Differences between Leather, Pleather, and Velour?

i prefer velour.

its just not as hot as the others and typically more comfortable and soft.

but they can get dirty very easily especially if you sweat in them.

http://www.gulffabrics.com/ultralht.htm

 

 

Ultraleather is super expensive still. If this stuff gets lower in price we will start to see wide range use in the headphone world,IMO. This is currently the best product out there of its kind. It is most easily understood as urethane bound to Lycra. You have a breathable fabric which is a solid piece of material, hence no peeling. You have a stretchable fabric. You have a colorfast fabric. You most importantly have a fabric that will wear well and is cool because it breaths. I accidentally marked some with a Bic blue ball point and was able to remove the pen mark by using rubbing alcohol with-in the first 5 minutes. After leaving the mark on longer staining becomes a different story. Sweat is not an issue.

 

Price is truly the only issue as to why it is not used much in our industry. The story goes that this was originally a 3M product but I have never seen it verified in writing.

 

Even the OP is at best not knowing of the material. The price has kept it from the market in general, it is thought . We always hoped that after mass production starting in 2003 that the price would go down. Why this material is not everywhere is beyond me? Maybe someone knows more about why it is not used in our industry as they would not need much for headphones?

The AH-D Denons now show wear in the fabric even after a couple of years. If they used ultraleather they would still look new. At $900 retail you would think they would use something better? There may be other factors to this story. We need an industry insider to enlighten us.

As my sig states, I'm team velour. Nowadays, it's pretty much a prerequisite. No velour, no go. As comfortable as a headphone can be, leather/pleather pads are just not comfortable. I've owned some well known to be ridiculously comfortable headphones with leather pads, and still not find them all that comfortable. D7000 for example.
Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 12/12/11 at 7:47pm

HA.....let the truth be known! Team Velour

 

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I guess your best option is to buy a regular set of headphones and add a clip on mic. 

 

Maybe the Panasonic HTF600 + velour pads. 

Leather is the supreme deity of my ear-cup-pads. Such an excellent seal. I don't mind that it gets "warm." It feels beautiful to me. Exceptional fake leather can be a decent substitute.

Edited by Timestretch - 12/12/11 at 7:58pm

I prefer velour whenever possible, but can live with pleather.

 

I just wish there were aftermarket velour pads designed to fit Stax Lambdas, which are mostly pleather save for the highest-end models (SR-404LE and SR-507) having genuine leather.

Honestly, if there were velour pads that fit the D7000 and didn't alter the sound, it would be the only headphone I'd ever want/need.

 

DIY route, something like this. 

pleather(plastic leather) is like artificial and feel weird and hard. real leather has a certain smell and feel to it and much softer. it also molds to your skin after a bit offering maximum seal.pleather just absorbs and ends up cracking over time. leather actually has better durability when absorbing the skin oils and can easily be cleaned. nothing seals like leather does as well. i really like the feel of real leather pads and like them over velvet or velour. softer on the ears and better seal.

I love my pleather but velour stays cool and is soft enough for me.

Velour wins.

Please recruit me to Team Velour!!