Greetings! Here’s a quick look at the new 8K-X MAS Counter Weights we have been working on
Disclaimer: The intention of this post is not to convince MAS owners counter weights are necessary to make their headset comfortable. If you have no comfort issues that’s excellent This mod is simply intended for those having problems with the front weight. Please remember comfort is highly subjective to each user
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to meet with fellow forum user @Mikenz666 to see if we could make some improvements to his 8K-X MAS head strap. After some rigorous A/B testing of various mods we came up with the following solution (see picture below)
Just to note Mikes head strap has the faulty hinge issue restricting the head strap to fully drop at the back of the head. Either way Mike and I both agreed a 300 gram (11 Oz) counter weight certainly helps balance front weight and allows the user to easily line up sweet spot without overtightening the rear tensioner dial. We also found the wrap makes the perfect cable management solution to reroute the DVI cable to the lower center of the head strap. The two wraps sit behind the lower tringle pad and barely touch your head
While this mod helps improve overall comfort it is not a complete solution to the faulty hinge Issue. Pimax has clearly sent the wrong parts and should be looking to replace them ASAP
Just to note shipping times have slightly improved since the start of the pandemic. Most shipments are now meeting their target of 10-14 business days. Airmail shipments to Canada can take up to 2-3 weeks
Our new optional DHL Express service is rapid. Most US shipments are delivered in 2-3 days. Europe and Canada please be aware DHL Express shipments may incur import fees
I can confirm, with plastic hinge that can lower down enough, 8kx is still front heavy and weigh down putting me out of the sweet spot and also put stress on my neck. Tightening the strap stops that but gives me a headache instead lol.
I look forward to the revised hinges… With the headset balanced it requires less tightening of the mas. Win win. And with the strap sitting lower it should be almost perfect
My friend just received and installed his 3080, but dunno when mine will arrive, mine is a different model, and sure man let’s do it. I have just mounted the base stations, too bad 8kx only had a 5m cable or i could utilize more space.
It does seem like a lot, but for me at least 300 is good, maybe because I have a slightly larger nose and this keeps the weight off there and also from the padding under the eyes. I tried with heavier and lighter but it either felt like it was tilting back or not enough…
I have the same problem. I played Elite D for an hour or so and it was definitely less comfortable than my 8K with a DIY counterweight (which was 312 g – almost exactly the weight of this one). Unfortunately, I can’t just reuse it, since it interferes with the MAS adjustment knob.
I’ve ordered one of these counterweights, via DHL, so it should arrive in a few days. I’ll post again (in this thread) with my experience. So far it’s been good: I’ve already gotten my confirmation email.
I added 2 strips of double-sided velcro to the sides of my thin pad (under the notches). It blocks the light leaks and helps keep the headset from shifting to the side. It’s a very easy (and undoable) mod.
At this point, my main complaint about the 8KX is the reduced comfort (compared to my mod’ed 8K). (I’m completely ignoring the sub-par audio and I’m using separate headphones.) I’ve been working on a mini-review, which I think I’ll delay posting a little longer, so I can include this counterweight in the discussion.
The velcro does not touch the skin. It goes between the pad and the plastic frame on the sides of the comfort kit. Because it’s double-sided, you can build up as many layers as you need. I used 2 layers. The bottom is in 2 pieces, to follow the curve of the housing. I found that using different lengths worked better than a stack of 3 of the same size (due to light leakage at the gaps next to the thick ends). Now the foam pad touches the sides of my face, so there’s no light leakage.
Here’s a pic. I’ve pulled the pieces a little bit apart, to make the layers distinct for this photo.
Nice simple fix!. The face gasket is really important. The thin foam provided is for wide faces only. Large gaps on the side make the MAS far less stable
This mod is simply intended for those having problems with the front weight. Please remember comfort is highly subjective to each user
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