Return of the Qualia

Well, the 010 is going back for repair or replacement. I can't believe that these are supposed to sound like this. There's a very unnatural artifically enclosed sound to these phones, which is probably the result of uncontrolled resonance within the earcup. As a fellow Head-Fi member and I experimented and as some pointed out, limiting the highs controls this to a degree... but does not eliminate it. And 'making do with a fix' is not in my vocabulary for a $2,600 headphone. Aftermarket cables and equalizers to tame the trebles (in my case, later tried with the Behringer DEQ2496 EQ) aside, it just shouldn't sound like this "as is".

Let's hope I get one back that sounds less unnatural.