[holland]

Are these pads the same? Are the part numbers the same?

My Sextett pads aren't bad a bit aged but not in horrible condition and still compresses well. When I put the K271 pleather pads on, the bass became quite emphasized, almost boomy.

 

[ericj]

If we're talking about vinyl pads, yes, effectively all studio AKGs use the same vinyl pads.

K271-S velours are what people put on K340's. I don't think they're such a great idea for the sextett.

 

[Fitz]

Yes, they have the same part number. Like Eric said, the same pad is used on numerous phones. In all of my AKGs, there are only three different types of pads used: the bayonet pads (K501 et al.), the mini temple pads (K1000), and the round vinyl pads (everything else).

It's probably not so much the foam inside them (the compression and springiness), but that the vinyl has become aged enough to affect the sound. The aging of the vinyl seems to be a bit of a mystery though... I have decades old pads that still hold up fine with regular use, whereas I just had a new set go stiff and start cracking in less than a year.

 

[holland]

My K271 pads are less than a year old. I'm surprised the amount of low-mid to mid-bass that gets emphasized in some tracks. I have some velour pads on order that I'll try out, but if what Eric said is true then I'll probably just put the velour on my K271 and move the pleather over to my Sextett.

 

[Fitz]

Which production version is your pair?

 

[holland]

Mid, I think. The diaphragms are white with an orange ring/back.

 

[003]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz /img/forum/go_quote.gif The aging of the vinyl seems to be a bit of a mystery though... I have decades old pads that still hold up fine with regular use, whereas I just had a new set go stiff and start cracking in less than a year.

My best guess would be that it depends on the sunlight exposure, where more being present results in faster degradation of the vinyl polymer.

 

[Fitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by holland /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mid, I think. The diaphragms are white with an orange ring/back.

Then with a fresh set of pads, they will indeed have a strong bass output like you're talking about.


Quote:

Originally Posted by 003 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My best guess would be that it depends on the sunlight exposure, where more being present results in faster degradation of the vinyl polymer.

Hmm... that is an interesting theory, and makes sense considering when you look at the old vinyl in cars doing the exact same kind of hardening and cracking. The pair that started cracking in less than a year sat in the open on my desk a lot, rather than being stored in the closet all the time. Maybe I should take the stack of new pads I have and store them out of the light too.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe I should take the stack of new pads I have and store them out of the light too.

Definitely! Sunlight is most likely the culprit.

 

[Fitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Definitely! Sunlight is most likely the culprit.

Well it looks like I'll need to put my phones back up more regularly then.

 

[sickley]

i know its a late post but i was just wondering if the velour 271's fit on the 240 as well. thanks for the help

 

[RexAeterna]

am i only one that never liked the pleather pads on older akg models? the older leather pads are much softer and seal better in my opinion. if they are in good condition i would suggest just restuffing them. pleather just feels sooo weird and stiff and hard unlike the older leather vinyl pads. they defiantly seem like different materials. i would try to get some lambskin beyer pads or something to replace them instead what i personally think. they'll be the closest to what the sextetts actually really had. i still have the original pads for my sextetts LP and i tried pleather on them from my studios and they felt different of course.