LTA V3 v.0.9
As the version suggests, this is the V3 prototype in a highly developed stage after multiple previous iterations of all components have been tested and the design language, as well as the main design goals of the headphone have been firmly established. Therefore, the v.0.9, developed in 2017/2018, served as the basis for the first fully built and finished prototype that was both functionally and aesthetically on a high level. Multiple versions of the headphone were previously designed to various degrees of completion, some of them remained only in virtual CAD form, while others were built as primitive prototypes used for testing and experimenting. At this stage and leading up to it, several key ideas and principles have been applied, tested and confirmed for use on future versions:
Following the v.0.9 prototype, virtually all components have been further redesigned, refined and improved over a course of two years, while still staying true to the original design language. Most of the changes leading up the v.1.0 version of the headphone in 2019/2020 were functional in nature. The visual design aspects have mostly remained the same with only minor changes. Working on the v.0.9 prototype also enabled me to understand a lot of acoustic principles and develop a feel for what works and what doesn't when it comes to translating design changes on virtual models into real differences in terms of acoustic characteristics of a headphone. This experience and knowledge applies to all other headphones I've worked on since, and will work on in the future. More information about the V3 v.1.0 prototype can be found here, while more general information about the LTA V3 model and the future plans related to it can be found here.
- Use of Carbon Fiber and Graphite reinforced polyamide in the construction, confirming the suitability of said materials for this project.
- Multiple SLS and MJF additive manufacturing technologies tested, confirming their precision, quality and reliability.
- Appropriate types of metal grills and meshes found.
- Special tools and jigs developed for cutting metal mesh and hexagonal grills into appropriate shapes.
- Assembly methods and interactions between components tested successfully.
- Very tight assembly tolerances established (0.1 - 0.2 mm built in gaps) and a perfectly solid feel of the assembled headphone confirmed.
- Weight and weight distribution of the assembled headphone close to being finalized.
- Choice of brass threaded inserts and all fasteners finalized, confirming their usability in the project.
- Multiple assembly and disassembly cycles completed, confirming the ease of replacing or upgrading components with no wear or damages.
- Confirmed ability to post-process used materials to a high quality finish fully resembling the virtual 3D model.
- Clearances between moving components reduced, with the critical gap between hinge yokes and ear cups reduced to only 0.75 mm.
- Headband spring steel and padding sourced and tested.
- Headband adjustment mechanism geometry, along with the complex geometry of hinges and sliders finalized.
- Choice of drivers narrowed down to only a few of the best performing offerings on the market.
- Dimensions of the driver socket and driver attachment method finalized.
- Choice of ear pads narrowed down to only a few best performing models.
- Forward offset, depth and angle of the driver relative to the listeners ear close to being finalized.
- A unique dual layer baffle with a removable filter frame successfully tested.
- Shape and volume of the enclosed ear pad chamber close to being finalized.
- Shape and volume of the acoustic chamber at the rear of the driver close to being finalized.
- Shapes and sizes of the tuning ports on the baffles and cups close to being finalized.
- Appropriate high quality acoustic SAATI mesh filters sourced and tested, bringing the sound balance of the headphone close to the final goal.
- Suitable cable connectors found and the durability & strength of the connector attachment point on the headphone baffle tested.
Following the v.0.9 prototype, virtually all components have been further redesigned, refined and improved over a course of two years, while still staying true to the original design language. Most of the changes leading up the v.1.0 version of the headphone in 2019/2020 were functional in nature. The visual design aspects have mostly remained the same with only minor changes. Working on the v.0.9 prototype also enabled me to understand a lot of acoustic principles and develop a feel for what works and what doesn't when it comes to translating design changes on virtual models into real differences in terms of acoustic characteristics of a headphone. This experience and knowledge applies to all other headphones I've worked on since, and will work on in the future. More information about the V3 v.1.0 prototype can be found here, while more general information about the LTA V3 model and the future plans related to it can be found here.
4K RESOLUTION 3D RENDERS
High quality rendered images of the v.0.9 version of the V3 prototype. A fully assembled headphone can be seen first, followed by several images with parts gradually being removed, revealing the headphone internals, followed by highly detailed images of individual components. Renders contain only fully functional 3D CAD files of headphone components, the exact same files that were used to manufacture the physical parts that can be seen below and that were used to build the functioning prototype. On top of that, all the physical parts were post-processed in an attempt to make them look as similar to 3D files as possible. As a result, the physical prototype headphone represents the virtual 3D headphone very accurately. There are only two placeholder components visible in the renders that are not identical to the components featured in the physical prototype, and those are the cable connectors and the headphone drivers, both of which are not manufactured or designed by LTA in reality. Placeholder virtual drivers and connectors are original LTA designs but will not be manufactured, and are only generic representations of their real counterparts.
Click on "Play" to start a slideshow or click on an image to open it in 4K resolution.
RAW PARTS
Components seen in this section are manufactured using SLS additive manufacturing out of three types of materials and are presented without any post-processing applied to them. Some of the grey components are manufactured out of a Carbon Fiber reinforced polyamide (hinges, frames, sliders, driver holders, hinge attachment pieces) , while others are manufactured out of a Graphite reinforced polyamide (baffles, outer cups, filter frames, headband components). Carbon Fiber reinforced polyamide has the highest strength and stiffness to weight ratio of any additive manufacturing material available at the moment, and is therefore only used for components that are under high mechanical stress and are relatively small in terms of volume. Graphite reinforced polyamide is used for larger components, and has slightly different properties, with less stiffness, but more flexibility, and is also an extremely advanced material vastly superior to other types of polymers used in the headphone industry, such as the most commonly used ABS. Visually, these two materials are virtually identical and are manufactured using the same additive manufacturing technology. Dimensional stability of these materials is extremely high, allowing for very tight assembly tolerances. In raw form, these materials have a slightly textured surface, with <0.1 mm stepping lines visible on parts of the components that are close to parallel with the horizontal plane. White components seen below are manufactured out of a regular PA12, which offers mechanical properties similar to ABS but with more flexibility and wear resistance, and is therefore used for the ear pad attachment frames. Please note that due to close-up photography, surface quality of these components appears more uneven and rough on pictures than it is in reality, however, they still require post-processing work in order to look as good as possible. More information about materials is available on the MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES page.
POST-PROCESSING
In this section parts can be seen during the post-processing stages. Only the outer cup shells, hinges and frames are shown, but the same steps apply to all components. You can see the cups after they were masked to protect critical assembly areas and sprayed with a plastic primer, which gives the components a slightly shiny appearance. After that, the components were lightly sanded and sprayed with several layers of high build filler, which was then sanded until a smooth surface was achieved. The point of this step is to fill up all the low spots on the surface of the plastic and create a flat surface area before the base coat and clear coat can be applied. Components can be seen after applying the base coat and the clear coat, before and after being polished to a final finish. Identical steps were taken while processing the hinges and frames.
The process itself is only shown in a very simplified way in this section.To get a more detailed understanding of the methods used to achieve a high quality finish on 3D printed parts, please visit the LEARN MORE page where you can find a detailed post-processing guide.
The process itself is only shown in a very simplified way in this section.To get a more detailed understanding of the methods used to achieve a high quality finish on 3D printed parts, please visit the LEARN MORE page where you can find a detailed post-processing guide.
FINISHED PARTS AND FULL ASSEMBLY
Fully post-processed and polished components assembled into the first high quality prototype of this headphone model. It's a result of multiple component iterations and a lot of trial and error. Particularly important is the fact that post-processing methods used on SLS and MJF manufactured parts have been fully developed and tested, proven to be repeatable and reliable, meaning that it's possible to completely hide the fact that components were 3D printed, and achieve a level of finish quality superior to that found on mass produced injection molded plastic components. Gaps and transitions between components are seamless and very consistent, in part due to the fact that SLS manufactured components have dimensional tolerances below 0.1 mm per 100 mm, and in part due to very careful post-processing. Because of that, all of the components fit together extremely well and form a tight and solid assembly that gives off an impression of a very high quality item with a sense of solidity that I don't recall feeling on many other headphones, while still being very lightweight. The sense of solidity is not only a result of very tight assembly tolerances, but also a result of the sandwiched structure of the ear cup being held together by ten high quality brass threaded inserts and high strength stainless steel fasteners, as well as the extremely strong and rigid Carbon Fiber and Graphite reinforced polyamide materials used for component production. This insures a high degree of mechanical reliability and impact resistance, but even more importantly, it makes the whole assembly very acoustically inert, allowing the headphone driver to perform optimally.
A lot of attention was paid to the clear coat finish, which was wet sanded and hand polished to a perfect mirror finish, as can be seen on the pictures below. Not only is the finish absolutely flawless, especially impressive when seen in person, it's also very durable, as the components seen in the pictures below have been used during various prototyping and testing stages over the last two years. The headphone has been disassembled and assembled dozens of times and has been treated roughly on purpose, in order to test how durable the finish is. I'm happy to report that all of the components still look exactly the same after two years of use, with no scratch marks, cracks or any degradation visible. The high quality 2K clear coat used in this project is designed for automotive applications, and can withstand all the abuse cars go through in various weather conditions, so it's not a surprise at all that it's more than adequate for a headphone. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth reveals that the mirror finish is still as impressive as it was two years ago. It's important to note that any potential scratches in the future can easily be wet sanded using 2500 grit sanding paper, and then polished to a mirror finish again, meaning that repairs are possible if necessary.
A lot of attention was paid to the clear coat finish, which was wet sanded and hand polished to a perfect mirror finish, as can be seen on the pictures below. Not only is the finish absolutely flawless, especially impressive when seen in person, it's also very durable, as the components seen in the pictures below have been used during various prototyping and testing stages over the last two years. The headphone has been disassembled and assembled dozens of times and has been treated roughly on purpose, in order to test how durable the finish is. I'm happy to report that all of the components still look exactly the same after two years of use, with no scratch marks, cracks or any degradation visible. The high quality 2K clear coat used in this project is designed for automotive applications, and can withstand all the abuse cars go through in various weather conditions, so it's not a surprise at all that it's more than adequate for a headphone. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth reveals that the mirror finish is still as impressive as it was two years ago. It's important to note that any potential scratches in the future can easily be wet sanded using 2500 grit sanding paper, and then polished to a mirror finish again, meaning that repairs are possible if necessary.