Mismatch in the machining/aging of the wood cups more likely.  No coincidence removing them makes the drivers match better.  Not uncommon when dealing w/ enclosed wood.  I think half of the wooded Denons Tyll measured have clear imbalances of some sort.

With natural wood that has different grains from different trees that expands and ages differently?  Wood working tools are also hardly the same precision as metal tools.  You really think the underpaid sweat shop worker in China grinding out Denon cups really cares about their accuracy or the quality of the interior finishing?  Beyer barely gives Tesla drivers a sniff test before boxing up and shipping.

Inside pic of the 7100:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/DenonAHD7100.pdf



At least it has 1000x more damping than a T1.

Agreed. I used to have an HD265. I did not like its sound but the padding and dampening were extraordinary. The comfort was unreal...

With natural wood that has different grains from different trees that expands and ages differently?  Wood working tools are also hardly the same precision as metal tools.  You really think the underpaid sweat shop worker in China grinding out Denon cups really cares about their accuracy or the quality of the interior finishing?  Beyer barely gives Tesla drivers a sniff test before boxing up and shipping.

The Audio-Technica Co. (or at least its headphones division) is a patriotic enterprise, it does not rob its employees of jobs and then gives them to the Chinese communists . All of the headphones 'woodwork' is done in Japan. If all the U.S. companies were the same.