Perhaps consider Dekoni nuggets, which I found to be effective before getting the suspension strap.
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I think I am more annoyed that they cost so much yet the problem exists and they are not doing anything about it.
Especially if you purchasing them from Australia where dollar conversation is bad.
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I hope you reach a favorable resolution. I donāt envy the AUD to USD conversion.
I donāt believe Rosson views it as a problem or that they intended to make a headphone that the market finds unduly heavy or uncomfortable. Itās not the heaviest headphone on the market so they arenāt an outlier. The weight is likely a resulting consequence of the design choices they made regarding intended/desired sonics, aesthetics, build quality, price point, etc.
I would be frustrated if the product literature indicated 550 grams, but the item received actually weighed 625 grams.
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Mine weigh 624 grams with the suspension strap, so likely around 600 grams without the strap. The weight itself isnāt horrendous, itās the poor headband design, which concentrates the weight in a narrow contact patch atop the head. The pad itself is also so easily compressed that it does little, for me, for comfort. If it didnāt have the stock pad stitched to the headband, Iād simply put an HD650 or HD600 pad on the band and call it a day like I did with my LCD-X, HE-6, and HE-500. Itās kind of BS that a headphone in this price range has such a poorly designed headband, particularly when Rossonās experience from Audeze should have influenced a better design.
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Dude, seriouslyā¦ I thought I asked you to delete my photos.
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Consider trying the Dekoni nuggets.
I suspect the headband design is exactly as he intended and wished to bring to market.
I have a different standard for what is BS - not everyone is going to like every headphoneās sonics, aesthetics, build quality, headband design. Consumers are free to criticize and vote with their wallet.
Could the headband be improved? Yes.
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I agree with everything you say, however, I do think at the price range they should have improved the headband a little better especially if Rustyās mod worked so cheap and inexpensive mod.
But yes I mean each to their own.
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Thatās fair. Itās valuable for this type of feedback to be out there, in the spirit of product innovation and improvement.
I just reached out to @rustyrat to see if he can make me a suspension strap for my RADās as I have the exact same problems with mine. Iāve also recently purchased a ZMF Co-Pilot Pad which fits exactly to the length of the Rossonās. Iāll try both options to see which ones I like more and report back with my findings. Zach and Bevin are really busy with ZMF November so Iām not sure how long itāll take to recieve my Co-Pilot Pad.
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It seems appropriate given my strident critique of the weight and comfort of the RAD-0 to post a follow up.
I lasted less than 72 hours after the posting of this review and the return of the loaner headphones before I reached out to Rosson with the following question: āI would ike to know how to select for the lowest weight possible. What characteristics lead to a higher finshed weight?ā (Typos preserved, so you know that from the beginning Rosson knew they were dealing with a pro.). Alex Rosson responded: āThe characteristics that produce the lowest weight utilize black metal finish on the headband parts and an all wood ring which compared to an all resin ring reduces the weight from approx 630 grams to 575 grams.ā
This began my relationship with Rosson. As we worked through a couple of ideas, I got to know my designer, Oliver, and appreciated his patience.
As you can probably guess, I am full of manure. I totally bought these headphones, and Iām glad I did.
The musicality remains the main thing for me. No matter what I throw at them, they just serve it up, with good staging, good extension, superb tonality and gorgeous looks.
The comfort remains fair at best. The @rustyrat strap on (my suggestion for the name, which I believe he has ignored) in combination with a black chassis, wood ring custom build has largely eliminated the comfort issue. Of course I still wish they were as light as porta-pros, but the sacrifice has been reduced to a bearable level. You may believe, as I did, that the comfort issue in this price range is unacceptable. I will only quote a business partner who when I shared my view point responded thusly:
āMy Porsche makes my leg fall asleep. Iām not trading it for a bleeping minivan.ā
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They continue to be my headphone of choice also, especially with @rustyratās suspension strap.
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Has anyone heard the RAD-0 with the darker tuning?
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I sure wish I could hear them. Thatās one of the headphones Iāve never heard.
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Iām in agreement with @bpcarb. Theyāre my go to. Let my VCs go because I wasnāt listening to them.
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Hey all new to the Forum but have enjoyed the hobby for a long time. Still enjoying my hd600 that I got back in ā99. I was actually considering a Rad-0 or a VC. I know they are different but a couple that I would enjoy either way. What makes it harder to go with VC is the wait time haha. I know there are used from time to time but for something like that Iād like to go direct to the sources.
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Re. the wait time, my understanding is that the limited editions take longer to produce than the regular versions and that ZMF now offers fewer options for the regular ones, when it comes to rods and the like, in order to make the production process quicker.
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Re: I have emailed them back a fourth a couple times about the wait time. I was interested in the LTD and it goes by when you place your order and the ātimerā starts then. Iām sure the wait it worth it for the VCs. Just hard to to decide if I want to wait that long at the moment. Also not being able to demo a pair makes me want to wait on those a bit.
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Wow thatās high praise, I canāt imagine anything taking the spotlight from my VCs.