Remove inner mesh that protects the speakers?

[joshwalnut]

Please move if this is in the wrong section, i didn't know whether to post here or in "sound science"..
 
Hi, i recently was told that if you remove the inner mesh from your headphones that it could possibly increase sound quality.. i tested his theory and by golly it might have made a difference. I'm not completely sure though because it could also just be a placebo effect.. obviously we're talking about a minor change here...
 
He also said that the dust that does collect there "very little", collects all on the ring depression on top of the voice coil and can be easily cleaned with a small brush. I'm not saying he's right or wrong here, i just want to know what all you other enthusiasts think about this... is it possibly dangerous in the long run? Or do you yourself personally do it and have never found any negative effects by doing this?
 
Here's some pictures to show you what exactly i'm talking about.
 
With.. 

 
Without..

 
 
The piece that you take out.

 
 
I can also see that the mesh blocks the speaker a little bit on the outside where the plastic is on the mesh. I don't know, to me it sounds clearer but then again i really don't know because your mind can play tricks! errrrrrrrr! For reference it's the Sennheiser HD 558. I have also did the foam mod... as you can already see i just like to modify stuff lol.. i can't help it! It's a disease!

 

[ev13wt]

That is a pretty thick foam piece. I think it affects the sound slightly. Not as much as changing the pads themselves though.

Sound is going to reflect differently off your ear/head.

Sonic differences could be good or bad. The best way to test mods is to to listen to a sonically well known song, do only one side and listen to it again.

 

[joshwalnut]

Quote:

That is a pretty thick foam piece. I think it affects the sound slightly. Not as much as changing the pads themselves though.

Sound is going to reflect differently off your ear/head.

Sonic differences could be good or bad. The best way to test mods is to to listen to a sonically well known song, do only one side and listen to it again.

 
Could you tell me a well known "sonic" song? I'm having trouble finding one..BTW the mesh that covers the speakers is really thin.. it's the plastic on the outer edge that is thick and it covers part of the speaker.

 

[streetdragon]

here is a pic of the inner mesh that better shows its thickness/thinness 



im A/B testing them now again just to see again what is the difference

add on: after half an hour of testing with some vocal trance (mostly chicane - saltwater)
i found out that with the lining on the sound seems to have a less spacious soundstage, the bass is a less solid (feels less defined and less 'meaty'), the treble seems to be rolled of, and the upper mids are more forward. but most of all, the stock configuration is less transparent sounding

(and im about 80% sure placebo has not affected me at all)

also about the paintbrush, only use the softest and thinnest one available, since the drivers can be hard to reach are still very soft just like wet tissue paper although they don't break as nearly as easily as one

so for me, i shall put away my linings away into the packaging box once again

 

[joshwalnut]

Yeah i have a very hard time picking up differences... i can't really tell if it's the placebo effect or not. I'm gonna leave them off for now, and maybe in a months time after i get used to the sound i'll put them back on and see if i hear a difference. 
 
Also, streetdragon, did you notice on the left ear piece mesh is different then the right? The left one has a "bump" at the bottom while the right one doesn't (you can see it in your picture right below your index finger on the inside, see?). What the hell were they thinking lol

 

[streetdragon]

Quote:

Yeah i have a very hard time picking up differences... i can't really tell if it's the placebo effect or not. I'm gonna leave them off for now, and maybe in a months time after i get used to the sound i'll put them back on and see if i hear a difference. 
 
Also, streetdragon, did you notice on the left ear piece mesh is different then the right? The left one has a "bump" at the bottom while the right one doesn't (you can see it in your picture right below your index finger on the inside, see?). What the hell were they thinking lol

oh yeah i just noticed that, that's pretty odd. i suspect it has something to do with the left side having the wire attached to the headphone, though i can't see any reason for that bump. oh well.

and yeah these subtle differences can be hard to detect, take your time

 

 

[joshwalnut]

I put the mesh pieces back on... i didn't hear any difference. I'm gonna leave them on since there was a little dust getting on the inside drums also. Oh well, lesson learned lol. I'm not saying you're a liar or anything streetdragon you probably do hear a difference, but for me, no difference whatsoever.. maybe i'm not using the right amp (FiiO e10). Whatever, the 558's are still great though =D

 

[AzN1337c0d3r]

This is similar to the "stockings" mod for the HD6xx. With the HD6xx, it makes a world of difference though since their foam is as thick as a pancake.
 
In this case with the HD558 protective mesh, it's so thin that very few people, if any could tell the difference.

 

[streetdragon]

Quote:

This is similar to the "stockings" mod for the HD6xx. With the HD6xx, it makes a world of difference though since their foam is as thick as a pancake.
 
In this case with the HD558 protective mesh, it's so thin that very few people, if any could tell the difference.

I can, since i play with the eq i emphasize the subass and i feel its more rounded and solid with the mesh off, and the treble is slightly more sparkly. though the differences are very small, and the mids are completely unaffected as far as i can hear.
How does the HD6-- series sound without the mesh? brighter?