DIY Open Headphones

[M4ster_andre]

I got some ebay headphones, that actualy sound really great! I already have one closed headphones so theres no need to have two right? Sooo im thinking about drilling some holes into the ebay headphones and (tecnically) create an open headphones for music 

Is that a good idea? or am i going to completely ruin the headphones?

[KaminKevCrew]

36 minutes ago, M4ster_andre said:

I got some ebay headphones, that actualy sound really great! I already have one closed headphones so theres no need to have two right? Sooo im thinking about drilling some holes into the ebay headphones and (tecnically) create an open headphones for music 

Is that a good idea? or am i going to completely ruin the headphones?

More than likely you'll completely ruin the headphones. But, as you said, you have two. So go for it if you want to.

 

(There are a couple reasons that you'll likely ruin them. The first is that if you don't take the drivers out first, you'll just drill through the driver, which would break them. The second is that closed headphones are generally designed as just that - closed. There's foam in there to make them sound a certain way, and opening up the back end of the driver changes that which, at the very least, will greatly affect the sound. If you end up liking the way they sound after you do it, then lucky you! However, I would guess that you won't really like what you're hearing after you open them up.

 

If there's an easy way to take the driver out of the headphones, you could hold just the drivers up to your ears and see what you think of them.

[anothertom]

59 minutes ago, M4ster_andre said:

I got some ebay headphones, that actualy sound really great! I already have one closed headphones so theres no need to have two right? Sooo im thinking about drilling some holes into the ebay headphones and (tecnically) create an open headphones for music 

 

Firstly, if they sound good why would you want to mess about with them in a way which will likely make them worse.

 

Secondly, an open backed headphone has exactly that, an open back. this reduces reflections from the body around the driver. By making a sort-of-open-back-which-is-actually-just-some-holes™  you're going to create all sorts of reflections patterns and cancellations which aren't present as sold because there aren't gaps in the surround. Which will ruin the sound.

 

If you really want to try to convert these to an open back, you'll want to remove the plastic back completely, although this will probably require breaking them off.

 

1 hour ago, M4ster_andre said:

Is that a good idea? or am i going to completely ruin the headphones?

No. Yes.

[Guest]

Drilling holes in the back of a headphone won't turn it into a good open headphone. More will almost certainly be needed. There is really no reason not to try it, provided you are prepared to ruin the headphone.

[Ardacer]

To make a good headphone, one must also consider the acoustic properties of chamber(s). By drilling the holes in your earphones, you might as well drill holes in your speakers. It will change them from desired (optimal?) specs. 90% of the time i reckon you'll just trash the things, unless you did the math and calculated what it is that you're trying to achieve. That said, I do this kind of shit all the time