Lately I’ve been going into my studio gear storage and digging up older pairs of headphones, including some nicer studio headphones that I’ve not used in a while. I’m finding that the only thing that really looks worn out is the ear cup pads.
Worn Out Ear Cup Pads
The most common thing to wear out on many types of headphones are the ear cup pads. Check out these old pads from my Sony MDR7506 headphones. One set of ear cups pads is over 20 years old, and the other is at least 10 years old. The foam padding is shot, it’s flat and has no cushion anymore. The surface material is worn, flaking and generally just falling apart. That is to be expected, it’s just the way these things wear out.
The Ear Cup Pads on Most Studio Headphones Are Replaceable
Luckily, most ear cup pads on most studio headphones can be replaced. They usually can be simply pulled off the earpiece and they usually are not glued or permanently attached. Of course this isn’t always true, so it’s best to do a little bit of research for any particular model of headphones if you are unsure before you start pulling them apart.
The ear cup pads can then be replaced by slipping on some new ear pads. It can be a little tricky with some headphones since the elastic material that holds the ear pads onto the ear pieces can be a little tight and a little finicky to get into place. But with a little patience it can be done. Once the new pads are installed they can make an old pair of headphones look like new.
Headphones With New Ear Pads
After replacing the ear pads on my Sony MDR7506’s with some new Brainwavz pads, I’ve been more happy with them than I was even when they were brand new. I think these replacement ear pads from Brainwavz are better than the originals. They feel a little bit more thick and I like the memory foam and materials used in the construction. I’m experiencing better comfort and noise isolation, and the sound of the headphones hasn’t been negatively affected either. Overall it’s a great upgrade as well as a refresher for these headphones.
Many Ear Pad Options from Brainwavs
I noticed that Brainwavz has lots of options when I was looking for some replacement ear pads. They design ear pads with different types of leather covering, padding and features such as perforated holes in the covering. I had plenty of options to choose from, including different colors which looked pretty neat, but I ended up going with a fairly standard looking pair of black ear pads for these particular headphones.
Seeing all the options made me realize the possibilities, and I have a couple other pairs of headphones that I might upgrade now as well even though the ear pads haven’t worn out yet. I’d recommend checking them out if you aren’t quite happy with the fit or comfort of your current ear pads or if yours are wearing out.
The best part is that replacement ear pads aren’t even all that expensive, and they can be well worth the cost in terms of improving your favorite pair of headphones.
Check out the various ear pads available from Brainwavz at their Amazon store.
