Excellent writeup and guide Christopher. Great photos too.
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Suede non-perforated Universe zmf pads. I highly suggest them.
I’ve tried 6 other zmf pads on my (not Lawton modded) Teak, and those were the closest to stock sound I could get. The parts of the sound it does change are the parts most would find objectionable anyway - it’s bright or too boomy nature. Result seems to make mids more apparent, but that may just be a side effect of the changes described above.
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Thank you for the kind words Paul. I truly appreciate it.
@ProfFalkin, that’s one of the pads I’m considering. The Universe Suede could potentially be the perfect pad for these. I was also considering getting the Auteur Hybrid (Lambskin sides/Suede top) as well. The flatter profile and wider opening are definitely needed. I think I may just go ahead and order both. I’ve already ordered an extra set of retention rings that @hazi59 gave me the info for. It should make pad rolling a lot easier. 
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Here’s the link for the attenuation rings.
Thanks @hazi59!
https://www.fullcompass.com/searchresults.php?search_simple=true&txtAll=1412552460
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Very nice work there. I’m tempted to do this with the purpleheart’s I have since I kinda bought them to play around with modding.
They look great and glad you’re happy with the changes! Curious… did you try the “tune up” with the original 610 cups?
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I’ve got this one bookmarked in case I get access to a 3d printer Fostex TH Pad Mounting Ring (TH-X00, TH900, etc) by ggabriele3 - Thingiverse
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Thanks Sheldon!
I didn’t. The only thing I tried with the stock 610’s were the Ori pads (with the Dekoni rings) which upgraded the comfort tremendously and didn’t change the sound very much.
These Foster drivers extend far into both directions. I playfully said the Lawton Chambers were “Boom Rooms” because they seem to act like a well implemented bass enclosure. They actually don’t bloat the bass, and it’s not smearing into other frequencies. It’s just there when called upon if it’s in the recording. And it’s DEEP and accurate.
They’re also detail monsters. The things in the recording these things pick up is pretty astounding. Much more detail than my Clears.
They’re still a touch bright for me. I need to try other pad combos as well, but I think the Suede Universe pads that @ProfFalkin mentioned may be perfect.
I’ll update when I get more pads.
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@bigshel99, I forget to mention in my previous reply that the stock 610 cups are Walnut, which is a relatively soft wood. The Lawton’s are East Indian Rosewood which is much harder (1010 vs. 2440).
Some manufacturers downplay wood types and hardness, but there’s a reason why certain woods are traditionally used in the manufacture of musical instruments. The cups are the only difference among the three Massdrop variants, and they all sound different.
Here’s a link for a Janka Hardness scale:
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lovely… the wood looks fantastic.
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Thanks! I’m really happy with them. I’ll probably write a review on them in the near future.
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You’re welcome @ValentineLuke, I’m happy I could help. I had a lot of fun modding my TH-X00 Mahogany and TH-610 back a few years ago. If it weren’t for the design flaw with the headband, I’d probably consider doing it again as the sound of the TH-610 in particular was really nice.
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Yeah, they’re pretty fantastic.
I haven’t had any issues with the headband, but I’m also using the Pilot Pad even though it was comfortable without it. I had purchased the Pilot Pad at the same time I had purchased the ear pads, so since I already had it I figured why not. They’re quite comfortable.
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It’s not really the headband, but the gimbal screw and spring. It has a tendency to snap or sheer in half. The good thing is that they can be replaced as full compass also has those parts for purchase. They are listed under TH900, but same part.
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Oh. 
Thanks for linking the replacement part. I already received my ear pad retaining rings, they look fairly solid and they shipped quickly. Now I’m just waiting on ZMF to ship my pads.
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What’s the additional weight from the exotic wood? I’m trying to find the info from the website but I can’t find it. Based on my infinite awesome wisdom, better quality wood will almost certainly comes with added weight 
The non modded unit weight is 375g, which is perfect for me but I’m afraid the wood cups mod will add a considerable weight to it.
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That’s a great question that I can’t specifically answer. 
I don’t have a scale so I never weighed them. They are larger and heavier, but I don’t think it’s substantial (I actually thought they would be heavier than they turned out to be).
The Fostex are already pretty light, as you stated. I’m sure if you email Mark he’d be able to tell you the weight of the Chambers you were interested in. He’s always been helpful throughout my build.
There are some others that interest me, and I would maybe consider a TH900mk2 build in the future (that’s how much I love these and I’m curious as to what the stronger magnets/driver would sound like).
Which ones were you considering?
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Thanks for the quick rundown, we may not have the exact number at the moment but based on your description, it shouldn’t add too much weight. This is enough for me to continue my research.
I will e-mail him to get get the exact figure.
I’m thinking TH610 with either Type 3 or Type 4. This really depends on how I perceive the original tuning.
Thanks again! 
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That sounds great. The Lawton chambers really add bass extension so you’ll probably have to experiment with pads.
I’ve tried a few, and I’m waiting on what I hope will be my final pair. I’ll post impressions later.
Cheers!
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