Hello all - I'm looking for a pair of neutral-sounding closed back headphones to replace my NAD HP50's. I'd pretty much decided to get the AKG K371's, but I just heard back from AKG customer service that they do NOT sell replacement ear pads for this model. This basically makes the headphones a disposable item, since I doubt the pads will last more than 2 years or so of heavy use. As I recounted on the HP50 thread, I loved the sound of those phones but SQ fell apart as the pads deteriorated and I've had no luck finding replacement pads that sounded decent (including the pads sold by NAD's North American distributor, which gave the phones a very different sound from what they had originally). I've gone through the same thing with a pair of AKG K167's - loved the sound, but the pads fell apart, AKG does not sell replacement pads, and the 3rd party pads I've tried don't sound great.
So - any suggestions for a neutral closed back alternative to the AKG K371 that's made by a company that actually supports its products?
Beyerdynamics would seem to be the obvious answer since they are very good about making replacement parts available. However, I lived with a pair of DT770 Pro's for years and never liked their sound - they sounded closed-in, dead, somewhat harsh and artificial. These were the 600 ohm version and may have been too much for my Headroom Little amp to drive, but nonetheless the experience put me off Beyerdynamics.
I listen mostly to instrumental classical music. Price range would be under $400. Thanks for any suggestions!