REPLACEABLE EARCUPS. Why are they so rare?

KazeoHin

KazeoHin

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I'm looking to spend roughly $150 on a new headset to replace my current Bose set. My current set sound GREAT, the audio is just as good today when I bought them over two years ago. In fact, I really wish I could keep them, but there's a problem. The godamn earcups have rotted off and it's currently held together with duct-tape. The earcups were glued in place and made of cheap pleather. So naturally, they fell apart from normal-ass use and can't be repaired.

I am now in a situation where the most important MAKE OR BREAK feature I'm looking for in a new set is replaceable earcups. I don't want another decent $100+ set being discarded because the damn $10 pleather and foam pads degrade like old underwear.

This is such a neglected feature. Where can I find a good set of High-quality headphones with replaceable earcups at around $150 US?
 
Same thing has happened with the headband on my Shure 840 headphones. The cheap pleather is rotting off already and I hardly ever use those headphones. For earpad replacements I find them on amazon made by 3rd party manufacturer's but that is for beyerdynamic and not Bose. My latest headphones, audioquest Nighthawks, came with two sets of earpads. My Shure 840 came with two sets too but it is the headband that is rotting off and not the earpads. Try Amazon for Bose earpads.
 
You might look into the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro or DT990 Pro, similar designs but one is closed (DT770) and one is open (DT990). I've had a pair of each for about 15 years now. I've replaced the pads on the DT990 Pro once and the pads on the DT770 Pro twice, which makes sense since I use the DT770 more. Great headphones, and I would not be surprised at all if I get another 15 years out of them. They usually go for about ~$180, so maybe just a hair over your budget, but I doubt you would regret it.
 
Huh. I thought replaceable pads was standard. (Whether the manufacturer knows it or not.) Any of the phones from Audio-Technica, Shure, Sennheiser or Beyerdynamic I've owned have had replaceable cups. One of the first things I do on almost any set of circumaurals I get is throw on a some HM5 pads - hybrids if they're closed, velour if open.

I know that some of the Bose headsets have replaceable pads. Which model is it that you have? Maybe take a heat gun to the glue residue and try to find a similar diameter pad and see if they stick. Most of them are only held on with friction; and if your current pads are glued in, a little more won't hurt.


*

The first thing I do is solder in a 3.5mm jack if it doesn't have a detachable cable. (Of course after making sure that they aren't DOA and I actually like the sound...)
 
Same issue with Sennheiser HD280s. Great cans but cheap pleather peels off after a while. Beyerdynamic has individual parts available, but they are not the cheapest. I recently picked up a set of DT770s but returned them because they did not attenuate enough sound. I will have to try the DT770m in the future, but no where local stocks them, even in a city the size of Houston.
 
Could you Velcro some pads onto them and effectively make the pads detachable? I think you can figure out something with a hot glue gun and a hour of your time.
 
GotNoRice said:
You might look into the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro or DT990 Pro, similar designs but one is closed (DT770) and one is open (DT990). I've had a pair of each for about 15 years now. I've replaced the pads on the DT990 Pro once and the pads on the DT770 Pro twice, which makes sense since I use the DT770 more. Great headphones, and I would not be surprised at all if I get another 15 years out of them. They usually go for about ~$180, so maybe just a hair over your budget, but I doubt you would regret it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion! I think the DT770 is going to be my next set. I got the thumbs-up from the office audiophile on them. just a nudge out of my budget but I'm willing to splurge a bit....
 
You can basically replace everything in Sennheiser HD 6xx/58x series and HD 650 parts would work just fine in HD 600. Not only are the earpads ridiculously easy to replace, the actual cup is replaceable too. When it comes to Sennheiser, I don't think they have a headphone that doesn't have user replaceable ear pads.
 
rezerekted said:
Exact same driver as the DT990 so it is arguable.
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Don't all 3 (DT770, DT880, DT990) use the same driver, it's just the configuration of the earcup that changes? As in, Open (DT990), Closed (DT770), Semi-open (DT880)? It's definitely enough to give them each a somewhat different sound signature. "Best", of course, being a matter of opinion.
 
Yea, and just two posts down we have:

"call me crazy.
i much prefer the sound of the dt990.
at least it's not boring."

3rd post down:

"Call ME crazy, but the DT990 is my absolute favorite headphone. The DT880 doesn't even come close to the enjoyability I get from my 990s"

As I said, it is arguable which is better. I doubt there is much dif between the two and people exaggerate the difference.
 
Take it to an upholsterer disassembled and get them to recover it.
I find on more expensive headphones they are replaceable, around or above your budget.
 
rezerekted said:
Yea, and just two posts down we have:

"call me crazy.
i much prefer the sound of the dt990.
at least it's not boring."

3rd post down:

"Call ME crazy, but the DT990 is my absolute favorite headphone. The DT880 doesn't even come close to the enjoyability I get from my 990s"

As I said, it is arguable which is better. I doubt there is much dif between the two and people exaggerate the difference.
Click to expand...
That's why I added the ;) - it's 100% subjective. I'm sure they do sound slightly different (pretty sure the 770 will be the most "different" sounding since it's a closed back) but "best" is always going to be an opinion.
 
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