Have any of you tried simply taking off the back panel and listening? I'm digging that configuration right now with HM5 pads. With stocks pads, it moves the peak down to ~6k like purrin noted. Listened before I measured and thought it was
a lot brighter. it's actually not according to the plots. Guess I'm more sensitive around that area or whatever. Red is no backing.

HM5 + no back are rewarding to my ears. Much more transparent midrange. Enclosure weirdness seems to be mostly gone. Decay plots seem to verify so. Actually, they indicate the headphone is storing a lot less LF energy but there's some hashiness that appears around the upper midrange when the back is removed. Anyway, here's the FR. Blue is no back.

Have yet to try taping the pads down. And all these plots have TP in front.