those who still scare or worry to try, now u can get detachable cable m50 (ath-m50x)

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## davidwyl

ATH-M50x
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## PETEREK

davidwyl said:


> ATH-M50x
> http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


 
  
 Yeah, but it's $170, and you will HAVE to use the stock cable, you wont be able to interchange whatever cable you want.


----------



## ben_r_

peterek said:


> Yeah, but it's $170, and you will HAVE to use the stock cable, you wont be able to interchange whatever cable you want.



That's the same connector the Sennheiser HD-598 and HD-558 cans use. There are plenty of cheap aftermarket cables already out there with this connector including ones with iPhone controls but there is only one connector currently being made that I know of to make your own cable and that's sold by luna shops.


----------



## XcaninoX

holy balls, it's finally here... It took Audio Technica literally more than 10 years to realize we need detachable cables.. so the babe is called M50x huh, i guess better now than never.. unfortunately the BoomPro mic from V-Moda that use won't fit on it right off the bat but fortunately anything could fit just by using an adapter..

 Would be cool to see the internals of this m50x tho and it compare it with the standard one, just to see the design changes.

 btw, does somebody know where i could get one of these passthrough adapters made for the Sennheiser 518 558 and 598? I want one that has a 3.5mm entrance at its bottom, so in practice it would function only as a pass through, with the bonus of being being able to plug any universal 3.5mm jack on it of course.

 As pointed out by ben_r_ Lunashops has one adapter, but it's a DYI one, you have to make your own cable with it, whereas the one i want has to have an universal 3.5mm entrance at its bottom to maximize compatibility.


----------



## ben_r_

xcaninox said:


> holy balls, it's finally here... It took Audio Technica literally more than 10 years to realize we need detachable cables.. so the babe is called M50x huh, i guess better now than never.. unfortunately the BoomPro mic from V-Moda that use won't fit on it right off the bat but fortunately anything could fit just by using an adapter..
> 
> Would be cool to see the internals of this m50x tho and it compare it with the standard one, just to see the design changes.
> 
> ...


 

 So youre looking for the same locking setup as the HD-598 and this new M50X but in a 3.5mm TRS instead of the 2.5mm TRS they use?


----------



## Echochrome4

So I got these headphones about 2 weeks ago, I love them but cable could be shorter.  So what I am wondering is what I need for this project.  I have soldering skills, but I normal just use things like wires and connectors laying around my house.  I am wondering what wire I am going to want to get to replace the enamel wire, that is still high quality.  Also I am leaning towards the mini XLR connector, where could I get that?  Finally if I go the 3.5mm route, where would I get quality cable to make a detachable cord and for the plugs and jacks that could lock like the original headphones?  
  
 Thanks!!


----------



## ben_r_

echochrome4 said:


> So I got these headphones about 2 weeks ago, I love them but cable could be shorter.  So what I am wondering is what I need for this project.  I have soldering skills, but I normal just use things like wires and connectors laying around my house.  I am wondering what wire I am going to want to get to replace the enamel wire, that is still high quality.  Also I am leaning towards the mini XLR connector, where could I get that?  Finally if I go the 3.5mm route, where would I get quality cable to make a detachable cord and for the plugs and jacks that could lock like the original headphones?
> 
> Thanks!!


 

 All your answers and more are in this thread. Give a good read through from start to finish.


----------



## Kamakahah

Alternatively, you can simply braid your current cable to be shorter. There is a video on YouTube that's easy to find with a quick search.


----------



## Echochrome4

Well I have read through the whole thing, I don't know where it talks about wire to use. What I'm wanting to know are what are the best brands of wire, connectors, jacks that I can buy and where I could buy them. I would like to browse their sites and find the jacks and cables myself I just don't know what to go to. Also where would I get the cable sleeving for the new wire?


----------



## Kamakahah

echochrome4 said:


> Well I have read through the whole thing, I don't know where it talks about wire to use. What I'm wanting to know are what are the best brands of wire, connectors, jacks that I can buy and where I could buy them. I would like to browse their sites and find the jacks and cables myself I just don't know what to go to. Also where would I get the cable sleeving for the new wire?


 
  
 http://www.head-fi.org/t/676402/diy-cable-questions-and-comments-thread
  
 Probably the best place you could ask your questions concerning DIY cable/connector questions of any kind. Lots of folks willing to help. 
  
 One of the most important questions that you need to answer first is your price range. That will determine what parts are really available to you.
  
 Sticking with a simple Canare or Mogami quad cable. I personally like the Mogami 2893 or Canare L-4E5C which are the smaller versions of their big brothers. I strip off the outer black PVC and shielding which leaves just the twisted wires. I sleeve those wires in 550 paracord from SupplyCaptain.com or other vendors. You end up with a very light/flexible cable that sounds great. 
  
 http://www.redco.com/Bulk-Quad-Microphone-Cable/  you can check them out in the link.
  
 There are other places to buy from: markertek , Parts-express , lunashops, tons of cable maker's DIY offerings. You'll see a lot listed in the questions thread.


----------



## Echochrome4

kamakahah said:


> http://www.head-fi.org/t/676402/diy-cable-questions-and-comments-thread
> 
> Probably the best place you could ask your questions concerning DIY cable/connector questions of any kind. Lots of folks willing to help.
> 
> ...


 
 So would Mogami 2893 work well in replacing the enamel wires inside the headphones?  Also it is a quad cable, and a 3.5mm jack has 3 connectors, so would I just remove 1 strand of the cable?  And I haven't worked with sound cables at all but what is the non insulated copper wire for, and will I be using in in my case or is that used for other things? Like in this picture:  W2893-01.JPG


----------



## Kamakahah

echochrome4 said:


> So would Mogami 2893 work well in replacing the enamel wires inside the headphones?  Also it is a quad cable, and a 3.5mm jack has 3 connectors, so would I just remove 1 strand of the cable?  And I haven't worked with sound cables at all but what is the non insulated copper wire for, and will I be using in in my case or is that used for other things? Like in this picture:  W2893-01.JPG


 
  
 You can use the quad cable for both the inside for replacing the enameled wires as well as making a new cable for the m50s.
  
 There are 4 wires in the quad and you can choose to use them all or simply remove one if that is your preferences for a slightly lighter cable. If you keep all 4, you use 2 of them for ground, and the other two are used for L(tip) and R(ring) channels. 
  
 The non-insulated copper is the shielding. It is woven on the inside but is shown like that just so the buyer knows it has copper shielding inside. You can choose to keep the cable as is with pvc insulation, shielding, cotton strands as is for your cable or simply strip it down to the 4 wires. Those 4 wires are twisted together as I mentioned above. You can remove the thick outer pvc of the cable, then the copper shielding and be left with just the twisted wires. That is the way I prefer. If you live in an area with unusually high RFI or a house filled with unusually high EMI then you might want to keep the cable as is. For 99% of us, removing the shielding is just fine. 
  
 In the picture below you can see where I've stripped off the black pvc insulation, removed the copper shielding (now tied in a bundle), left the cotton/paper insulation on the twisted wires to help with microphonics, added a little electrical tape on the end to hold the paper/cotton in place for sleeving, and finally sleeved it in 'Starry Night' 550 paracord. I placed an unstripped cable below it for comparison. Hopefully this helps.


----------



## Echochrome4

kamakahah said:


> You can use the quad cable for both the inside for replacing the enameled wires as well as making a new cable for the m50s.
> 
> There are 4 wires in the quad and you can choose to use them all or simply remove one if that is your preferences for a slightly lighter cable. If you keep all 4, you use 2 of them for ground, and the other two are used for L(tip) and R(ring) channels.
> 
> ...


 
 Yes, that help a lot!  Now I just need to choose whether I want to use Mini-XLR or a locking 3.5mm jack and plug.  Then I will order parts and start modding!!


----------



## Kamakahah

Depending on the mini xlr jack, you'll likely have to drill out the hole on the cup to fit. Lots of 3.5 options that fit well without modification.


----------



## 65535

I would do xlr because Rean Tiny XLR connectors have chuck strain relief. Just keep these OD dimensions in mind.
  

 Black chuck: O.D. 2.0 - 3.5 mm Blue chuck: O.D. 3.0 - 4.5 mm


----------



## Echochrome4

Im looking at getting these two Mini XLR parts:
  
 http://www.redco.com/Redco-TB3M.html
  
 http://www.redco.com/Redco-TA3FB.html
  
 Now I just need to find the size of the jack, doesn't seem like the website says it though.


----------



## ben_r_

echochrome4 said:


> Im looking at getting these two Mini XLR parts:
> 
> http://www.redco.com/Redco-TB3M.html
> 
> ...


 

 Meh, IMO if youre going to go mini-XLR for this mod, get a black and name brand quality one: LINK The datasheet there should be the same for the one your looking at too.


----------



## ZechariahStover

davidwyl said:


> Ask you need is these 2:
> http://m.ebay.com.my/itm?itemId=200768470901
> &
> http://www.ebay.com.my/itm/180882568016?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
> ...


 
  
 Here is a US distributor for what appears to be the same locking stereo jacks and plugs:
Vetco.net
http://www.vetco.net/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=3.5+stereo+locking&search_in_description=1&x=0&y=0
  
 This is the panel mount locking jack:
http://www.vetco.net/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8750&keywords=3.5%20stereo%20locking
  
 And this this the locking plug:
http://www.vetco.net/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8749&keywords=3.5%20stereo%20locking
  
  
 Here is an eBay seller with the locking plug, but they don't have the jack:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=111264454745
  
 And another potential source for the spring style strain relief:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5-mm-female-1-8-stereo-jack-audio-cable-connectors-/270770926159?pt=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item3f0b34724f
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-8-3-5-mm-STEREO-Male-Plug-Metal-Audio-Connector-/280576145972?pt=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item4153a43a34


----------



## halfinfinity

What aux cable are people using after completing this mod?


----------



## 65535

Aux cable?


----------



## Kamakahah

Think he means what 3.5mm are they using. 

Some people reterminate the stock cable with a new plug. Alternatively, some buy or make new cables. All comes down to preference. 

I did it so I could make a shorter/lighter cable for it.


----------



## halfinfinity

Lol, sorry if i was not using the correct "head-fi" terminology.


----------



## Kamakahah

We all use the words with our own meanings attached. You should see some of the arguments that get started over what the "true" definition of certain audiophile descriptive words mean. 

It gets pretty brutal and hilarious watching people argue over what terms like "laid back" mean. When the answer is that people assign their own meanings based on their individual experiences. 

On a side note, I still think I'd rather do this mod on a Pair of M50s instead of getting the M50x models.


----------



## halfinfinity

Agreed, but lets put this into perspective.
  
 It's not at all a bad option for non DIY-ers. You can currently buy the M50's on amazon for $130 and the M50x's for $170 when they are released. After all equipment needed to do the mod it's probably a $20 difference. For the last $20 you are being assured a great pair of headphones (assuming the X's are pretty much the same as the standard minus the removable cable.) with no possibility for mistakes. Also, you are not voiding your warranty in case of any damages. However, I got my M50's for $100 so no question that I will be modifying mine.


----------



## 65535

The M-50's are pretty easy to work on if you ditch the terrible enameled reenforced wire.


----------



## Kamakahah

Considering fully rewiring my pair just for the lawlz.


----------



## 65535

I'm thinking I should do a detachable mod on my T70 headphones, though I'd probably just used a Lemo connector from work. They are sexy.


----------



## TheMcgician

Has anyone tried to plug a Bluetooth receiver in theirs post modding? If so how is the quality / volume? I was thinking about getting something like 
http://www.amazon.com/GOgroove-BlueGate-Bluetooth-Technology-Headphones/dp/B00727FE5U/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1392221556&sr=8-11&keywords=bluetooth+receiver
 that and sticking it to the side of the headphones; but I'm hesitating because I don't know what the sound will be like.


----------



## ben_r_

Im sure it would sound like all bluetooth audio links: bad. But for $29 and from amazon why not just buy it and try it. You can return anything to amazon with no hassle. Youd lose shipping costs at most.


----------



## archerbugz

That looks like a very clean MOD. Do you have a Step-by-Step on how you did it?


----------



## davidwyl

themcgician said:


> Has anyone tried to plug a Bluetooth receiver in theirs post modding? If so how is the quality / volume? I was thinking about getting something like
> http://www.amazon.com/GOgroove-BlueGate-Bluetooth-Technology-Headphones/dp/B00727FE5U/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1392221556&sr=8-11&keywords=bluetooth+receiver
> that and sticking it to the side of the headphones; but I'm hesitating because I don't know what the sound will be like.



Any a2dp Bluetooth adapter will not have great sound...those with AptX will have a better sound quality (not all phone support aptx)... 
One more issue with Bluetooth receiver adapter is the power deliver to the headphone is low. Listen in low volume will be fine, listen in high volume, the adapter might not have enough power to drive the headphone therefore lower the sound quality.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## otebear

I just finished the mod, and it went generally very well. I had difficulty with the preinstalled wires (probably because of the enamel), but it worked when I desoldered them and attached my own.
 I was looking to buy or make cable(s); the stock cable works fine, but it's often too long and I want options. Do you guys have recommendations? I was considering using the Gotham GAC-3 to make cables, but I thought I would ask the forum first.
 Thanks!


----------



## 65535

I've bought GAC-3 twice, the first batch I had was amazingly soft supple and nice, the second was disappointing compared to the first. Either way, at 1/4" it's way too big to make a good headphone cable. You'll want something smaller like a Mogami W2893 or even better W3031.


----------



## otebear

About the GAC, I'm shocked that a mass produced product like that would be as inconsistent as you described.
 I see what you mean about the thickness. I just looked at the W3031, and it appears to have only two wires. Wouldn't that make it mono or one-sided? Sorry, I'm kind of new to this diy area, nonetheless diy in general.


----------



## 65535

The braided shield is used as a ground for headphones generally. The benefit there is the shield is usually much larger than the conductors in gauge, looking at the specs W3031 has a shield that has 6 times more same size strands than each conductor.
  
 I prefer braided shields versus served such as GAC-3 or W2697 because the spiraled served shield sometimes gets twisted wrong when handling the cable. GAC-3 has counter wrapped layers of shield so it's not really an issue, but the stuff is thick.


----------



## otebear

Thanks for your advice. I think I'll use the W3031 with Amphenol KS3PB-AU connectors, unless you have a recommendation  for a different plug. How do I keep the shield/ground off of the other connectors in the plug? Is there anything else I need to know before I go ahead and make the cables?


----------



## 65535

Make sure you find the connector at $2 or so and not $7. Some places overcharge for them.
  
 Here's a link to how to assemble Profi connectors.
  
 http://www.neutrik.us/zoolu-website/media/download/169/Assembly+Instruction+-+Profi
  
 You'll gather the shield wires and twist them to a single bundle, then separate the two inner conductors wire the white to the center pin (tip) wire red to the ring connector and wire the shield to the ground lug. Sometimes you can use head shrink to cover the individual joints so nothing shorts. Make sure you cut any stray strands that may bridge any conductors.


----------



## JeremyxGch

Hi there. I own a ATH-M50RD Too!
 Planning to do the mod , roughly know what to do . 
 Im wondering how do u guys break off the plastic part to make space for the Chassis?
 What tool do i use? I opened up and see the plastic , its pretty hard , and u seem to did a great job.
  
 Heres the part i bought
 http://singapore.rs-online.com/web/p/jack-trs-connectors/6291325/ (From Lumberg)


----------



## TsukiNick

Lol my M50's removable cable mod looks like ****. Jack is coming out at an angle and sticks out a lot and it's glued in place with epoxy for plane parts (some grey goop)  Hardly use them but when I do, everyone knows it's a DIY mod.
  
 In before someone kicks them self in the head for not buying the New M50x.
  
 I bought my M50s a year and a half ago I think.


----------



## otebear

jeremyxgch said:


> Hi there. I own a ATH-M50RD Too!
> Planning to do the mod , roughly know what to do .
> Im wondering how do u guys break off the plastic part to make space for the Chassis?
> What tool do i use? I opened up and see the plastic , its pretty hard , and u seem to did a great job.
> ...




The plastic bit may seem tough, but it comes off really easily. Just grip it with pliers and bend it to the side. It'll snap right off.


----------



## JeremyxGch

otebear said:


> The plastic bit may seem tough, but it comes off really easily. Just grip it with pliers and bend it to the side. It'll snap right off.


Alright. I shall try it tonight. Thanks !


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


> Hi there. I own a ATH-M50RD Too!
> Planning to do the mod , roughly know what to do .
> Im wondering how do u guys break off the plastic part to make space for the Chassis?
> What tool do i use? I opened up and see the plastic , its pretty hard , and u seem to did a great job.
> ...



That two pillar sticking out can easily be cut off. 
not sure that socket u bought can fit in without cutting the casing or not.. u need to try it out.
the one im using is this 
http://uk.farnell.com/lumberg/1502-04/connector-3-5mm-phono-jack-3pole/dp/2101778 (with locking mechanism)
http://uk.farnell.com/lumberg/1532-05/connector-plug-3-5mm-3pole/dp/2101776?MER=en-me-pd-r2-acce-con
(from lumberg as well)
can fit in the case nicely without the need to cut the casing (just snatch off that 2 pillar)

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## JeremyxGch

Im pretty sad right now because I think I screwed up my headphones.. Right after I snaped off the plastic, the sound turned bad. I realised its the audio cable thats connected to the driver. I resolder it but it got worse , cant seem to solder it back. And now the part looks ****. Idk if its still working if I buy a new cable and solder it.. What should I do?


----------



## otebear

I had the same problem. Took me a while to figure it out. The wires already in the headphones don't make good connections. They have an enamel coating, don't take solder well, fray, and are simply just terrible. I removed the wires connected to the driver (desoldered) and replaced them with some spare wires I had lying around, and it worked perfectly. Don't worry; chances are the headphones still work fine and you just need to do some troubleshooting. You have the whole forum's help, too, if you need it.


----------



## JeremyxGch

Is there any good recommendation ? Where can I purchase the replacement cAbles? Preferably able to ship to Singapore.


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


> Is there any good recommendation ? Where can I purchase the replacement cAbles? Preferably able to ship to Singapore.



Any speaker cable will do the job. Just get it in any electronic store .
The original cable is abit hard to solder. What I did was burn cable tip with lighter and clean up the tip. It does make it easier to solder.. 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## JeremyxGch

davidwyl said:


> That two pillar sticking out can easily be cut off.
> not sure that socket u bought can fit in without cutting the casing or not.. u need to try it out.
> the one im using is this
> http://uk.farnell.com/lumberg/1502-04/connector-3-5mm-phono-jack-3pole/dp/2101778 (with locking mechanism)
> ...


thanks man. I considered buying that. But the shipping to Singapore is expensive and I gotta wait very long. And if im not wrong the hole has to be filed.. Im quite a noob so I think I would just stick to the one I bought. Thanks anyway!


----------



## JeremyxGch

davidwyl said:


> Any speaker cable will do the job. Just get it in any electronic store .
> The original cable is abit hard to solder. What I did was burn cable tip with lighter and clean up the tip. It does make it easier to solder..
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


alright. I shall check out the stores tonight. Any cable will do right? Meaning the cable will also have red green and black?


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


> davidwyl said:
> 
> 
> > That two pillar sticking out can easily be cut off.
> ...



Need to files the hole abit. But fit perfectly after that. With lock definitely good to have. 
You can get it from eBay as well. Arrive about 2weeks. 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


> davidwyl said:
> 
> 
> > Any speaker cable will do the job. Just get it in any electronic store .
> ...



Get any 3.5mm audio extension cable.. And cut it open . Color doesn't matter, can put any color as long as u know where connect to where.. 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## JeremyxGch

davidwyl said:


> Need to files the hole abit. But fit perfectly after that. With lock definitely good to have.
> You can get it from eBay as well. Arrive about 2weeks.
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


W





davidwyl said:


> Need to files the hole abit. But fit perfectly after that. With lock definitely good to have.
> You can get it from eBay as well. Arrive about 2weeks.
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk[/quote
> ...


----------



## JeremyxGch

Okay, thanks alot. I will post pics and update u guys again if I need help! Shall try it tonight


----------



## JeremyxGch

Hey!! I bought a 3.5mm male to female jack. So heres the inner. I suppose the white and red will be in the L/R and the colourless will be the -/+?
Im planning to use this cable as my mod. So im not using a chassis.


----------



## halfinfinity

jeremyxgch said:


>


 
  
 Why would you rather this ˄ than a chassis?


----------



## JeremyxGch

I would rather use a chassis. But for now I will use this. Till my chassis comes. Im combining it with other orders. Another reason will be less trouble.


----------



## JeremyxGch

Im pretty disappointed because I think I have damaged the driver. Attached the pics. Have a look. I soldered the cables back on but it still doesnt work. No sound. Sigh. Now idk what to do..


----------



## PETEREK

jeremyxgch said:


> Im pretty disappointed because I think I have damaged the driver. Attached the pics. Have a look. I soldered the cables back on but it still doesnt work. No sound. Sigh. Now idk what to do..


 
 It looks like your solder points are connected, so it's probably not damaged. The voice coil wires for the driver are up where the grey stuff is.


----------



## Kamakahah

jeremyxgch said:


> Im pretty disappointed because I think I have damaged the driver. Attached the pics. Have a look. I soldered the cables back on but it still doesnt work. No sound. Sigh. Now idk what to do..


 
  
  


peterek said:


> It looks like your solder points are connected, so it's probably not damaged. The voice coil wires for the driver are up where the grey stuff is.


 
  
 I'm with cCasper on this one. There appears to be a bridge between the points. I'd clean up your solder work.
 First practice soldering a little more until you feel really confident that you can get a clean joint with minimal heat/time of contact. 
 Get some deosoldering wick and clean up the contacts. Place a little flux on the contacts and put a very small layer of solder on them. Tin your wires and resolder to the driver. Use as little solder as necessary to make a clean connection.
  
 Get a second person to help if it seems difficult to hold everything in place by yourself. If you have to heat the contact point for more than a few seconds, it's probably too long. Double check your temperatures and the melting point of your solder. 
  
 Don't dismay, It'll work out


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


> Im pretty disappointed because I think I have damaged the driver. Attached the pics. Have a look. I soldered the cables back on but it still doesnt work. No sound. Sigh. Now idk what to do..




I don't think the driver spoiled. Clean up the old soldering iron properly before you do new soldering. 
Dunno what tools u have for soldering. 
If u don't have soldering flux go get one. 
It Help to clean up the old iron easily and make iron stick bettter and flow nicely into place. 
(get a suction tools to suck up all the old iron, every electric shop should have)

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## JeremyxGch

davidwyl said:


> I don't think the driver spoiled. Clean up the old soldering iron properly before you do new soldering.
> Dunno what tools u have for soldering.
> If u don't have soldering flux go get one.
> It Help to clean up the old iron easily and make iron stick bettter and flow nicely into place.
> ...







peterek said:


> It looks like your solder points are connected, so it's probably not damaged. The voice coil wires for the driver are up where the grey stuff is.







kamakahah said:


> I'm with cCasper on this one. There appears to be a bridge between the points. I'd clean up your solder work.
> First practice soldering a little more until you feel really confident that you can get a clean joint with minimal heat/time of contact.
> Get some deosoldering wick and clean up the contacts. Place a little flux on the contacts and put a very small layer of solder on them. Tin your wires and resolder to the driver. Use as little solder as necessary to make a clean connection.
> 
> ...




I didn't notice that grey part. You guys are refering to the T Shaped grey part right? So I just have to clean up that area.. Then I need to.clean the solder points and put flux. Right?? 
Really hope it still works.


----------



## davidwyl

Put flux on the old iron , heat it up and suck the old iron away using suction tool.... 
Repeat till clean ..

Next put flux on the new iron and wire. Solder the wire on. 
If u clean everything properly, it should stick fairly easily. 

(tips :watch some soldering guide on YouTube will give u some idea) 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## JeremyxGch

Bought the necessary items from dx.com
Flux and solder suction pump. Btw the chassis arrived. I tried to install it. Yeah it fits perfectly. Just got to clean up my solder and resolder everything. 

So which wire do I connect to which hole? Thanks


----------



## JeremyxGch




----------



## davidwyl

connection on the speaker side and the 3.5mm jacks.
 use multimeter to check the connection pin on your chassis follow above pic.


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


>


 
 from your diagram. i think u got the wrong chassis.
 this one look like a mono chassis, not the stereo one.
 * please someone double confirm


----------



## halfinfinity

I think that's the one from radio shack, correct me if I'm wrong. Which has been known to be hard to work with. But I think it's still stereo. Don't quote me on it.


----------



## Mad Max

jeremyxgch said:


>


 
  
 Got a multimeter?  Stick a cable in it and check continuity - which contacts lead to which of the solder tabs?  Or grab a simple multimeter or continuity checker at Walmart or such, and return it when you are done, haha.


----------



## davidwyl

I got something in my toolbox look exactly the same like the one you bought. 
Mine is mono.... 
Only way to know is check using multimeter 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## JeremyxGch

https://m.rs-online.com/h5/mobile/singapore/catalog?id=search_form

I bought from this link.
Whats the diff between mono and stereo? :0
I dont have a multimeter btw. 
;X


----------



## halfinfinity

jeremyxgch said:


> https://m.rs-online.com/h5/mobile/singapore/catalog?id=search_form
> 
> I bought from this link.
> Whats the diff between mono and stereo? :0
> ...


 
  
 Mono projects the same sound to both sides of the headphone, whereas stereo can project two different soundtracks to each speaker. (Correct me if I am wrong.)


----------



## 65535

Mono is single channel so 1 conductor and 1 ground. Stereo is dual channel 2 conductors and 1 ground. Stereo plugs have 3 sections on the plug mono have 2, you'll need stereo for headphones unless you intend to drop a channel and get mono, which you wouldn't want.


----------



## halfinfinity

65535 said:


> Mono is single channel so 1 conductor and 1 ground. Stereo is dual channel 2 conductors and 1 ground. Stereo plugs have 3 sections on the plug mono have 2, you'll need stereo for headphones unless you intend to drop a channel and get mono, which you wouldn't want.


 
  
 Thanks, but practically what does dropping a channel mean? Meaning, how does it affect what you hear. 
  
 Hope it's not that dumb of a question.


----------



## 65535

Well that depends on the mix, but in some songs you might not hear half the song if it's panned into the right channel and you only have left. A stereo mix uses both channels and adjusts the balanced of different tracks and different portions of a song in order to create a spacial depth to the music. Good mixing is as much an art as a good performance by a musician.
  
 Basically mono is limited in use, there was a time before stereo was around, people with hearing impairment would use a stereo recording summed to mono because they can only hear out of one ear well. Simple recordings like spoken word are often recorded in mono since stereo would be unnecessary. 
  
 For headphones being used by a person with good hearing you'll want the proper stereo mix most music was made in. That necessitates two channels of audio, one left one right.


----------



## halfinfinity

You said it a lot better, but that's basically what I said. I think.


----------



## JeremyxGch

My chassis has three ports for me to solder. So does it make that a stereo type??


----------



## halfinfinity

jeremyxgch said:


> My chassis has three ports for me to solder. So does it make that a stereo type??


 
  
 Not necessarily, no. I'd almost suggest you just go ahead and buy _this_ if not for the fact that shipping is more than the chassis itself.


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


> My chassis has three ports for me to solder. So does it make that a stereo type??



I can almost certainly sure after looking at the link u bought from, this a mono. 
Check the data sheet from the link u got it from it is a mono. 
Guess u need to get a new one . 
This time get something with locking, like the one I previously suggest to u 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## davidwyl

Got this from RS Singapore Web where u bought the chassis from. 
It is mono from the diagram. 
(not mentioning it is mono/stereo in the web and data sheet) 





One is ground, and another 2 is connected. So technically only 2pole. 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## 65535

That's a mono connector with switching. When nothing is plugged in pin 2 is shorted to pin 3, when you plug something in pin 2 is connected to your cable.


----------



## reddragon4775

Hey guys,
  
 This is for all who are having second thoughts weather to mod the ATH- M50s. I had my M50s mod done by a user "mraudio" in the group. My headphones never felt so much better as it is now. Its portability after the mod has made them so much better. I got mod done two months ago and have used the headphones almost daily since then.
  
 I am not an audiophile, just a regular user and my experience in short:
  
 a) Loss of sound quality: None
 b) Portability: Awesome
 c) Background Noise: same as before (in a sense there's nothing newly added)
  
  
 To all those who are planning to perform the mod, just made sure to use the right tool/parts or learn the right way from the right person.
  
 Once again thank you so much Mr. audio, his work was simply superb, neat and reliable. 
  
 P.S: would post pictures asap!!


----------



## JeremyxGch

Hi Guys , 
 thanks for all the help.
 Im still waiting for my Solder Suction Pump and Flux to arrive from DX. They are just slow :/
 Will use the black cable which i cut off from the 3.5mm extension cable first for the mod.
 Don't plan to get a chassis(stereo) for now. I don't even know if my m50s are screwed. 
 Hopefully it will work. Will update you guys again


----------



## JeremyxGch

Anyone here from Singapore that does the same mod?
 Maybe u can give me a lil help when my items arrive?


----------



## JeremyxGch

Hi there. 
 http://singapore.rs-online.com/web/p/jack-trs-connectors/5051429/?origin=PSF_435571|fp&cm_sp=featuredproducts-_-FeaturedProductsContent-_-5051429
*Is this ok??*


----------



## davidwyl

That one is a stereo... But it's too big to go inside the m50 you need to cut away the m50 case.... Someone in this forum using that chassis (refer to front few pages in this forum)

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## davidwyl

It is very easy to get electronic parts /components in Singapore... Try drop by Sim Lim Tower sure u get the right chassis that fit. 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## JeremyxGch

Hey. Great to hear that it fits. It doesnt matter because I have already cut the case. Thanks !


----------



## asamin

Just for the people who wanna try this, I was extremely nervous about it and pulled it off.
  
 The worst part is the headphone mod is easy. I was using that jack from Radio Shack everyone said not to use and though it is a bit weird with how far I put the male end in, it was so easy to do this mod with. There was zero cutting away, except that one part that everyone has to break, and the soldering couldn't have been easier. Just loop the wire through the whole and dab on some solder and you're done.
  
 On the other hand, the cable can be very hard to do. If you're trying to use the original cable and put a male 3.5mm on it, have patience. It is not easy and took me several tries to get, just make sure you get the wires in the right places.
  
 Anyways, here is my success:


----------



## FrozenPanda

asamin said:


> Just for the people who wanna try this, I was extremely nervous about it and pulled it off.
> 
> The worst part is the headphone mod is easy. I was using that jack from Radio Shack everyone said not to use and though it is a bit weird with how far I put the male end in, it was so easy to do this mod with. There was zero cutting away, except that one part that everyone has to break, and the soldering couldn't have been easier. Just loop the wire through the whole and dab on some solder and you're done.
> 
> ...


 
  
   
 That looks Beautiful! By the way, just for your information, the jack you used should be the Switchcraft ones but Radioshack has some quality assurance issues with it and thats why some say to avoid it.


----------



## asamin

From my experience so far it works 100% fine. You get two in a pack so even if one was bad you still have a second. My problem is with the cable mod (like I said). I got it working, as you can see in the pictures, but it required so much re soldering that it killed the trebles. So I'm going to re do it with some silver solder and a lot more time.


----------



## FrozenPanda

asamin said:


> From my experience so far it works 100% fine. You get two in a pack so even if one was bad you still have a second. My problem is with the cable mod (like I said). I got it working, as you can see in the pictures, but it required so much re soldering that it killed the trebles. So I'm going to re do it with some silver solder and a lot more time.


 
 Kind of concerned by your wording.. What do you mean by "killed the trebles" looks like you are using the stock cable right? that shouldn't alter the sound.. Then you mentioned "more time".. When soldering especially onto drivers, try to apply heat for the LEAST amount of time possible. (Thin solder) Applying too much heat for too long could cause damage to the drivers..


----------



## asamin

The problem isn't with the headphones at all, when I went to put a male jack on the end of the stock cable I had cut I messed up a few times so it got messy and the solder contacts aren't that good. If I just use a different cable the headphones are amazing. I'm planning on, if I can't get the original cable to work, to just make my own since with those stupid bits of stuff make it impossible to solder on the cables.


----------



## 65535

It's enamled wire, you'll need to remove the enamel either chemically or physically. You can increase your iron temp and burn it off if you're careful.


----------



## asamin

My iron isn't near able to get hot enough to do that so I gave it to someone I know who has one that is. For now I'm just gonna use a spare cable I had laying around. That is why I did this mod after all, so I wasn't reliant on the cable.


----------



## dmai1994

What is a good wattage soldering iron I should buy to do this? 30 or 60?


----------



## SircussMouse

So................why are you guys adding a jack anyway?
  
 SM


----------



## dmai1994

If you couldn't find the answer to that question in your head, then I don't even know what to say.


----------



## SircussMouse

dmai1994 said:


> If you couldn't find the answer to that question in your head, then I don't even know what to say.


 
 The answer in my head was silly.  I was hoping somebody else had one that made sense.
  
 SM


----------



## dmai1994

This mod is useful because you are able to attach different cables for different situations making your headphones much more versatile. It is also useful if your cable breaks.


----------



## SircussMouse

dmai1994 said:


> This mod is useful because you are able to attach different cables for different situations making your headphones much more versatile. It is also useful if your cable breaks.


 
 You can just cut the (straight) cable down and use an extension when needed.  It's a 10 minute job.  I only mention it because some people are a bit rough with the jack installation.
  
 SM


----------



## PETEREK

sircussmouse said:


> You can just cut the (straight) cable down and use an extension when needed.  It's a 10 minute job.  I only mention it because some people are a bit rough with the jack installation.
> 
> SM


 
 The stock cable uses enameled wire, so it would be more than a 10 minute job working with that. The stock coiled cable is a pain in the a**, so a lot of people do it to get rid of that too.


----------



## SircussMouse

SM


----------



## PETEREK

?


----------



## 65535

A small torch burns of the enamel quite readily. However a nice butane torch like that used carelessly will make the wires disappear altogether.


----------



## PETEREK

Yeah I know, it will add time to the job though, making it take longer than "10 minutes", and most of the time, it still isn't easy to solder.


----------



## dmai1994

Would a regular lighter work to remove enamel? I've never soldered before.


----------



## halfinfinity

dmai1994 said:


> Would a regular lighter work to remove enamel? I've never soldered before.


 
  
 I wouldn't recommend it.


----------



## dmai1994

Do you have a link for something I could buy?


----------



## Kamakahah

I find the stock cable to be heavier than I like. I also prefer the feel of paracord sleeving. Additionally, being able to change cables for portable use and home use is a nice benefit of adding a jack. Adding a jack really isn't that lengthy of a process, and the added benefits are worth the additional time, IMO. 
  
 If you really want a fast fix for the long cable, then you can just braid it. It was a nice quick fix and took less than 10 minutes when I wanted to convert my pair to portable before adding a jack.


----------



## bugo57

Here is my "mod":
 http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/4128/sbkp.jpg
  
 I used this Jack:
 http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3-5mm-panel-mount-stereo-jack-with-soldering-wire/760576564.html

 Great Jack, worldwide shipping, but you need to "damage" your driver frame to get it in (this does not affect the sound).
 Aslo the seller sent me 3 of em' despite I payed for 1 only...
  
 More one thing I want to mention, the pads im using is the HM5 pads, with the sponge of the original pads underneath.
 This makes the sound more "bass heavy", the headphones looks better, its more comfortable, and I prefer it. (without the original sponge underneath the trebel is a bit painful...
 You need to use some force to get it on, but when you manage to succes, this is perfect, and seal great!
 I bought them from here: (this is one earpad only so you need to order two)
 http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones/brainwavz-hm5-spare-earpad-1pc
  
 Good Luck!


----------



## dmai1994

That looks good bugo, what do you mean you when you say the sponge underneath? Do you cut it off from the old pads and glue them on?


----------



## bugo57

Yep, I cut it off from the old pad, and just put it underneath the hm5 pad (between the pad and the driver)... (without a glue)
 I would upload a picture but headfi not letting me...


----------



## PETEREK

You have to post 10 times before you can upload pictures I believe.


----------



## bugo57

Oh, OK...
  
 Now it deleted my post after I edited it 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





! hope it will come back, because when I posted it first it disappeared and then suddenly appeared a day after... wierd!
  
 BTW your mods are spectacular!


----------



## ookic

I wonder what the m-50X looks like inside...


----------



## PETEREK

Probably the same as the M50 but with the 3.5mm chassis hole.


----------



## nulk1

Looks awesome what chassis did you use?


----------



## PETEREK

nulk1 said:


> Looks awesome what chassis did you use?



Who are you talking to?


----------



## bugo57

nulk1 said:


> Looks awesome what chassis did you use?


 
 I gave a link...?


----------



## nulk1

bugo57 said:


> I gave a link...?


 Yeah Sorry I Saw That After And I DIDNT Know How To DELETE The Comment


----------



## bugo57

nulk1 said:


> Yeah Sorry I Saw That After And I DIDNT Know How To DELETE The Comment




Oh, no problem, nevermind...


----------



## wolfetan44

Can I use a 4 pin mini XLR for this mod or is it too big?


----------



## PETEREK

Like I said in the DIY questions thread, it's probably going to be too big if you dont want to affect the sound in that cup. You could probably modify an in-line mini xlr connector and mount it to the headphones so it looks like the M50x design, that wouldn't take up any of the inner cup volume. It could look pretty sweet to if you can pull off the mod.


----------



## davidwyl

Use this chassis and jacks... no need to cut the internal case and very minimal in size. 
With locking features , which it good to have


----------



## PETEREK

I wouldn't call that minimal at all, but it does look like a nice jack. If you don't mind having the 3.5mm jack sticking out like that, that would be the best connector to use. I personally like the lower profile outer look.


----------



## davidwyl

It does sticking out abit for the locking mechanism...on the internal side this chassis doesn't take away much space. 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## bugo57

davidwyl said:


> Use this chassis and jacks... no need to cut the internal case and very minimal in size.
> With locking features , which it good to have


 
  
 I saw this mod before I bought my chassis, but its to expencive and bulky... So at the end I have gone with my chassis and it was cheap, and the cutting was easy because I've used the soldering iron for that and it came out nice and tight, and didn't changed the sound...
 So im happy.


----------



## wolfetan44

So what's the best thing to use for this detachable mod?


----------



## supjj

davidwyl said:


> Use this chassis and jacks... no need to cut the internal case and very minimal in size.
> With locking features , which it good to have


 
 Nicely done, I did a similar mod using a modified inline locking jack.   Like  yours it moves the bulk of the jack outside of the driver casing to minimize the need to remove a bunch of the material inside.
  
 The part I used was http://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Adapters/3-5mm-Adapters/Calrad-Electronics/30-297.xhtml
  
 As I mentioned, I modified the jack by cutting the threaded barrel portion off to create lock ring.
 It hard to explain but when I get my comment count up enough for upload privileges, I will post pictures.


----------



## drangel1

Based on all the information in this thread (appreciate all the contributions), I attempted this mod last night. I used the Parts Express jack, and everything was soldered up and working fine until final assembly. Now I'm not getting any sound at all from the right driver. I did a quick continuity check and all seems to be okay (jack to left driver, jack to red/black "passthrough" to the right driver). I've tried the same source, but multiple AUX cables, with the same result. Can someone help me identify the issue and what to check next? Thanks in advance.
  
 EDIT - False alarm, loose connection into the source.


----------



## silenz

could you provide a link to that chassis/jack? thanks


----------



## wolfetan44

I don't want to ruin my girlfriend's M50's, so I'm going to ask before doing any rash things.. How do I take off the rubber thing where the 3.5mm female plug is supposed to go?(the one that makes it detachable.)


----------



## Kamakahah

wolfetan44 said:


> I don't want to ruin my girlfriend's M50's, so I'm going to ask before doing any rash things.. How do I take off the rubber thing where the 3.5mm female plug is supposed to go?(the one that makes it detachable.)




I think you're talking about the rubber grommet where the cable passes through the cup?

If that is the case, it just pulls out along with the cable after you desolder the wires from the driver. 

You won't hurt anything by taking it out, but by that point that you remove it, you'll have already desoldered the cable so you'll have already committed to the job. Commit bro, commit.


----------



## PETEREK

The way I forced myself to do my detachable mod on my first DT770 was cutting the cable. Haha


----------



## wolfetan44

kamakahah said:


> wolfetan44 said:
> 
> 
> > I don't want to ruin my girlfriend's M50's, so I'm going to ask before doing any rash things.. How do I take off the rubber thing where the 3.5mm female plug is supposed to go?(the one that makes it detachable.)
> ...


It didn't though!:O
EDIT: It came off!! Had to use a screwdriver to force it out..


----------



## Kamakahah

wolfetan44 said:


> It didn't though!:O
> EDIT: It came off!! Had to use a screwdriver to force it out..




Good to hear. Now just remember to take it easy on the heat applied to the driver's soldering tabs and you'll be solid.


----------



## wolfetan44

Operation M50 succesful


----------



## PETEREK

wolfetan44 said:


> Operation M50 succesful



Pics or it didn't happen.


----------



## wolfetan44




----------



## bugo57

wolfetan44 said:


>


 
  
 Very nice! awesome!
 But mine is better


----------



## PETEREK

bugo57 said:


> Very nice! awesome!
> But mine is better


 
 They look the same to me.


----------



## bugo57

peterek said:


> They look the same to me.


 
 Just kidding


----------



## PETEREK

There aren't 'just kidding' fonts on the internet. Hard to tell when someone is or isn't. Keep that in mind


----------



## Mad Max

peterek said:


> There aren't 'just kidding' fonts on the internet. Hard to tell when someone is or isn't. Keep that in mind


 
  
 Hence "emoticons"/images.


----------



## osmoossi

Could someone recommend a good quality cable for this mod which has inline volume/track buttons that work with an iPhone/iPad? A microphone would also be cool but not required.


----------



## wolfetan44

osmoossi said:


> Could someone recommend a good quality cable for this mod which has inline volume/track buttons that work with an iPhone/iPad? A microphone would also be cool but not required.


 
 http://v-moda.com/1-button-speakeasy-cable/ These are very nice, but there are no volume buttons.


----------



## osmoossi

wolfetan44 said:


> http://v-moda.com/1-button-speakeasy-cable/ These are very nice, but there are no volume buttons.


 
  
 Unfortunately the volume buttons and track changing is a must


----------



## Redline21

I read through this entire thread, phew.  I should get my jack in tomorrow, this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ML4A2Q/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
 I plan on burning the threads out of the cable carefully.  This seems to be one of the bigger potential problems.  The other thing I was concerned with, like others, is affecting sound quality.
 I understand if you alter anything in the cup, there's the potential for this, but I'm trying to minimize that.  Any ideas for using some kind of plastic filler to build up the plastic part that has to get to cut? 
 Maybe just trying to only cut out bare minimum to fit the jack in, then glue in the gap?
  
 I'm just thinking of ways to keep that gap in the plastic to a minimum.  I'm aware of attaching the female jack outside the housing, but I don't think I want to do that.  I may consider it if I figure out a clean way to do it.  I know it doesn't look as nice with the cord hanging a little bit, but maybe I wouldn't mind if I knew I could get the female plug connected to the cable cleanly.


----------



## Mad Max

redline21 said:


> I read through this entire thread, phew.  I should get my jack in tomorrow, this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ML4A2Q/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> I plan on burning the threads out of the cable carefully.  This seems to be one of the bigger potential problems.  The other thing I was concerned with, like others, is affecting sound quality.
> I understand if you alter anything in the cup, there's the potential for this, but I'm trying to minimize that.  Any ideas for using some kind of plastic filler to build up the plastic part that has to get to cut?
> ...


 
  
 Just do it my way.  I didn't want to seriously mutilate the driver's chamber like I've seen others do.


----------



## 65535

mad max said:


> Just do it my way.  I didn't want to seriously mutilate the driver's chamber like I've seen others do.


 
  
 A shame to mount a panel mount like that. You won't change the sound with what little you have to do to add a jack.
  
 I did plenty of work inside my Beyer T70 and they didn't change one bit.


----------



## Mad Max

No shame in mounting a panel mount in any way. I sure as hell aren't going to believe that mutilating the inner chamber won't affect the sound, I've done my share of headphone modding and tuning and know that some things shouldn't be messed with in such a reckless manner.


----------



## 65535

I guess I'm just a sucker for using connectors as they were designed.

Also, the T70 right cup and left cup both sound identical.


----------



## davidwyl

I honestly think that this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ML4A2Q/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is not very suitable for m50. 
Bcos it's too big, can easily get something else with smaller size. 

Since this is widely available, so try to minimize the cutting as much as possible in m50. 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## PETEREK

I've done detachable mods with that same chassis to the M50 close to 10 times and never hear any difference in sound. I just make sure the hole I cut into that small ring behind the driver is just big enough to fit the chassis through it, and I just cut into the padding and don't remove it.


----------



## Kamakahah

I used the very small square,black Jack. Cut the nearby support and didn't have to touch the dampening material at all. 

No change in sound. You need to be more concerned with proper soldering connections. That could potentially mess with the sound quite a bit more.


----------



## Redline21

mad max said:


> Epoxy.  I carved out shallow curves on opposite ends of the jack's black plastic so that the epoxy gets more grip on the jack.  The jack also has a tight fit in the hole.




I have the same jack. Can you give more details on what you did? What epoxy is good to use? I've got some plastic glue, but I want it to be permanent. And just the epoxy/glue is enough to hold it securely? You said the fit was tight, looking at my open ear cups it looks like it wouldn't fit as is, did you need to file the hole at all? Also, with the way you left the jack hanging out further, you're saying ou didn't have to cut anything out of the internals? I don't mind cutting the one peg out, but would be nice to leave the round bigger part clean.

If you got it to work, nice. I think it looks fine, so no shame in appearance. Most of the tie there will be cable attached anyway.


----------



## Redline21

kamakahah said:


> I used the very small square,black Jack. Cut the nearby support and didn't have to touch the dampening material at all.
> 
> No change in sound. You need to be more concerned with proper soldering connections. That could potentially mess with the sound quite a bit more.




Which one is the very small black square jack? So you only had to cut one of the pegs out, and did no cutting on te circular part that's closer to the driver? After reading through this whole thread, it sounded like that square one was more bulky than the one here?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ML4A2Q/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## Kamakahah

redline21 said:


> Which one is the very small black square jack? So you only had to cut one of the pegs out, and did no cutting on te circular part that's closer to the driver? After reading through this whole thread, it sounded like that square one was more bulky than the one here?
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ML4A2Q/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1




The pictures from mine are on page 32 of this thread. It's a 50 year anniversary pair. The pages right around that have pictures with your linked Jack to compare. 
The black one is wider but doesn't extend as far into the cup. That allows you to avoid cutting into to the dampening if you think it will matter that much.


----------



## Invertedcat

I'm having a wiring issue with my ath-m50s!  I started this mod and soldered all the connections, but for some reason I'm getting the following issue.
  
 The left channel plays in both the left and right sides, while the right channel plays only in the right side.  I'm no electrical genius, but I don't see how this is possible.  If the left / right channel wires were touching at some point of contact, wouldn't the right channel also play in the left side?  I'm kind of confused, and I'm really hoping that someone can give me some guidance, because I really can't seem to figure it out on my own.  Thanks so much!


----------



## 65535

Sounds like you wired things a little off. Make sure everything is wired correctly, if I had to guess I would say it's likely that the left signal and common were swapped.


----------



## davidwyl

invertedcat said:


> I'm having a wiring issue with my ath-m50s!  I started this mod and soldered all the connections, but for some reason I'm getting the following issue.
> 
> The left channel plays in both the left and right sides, while the right channel plays only in the right side.  I'm no electrical genius, but I don't see how this is possible.  If the left / right channel wires were touching at some point of contact, wouldn't the right channel also play in the left side?  I'm kind of confused, and I'm really hoping that someone can give me some guidance, because I really can't seem to figure it out on my own.  Thanks so much!



Will be great if u have multimeter. Use it to check all the connectivity at the driver and and cable and the 3.5mm jack. Somewhere must be shorted

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## Mad Max

redline21 said:


> I have the same jack. Can you give more details on what you did? What epoxy is good to use? I've got some plastic glue, but I want it to be permanent. And just the epoxy/glue is enough to hold it securely? You said the fit was tight, looking at my open ear cups it looks like it wouldn't fit as is, did you need to file the hole at all? Also, with the way you left the jack hanging out further, you're saying ou didn't have to cut anything out of the internals? I don't mind cutting the one peg out, but would be nice to leave the round bigger part clean.
> 
> If you got it to work, nice. I think it looks fine, so no shame in appearance. Most of the tie there will be cable attached anyway.


 
  
 I used Loctite epoxy.  Gorilla epoxy will work as well, but will run around more easily.  Epoxy will definitely do.  I widened the hole gradually with my solder iron until the jack could just barely fit through just because I wasn't in the mod to put with cleaning up the mess that dremelling/filing would do.  That's mainly to hold it in place while I epoxied it.  I did not cut anything inside of the cups, not even the dampening pad, just make sure that the ground tab faces the back of the cup so that the jack fits properly.  The black part is durable plastic, file down the sides next to the right/left channel tabs.  Around a millimeter or two will do, just leave a sort of concave notch on each side, basically.  Then roughen the plastic of the cup around the hole where you will insert the jack, about a few millimeters around the hole will do.  Then when you peoxy it up, the epoxy will get the best grip on both the cup and the jack to hold everything in place very robustly.  Leave it curing for 24 hours, then cut off any excess epoxy that might be in your way when you try to close the cup back up with a utility knife or Xacto knife or such.
  
 I removed both of the plastic pegs with pliers.  They are no longer needed and just take up space without any purpose anymore, might as well remove them.  That is up to you, though.


----------



## supjj

Mod done with a modified inline connector.  
 It allows standard patch cable connection but also adds the threaded locking feature that I wanted without having to bore a large hole in the driver cup.  Also minimal driver clamp material removed and no sub clamp foam removed (the white foam under the drive clamp is completely intact).(See fourth image link below)
  





  




  




  




  
  
 Part that I modified from inline to headphone mount (panel mount style) 
http://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Adapters/3-5mm-Adapters/Calrad-Electronics/30-297.xhtml
  
 Thread locking part
http://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Connectors/3-5-2-5mm-Mini-Connectors/Switchcraft-Corporation/35HDLBAUS.xhtml


----------



## Mad Max

Impressive!
 Where did you get those rubber boots that the Switchcrafts have?


----------



## 65535

supjj said:


> Mod done with a modified inline connector.
> It allows standard patch cable connection but also adds the threaded locking feature that I wanted without having to bore a large hole in the driver cup.  Also minimal driver clamp material removed and no sub clamp foam removed (the white foam under the drive clamp is completely intact).(See fourth image link below)


 
 That's probably the nicest M50 mod I've seen.


----------



## supjj

Quote:Mad Max


> ​Impressive!
> Where did you get those rubber boots that the Switchcrafts have?


 
  
 Those are the rubber boots that come with the stock M-50s.  I trimmed them to be a little shorter.  I have 2 M-50s, that's why I had 2 boots.
  
  
65535


> That's probably the nicest M50 mod I've seen.


 
  
 Thanks, I studied this thread for a couple weeks prior to attempting it, there is loads of good mod advice here I am so glad this resource is available.


----------



## Alphas

Whats more can you ask from ATH-M50? They sound great, good clarity, deep bass and got the ambience. That's right a detachable microphone! :s8:
 So before I even bought a mic, I have to make the cord detachable. Firstly I bought the 3.5mm stereo jack from sim lim tower, cost $0.50 and did some soldering. :eek:






 The cord is now gone :s12:




 Closer and closer =
  
 Next I have to test them to make sure the sound is right and left, lol. The microphone in this mod is VMODA boompro gaming, this mic is bendable, twist-able and has a good sound clarity which is important. Amazon.com: V-MODA BoomPro Gaming, VoIP Headset Headphone with Mic, Black: Electronics




 Here it comes
 Well now I just have to attach them together and my ATH-M50 has a detachable cord with microphone, how's that for a mod. :eek::eek:




 Actually the mic is on the left side.




 The full glory =


----------



## PETEREK

Edit.


----------



## Alphas

kinda suck when the regulation do not allow me to post pictures.


----------



## PETEREK

I think you have to have 10 posts. It isn't a terrible restriction, I've seen some forums make you wait a month or until aafter 50 posts. 

To get around it, you can post to photobucket and use the "source" button above the typing space to add html pictures.


----------



## dwib44

Just modded my pair and I'm pretty pleased with the results.  Spent some time getting 10 posts so that I could post pictures of the mod but for some reason it still won't let me add any images.


----------



## dwib44

Now that I can add images here is my mod.  Pictures also include the modded cable and my headphone amp.

  

  

  

  

  

  
 I also ordered the beats remote talk cable for a mic and playback control so I will post pictures of that when I get it


----------



## davidwyl

dwib44 said:


> also ordered the beats remote talk cable for a mic and playback control so I will post pictures of that when I get it




Mind sharing what earpads you are using? Seem like a valor type 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## davidwyl

Mind sharing what earpads you are using? Seem like a velour type 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


----------



## Mad Max

They look like Beyerdynamic DT250 velours.


----------



## dwib44

mad max said:


> They look like Beyerdynamic DT250 velours.


 
 They are indeed.  I like them a lot more than the stock pads.


----------



## PETEREK

This definitely isn't my cleanest job, that raised plastic around the cable's hole definitely messed it up for me. It turned out OK, but I'm not 100% happy with it. I'll do it better next time.
 Man, using a mini xlr here was a nightmare. I had to cut the washer just to get it on, AND I had to cut the nut on the inside that threads onto the mini xlr chassis. I cut it so it still threads on, kind of like the shape of the OHM symbol; Ω. That isn't all that's holding it on or anything, I still hot glued it.
  
 Oh, and I don't have pads on these because one ripped. I have some HM5 pads on the way. I just wanted to upload this to get closer to my Headphoneus Supremeus! Haha (12 more posts, WoOt)


 


 I made a Mogami cable for them, it's about 3.5 feet long maybe a tad more. These will be up for sale after the pads arrive.


----------



## Senpai3330

I-i-it's not like I made a detachable mini-XLR version too a year ago or anything... stupid casper and his stupid better workmanship 




But in all seriousness this was a miserable experience and a good lesson about DIY hubris. I made the mod right after building my Beta22 and felt invincible. The parts were less than ideal, the dremel should never have had to come out, etc etc. All the signs were there, this wasn't going to be a clean mod the way I was preparing to do it. The mini-XLR jack never fit the original grommet hole or the filed-out, expanded hole, but it somehow magically stays there now, bound by magic and my raw burning hatred for how it looks.

I haven't used my M50's since I made this mod because I essentially consider them "ruined" at the moment. I feel like my hands butchered a piece of plastic, engineered art. Seeing other people's M50's actually gets me a bit emotional because deep down inside I know I failed my own pair. I feel like if they could speak they would say, "Look at me, John. I used to be beautiful. YOU RUINED ME. You monster, you ruined me. You used to love me and now you won't even look at me."


----------



## PETEREK

Your pair still have the possibility of being exactly like my pair. You would just have to drill the hole out a little more take the nut off and it should slide in. 
  
 But I agree, the mini XLR in an M50 is a pain.


----------



## Senpai3330

It's hard to tell from the crappy pictures, but the hole where the mini-XLR goes in is kind of a mangled mess. I'm in the process of buying a broken pair and using its housing to redo the whole thing. The locking nature of the XLR honestly ended up being unnecessary, so yeah just a needless pain in the butt.


----------



## PETEREK

Finally got my HM5 pads in the mail. They are such a nice upgrade to these headphones. These are in the classifieds now though.


----------



## Senpai3330

peterek said:


> Finally got my HM5 pads in the mail. They are such a nice upgrade to these headphones. These are in the classifieds now though.




Hey casper are you gonna try the HM5 velours they released?


----------



## Senpai3330

I finally got around to redoing my pair. Bought a broken pair on eBay, red this time. Fully deconstructed both pairs of headphones, did a complete rewire with mogami and got rid of the wimpy, ready-to-snap Angel's hair they dared to call wire. 


Aftermath of 2 disassembled M50's.

Transplanted my drivers and headband leather over to the new pair. Used a 3.5mm jack, giving up on the mini XLR for now, but I've actually managed to clean up that old earcup and jack entry maybe for a mod project.



Also made 2 new matching cables from the same mogami used for the rewire. The 5 inch cable is perfect for connecting to the sansa clip.

Officially scratched my M50 itch and got that mini XLR mishap off my mind. Next up, custom velour headband.


----------



## dwib44

peterek said:


> Finally got my HM5 pads in the mail. They are such a nice upgrade to these headphones. These are in the classifieds now though.


 
 I also ordered these but have yet to receive them.  How long did it take to get them?


----------



## dwib44

senpai3330 said:


> Hey casper are you gonna try the HM5 velours they released?


 
 Is this what you were referring to?
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-velor-memory-foam-earpad-suitable-for-other-large-over-the-ear-headphones-1pc
  
 I also ordered a pair of these but haven't gotten them yet.
  
 In addition I ordered a sennheiser headband to perform the mod on post #50 shown in this thread.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/579875/comfort-mod-hd650-headband-padding-on-the-pro-900/45
 But again haven't gotten it yet since everything is shipping super slow.


----------



## Senpai3330

dwib44 said:


> Is this what you were referring to?
> http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-velor-memory-foam-earpad-suitable-for-other-large-over-the-ear-headphones-1pc
> 
> I also ordered a pair of these but haven't gotten them yet.
> ...




Yeah let me know how they work out. Where did you get the headband from?


----------



## dwib44

senpai3330 said:


> Yeah let me know how they work out. Where did you get the headband from?


 

 Got it directly from Sennheiser. Its a replacement for the HD 650. I'm also gona try it with the replacement for the HD 600 which can be bought on amazon and see which one I like more.


----------



## PETEREK

senpai3330 said:


> Hey casper are you gonna try the HM5 velours they released?


 
 No probably not. If anything I'll grab the memory foam pleathers. I'm too much of a bass lover to use velours when they aren't on Beyers. Haha


----------



## PETEREK

dwib44 said:


> I also ordered these but have yet to receive them.  How long did it take to get them?


 
 Every place I've seen them sold ships from Hong Kong. It took all of 10 business days, if not more for me to receive mine. Totally worth the wait/price though.


----------



## dwib44

Got the Sennheiser headbands and the stock HM5 pads.
  

 HD650 Headband and Beyerdynamic DT250 velours
  
  

 HD 600 headband with stock pad on left and HM5 on right
  

 HM5s have much more space for your ears
  

  

 With beats remote talk cable for iPhone.
  
 As you can see in the pictures above I have been trying out multiple ear pads and headbands.  After trying out the ear pads, I instantly decided to return my Beyerdynamic DT250 velours since I am really liking the added ear room with the HM5s.  As soon as the velour HM5s show up I will post pictures comparing those with the stock HM5s.  As far as headbands, the HD600 headband is much better than the one for the HD650.  The 600 had thicker pads covering more space while the 650 seemed to create two pressure points on my head due to thinner padding and a significant gap between the two pad sections.  The only downside to the 600s is that they seem to wrinkle up really easily but that can be fixed somewhat with double sided tape. I'm thinking sewing them to the headband would completely fix the wrinkle problem but I will wait till I know for sure that they will be a permanent addition. I also picked up the beats remote talk cable for when I use these directly through my iPhone. Its really nice to add playback control and headset capability.  They make two versions: iPhone and Android.  If you listen directly from your phone these are great but are kinda worthless when you what to also use a headphone amp.


----------



## FreshtoJEFF

Ahhh. I'm worried I've damaged my pair of cans. I've never soldered before but decided to move on with the mod anyway. I am using a philmore 504k and after soldering everything up and screwing it back together, audio was coming out from only the left side. Whats weird is before I screwed the housing back I plugged them in to check and everything worked out fine. So i opened them up and kept playing with the wires soldered to the jack and still no go. However when I fiddle with the wires soldered to the circuit board the audio would play here and there if I got it in the right spot. I am afraid the connection at the circuit board is damaged.  

 I guess I need to resolder the wires back to the circuit board and see if that fixes things. What type of wire (gauge,brand) would you guys recommend using if I took this route? The stock wires are such a pain to deal with.


----------



## PETEREK

Did you replace the wires with new ones or did you use the original enameled wires that were in them?


----------



## FreshtoJEFF

peterek said:


> Did you replace the wires with new ones or did you use the original enameled wires that were in them?


 
 Original enameled wires. I stripped them, burned the enameled off a bit, tried tinning but that didn't go to well so I just moved forward with it.


----------



## PETEREK

freshtojeff said:


> Original enameled wires. I stripped them, burned the enameled off a bit, tried tinning but that didn't go to well so I just moved forward with it.


 
 There is your problem.
  
 Replace those wires and start over. I guarantee that the flaky connection is a result of that.


----------



## FreshtoJEFF

peterek said:


> There is your problem.
> 
> Replace those wires and start over. I guarantee that the flaky connection is a result of that.


 
 I'm still pretty new to the community. What type of wires would you recommend? The gauge on the stock wires seemed pretty small had a difficult time trying to strip them.  
 This is what the circuit board currently looks like. I've noticed some slight white coating on top of the solder? I'm not sure if it's pictured well and didn't notice if this was present before I started modding.


----------



## PETEREK

Your problem is right there on the left where there is solder dripped onto the ground's strip. Don't try to scratch it off of it, just use your soldering iron to make it and the right (red) soldering point not connected anymore. That's 100% the problem, I know that now after seeing this.


----------



## FreshtoJEFF

peterek said:


> Your problem is right there on the left where there is solder dripped onto the ground's strip. Don't try to scratch it off of it, just use your soldering iron to make it and the right (red) soldering point not connected anymore. That's 100% the problem, I know that now after seeing this.


 
 Hey cCasper, thanks for responding quickly. I'll give that a go today when I can drop by and get some wick, hopefully that will fix the problem. I just wanna confirm its the solder that I have boxed in the following 2 pictures correct?


----------



## PETEREK

Yes that is what I'm referring to.


----------



## FreshtoJEFF

peterek said:


> Yes that is what I'm referring to.


 
 Unfortunately that didn't work. I removed it and still didn't get sound out of both ears, I am able to get it to play if i keep fiddling with the wires so I plan on redoing it all. Would you happen to recommend any type of wires I should use and where to purchase them?


----------



## PETEREK

Any 24-28 gauge wire is fine. I just use the wires inside Mogami cables for these. 
  
 Another thing you could do if it's just the right ear you're having problems with is; desolder the right driver'swwires from the left driver and solder them straight to the 3.5mm jack you installed. That would be the easiest solution.


----------



## PETEREK

Did these this morning for a headfier.


----------



## TheeOAB

I am going to do this mod very soon to my own headphones. Can you give me a link to what jack you use?


----------



## Wasgo

I'm trying to decide what iPhone cables to use with them. It looks like the two main options are the V-Moda 1 or 3 button cables, or the Beats RemoteTalk Cable. Are there any other cables I should be considering?


----------



## PETEREK

theeoab said:


> I am going to do this mod very soon to my own headphones. Can you give me a link to what jack you use?


 
  
 I can't find the exact one I used for the connector in the pictures above, but these look the same from the outside. 
 http://www.vetco.net/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=72_89_395&products_id=14088
  
 I normally use either of these on M50's depending on what people want. I prefer the kind on the left because you can do all your soldering and then slide it into the hole and thread it on, with the black connector you have to solder the wires to the connector, thread the wires through the hole, and then solder the other side of the wires to the driver.


----------



## Wessneroo

Looks like it might be this one: http://www.unicornelex.com/3_5mm_Isolated_Stereo_Chassis_Mount_Jack_p/23-0501.htm
  
 Casper, can you confirm?


----------



## PETEREK

CONFIRMED.


----------



## dwib44

Also here: http://www.newark.com/pro-signal/mj-073h/connector-rca-phono-jack-3pos/dp/24M4866?Ntt=24M4866


----------



## zive

Hi Neato, I'm considering the same mod and materials that you used for your M50. Could you tell me whether the Philmore 504k installation required you to cut the monitor housing or whether it was small enough that no such mod was necessary. Also, was there any notable change in sound quality/profile before v. after? Thanks!


----------



## BeenJamin

Hi New here, I been browsing through this thread and have been convinced to do the removable cable mod and after much trial and error it was a success. The only thing I am still wanting to do is put some sleeving on the original cable that was cut. I have a new 3.5 jack and was just wondering what would work good as I have tried some paracord that i picked up locally but it was to small to fit the cable and am now wondering what I should try. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


----------



## FrozenPanda

beenjamin said:


> Hi New here, I been browsing through this thread and have been convinced to do the removable cable mod and after much trial and error it was a success. The only thing I am still wanting to do is put some sleeving on the original cable that was cut. I have a new 3.5 jack and was just wondering what would work good as I have tried some paracord that i picked up locally but it was to small to fit the cable and am now wondering what I should try. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


 
 Put the old cable aside and pick up some Mogami, take the sleeving off and put that through the paracord. If you are planning to put all 4 strands in one sleeve then you're looking for 550 paracord. You're also going to need some connectors for the two ends. I suggest Aphenol.
  
 http://www.redco.com/Mogami-W2799.html
  
 http://www.redco.com/Amphenol-KS3PB-AU.html


----------



## BeenJamin

Ok so I already have 2 of these connectors so I will not need the ones you suggested, but let make sure I'm understanding you correctly, you are suggesting to get the mogami cbale and pull rubber shielding off then feed those four wires through the paracord correct?


----------



## PETEREK

Yes do that. The cable will be very flexible without the shielding on it. 
  
 I find it easiest and quickest to score the rubber insulation with an exacto knife and then peel it off. Then unravel the copper wire wrapping around the wires, and then unravel the paper under that. 
  
 The wires are free!


----------



## FrozenPanda

beenjamin said:


> Ok so I already have 2 of these connectors so I will not need the ones you suggested, but let make sure I'm understanding you correctly, you are suggesting to get the mogami cbale and pull rubber shielding off then feed those four wires through the paracord correct?


 
  


peterek said:


> Yes do that. The cable will be very flexible without the shielding on it.
> 
> I find it easiest and quickest to score the rubber insulation with an exacto knife and then peel it off. Then unravel the copper wire wrapping around the wires, and then unravel the paper under that.
> 
> The wires are free!


 
 Yeah you definitely can't pull the out if its any decent length of a cable. You're going to want to take a knife and run it down the length of the cable just deep enough to cut the rubber.


----------



## BeenJamin

Alright new cable is on its way thanks for the help guys!


----------



## Genacc

Hey,
  
 I'm activly working on this mod.  
  
 When I test for connectivity between the inside wires after soldering, my multimeter is reading connectivity.  should the happen?  Im reading around 34 ohms between the connections.
  
 looking at it, it doesnt look like I have a solder connection between the connections.


----------



## superjawes

genacc said:


> Hey,
> 
> I'm activly working on this mod.
> 
> ...


How do you mean? Are you measuring from channel to channel?

There is an ATH M50 mod thread in the DIY subforum, and a few weeks ago, someone had a short between channels. I put together a post here.

Short answer is that you should see continuity between channels because they share a common ground. If you measure each channel to ground, you should see identical (or close to identical) resistance values.


----------



## Genacc

superjawes said:


> How do you mean? Are you measuring from channel to channel?
> 
> There is an ATH M50 mod thread in the DIY subforum, and a few weeks ago, someone had a short between channels. I put together a post here.
> 
> Short answer is that you should see continuity between channels because they share a common ground. If you measure each channel to ground, you should see identical (or close to identical) resistance values.


 
  
 That's actually what I saw.  Connectivity between all of the different channels.  But a resistance between them.  I desoldered everthing and resoldered it again.  Used a magnifying glass and really checked the connections to ensure the soldered didn't touch.  I finished the Mod last night.  It sounds great and now I need to start making some custom cables.


----------



## sirloyne

I didn't take any pictures on the inside, unfortunately. Rather than cut the cord, I un-soldered it and replaced the wires. This is my finished limited edition red M50s.


----------



## PETEREK

Nice job!


----------



## mirman10

I accidentally pulled out all the wires from there bases now i get no sound if i put them against there bases i am only getting sound from the left side no sound from the right unfortunately. HELLLPPP!!!


----------



## mirman10

Would anyone be willing for me to send them my headphones so that they could fix my problem?


----------



## JeremyxGch

Hi guys. Yeah after few months of MIA。
 I think i am the first idiot to screw up my ATH-M50 RD... Lol...
 I guess i just suck at this ****. &*^%##*)_ 
 I actually succeeded at the end part. Then i burned my wire that was connected to the other 2 points of the driver.
 BOOOOM. Its gone. Yeah its ****. Tried to solder it back on but no, couldnt do it lol. Spent few hours trying to solder it back. And i burned my driver plastic???? How stupid can that be lol.
 If anyone is interested in getting this headset from me(if you know how to revive it), contact me. 
 Or will there be any kind souls willing to help me fix it at no charges... I'm also okay T_T
 Heres a pic.


----------



## rattles

Hi guys, 
  
 new member here with a first post!
  
 so i finally decided to ditch my gaming headset and go with a real headset and after reading quite a bit of review, i am 99% sure that the ATH-M50 will be my first set. However, since i plan on using these headphones for gaming and VOIP in addition to music, i would like to use it with the V-moda boompro mic which is why i am looking into this mod. 
  
 while this mod looks fairly straightforward, i do not trust myself to do it on a brand new set of headphones (i have no problem taking apart a car engine but things like this scare me, go figure). so what i am looking for is maybe a store that can do it for me or maybe even a local forum member in the Boston area that has done it before and wouldn't mind doing it again (i will pay of course).
  
 thanks!


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


> Hi guys. Yeah after few months of MIA。
> I think i am the first idiot to screw up my ATH-M50 RD... Lol...
> I guess i just suck at this ****. &*^%##*)_
> I actually succeeded at the end part. Then i burned my wire that was connected to the other 2 points of the driver.
> BOOOOM. Its gone. Yeah its ****. ....



Dunno how it become like that, but I think it still work as long as the speaker inside is not over heat/burned. 
The circuit look OK...

Lot of people can help in putting back all together but it might not worth it due to shipping fees.


----------



## JeremyxGch

davidwyl said:


> Dunno how it become like that, but I think it still work as long as the speaker inside is not over heat/burned.
> The circuit look OK...
> 
> Lot of people can help in putting back all together but it might not worth it due to shipping fees.




Yup.. Shipping costs over 60usd from Singapore to United States. Horrible. I guess I can only just keep it?? Hahah...


----------



## davidwyl

jeremyxgch said:


> davidwyl said:
> 
> 
> > Yup.. Shipping costs over 60usd from Singapore to United States. Horrible. I guess I can only just keep it?? Hahah...
> ...


----------



## Invertedcat

Hey all,
 A couple months ago I started this mod - and I never finished it.  I don't have the skill or good tools to really do it, and it's frustrating because I have a perfectly good set of ATH-M50s that I love sitting around with no cable.  I actually got the 3mm jack soldered in and everything, but I cannot get the channels right or the sound quality to come through both channels correctly.  I'm certain it has to do with my pathetic soldering, and I just don't have enough time to invest in learning how to solder (I'm taking a full load of university credits and working 20+ hours a week).
  
 Is there anyone out there willing to finish the mod for me?  I'm willing to pay....
  
 I would send you everything you need - Cables, jack, phones.  I just need someone to do the actual WORK for me, haha.
  
 Thanks all.
  
 P.S. Preferably someone in the US, due to shipping concerns.  But that's not exclusive.


----------



## Kelpocalypse

Hey guys can anyone here recommend a good cable to get for my m50s. I bought a v moda speakeasy cable a year ago when i got them modded and now the button and mic on it doesn't work . I would prefer a cable with a mic and button.


----------



## chkenwing

I just attempted this mod and not sure whether I've busted my headphones .
  
 As I was just about to solder the cables to the drivers, some liquid came off the solder and dripped onto the driver part and from then on, the sound has become funny.
  
 Funny in the sense I can't hear the main lyrics but mainly the backing soundtrack and it also has like a large hall effect.
  
 Is there anyway to fix this or have I 100% messed up my headphones?
  
 Bare in mind, the music sounding perfectly fine when I just placed the wires onto the contact just to ensure music was going through but up until the liquid drip, I've not been able to fix the problem.
  
 Some immediate help would be great!


----------



## PETEREK

chkenwing said:


> I just attempted this mod and not sure whether I've busted my headphones .
> 
> As I was just about to solder the cables to the drivers, some liquid came off the solder and dripped onto the driver part and from then on, the sound has become funny.
> 
> ...


 
 Can you upload some pictures of the back of the driver for us?


----------



## chkenwing

peterek said:


> Can you upload some pictures of the back of the driver for us?


 
  
 Well, I think it's truly gone. The left channel isn't even emitting any audio but right channel is and I've already tried to clean the solder from the solder points.
  
 Probably fried the driver as both were working fine before. Plus my soldering job is pretty ugly and I'm too embarrassed to show it because I may get absolutely creamed in criticism (It looks REALLY bad lol)
  
 Oh well, I'm not too bothered. Time to invest in something a bit better, M100 maybe? 
  
 Edut** On second thoughts, I'll get one uploaded later tonight. My first soldering job, and I probably made a mess of it. Lesson learned probably. lol.


----------



## TSheaZ28

Hey everyone! Wanted to share pics of my mod. My M50 3.5mm connector busted on me, and after looking on google on how to repair the connector, I came across this thread on how to make a mod for a removable cable. 
 After waiting awhile for my jack to come, I was finally able to put the jack in, and make a custom cable with Mogami W2893 cable and Pailiccs plugs. Everything turned out great! Looks and performs much better!


----------



## Mad Max

chkenwing said:


> Well, I think it's truly gone. The left channel isn't even emitting any audio but right channel is and I've already tried to clean the solder from the solder points.
> 
> Probably fried the driver as both were working fine before. Plus my soldering job is pretty ugly and I'm too embarrassed to show it because I may get absolutely creamed in criticism (It looks REALLY bad lol)
> 
> ...


 
  
 It's best to try the mod out on something else, and cheaper at that, before doing it to M50.  Maybe some suitably large JVC model?  RX700?  Or at least practice soldering first on a busted PC soundcard, ethernet card, motherboard, etc.


----------



## Nirvanaphonic

I wanted to do a locking setup with mine that matched the OEM coiled end. I plan to make a more portable cable eventually, but for now this is awesome


----------



## davidwyl

nirvanaphonic said:


> I wanted to do a locking setup with mine that matched the OEM coiled end. I plan to make a more portable cable eventually, but for now this is awesome



That is awesome mod . Very nice locking chasis. I did the same for my m50 Red. 
Only problem is that chasis and plug a bit expensive and hard to get here. 
Ordered mine from UK all the way to Malaysia. 
But really nice :thumbup:


----------



## Nirvanaphonic

Thanks! My only issue is that now its all mono channel with no more stereo support. I have no idea what is causing this now 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 
  
 Edit: It appears to be my jack. I did buy a stereo jack, but when I did a continuity test on all the connections they are always connecting no matter what. What is causing this issue and what is the fix?


----------



## davidwyl

nirvanaphonic said:


> Thanks! My only issue is that now its all mono channel with no more stereo support. I have no idea what is causing this now
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The left and right must be shorted on your jack side. Check it carefully and redo the soldering. 
Make sure non of the wired or soldering iron is shorted.


----------



## Nirvanaphonic

davidwyl said:


> The left and right must be shorted on your jack side. Check it carefully and redo the soldering.
> Make sure non of the wired or soldering iron is shorted.


 
 Problem solved. Cat decided to slightly remove my aux cable


----------



## Nirvanaphonic

delete


----------



## inertianinja

I'm in the middle of this mod, but totally new to soldering.
  
 I'm practicing on the stock cable, trying to tin the wires, and I can't get the solder to stick.
 I have read up on soldering basics, and apparently you're supposed to tin the iron, then heat up the wire and get the solder to flow on. I can't get this to happen.
  
 I have tried applying solder to the wire directly, with no luck.
 I have tried burning off the enamel before tinning, which leaves a lot of black matter on the wire, and *at best* the solder will stick in clumps.
 In either case, I can't get the solder to flow onto the wire. 
 I have tried playing with the heat settings on my iron (Weller 5-40W adjustable), and hotter/cooler doesn't seem to work any better.
  
 Any idea what I'm doing wrong?


----------



## PETEREK

You have to use it hotter on enameled wire. I just throw the stock cable out, the wire in it is terrible.


----------



## jpover

Can tomorrow get here faster?   I've been reading this thread for a couple of days and can't wait to change out my 9'+ cord!


----------



## SiBurning

Nice starter kit. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 I got scared for a second there... Hakko's website says that station comes standard with a T18-D16, a 1.6mm spade tip, which is perfect for this. Tips didn't come in the stations I got from them. Glad they finally fixed this shortcoming.


----------



## jpover

siburning said:


> Nice starter kit.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 Thanks!  I appreciate the help in making a good choice.  I've put off buying a soldering station for years so I'm pretty excited for it to get here.


----------



## Mad Max

jpover said:


> Can tomorrow get here faster?   I've been reading this thread for a couple of days and can't wait to change out my 9'+ cord!


----------



## inertianinja

peterek said:


> You have to use it hotter on enameled wire. I just throw the stock cable out, the wire in it is terrible.


 
  
 It seems like a lot of other people have used the stock cable. I have continued to practice, but can't get the wires to tin cleanly.
 Burning it isn't working for me - if i don't time it just right, the thread burns and leaves behind black crap that I can't get off.
  
 I tried putting a blob of solder on the iron, and just putting the wire in it. I notice what appears to be enamel bubbling off, but it leaves behind black crap. 
  
 really frustrating.


----------



## jpover

By the way, any suggestion on temperature?  My new toys... ahem, equipment... should be here in the next couple of hours.


----------



## SiBurning

It goes to 899F? Wow! The newer ones do much higher temperatures to accomodate lead-free solder.
  
 Hate to take a guess on temps without knowing the physical size of the connector & wire. Personally, I think the hotter the better 'cause what you want to do is heat the smallest area possible as fast as possible and get the iron out of there. Higher temps transfer less total heat energy, which minimizes the chance of melting any plastic. But you can also burn off the flux too quickly. Also, as mentioned a couple of posts back, it depends on the wire. I'll leave numbers for those who know the materials and are more familiar with headphone cables. (But I'd personally try 800F.)


----------



## PETEREK

Mine goes to 932F (500 celcius). I have it set at a little over 300 celcius for non-enameled wire soldering.


----------



## Kamakahah

jpover said:


> By the way, any suggestion on temperature?  My new toys... ahem, equipment... should be here in the next couple of hours.




It's always good practice to read the specifications on your solder to be aware of its melting point. I always try to use the least amount to adequately do the job. It's especially important for soldering to drivers as high heat can warp the voice coil and leave you with a pretty piece of garbage.


----------



## Mad Max

inertianinja said:


> It seems like a lot of other people have used the stock cable. I have continued to practice, but can't get the wires to tin cleanly.
> Burning it isn't working for me - if i don't time it just right, the thread burns and leaves behind black crap that I can't get off.
> 
> I tried putting a blob of solder on the iron, and just putting the wire in it. I notice what appears to be enamel bubbling off, but it leaves behind black crap.
> ...


 
  
 I create a blob on mine at about 900 degrees, then _very quickly_ tin enameled wires just as you describe.  I use silver-bearing (2%) leaded solder with flux core that I can buy locally, it is a little easier to make proper joints with it than regular 60/40.  Yours might be lacking the flux core, or perhaps you need to switch to leaded solder if you are using lead-free solder.  Taking many seconds to tin enameled wires leads to "black crap" for me as well.  I have a lot of practice doing it this way so I never mess up these days.  I tin only one wire at a time in one second or less and then wipe the oxidation from my iron with a wet sponge after each wire that I tin.
  
 I think the stock wiring of ATH-M50 is decent.  It's no Mogami W2893 or W2534 for those who love that stuff, of course, but when not going for an outright recable, the stock wiring is worthy enough, it's not as skimpy as most other headphone cables.
  
 Something I strongly recommend to anyone doing their own cable mods or recables: practice on some on-ear cheapo (not in-ear).  JVC S160 "Flats" can be had cheaply from Big Lots! for those of us in the US, as one example.  Recable it, or desolder the stock cable, cut the wiring, and re-tin and re-connect or whatever helps you.


----------



## jpover

OK, did the MOD successfully!
  
  

  
  
 Sadly, I had the whole project done and finished but went back to add thread locker and then lost a connection on the reassembly – whoa, what a pain!
  
  
 Some lessons learned:
  
 
 
- Practice on cheap wire 
- Tin the wires
- Tape or secure the original connections unless you want to resolder the whole thing – I had to do this and it was a major bummer!  I got so frustrated I had to set the project down and come back to it later.  Then, with the larger wires I used (see below) it was a real hassle to reassemble.
 

 
 
- If you have to resolder, do so thoroughly!
- Take your time
 
Here's a helpful picture:
 

  
 
Here's a helpful testing link:
 
http://youtu.be/hTvJoYnpeRQ


----------



## jpover

Almost forgot, I did not want to cut the driver housing, so I cut the plug instead to make everything fit:
  

  
 Further, if you plan on using thread locker, be sure you're done soldering.  I had a tough time resoldering the plug because I could not remove it without breaking something due to the thread locker (blue Loc-tite).


----------



## inertianinja

would it be a good idea to replace the stock headphones entirely with some 22-gauge speaker wire and bypass this enamel crap entirely?
  
 i bought some cheap radio shack 22awg speaker wire; it seems like the stock M50 cables are at least 24gauge, so it should be an improvement, no?


----------



## jpover

Quote:


inertianinja said:


> would it be a good idea to replace the stock headphones entirely with some 22-gauge speaker wire and bypass this enamel crap entirely?
> 
> i bought some cheap radio shack 22awg speaker wire; it seems like the stock M50 cables are at least 24gauge, so it should be an improvement, no?


 
  
 I'd avoid replacing the factory wires if possible.  Having to add new wire turned this job from less than an hour into half a day (I only recently learned to solder effectively.). 
  
 I did not notice a sonic difference between the factory wire and the heavier wire that I used to replace it.


----------



## inertianinja

jpover said:


> Quote:
> 
> I'd avoid replacing the factory wires if possible.  Having to add new wire turned this job from less than an hour into half a day (I only recently learned to solder effectively.).
> 
> I did not notice a sonic difference between the factory wire and the heavier wire that I used to replace it.


 
  
 i'm definitely trying to avoid it. i'm also new to soldering, and despite a million attempts, I cannot get the stock enameled wire clean enough to tin. Some have suggested cleaning it with a knife or sandpaper, but the wire is too tiny and brittle.
  
 Hell, the cables are so thin that i'm having trouble even stripping them without shredding the wire underneath. My wire stripper only goes down to 22. The 22ga speaker wire will be much easier to work with. 
  
 I got some new, higher-flux solder and i'm going to give it another shot with the stock. At some point I'm not going to have any choice but to recable, or buy some M50X!


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## Mad Max

I strip the wires with my teeth, much easier than using a wire stripper to me.
 Later I tried tinning the wire without stripping it and my way just doesn't require stripping it first, so hey, I don't even bother anymore, hahaha!  Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble, surely you are doing something wrong.  You can always recable the headphone outright with Mogami 2893 or Canare mini-quad mic cable, I don't remember its part number.  Cheaper than going M50x.


----------



## inertianinja

mad max said:


> I strip the wires with my teeth, much easier than using a wire stripper to me.
> Later I tried tinning the wire without stripping it and my way just doesn't require stripping it first, so hey, I don't even bother anymore, hahaha!  Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble, surely you are doing something wrong.  You can always recable the headphone outright with Mogami 2893 or Canare mini-quad mic cable, I don't remember its part number.  Cheaper than going M50x.


 
  
 your way was putting the cable directly into a blob of solder on the iron without stripping it?


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## inertianinja

Success!
  
 This was my first time soldering. I tried like hell to get the stock cables tinned, but just couldn't make it work. I used the stock cable to practice, and went through almost the entire thing with bad results, trying every trick I could find on the internet.
  
 Finally I picked up some 22awg speaker wire from Radio Shack, and of course it tinned very nicely. So I decided to recable the whole thing...if I couldn't do it, I was screwed anyway because I couldn't work with the stock cable.
  
 I first disconnected the stock wiring from the driver by putting a tiny drop of solder on the iron, pulling lightly on the wire, and touching the iron to the existing solder joint just long enough for the wire to come free. To attach the new wire, I reversed the process - put the tinned new wire on the existing solder on the driver, put a tiny amount of tin on the iron (so it wouldn't overflow on the other joints), and touched it just long enough for the new wire to join with the existing solder.
  
 Joints on the new headphone jack were very clean thanks to the clean wire, and I put some heat-shrink tubing around them for protection.
 I used some hot glue to keep the jack from spinning in the hole.
  
 I had to mutilate the driver holder in order to get everything to fit, but i was able to very gently get everything into place.
  
 Also took this opportunity to upgrade to the HM5 ear pads.
  
 Everything works! not bad for my first solder project.
 Thanks to everyone for their help!
  

  

  
 EDIT: in retrospect, i would have separated the two wires on the left of the photo so that they could have flexed more easily.
  

  
 Now I have to clean up my desk.


----------



## jpover

Nice job!


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## Mad Max

inertianinja said:


> your way was putting the cable directly into a blob of solder on the iron without stripping it?


 
  
 Later on, it was.


----------



## NeonicZyfr

Would this work with the ath t400?


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## inertianinja

I wanted to add one more thing regarding getting solder to stick to enameled wires:
  
 I mentioned before that I tried to get the stock cable wires to clean (so solder would stick) by burning, sanding, etc, but nothing worked, and the wires wouldn't tin.
  
 Well, I took this project one step further and adapted a cable with a mic/iphone controls to work...it required swapping the cable's mini-stereo jack with a 3.5mm jack. This cable also had enameled wires. I very quickly flashed them with a lighter, but not so much that they got black crap on them.
  
 I didn't even try to tin them. When I attached them to the new jack. I just basically drowned them in blobs of solder. The solder stuck to the leads on the jack just fine, so the cable's wires were just trapped in the blobs. Happy to report that this worked nicely.
  
 (BTW the cable was a replacement cable for a set of sennheisers that I found on amazon)


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## Mad Max

neoniczyfr said:


> Would this work with the ath t400?


 
  
 Most likely.  I've seen the inside of T200, and the other Tx00 headphones are probably similar/better, so that is why I guess so.  Your photo would be more useful if it would show more of the baffle and cup interior, all of it if possible.


----------



## NeonicZyfr

mad max said:


> Most likely.  I've seen the inside of T200, and the other Tx00 headphones are probably similar/better, so that is why I guess so.  Your photo would be more useful if it would show more of the baffle and cup interior, all of it if possible.




Here are better pictures of it.


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## cereal

Does anybody know where I can find this panel mount jack? It's black and I think that'd be a better look and less conspicuous on my M50's. I'm not terribly concerned about quality in this particular case– not that I know of it's quality but I found this on Google Images and it links to an eBay auction for the chrome one that everybody in this thread is using. 


 


This one looks to be about the same size but black.


 


TL;DR - where to buy this?


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## NeonicZyfr

neoniczyfr said:


> Here are better pictures of it.


 
Still need to know if it will work. I do not want to take it and strip the wires and find out it doesn't work.


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## Mad Max

Oh, this thread.
 Yeah, you can do the mod, but you might have to leave the 3.5mm socket partway out, like I did with my M50:
  

  
  
 To secure it, make a couple of notches on opposite sides of the black plastic part and hold the socket in place with a bit of superglue.  Then apply epoxy on the inside of the cup where the black part is and let the cup sit undisturbed 24 hours for the epoxy to reach its full strength, and you will be set to go.
 I do not recommend using a huge socket like the one in cereal's (and some others') posts, use the Lumberg jack.  Partsexpress (among a fwe others) carries the Lumberg as well, but under their own name.


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## UJ95x

Can't believe this thread is still going...Came here a couple of years ago to get help with it, but just this week got around to actually doing the mod 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 Also got the Brainwavz HM5 pads because the stock ones would hurt my head after about an hour of usage. A little big, but far more comfortable


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## bbieringer

I ended up just spending the extra $10 to get the X version with removable cable. Even though they are still proprietary cables, the 4ft option is nice.


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## Mad Max

bbieringer said:


> ... Even though they are still proprietary cables...


 
  
 Not really.  Sennheiser's using the exact same 2.5mm locking connector with a number of their current headphones.
  
 Edit: the ATH 2.5mm locking connector needs to have its circumference sanded down a few fractions of a millimeter to properly fit HD6/7/8 or to be able to lock in Momentums.


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## PETEREK

I've got a couple of those locking 2.5mm conenctors in my parts drawer as we speak.


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## silver11211

Hello Head-fi, long time lurker here. I did this mod to my beloved ath m50 and after a long battle with the wires on the driver I made the maybe stupid desicion of desoldering them completely. I then soldered on some old speaker wires and it worked, to my surprise. But the problem now is I've noticed a significant drop in quality and loudness in my headphones. Could this be on which aux cable I'm using? I've used a 2 m HAMA Aluline cable, a even the cable that came with my newly bought Sony mdr-1a (120 usd in Sweden, couldn't pass on that). This was also my first time soldering, so I don't know if I ******* up something in there. Do the headphones also need to be burned in again after this mod?


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## PETEREK

No, you messed something up while soldering man. There is good news though, Audio Technica sells those drivers for like $12 (USD).


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## piano08man

I just tried this on my Sony MDR-7506 using the jack from radio shack - here. I have the leads oriented like this:
       --o
 |   |
 0  0
  
 The left channel is on the left, the ground in the middle, and the right channel on the right. I verified that orientation with a channel identifier track I made. So I think it's right. If I'm wrong, let me know.

 Everything went smoothly, but I'm having weird issues with the audio after the fact. If I solder all three wires, the left speaker doesn't work normally. It's like the instruments are there but the lead vocals aren't. The right speaker works fine. If I wire the left speaker to the right channel, it works fine too. It's only messed up when I try to connect the left speaker to the left channel on the jack. Really strange. I've tried two different jacks now - same results. 

 Has anyone run into something like that before? What was the fix?
  
 Thanks!


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## PETEREK

piano08man said:


> I just tried this on my Sony MDR-7506 using the jack from radio shack - here. I have the leads oriented like this:
> --o
> |   |
> 0  0
> ...


 
 You wired it wrong. The one on the side is the ground, the one in the middle is the right, and the other is left.
  
      --G
 |   |
 L  R


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## piano08man

Thanks, Casper. I swapped the wires this morning. Works fine now. I swear I tried that combination. Oops.


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## PETEREK

piano08man said:


> Thanks, Casper. I swapped the wires this morning. Works fine now. I swear I tried that combination. Oops.



Glad it's working for you now man.


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## einsteino

please i need to know what 3.5mm stereo socket mount you used. i see you didn't need to remove or cut any damping material, i would like to carry out the same mod on my m50.


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## PETEREK

einsteino said:


> please i need to know what 3.5mm stereo socket mount you used. i see you didn't need to remove or cut any damping material, i would like to carry out the same mod on my m50.



You have to quote who you're directing a comment to. I can't tell who you're asking this.


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## Rocko1

wessneroo said:


> Looks like it might be this one: http://www.unicornelex.com/3_5mm_Isolated_Stereo_Chassis_Mount_Jack_p/23-0501.htm
> 
> Casper, can you confirm?


 
 Do I still need to cut the housing if I use this jack?


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## PETEREK

rocko1 said:


> Do I still need to cut the housing if I use this jack?


 
 You'll need to remove the plasic rod thing that the cable wraps around on the inside of the plug, and I believe you still have to modify the parts that mount the driver to the baffle. Don't worry too much, those are easy things to do.


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## Rocko1

peterek said:


> You'll need to remove the plasic rod thing that the cable wraps around on the inside of the plug, and I believe you still have to modify the parts that mount the driver to the baffle. Don't worry too much, those are easy things to do.


 

 Ok. I saw that someone shaved down the jack in order to not have to cut the driver housing, that was with the bigger metallic jack, I figured this one was a bit smaller, might have fit.
  
 Thanks.


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## Rocko1

levictus said:


> Here is a pic of my M50 detachable cable mod for my M50s. Very clean and rock solid with this connector:
> http://www.newark.com/pro-signal/mj-073h/connector-rca-phono-jack-3pos/dp/24M4866?Ntt=24M4866


 
  
 Did you have any issues putting the nut on this from the inside?


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## PETEREK

rocko1 said:


> Did you have any issues putting the nut on this from the inside?


 
 some versions of that connector don't have a nut, they have wings that hold it there after it's been inserted all the way. When I have use the one with a locking nut, I don't use the nut I epoxy instead.


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## Rocko1

peterek said:


> some versions of that connector don't have a nut, they have wings that hold it there after it's been inserted all the way. When I have use the one with a locking nut, I don't use the nut I epoxy instead.




Thanks. Mine has a nut. I am able to get a couple spins so it looks like it will work. Now soldering those damn epoxy coated wires is a different story.


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## PETEREK

rocko1 said:


> Thanks. Mine has a nut. I am able to get a couple spins so it looks like it will work. Now soldering those damn epoxy coated wires is a different story.


 
 Always replace the enameled wires when doing this, they are junk.


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## Rocko1

peterek said:


> Always replace the enameled wires when doing this, they are junk.


 
 I am going to re-do mine with non-coated 20 or 22g wires. I can't stand the thought of a poorly soldered joint inside my cans! Thanks.


----------



## Rocko1

Spent the last two nights doing the mod. Made a couple of mistakes from trying to rush. Soldered it all up and forgot the nut on the inside. Used the MJ-073H jack from Newark which has the retaining nut on the underside of the jack. 
  
 Soldering the stock coated hair wires is a royal pain. I decided to use some 18 or 20g copper stranded wires and that was much easier. Problem is the wires are too thick and take up too much space in the cup with the white padding material installed.
  
  Did everyone used thicker wires put the white padding that sits on the bottom of the cup back in place?
  
 Anyway, here is the result. Came out very nice.


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## jujudow

How did you guys keep the connecter attached firmly to the hole with out making a mess with glue


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## Rocko1

jujudow said:


> How did you guys keep the connecter attached firmly to the hole with out making a mess with glue


 
 Mine has a nut and threads. The nut is inside the cup.


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## Rocko1

With my custom headphone cable. Amphenol stepped plug-KS3PC-AU and Mogami 2893 cable. Sounds great!


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## Mad Max

That looks great!  Gotta love dem Amphenols.


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## PETEREK

I like amphenol so much more than Rean (well, the 3.5mm connectors).


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## Rocko1

peterek said:


> I like amphenol so much more than Rean (well, the 3.5mm connectors).


 

 Oh yeah. Nice finish, high quality. And now a days a stepped down design is a must for smartphones, etc.


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## jujudow

I did this mod and now sound only comes out of the left side.... TT_____TT      pls help.....


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## Mad Max

You goofed the right channel connection in the cup.


----------



## Rocko1

jujudow said:


> I did this mod and now sound only comes out of the left side.... TT_____TT      pls help.....


 
 Re solder your connections.


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## jujudow

mad max said:


> You goofed the right channel connection in the cup.


 


rocko1 said:


> Re solder your connections.


 
  
 I'm pretty sure I put each wire in the right place, so it's just my bad solder job with the red wire? I was afraid of it being too squished in there.


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## Rocko1

jujudow said:


> I'm pretty sure I put each wire in the right place, so it's just my bad solder job with the red wire? I was afraid of it being too squished in there.


 
 Did you use the original wires? The coating has to be removed correctly and it's difficult. I used non-coated stranded wire-26g or similar will work. Makes the job SO much easier.


----------



## jujudow

rocko1 said:


> Did you use the original wires? The coating has to be removed correctly and it's difficult. I used non-coated stranded wire-26g or similar will work. Makes the job SO much easier.


 
  
 Yeah i used the original wires, I tried to burn off the coating with a match. It was pretty difficult and there was a lot of black soot on the wires afterwards. That may be the majority of the problem. I guess I'll try to re-solder with the original wires once more then if that does not work l'll try your method. Do you think it's a good idea to get rid of the thick black wire insulator that combined the 3 wires so they are loose inside the housing just so it won't be as cramped in there?


----------



## Rocko1

jujudow said:


> Yeah i used the original wires, I tried to burn off the coating with a match. It was pretty difficult and there was a lot of black soot on the wires afterwards. That may be the majority of the problem. I guess I'll try to re-solder with the original wires once more then if that does not work l'll try your method. Do you think it's a good idea to get rid of the thick black wire insulator that combined the 3 wires so they are loose inside the housing just so it won't be as cramped in there?


 
 That won't really matter. I would just use 3 new small wires.


----------



## akatsuki

Just did the mod - was actually really easy - I replaced all three wires since it was no big deal.
  
 Any recs for a good 3.5mm cable to go with this that is cheap?


----------



## Rocko1

akatsuki said:


> Just did the mod - was actually really easy - I replaced all three wires since it was no big deal.
> 
> Any recs for a good 3.5mm cable to go with this that is cheap?


 
 http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-3-5mm-Stereo-Audio-Cable/dp/B004LTEUDO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1437146415&sr=8-2&keywords=3.5mm+aux+cable


----------



## jujudow

Finally got mine working, its great!


----------



## Butthungrymonke

If you are using a jack that uses a nut to secure itself in place, I suggest you ditch the nut and just use a hot glue gun. Hot glue would provide a bigger surface area to anchor the jack. 
  
 If using the nut, fastening it basically sandwiches the plastic housing to secure the jack. This is bad because the pressure caused by the cable getting pulled or tugged is translated to the very small amount of plastic that's holding the jack in place. This can cause the plastic around the jack to crack.
  
 Perhaps I screwed the nut on too tightly or the cable got yanked too hard, but either way the housing around the jack on my M50s cracked and I just wanted to share that with you guys.


----------



## Rocko1

butthungrymonke said:


> If you are using a jack that uses a nut to secure itself in place, I suggest you ditch the nut and just use a hot glue gun. Hot glue would provide a bigger surface area to anchor the jack.
> 
> If using the nut, fastening it basically sandwiches the plastic housing to secure the jack. This is bad because the pressure caused by the cable getting pulled or tugged is translated to the very small amount of plastic that's holding the jack in place. This can cause the plastic around the jack to crack.
> 
> Perhaps I screwed the nut on too tightly or the cable got yanked too hard, but either way the housing around the jack on my M50s cracked and I just wanted to share that with you guys.


 
 I did not over tighten mine. Just enough to prevent movement, then a dab of hot glue to prevent it from backing off.


----------



## jackinabox

I been thinking of adding a removable cable to my Ath-M50 for some time now. The reason I haven't done it yet is that I don't want the end result to look bad ( like a picture I saw with glue gun glu all over the connector) but also I'm afraid I'll never be able to snap the cup back completely. They fit so much stuff that needs to be put back a certain way otherwise you'll crush something, the clips will keep popping open or you'll end up just breaking the darn thing. My iPod 5.5 came real close to becoming a permanent part of my wall because of that.

Anyway my question is, now that they came out with the Ath-M50x that has the removable cable, is it worth it to mod my regular straight cabled M50? I already have the headphones and the parts needed, I would just need to find best type of wire to make the cable.


----------



## Rocko1

jackinabox said:


> I been thinking of adding a removable cable to my Ath-M50 for some time now. The reason I haven't done it yet is that I don't want the end result to look bad ( like a picture I saw with glue gun glu all over the connector) but also I'm afraid I'll never be able to snap the cup back completely. They fit so much stuff that needs to be put back a certain way otherwise you'll crush something, the clips will keep popping open or you'll end up just breaking the darn thing. My iPod 5.5 came real close to becoming a permanent part of my wall because of that.
> 
> Anyway my question is, now that they came out with the Ath-M50x that has the removable cable, is it worth it to mod my regular straight cabled M50? I already have the headphones and the parts needed, I would just need to find best type of wire to make the cable.


 
 Look back at my work. Does this look bad? No, looks stock. Use my parts and info. You can do it.


----------



## JeremyxGch

Headphone was lying dead in my carton box because i couldn't fix it. Managed to get someone to help me repair it. 
 But he seem to have done it in a different way. Idk if it actually affects the sound but it still sounds great to me.
  
 Now it looks like this.


----------



## Rocko1

jeremyxgch said:


> Headphone was lying dead in my carton box because i couldn't fix it. Managed to get someone to help me repair it.
> But he seem to have done it in a different way. Idk if it actually affects the sound but it still sounds great to me.
> 
> Now it looks like this.


 
  
 Looks like he didn't solder the wires, but just taped them. Should hold up.
  
 Where did you get that cable? Looks nice.


----------



## JeremyxGch

Its actually from my Beewi Retro Speaker. It just nice matches my headphone so i just used it. ^-^ You can just google braided aux cables.


----------



## justex07

Just did the mod myself. Super easy turns out and I hadn't used a soldering iron in a decade!



Used a Dremel to do the cut so it could close around the jack. Tomorrow I'm replacing the ear pads with a velour and leather hybrid. So far though I'm loving the change!


----------



## Bartmil

Hello! The drivers of m50 and m50x are identical? Both Headphones sounds equal?
  
 Well i mean, i want to know, from people that have m50's, if they want or if they could, change their m50's for the new m50x. And if this exchange, make any sense.
  
 Im about to buy one m50, but i saw a video review, and the "reviwer" said, that the m50x have some slight improvements.
  
 So m50x are rly better then m50? Or They are rly equivalent on sound quality? Im not worried about, the detachable cable detail from m50x!
  
 Please help me! 
  
 And thank you very much.


----------



## Phill360

rocko1 said:


> Look back at my work. Does this look bad? No, looks stock. Use my parts and info. You can do it.


 
  
 I just done the removable cable mod with the connector pictured above but I have problems with the right side being muffled and vocals are very soft. I think i have the connect incorrect. My connections are
  
 Large Silver flat pin - Green
 Gold pin - Red
 Small silver  pin - Black
  
 Any help would be welcomed


----------



## Phill360

phill360 said:


> I just done the removable cable mod with the connector pictured above but I have problems with the right side being muffled and vocals are very soft. I think i have the connect incorrect. My connections are
> 
> Large Silver flat pin - Green
> Gold pin - Red
> ...


 
 I've got it sorted and it works great, now I need to get some brainwavz velour ear pads


----------



## sti23

This is pretty cool. I never thought of doing this to mine. Is there a step by step available anywhere?


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## OnePlus (Sep 29, 2021)

Deleted.


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## curentatu

Can anyone post a purchase link with the HD600 headband ?


----------

