[Gr8Desire]

Sennheiser spent $60 million on R&D last year.  Beyerdynamics claims that 10% of employees work in research.  Yet neither company has a clue. They purposely ship their products with components that significantly impair performance!

 According to audiophiles:

1. Stock cables aren't fit to be used as bag ties.  Simply replace these cables and your headphones will sing like angels.

2. Stock dust covers impair performance so that even flagships sound like tin cans. Remove one piece of foam and your mediocre headphone become hall-of-fame masterpieces. 

You have to shake your head: How could these reputable companies with 100's of trained engineers create such great products and miss things as obvious as foam and wires?

 

[KyPeN]

I see your point and where you're going with this.  In general, I agree with you.  However, I did the AKG K701 bass mod.  The process is to open up the side of each earphone and remove a small sticker that is blocking airflow to a bass port.  I'm sure it's there for a reason.  I know that it gives the headphone the sound signature they desire.  However, I really enjoy the boomy, thumpy bass it gives the headphone.  
 
My point is, I changed something that is an integral design choice by the engineers and researchers and I appreciate the sound to the point where I used to want to sell the cans, but no longer do.  Sometimes, users just want something slightly different than what the engineers intended.  As an engineer, I can confidently say that we design for the masses, which means it's not perfect for anyone.  Power users (approx. 1% of customers from my old job's telemetry) make slight customizations and tweaks to satisfy little desires that most folks just don't care about.  

 

[Gr8Desire]

  I see your point and where you're going with this.  In general, I agree with you.  However, I did the AKG K701 bass mod.  The process is to open up the side of each earphone and remove a small sticker that is blocking airflow to a bass port.  I'm sure it's there for a reason.  I know that it gives the headphone the sound signature they desire.  However, I really enjoy the boomy, thumpy bass it gives the headphone.  
 
My point is, I changed something that is an integral design choice by the engineers and researchers and I appreciate the sound to the point where I used to want to sell the cans, but no longer do.  Sometimes, users just want something slightly different than what the engineers intended.  As an engineer, I can confidently say that we design for the masses, which means it's not perfect for anyone.  Power users (approx. 1% of customers from my old job's telemetry) make slight customizations and tweaks to satisfy little desires that most folks just don't care about.  

And I understand your point.  

But do you really think the inventors of a product don't try these obvious modifications? I'm thinking vendors would specify 12 gauge wire if it made any difference - particularly on a product north of $1K.

There are only a limited number of changes a consumer can make. Isn't it suspicious that these modifications, selected from such a limited range, make such a profound difference?

 

 

[Ruben123]

Cables dont make a difference in sound, engineers do know that, audiophiles dont. Also, think about this. There's a reason a headphone sounds like it as how it sounds. The engineers intended it to sound like that. If they wanted it to be for instance bassier, they would not cover the holes with foam etc.

 

[KyPeN]

  Cables dont make a difference in sound, engineers do know that, audiophiles dont. Also, think about this. There's a reason a headphone sounds like it as how it sounds. The engineers intended it to sound like that. If they wanted it to be for instance bassier, they would not cover the holes with foam etc.

Right, but that's precisely my point!  I'm not that engineer.  I have my own tastes.  I made a change that I like.  I don't really care what the engineers intended at all, and that's my profession.  I care that they built a robust product that functions like I want and expect.  The K701 didn't.  Then, I modded it.  Now it does.  I'm happy, despite the engineers' intentions.  

 

[Ruben123]

I completely understand your question, but, and that's where it gets interesting, a 1k$ headphone of company A sounds different from company B. Both can be built with highest quality materials and precision, but sound totally different because the engineers wanted it to sound like that. Maybe they know modding X, Y and Z can make the sound of the headphone completely else, but I guess they dont care, because its sound is how they wanted it to

 

[Gr8Desire]

  Right, but that's precisely my point!  I'm not that engineer.  I have my own tastes.  I made a change that I like.  I don't really care what the engineers intended at all, and that's my profession.  I care that they built a robust product that functions like I want and expect.  The K701 didn't.  Then, I modded it.  Now it does.  I'm happy, despite the engineers' intentions.  

Could you do exactly the same with a couple of EQ tweaks?

 

[icebear]

Headphone companies are so stupid.

I guess they "facepalm" all day

 
Customers are stupid too :
1. For still buying headphones from stupid companies
2. For not having a rough understanding how design and marketing of commercial products work

 

[sonitus mirus]

 
Could you do exactly the same with a couple of EQ tweaks?

 
I can't speak for the K701 updates, but I did apply some damping material in the cups and other areas of my Denon D5000 headphones.  This mod was closer to room treatment though, and I don't believe that EQ could accomplish similar results.   I wanted a similar bass impact, but with a reduction in reverberations.  I don't know if it worked or not, but I think it did.  I know better than to make claims without proper testing, and I have no reasonable way to make any worthwhile tests on the matter.

 

[vid]

Even past preference, this isn't hardware that probes the shape of your ear and adapts to it to produce the 'intended' sound. If they didn't design the phones for your particular ear, which is likely, it's not a stretch that you can improve on their design even where you share the exact preference of the engineers.
 
Quote:

 
I don't believe that EQ could accomplish similar results.

 
It does, and probably more accurately.

 

[sonitus mirus]

 
It does, and probably more accurately.

 
Perhaps I am relating my headphone use to my speaker setup.  Normally to reduce echos and reverberations, physical damping is recommended.  Why wouldn't EQ be the end-all solution for any room, if it can accomplish the same thing more accurately?

 

[vid]

You're free to do as you please, of course.

 

[sonitus mirus]

  You're free to do as you please, of course.

 
I don't believe it would be a practical solution for me with my headphones, as the sources that I normally use have no easy way for me to analyze and apply proper EQ.  

 

[gotak]

  Sennheiser spent $60 million on R&D last year.  Beyerdynamics claims that 10% of employees work in research.  Yet neither company has a clue. They purposely ship their products with components that significantly impair performance!

 According to audiophiles:

1. Stock cables aren't fit to be used as bag ties.  Simply replace these cables and your headphones will sing like angels.

2. Stock dust covers impair performance so that even flagships sound like tin cans. Remove one piece of foam and your mediocre headphone become hall-of-fame masterpieces. 

You have to shake your head: How could these reputable companies with 100's of trained engineers create such great products and miss things as obvious as foam and wires?

 
Not stupid at all. After all they have 60 million to spend so clearly guys like you are buying. What's the problem? Job done. Bonuses for everyone.