It definitely helped! They were cheap enough that I wasnt worried about returning them. The headphones are lighter thanks to the carbon fiber materials as opposed to metal and the clamp isnt as vicious as before and the ear pads are now plush and soft to the touch. The wires are able to be bent to conform to my ears just right, but the wires stay in the new shape without easily bending. Not complementary to the rich leather-looks cheap. However, after getting these and wearing them for awhile, I like the open style better. In all the reviews I watched, no one turned on the LIVE sound or adjusted the treble/bass controls through the Sony app. The comfort of these is really good. So, theyre probably doomed to early purgatory as soon as the initial obsession wears off and I can safely remove them from circulation without him noticing, to avoid future tear-triggering episodes as the white patches expand. Fast delivery and cheaper than other retailers selling them