AudiophileAri
Sponsor: Audeze
Member of the Trade: 1MORE, HELM Audio
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2015
- Posts
- 89
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- 57
OK, I am back with a mod update.
1More definitely had the right idea by dampening the ceramic driver with the thicker 4-layer foam. However, by covering everything with the foam disc, they also dampened the full details from the wonderful dynamic driver. I combined the 2 tuning methods for the best of both worlds!
The result is a big improvement over stock, and I am 100% pleased with the results. It takes everything good about the stock sound, and fixes the deficiencies. The results is like the stock tuning, except ripped on steroids (w/no fatigue or sibilance).
So basically here's what you do:
1. Remove the ear pads and set them aside. They are glued with a sticky, reusable adhesive. Gently pry the pads up (slowly working your way around the circumference) by applying leverage with a metal spudger tool or non-serrated butter knife.
2. Remove the round foam disc as explained above (peeling up from the edges, and temporarily sticking it to a scrap of wax paper).
3. Using scissors, cut ONE of the foam pads in half:
4. Now cut each half info half again:
5. Now set aside the outer (smallest) pieces, as they will not be used for this mod. You will be using the (2) larger pieces (indicated by arrows):
6. On the face of the "grille", you will notice a section of "solid" plastic on either side of the ceramic driver (where there are no holes).
Now imagine making a straight line that goes through that solid section of plastic, intersecting the ceramic driver (as indicated by the yellow line below). This imaginary line is where you'll be putting the foam strip in step 8.
7. Take 1 of the long pieces of foam from step 5 above, and remove it from the wax paper, exposing the adhesive:
8. Now stick the foam over the area that was indicated by the yellow line in step 6. The strip of foam adheres to the outer edges of the driver grille (just like the round foam disc did):
9. Reinstall the ear pad.
10. On the other side, remove the round foam disc from step 2. However, do not cut that foam pad. Since you created (2) long pieces of foam in step 5, simply use the other foam piece to complete the mod (by following steps 6-9).
11. Save the unused foam disc on a scrap of wax paper (as well as the smaller unused pieces of foam from step 5) in a plastic bag for safe keeping. You'll be able to revert back to the "stock" configuration at any point in time, by simply peeling the pieces from the wax paper and putting everything back where it was originally.
I will keep evaluating other improvements to this headphone, but for such a simple 10 minute mod, I am very pleased with the results; a 100% improvement.
Obviously I know warranty void blah blah blah, so standard 'do mod at your own risk' disclaimer here.
I am going to repeat the mod on the gold version as well (since I know most people own that version). Since it uses the same large round foam disc, I expect the improvements to be positive as well. I will report the results.
@AudiophileAri, please consider passing this along to the engineering department for evaluation and consideration. This simple modification to the manufacturing process could be easily implemented.
Cool dissection, I will pass along the feedback.
Ari
