IT ALL STARTED WITH DIY
What started off as a simple hobby of modifying headphones, has gradually turned into more complex projects that attempt to take the function, design, attention to detail and quality beyond what is expected from a DIY project. Everything from the first ideas and sketches to the current designs, countless components tested, prototypes assembled, advanced manufacturing methods and materials experimented with, every 3D model created, every rendering, photograph or video that can be found on this website, including the website itself, is a result of three years of dedicated work by a single person. Preceded by years of experience as an owner of countless headphones, including multiple flagships, I've decided to make an attempt at creating my own headphones instead of buying what was available on the market, which turned out to be even more difficult than expected. It wasn't just the process of designing and engineering headphone components that was challenging either, but also the process of learning everything that was required to take on a task such as this to begin with, especially considering the fact that this was a side project that I worked on alongside attending medical school, often having to use up the entirety of my free time on it. It was very difficult at moments, very time-consuming, and it required a lot of sacrifice, but most importantly it never felt like doing real work, because it was satisfying, fun and relaxing. It was a perfect way to escape the daily routine, invest creative energy and turn interesting ideas into something real. It's important to note that this is just the beginning, I'm still learning, improving and adapting, trying to get better at what I do, and the most valuable tool that I can use to get better, is the feedback from other headphone enthusiasts. The LTS headphone designs that are public at this point are just a small fraction of what I've done so far, what I'm currently working on, and what is coming in the future. By that I'm not talking only about updates to current headphone models, but also working on completely new ideas, testing new approaches to design and manufacturing, keeping up with the latest additive manufacturing technologies, increasing the freedom of customization for owners, developing proprietary headphone drivers, as well as an expansion into other headphone accessories.
ABSOLUTE MODULARITY
Every component of each LTS headphone is designed to be easily removable and replaceable using basic tools, making any future modifications or repairs simple and affordable. Unlike a lot of products on the market which use snap-fit assembly methods or permanent adhesives on main components, all of the key connections on LTS headphones consist of high quality, Swiss made stainless steel fasteners and brass threaded inserts, making multiple disassemblies and reassemblies possible, without any wear on the components or the fear of reducing the tightness and function of the complete headphone assembly. This is in line with one of the key parts of the philosophy behind this project, and that is modularity. Every component can be replaced or upgraded in the future. You should never be forced to replace an entire product or sacrifice intact components, just because one part of the product is faulty. In addition, with the help of additive manufacturing, production of unique and custom components for any purpose is simpler than ever.
FOCUS ON CUTTING-EDGE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Often called a part of the next industrial revolution, additive manufacturing will completely change the way specialty items and products are created in the future. Manufacturing methods that were, until only a couple of years ago, limited to use in aerospace, high-end automotive or motorsport industries, are slowly making their way into more mainstream industries as well. Selective Laser Sintering and Multi-Jet Fusion additive manufacturing methods have virtually no design restrictions, they have the ability to produce extremely geometrically complex and detailed 3D shapes, enable quick prototyping, and offer a constantly growing large selection of advanced materials that enable the creation of unique products more easily than ever. For those reasons, heavy use of advanced additive manufacturing methods is a key part of all LTS headphone designs, with LTS headphones being the first examples in the headphone industry to use them to such an extent. It not only enables the creation of complex and specialized components that would be extremely difficult or even impossible to produce using other manufacturing methods, it also enables the use of highly specialized and advanced materials that offer a wide range of functional possibilities. Use of Carbon Fiber reinforced Polyamide and Graphite reinforced Polyamide materials is another first in the headphone industry. These specialized, highly advanced materials with the highest strength and stiffness to weight ratios of all additive manufacturing materials have found their use in various high-end applications, including the production of racing car parts and aerospace part prototypes. They are ideal materials for headphones due to their extreme rigidity and strength compared to the most commonly used ABS plastic, while weighing the same.
FUTURE-PROOF CONCEPT
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Because there is no production line and no rigid production processes are required when using additive manufacturing, future upgrades and improvements of headphones are quick and simple. Each component is produced based on an individual CAD 3D design that can easily be modified based on specific requirements. Because the complexity of component design has little to no effect on the difficulty of production while using SLS and MJF additive manufacturing technologies, as well as enabling the use of several designs in the same production run, nothing prevents simultaneous production of several versions of the same basic component. Component designs can be endlessly modified depending on the specific costumer requirements, with minimal production cost increases relative to other production methods. As the additive manufacturing technologies advance in the following years, offering even more advanced materials, including completely new AM technologies, the owners of LTS headphones will be able to replace or upgrade specific components of their headphones in order to achieve different functional or aesthetic properties. |
AM ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR SERIES PRODUCTION
While producing anything in series, regardless of the quantity in most cases, the single biggest cost in the entire process is actually the cost of starting the process itself. For example, producing a certain quantity of plastic components by utilizing injection molding requires the production of very expensive steel molds, or tools, often costing tens of thousands of euros for even the smallest and remotely complex designs. The cost of producing each individual plastic component will be insignificant in comparison, and the whole business of producing them can only be profitable if enough components can be produced and sold to compensate for the initial costs of tool production. At the same time, even slight changes to the design of a component require modifications to the tooling, or in some cases production of an entirely new tool, massively increasing the cost of component production and eliminating almost all possibilities for design customization. For that reason, injection molding is recommended when manufacturing at least 100's or 1000's of identical components.
Similarly, producing metal components by CNC machining them requires complex planning and preparation in order to machine a block of metal into an intricately designed final component. It often requires several attempts in order to achieve acceptable results, special holding jigs have to be manufactured to hold the components while they're being machined, components often have to be machined in several stages, etc. Setting up the process for machining simple 3D objects often costs hundreds, or even thousands of euros. This means that producing one component at a time is prohibitively expensive. However, once the process of CNC machining is dialed in, the cost of manufacturing per unit goes down with quantity. For that reason, producing 10 or 20 identical components can often cost only 3 or 4 times as much as producing a single sample of the same component, and CNC machining becomes a viable production option only once at least 10's of units of an identical component are being produced.
On the other hand, additive manufacturing has no such limitations. There is close to no preparation required while manufacturing a 3D component, the CAD data in a special format is simply loaded into an AM machine. On top of that, there are virtually no design limitations, and the cost per unit when producing a component is only determined by the amount of space the outer boundaries of the component take up in the AM machine, not by the complexity of the component or by the amount of individual components produced, which is why stacking up components in an efficient way with minimum spacing between them is the only efficient way of reducing the cost per unit while using this technology. That being said, in 90% of cases, producing a single component using SLS or MJF technologies results in a same cost per unit as when producing 50 or 100 of the components at the same time, unless stacking them up significantly reduces the amount of space they take up in the AM machine. In addition, every components that's being produced using additive manufacturing, can be modified in any way desired without any limitations. This means that producing specialized and unique components is much simpler and more affordable thanks to additive manufacturing, while the cost of producing a redesigned component adds virtually no additional costs.
Similarly, producing metal components by CNC machining them requires complex planning and preparation in order to machine a block of metal into an intricately designed final component. It often requires several attempts in order to achieve acceptable results, special holding jigs have to be manufactured to hold the components while they're being machined, components often have to be machined in several stages, etc. Setting up the process for machining simple 3D objects often costs hundreds, or even thousands of euros. This means that producing one component at a time is prohibitively expensive. However, once the process of CNC machining is dialed in, the cost of manufacturing per unit goes down with quantity. For that reason, producing 10 or 20 identical components can often cost only 3 or 4 times as much as producing a single sample of the same component, and CNC machining becomes a viable production option only once at least 10's of units of an identical component are being produced.
On the other hand, additive manufacturing has no such limitations. There is close to no preparation required while manufacturing a 3D component, the CAD data in a special format is simply loaded into an AM machine. On top of that, there are virtually no design limitations, and the cost per unit when producing a component is only determined by the amount of space the outer boundaries of the component take up in the AM machine, not by the complexity of the component or by the amount of individual components produced, which is why stacking up components in an efficient way with minimum spacing between them is the only efficient way of reducing the cost per unit while using this technology. That being said, in 90% of cases, producing a single component using SLS or MJF technologies results in a same cost per unit as when producing 50 or 100 of the components at the same time, unless stacking them up significantly reduces the amount of space they take up in the AM machine. In addition, every components that's being produced using additive manufacturing, can be modified in any way desired without any limitations. This means that producing specialized and unique components is much simpler and more affordable thanks to additive manufacturing, while the cost of producing a redesigned component adds virtually no additional costs.
A HIGH QUALITY MODDING PLATFORM
As many members of the headphone community are aware, there is a lot of fun to be found in taking an existing headphone apart, adding ones own touches and modifications to it, experimenting and observing the effects of doing that, and ending up with something new and different, after all, this is how this project started too. You have the freedom to take a mass produced item and make it unique, in some cases better than the product you started with. However, doing that has severe limitations with most headphones, often requiring methods that can permanently change or damage the headphones, making the proposition of modding high quality headphones very risky and potentially very costly, especially in cases when replacement parts are prohibitively expensive. That is why modifications of high quality headphones are often limited to simple ear pad and cable changes, while more complex modding of headphones is usually limited to inexpensive models. However, that introduces new problems, because inexpensive headphones usually contain low quality components, basic materials and functionally limited designs to begin with, and there is only so much that can be done in order to improve such products.
That is what the LTS project intends to change. Presenting the headphone community with a high quality modding and DIY platform, in form of multiple custom designed headphone models that will not only be high quality products in their standard form, but also headphones that will be easily built by the owners and modifiable in the future, without any fear of damaging the components, because they are designed to be put together and taken apart multiple times, a complete opposite of most headphones on the market. On top of that, the core components of LTS headphones are all designed in a way that enables high flexibility for future modifications while avoiding the usual pitfalls of modding, such as having to permanently change or damage existing components or settle for improvised solutions. Not only will the users be able to replace ear pads and cables, headphone drivers available from several currently available manufacturers will be interchangeable as well, hopefully with even more of them becoming available in the future. Various acoustic filters can be used in front of the drivers, behind the drivers and on the specific tuning ports. Changing the volume and shape of the acoustic chamber between the driver and the ear can be achieved by simply and inexpensively replacing the unique Filter frame components, furthermore, various types of acoustic fabrics, 3D mesh fabrics and sound absorbing foams can be experimented with by attaching them onto the designated areas. The shape and the size of the tuning openings can easily be changed in the design and produced in new and unique versions, based on the specific requirements of the users. Use of various versions of Driver holder components will enable the users to fine tune the distance between the angled drivers and their ears, for even more sound tuning possibilities. Use of various damping materials in several predetermined spots on each headphone model is an option as well. Possibilities will be endless. All of that while keeping in mind that the base components are extremely stiff, strong and durable to begin with, equally so regardless of their configuration or headphone model. You can find out more on individual headphone model pages.
That is what the LTS project intends to change. Presenting the headphone community with a high quality modding and DIY platform, in form of multiple custom designed headphone models that will not only be high quality products in their standard form, but also headphones that will be easily built by the owners and modifiable in the future, without any fear of damaging the components, because they are designed to be put together and taken apart multiple times, a complete opposite of most headphones on the market. On top of that, the core components of LTS headphones are all designed in a way that enables high flexibility for future modifications while avoiding the usual pitfalls of modding, such as having to permanently change or damage existing components or settle for improvised solutions. Not only will the users be able to replace ear pads and cables, headphone drivers available from several currently available manufacturers will be interchangeable as well, hopefully with even more of them becoming available in the future. Various acoustic filters can be used in front of the drivers, behind the drivers and on the specific tuning ports. Changing the volume and shape of the acoustic chamber between the driver and the ear can be achieved by simply and inexpensively replacing the unique Filter frame components, furthermore, various types of acoustic fabrics, 3D mesh fabrics and sound absorbing foams can be experimented with by attaching them onto the designated areas. The shape and the size of the tuning openings can easily be changed in the design and produced in new and unique versions, based on the specific requirements of the users. Use of various versions of Driver holder components will enable the users to fine tune the distance between the angled drivers and their ears, for even more sound tuning possibilities. Use of various damping materials in several predetermined spots on each headphone model is an option as well. Possibilities will be endless. All of that while keeping in mind that the base components are extremely stiff, strong and durable to begin with, equally so regardless of their configuration or headphone model. You can find out more on individual headphone model pages.
FILLING UP AN EMPTY PART OF THE MARKET
One of the main goals of the LTS projects is to enable more elaborate DIY projects in the headphone community. At the current state of the headphone market, it's possible to buy headphone drivers from multiple sources, at various price and quality levels, countless custom headphone cables are available, and the choice of ear pads is almost endless, with all of these products available from OEM, as well as aftermarket manufacturers. However, when it comes to actual headphone components, the choices are very limited, which is not a good thing, because passive headphone components often play a part as big as the active ones when it comes to determining the sound and feel of a headphone. It's almost impossible to buy high quality headphone components that can be used as a DIY platform for all those drivers, ear pads and cables, so DIY-ers are forced to either destroy their old headphones and re-use some of their components, or settle for the rare, usually quite simple and generic aftermarket components, often just reverse engineered, cheap copies of existing headphone components. At this moment, there is very little freedom available when it comes to building your own custom headphones, both in a functional, as well as an aesthetic sense. Compare the state of headphone DIY to the state of loudspeaker DIY, and it's not hard to notice the massive difference between them.
There are multiple reasons for that. Designing headphone components that can be used in a wide range of applications is very complex, often far more complex than designing specific components for a single specific application, as is the case with components for most headphones on the market. On top of that, manufacturing such components at low volumes would have been prohibitively expensive even just a few years ago, while customizing the designs of components after setting up the manufacturing process would have been virtually impossible.
Fortunately, with the modern additive manufacturing technologies available today, with new and better technologies constantly being developed, those limitations are no longer a factor. The only limitations now are imagination and creativity. Almost anything that can be imagined and designed, can also be produced at low volumes and out of high quality materials, all thanks to the cutting edge technologies. However, not everything that can be imagined and designed actually works. That's why I've put a lot of effort into research and development, in order to gain a certain level of understanding of various headphone design principles and how they translate into function, understanding how to fully utilize additive manufacturing technologies and materials, as well as how to properly post-process AM produced parts to a high standard. It required hundreds of hours of learning, designing, experimenting, prototyping and often scratching and forgetting entire projects deep into their development because they just weren't good enough. This is extremely important because the knowledge, experience and understanding gained during that process can now easily be applied to multiple future headphone models, regardless of what price point they're designed for. It serves as a strong base to work from and further improve upon, while also providing a considerable advantage over those who haven't entered the custom headphone market and aren't familiar with additive manufacturing technologies yet.
There are multiple reasons for that. Designing headphone components that can be used in a wide range of applications is very complex, often far more complex than designing specific components for a single specific application, as is the case with components for most headphones on the market. On top of that, manufacturing such components at low volumes would have been prohibitively expensive even just a few years ago, while customizing the designs of components after setting up the manufacturing process would have been virtually impossible.
Fortunately, with the modern additive manufacturing technologies available today, with new and better technologies constantly being developed, those limitations are no longer a factor. The only limitations now are imagination and creativity. Almost anything that can be imagined and designed, can also be produced at low volumes and out of high quality materials, all thanks to the cutting edge technologies. However, not everything that can be imagined and designed actually works. That's why I've put a lot of effort into research and development, in order to gain a certain level of understanding of various headphone design principles and how they translate into function, understanding how to fully utilize additive manufacturing technologies and materials, as well as how to properly post-process AM produced parts to a high standard. It required hundreds of hours of learning, designing, experimenting, prototyping and often scratching and forgetting entire projects deep into their development because they just weren't good enough. This is extremely important because the knowledge, experience and understanding gained during that process can now easily be applied to multiple future headphone models, regardless of what price point they're designed for. It serves as a strong base to work from and further improve upon, while also providing a considerable advantage over those who haven't entered the custom headphone market and aren't familiar with additive manufacturing technologies yet.
COMMUNITY DRIVEN FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
All of the previously mentioned characteristics of LTS headphones will enable the headphone modding community to achieve a level of flexibility, freedom and quality previously unavailable with such low risk levels. Those who will want to take the standard LTS headphone models and change them to their liking, will have every possibility to do so with minimal risks involved in the process. No two modified or DIY LTS headphones have to be same and there is no limit to how far the users can take their headphones in the future, both in terms of functional, as well as aesthetic properties. With multiple members of the headphone community working on their own headphones, with various driver, ear pad, cable and acoustic treatment combinations available, on top of the possible base headphone component design modifications, it's not hard to imagine a certain level of healthy competition arising from it all in order to find the best sounding custom headphones in the community. With time, this will enable several well known and liked headphone mod configurations to be established, all with their own individual sonic and aesthetic characteristics. Members of the community will naturally be able to share these configurations among each other, enabling other LTS headphone owners to more quickly and easily modify their headphones in specific ways and achieve specific results. All while having the ease of mind coming from the fact that all modifications done to the headphones will be easily reversible.
ADVANCED DIY KITS
Even though LTS headphone models are designed to be fully finished and assembled products, then allowing the owners to decide whether they would like to keep their headphones in standard form or modify them, another, more extreme level of freedom will be available to those willing to try out more advanced DIY. Headphones will be available in DIY versions, as kits containing raw and unfinished components made of the same materials and using the same designs and manufacturing processes used for the finished headphones, but in this case having to be fully finished and assembled by the owners. Such kits have existed in the loudspeaker building community for a long time, doing the same with headphones is only natural in my opinion. This will enable owners to literally build their own headphones from start to finish, and end up with a high quality product that they will proudly call their own. One of the main goals of the LTS project is to give DIY-ers access to high quality components and well polished designs, that once assembled, won't feel or look like DIY items, but will rival the best products on the market in terms of design, attention to detail, fit and finish, durability and performance. They'll also offer a strong base to start from and to further modify in order to achieve specific goals.
As can be seen in the PROOF OF CONCEPT section of this website, if enough effort and care is put into it, a raw component can be turned into something beautiful and unique using nothing but hands and a few basic tools. Whether you are already a skilled and experienced DIY-er, or simply want to learn something new, the LTS DIY kits will be the perfect starting points. Featuring high quality raw components, with all the accessories and materials required for completion included in the kit, as well as various ear pad, cable and headphone driver suppliers available on the market, you will have the freedom to decide not only the functional characteristics of your headphone, but also what your headphone will look and feel like. A very detailed description of 3D printed part post-processing can be found in the LEARN MORE section of the website, helping the potential DIY-ers achieve better results. Written and filmed step-by-step guides will be freely available, making the process of building a headphone simpler and safer.
As can be seen in the PROOF OF CONCEPT section of this website, if enough effort and care is put into it, a raw component can be turned into something beautiful and unique using nothing but hands and a few basic tools. Whether you are already a skilled and experienced DIY-er, or simply want to learn something new, the LTS DIY kits will be the perfect starting points. Featuring high quality raw components, with all the accessories and materials required for completion included in the kit, as well as various ear pad, cable and headphone driver suppliers available on the market, you will have the freedom to decide not only the functional characteristics of your headphone, but also what your headphone will look and feel like. A very detailed description of 3D printed part post-processing can be found in the LEARN MORE section of the website, helping the potential DIY-ers achieve better results. Written and filmed step-by-step guides will be freely available, making the process of building a headphone simpler and safer.