[TegraStorm]

So I have had my m100s for about 9 months now and i use them frequently, at least 4 hours every single day. With time i noticed it has gotten a very tiny layer of dirt, i assume its from all the sweat it has gotten from my ears with time, and even though i don't feel like its affecting the sound, it isnt pleasing to see it there and im pretty sure it will start having a bad smell if i keep it there, the most i have done is scratched it a bit to get some of it out but im not relying on this because not only it isn't really cleaning it but it might also make it harder to remove. I have at my disposal a vapor machine which could clean it but i obviously need to take it appart so i dont ruin any circuit, diafragm etc... 
both sides of it are like this, so any idea on how i can disassemble it safely or just clean that would be appreciated.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Does that part of the pad come off when the pads are removed? Some pads have a thin cloth cover over the opening, and some do not.

 

[TegraStorm]

I have no idea and honestly I dont want to try to remove it, pretty expensive headphones for me so i would only remove the pads if you are supposed to be able to...
 
EDIT: ok i looked it up and yes it removes together with the earpad, can i put it back on?

 

[TegraStorm]

New problem: i could change the ear pads and stuff so ill buy new ones, but i need to remove this...

 
i am trying to remove it with a brush but because i think its ear wax (yuck 

) it is very sticky and its not really coming off much

 

[TegraStorm]

OK so i managed to get as much off as I could, I used a brush, a thin metal instrument and a microscope to clean it out, some small pieces of wax/dirt fell in between the protective metal and the diaphragm, playing close attention to the music i could hear a bit of interferrence on the diaphragm with the dirt there but its barely noticeable so i guess i might not worry much, but sad thing i couldn't get off the dirt on the pads nor from the diaphragm. Now i need to buy new pads and there should be a way to clean it, and I don't think im the only person to experience this.
 

 
If you look closely, you can notice some parts which still have some orange spots, thats what fell on the diaphragm (imaged below)

 
 
 
 

 
took me about an hour and  a half to remove it, needed patience to do so, if anyone knows how can i clean them and not just remove pieces of it it would be great.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I probably would have tried alcohol or maybe something like "goof-off" on a rag, then rubbing the rag on the mesh. Something that would evaporate fairly quickly.

They sell replacement pads for a reason - they intend for you to replace them.

 

[TegraStorm]

nice idea, im not sure how I didnt come up with that one, and yeah, new pads it is, thanks

 

[Mach Supremacy]

Get the XXL earpads, they're more comfortable and since they're thicker, your ears might not touch the inner part of the pad.

 

[TegraStorm]

I was checking them out when looking at some videos on youtube about the pads on them, Ill get those for sure, thanks for the recommendation!

 

[bjsampson]

I encountered the same problem with the original earpads that came with my M100. I have a rather large head and there was discomfort with the original earpads so I ended up purchasing the XL pads but after having used the XL pads for about 6 months, I can say this is still a problem I have despite more room for my ears. I'm not sure what's the best way to clean these but I hope someone can chime in with some helpful tips.
 
Has anyone tried disassembling the M100? I would love to see if you could somehow remove that piece to give it a good deep cleaning with a brush without fear of damaging the components behind it.

 

[Axiomatic333]

Same problem with vmoda lp2, although it isnt bad for now.  Is the same thing possible if need be?  Also, anyway i could not take the pads off?

 

[TovarischAndrew]

I've done a near complete dissasembly of my Crossfade LPs, and have had them for 6 years with anywhere from 1-12 hours a day, every day. 
I've cleaned mine once every two years, and have made the switch from the standard ear covers to XL about a year ago.
 
The ear covers do come off, V-MODA even has a guide on their site i think, and then the metal grate covering the speakers comes off aswell; it is held on by the same magnet in the speaker. Find something to hook into one of the holes, and pry up and outward. This makes cleaning the grate much easier.
 
When actually cleaning it, up until now an effective and easy way i've found is to just poke out each hole and rinse under running water. Next time i'll clean them i'll have to see if I can use some sort of non-polar solvent, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solvent#Non-polar_solvents_2), and maybe even gasoline, but then my ears might smell like a gas station. 
 
Another annoying problem i've found is that the thin leather coating wears off eventually, leaving bits of it in and around my ear sometimes, and the best way to deal with this is to just peel off any remaining scraps before they rub off on yourself. 

 

[CelestialVoices]

... and then the metal grate covering the speakers comes off aswell; it is held on by the same magnet in the speaker. Find something to hook into one of the holes, and pry up and outward. This makes cleaning the grate much easier.

Could you give more info on how you did this? I was able to remove the cushions on my LP quite easily. I tried unscrewing the metal plate held down by the 7 screws but on the other side there's the driver and its wire (and I didn't want to mess with it).
I tried removing the metal grate but I don't want to force it. What did you use to remove it? Also do you have Crossfade LP or LP2?

 

[d4rknezz]

Could you give more info on how you did this? I was able to remove the cushions on my LP quite easily. I tried unscrewing the metal plate held down by the 7 screws but on the other side there's the driver and its wire (and I didn't want to mess with it).
I tried removing the metal grate but I don't want to force it. What did you use to remove it? Also do you have Crossfade LP or LP2?

So...removing the metal grate/grill does not require you to unscrew the 7 screws. I found this out the hard way. @TovarischAndrew was correct, it was held down by magnet. It didnt seem like it though, and i tried prying it away with a needle and the needle bent.
Later on, after having purchased a new vmoda through the immortal life program, i took a cork screw opener and pulled at the grate. it popped out. Its just a pretty strong magnet combined with not being able to actual grip the grate/grill. Be careful, i bent the grate a little, having put too much force.

 

[VirtualNEET]

So...removing the metal grate/grill does not require you to unscrew the 7 screws. I found this out the hard way. @TovarischAndrew was correct, it was held down by magnet. It didnt seem like it though, and i tried prying it away with a needle and the needle bent.
Later on, after having purchased a new vmoda through the immortal life program, i took a cork screw opener and pulled at the grate. it popped out. Its just a pretty strong magnet combined with not being able to actual grip the grate/grill. Be careful, i bent the grate a little, having put too much force.

Can confirm, this is really helpful. I upgraded from the LP to LP2 recently so I thought I'd try taking apart the LP to see if it was possible to clean out wax later on, I ended up prying off a bunch of glued together parts, breaking some pieces, and still didn't manage to get within the metal mesh.

After coming across this thread it turns out just taking off the pad and using something small enough like a bent staple to pop off the mesh from the magnet is the easiest and safest way to clean it. Just need to be careful not to poke the thin plastic underneath or bend the mesh. I haven't tested it with the LP2 yet but I'm assuming it should be the same process, hopefully they didn't end up gluing the mesh to the magnet or something.

Edit: I jinxed it, the mesh on the LP2 is glued together...