GREQ
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm not sure I agree with all that- "great" doesn't always mean flat response. I like some coloration if it adds to the character of a headphone. But yeah, vintage stuff is seriously overbuilt, and I love how solid some of that stuff is. I just purchased a pair of Beyer DT-48 S from years and years ago, and they really don't make em like that anymore. I haven't modified anything much further beyond pad swaps yet, so I'm only just getting into that aspect. Maybe it's unfair to say as a layman on modding, but it seems like some of the mods people perform are so superficial... I can't imagine it being worth the effort.
Takato isn't saying that a flat response = a great headphone.
Simply that you will find flaws in them, and one should be prepared to mod if one is to obtain the higher quality sound reproduction. But like vintage cars, some people just enjoy them how they are. There's no right or wrong.
Resonance peaks are very common, so it's a good 'textbook' example.
The mods some people perform are 100% superficial
Take a look at the Grado modding thread. Over half the mods there are focused almost entirely on aesthetics.
But yes, it is very unfair to generalize. If you have a look through the Ortho-roundup thread, you'll see almost exclusively sound-oriented modifications, most of which are worth the effort.