[tschanrm]

Last night I received a pair of AT's EW9 clip-on ear phones. I would rate their stock fit as C- and comfort at a B. SQ-wise it excels in detail, but lacks in bass. It's a design issue due to the swinging hinge. There is not enough tension to keep the ear phones snug against your ear, they flop around a bit.
 
The fix? flip the hinges. Use the left hing on the right ear phone, the right hing on the left ear phone. You lose the nifty swing mechanism, but now the ear phones can be manually adjusted for best fit. With the mod I would call the fit a B+ and the comfort a C. The snug fit keeps the phones against your ears, improving bass response.
 
If anyone's interested in this mod I can put together a quick picture tutorial.

 

[nonsupremous]

I'd like to see it.  How much did the bass improve?

 

[tschanrm]

Quote:

I'd like to see it.  How much did the bass improve?

The sound is full, more balanced. Most notable change was that female vocals sound more natural. Bass response is still less than my KSC-35s and about the same as HD280 Pro (although not as deep as the 280s). Let me also add that taking apart the swing mechanism illustrates the fine craftsmanship that goes into these headphones. IMO, though, it's overly complex and they could reduce cost by simplifying/removing the swing mechanism altogether. When I post pictures you'll see what I mean.

 

[tschanrm]

Here's some pics and explanation. You assume all responsibility if you decide to do this mod.
 
It's pretty self explanatory.I would work on a large white towel so the small parts don't get lost. Remove the small screw on the back-side of the hinge. It's thread-locked on, so make extra sure you have a philips bit that fits. After removing the screw, take patience and carefully push the hing up. Should take you a couple of minutes before you've pushed it to the point where it can be pulled out without damage. Three things should additionally come out, ball bearing, spring and metal shim. You won't need them, so store them in a small zip-lock bag.
 
Now it's just a matter of repeating the steps for the other earphone, flipping the hinges, and adjusting for best fit. Make sure to put the screw back in when you've found the right fit.
 
Black screw that needs removing:

 
Tiny little pieces, don't lose them!

 
Hing is now reversed.