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.
- 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.
- 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 :
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!
October 9 2011 Edit : I don't have personal webspace anymore but I did put the pictures in my dropbox account which you can find there :
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/34049141/1/ES7%20Mod?h=2ca767
Edited by Squirsier - 10/9/11 at 3:06pm
