The "blu-tack and cotton stuffing" ATH-ES7 Mod Thread! (56k Warning!)

[Squirsier]

Before anything else...

I take no credit for this. The original mod has been performed by -=Germania=-. I was simply curious, and decided to do it on my own pair of ATH-ES7 and took pictures detailing the process while -=Germania=- was giving me much needed advice.

What will this mod accomplish?

- It will remove the muddiness, giving a clear, sharp and detailed sound. The high and mid frequencies open up but the bass quantity remains the same. Vocals sound so much better. Soundstage is also fairly untouched.

- It will also give you the option of trying out different dampening material to tailor the new sound signature to your taste, especially in the high end area.

- This mod will most definitely VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

Can I reverse the mod?

- It might be possible. Behind the driver, lies a thick yellow foaming pad that is glued. If you are extremely careful, you might be able to remove the padding w/o too much damage to it and re-apply later on, should you decide that you prefer the original sound. The blu-tack itself can easily be removed w/o any left over residue.

Any advice before I proceed?

- Patience is the key in every step. From removing the pads (which is rather easy), to unscrewing the drivers from the cups and accessing them. You're playing with your hard earned money here, so be wise and do it slow.

- Do one side at a time, and then after you're done, assemble everything back and play some music. You'll instantly recognize that the sound of the side you just modified has changed, no doubt - but the impression you'll get will be the deciding factor in how you decide to procede. Will you like it and do the other side or stop here and undo? Always better to go one step at a time, even if you're too curious to hear the final results!

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This guide is devided into 9 sections :

1. Let's do it! What do I need?
2. Removing the Pads
3. Removing the Screws
4. Getting Rid of the Yellow Foam
5. Blu-Tack the Back of the Driver and Cup
6. Stuffing, aka, Dampening Part One
7. Stuffing, aka, Dampening Part Deux
8. The End?
9. More Alternatives!

1. Let's do it! What do I need?

1 cotton ball
Blu-tack
Foaming pad
A 00 or 0 sized Philips Screwdriver
Scissors (not pictured)
Soft cloth to put the ATH-ES7 over while you're working on them - you don't want those shiny cups scratched, do you?



2. Removing the Pads

- This is easy. Put your index finger underneath the pad, and push them outside a little. Use your thumb to get the pad free from the cups, as so :



- Then just go all the way around, and the pad will be free!

3. Removing the Screws

- After the pad is off, you'll have 4 screws to remove to free the driver from the cup :



- A size 00 or 0 Philips screwdriver will do the job nicely :



4. Getting Rid of the Yellow Foam

- Carefully flip the driver over (watch for that cable!), and you'll be left with this :



- As mentioned at the beginning of this guide, it might be possible to save the foam, if you are careful when removing it. It is glued quite good down there. But if you don't care, just rip it off, and use a fingernail to remove the leftovers :



5. Blu-Tack the Back of the Driver and Cup



- Notice how the middle part of the cup is lower. You'll need to add a VERY thin amount of blu-tack everywhere, but I suggest starting with the edges. Work with your fingers to really push the blu-tack down to a thin layer.

- Add an even amount of blu-tack on the back of the driver and make sure to leave the center hole free. I went with about 5mm.

- Things should somewhat look like this now :



- You'll need to add a thicker layer of blu-tack all around the cup. I said thicker, but just barely thicker than what you just put on the back of the cup :



- Finish the job by covering the center of the cup with another layer of thin blu-tack. All done with it!

6. Stuffing, aka, Dampening Part One

- Now things here get down to your personal preferences. The original mod calls for adding loose cotton or poly stuffing on the back of the cup. And it HAS to be loose - too much will make things a LOT more bright and you might lose the bass. If you can see through the cotton/poly stuffing, you did a good job :



- The picture is a bit deceptive, it's a lot looser than what it looks like. Pull fine strains of cotton and add them. Not much more than that.


7. Stuffing, aka, Dampening Part Deux

- Personally, I found the ATH-ES7 to be too bright with the cotton stuffing. I even ended up removing everything in the middle but was still unsatisfied. I looked around for something I could use and found some foam padding. I cut a small "roundish" circle, about 5mm thick and placed it at the bottom of the cup. When you close the driver over the cup, the driver becomes sealed with it :



- To my ears, it made everything almost perfect. And that's where the interesting part of this mod lies - try different stuffing material! Different porousness of materials will probably yield very different results. In the end, it's all about tuning your ATH-ES7 to your ears!

8. The End?

- For the original version of the mod, that's about it. In the 9th section, you will find alternatives (ie, using different materials) on this mod.

9. More Alternatives!

- Okay, I came up with it about an hour after I wrote this guide. I don't know the acoustic properties of blu-tack, but having had a studio for almost 10 years, I am pretty well aware of the dampening properties of cork. One thing that it does well is that it prevents echoing. Lo and behold, I forgot about those old wine bottles I keep here for decoration...

At first, I simply added a thin round circle of cork straight on top of the driver. I removed the blu-tack, and kept just a tiny bit to make sure the cork would stick :



-=Germania=- suggested that I opened up the middle to give the ES7 the maximum resolution :



- Frankly, I am satisfied enough. My "headphone test" playlist left me very happy, my ears are not tired, the sound is sharp and clear and still warm. Those, as I said, are definitely not the same pair of ES7 I acquired 5 months ago!

[DeTrun]

Oh, this is very nice. Thank you for making this thread I'm going to try it out, but I have to send my ES7 back, because they have stopped working, both sides. Oh well.

[PieRat]

Subscribed for later use.

[Squirsier]

Glad you guys find this helpful!

I guess I am feeling adventurous today. I was still looking at something else to dampen the sound... When I looked around, I saw a few old wine bottles, empty, that I keep for decoration.... hello.... cork!

I removed all the blu-tack around the driver, except for a few tiny bits to make the cork stick. I did cut a slice of about 4mm thick (any thicker and the cups wouldn't close), and then put it straight on top of the driver.

Right now, I am wowing. I think this might be the sweet spot. But I reserve later judgment when I'll have listened to enough music with that mod. I can say tho, sharp sharp sharp and clear while still being warm.

Edit : I know that cork is being used in studios to absorb sound and limit echo. I am looking really hard right now to find any clue of any frequencies being muffled. I'll get back on this after I listen to my "headphone test" playlist!

Edit 2 : I added the info into the original post.

[-=Germania=-]

Cut out a center circle. That will open up the driver more and let you get a bit more resolution. In the ESW9, it is the key to success.

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by -=Germania=-

Cut out a center circle. That will open up the driver more and let you get a bit more resolution. In the ESW9, it is the key to success.

Done !

Will listen more. That might be the sweet spot (okay, I said that before... :P ). One thing for sure, these aren't the ES7 I purchased

Edit : Added info and picture into the original post.

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by -=Germania=-

Cut out a center circle. That will open up the driver more and let you get a bit more resolution. In the ESW9, it is the key to success.

I'm amazed at how much better the vocals sound now with this mod, am I just cheerfully imagining things or was that something you noticed too?

[steviebee]

Neat, Germania and Squirsier. Cheers. Good pix too, very clear and helpful. I was thinking to sell the ol 7's but maybe I should try this first....

[Squirsier]

Out of curiosity I ended up removing everything behind the drivers + cotton filling. So basically, all they have now is the thin layer of blu-tack at the bottom of the cups. Hello bass monsters. Maybe not DT770-like (which I also own) but nevertheless very bassy. I wouldn't say bloated tho. Interesting...

[squid+]

Thanks for posting, especially the pictures. I read about this the other day but I've been reluctant to try, but pictures help a lot.

[edit] Well, after about and hour or hour and a half, I've settled on something. I went with simply a fully tacked back and the ring around the driver. The bass is just right for me. I tried originally just cutting a hole in the yellow, sounded alright. I also ripped the wires from one driver, so be careful! They aren't stuck on there too tight, plus the wires are thin. I soldered them back no problem, but it was just extra trouble.

[yukihiro]

Awesome. I did something similar to mine. Except I tac'd the entire flat area of the cup including the middle circle area. I also left the original yellow padding. I'm not sure how it sounds the way you did it, but mine sound a bit smoother all around. I'm sure it probably sounds somewhat similar to what you guys did though.

[Squirsier]

Originally Posted by yukihiro

Awesome. I did something similar to mine. Except I tac'd the entire flat area of the cup including the middle circle area. I also left the original yellow padding. I'm not sure how it sounds the way you did it, but mine sound a bit smoother all around. I'm sure it probably sounds somewhat similar to what you guys did though.

In the end, I did end up blu-tacking the middle of the cup also, but I went with 2mm thin of cork with a hole in the middle, and the packing foam underneath. Very happy, will stop going inside these for a while

[chews89]

Great guide squirsier! I may perform this mod sometime in the future. Although voiding the warranty may prevent me from doing so as I have already exchanged my es7s for a new pair after the cable snapped. Ohwell, we'll see how it goes.

[aragornmustdie]

today i performed germania's soundstage mod for esw9 on the es7. it is basically stuffing the back part of the pad so that the driver become angled.

the result is very good i should say. improved soundstage and imaging. germania you truly are an awesome DIY-er!

[Xan7hos]

great stuff! have you considered using a butyl based substance, like Dynamat Xtreme?