AKG K501 love...
Mar 10, 2022 at 11:08 AM Post #1,171 of 1,177
I was really hoping Dekoni or some other brand would try and recreate the K500/K501 earpads, but understandably they're just focusing on the newer models. And yeah, I couldn't find any on eBay either.

My K500 earpads are coming apart a little, so I'm able to see how they're made. I didn't realize the fabric material is actually just mesh or a speaker grill cloth-like material. It is quite literally just mesh over the foam earpads (see photos). Ah, so that's what helps gives the K500/K501 such an open, spacious sound quality. The engineers designed the headphone to not have a good seal. That's why whenever I try an earpad with a better seal, the soundscape closes in and lower frequencies sound muddied and unnatural.

So, here are my possible plans once the earpads' foam wears out one day:

A
- Buy earpad foam cushions (maybe from cheap K702/K7XX earpads, and remove the cloth/velour to take out the foam cushions)
- Continue to push up and unbond the mesh from my K500 earpads, until the mesh is only attached to the outer diameter of the mounting backplate
- Compress and pull the old foam down through the middle of the mounting backplate
- Compress and place in the new foam through the same way
- Use a little glue to attach the mesh to the inner diameter of the mounting backplate

B
Or, to create all-new earpads, we could buy similar mesh or speaker grill cloth, along with cheap K712/K7XX earpads...remove the fabric/velour and custom fit/install our new mesh. Takes some planning and work, but now knowing the earpad is just mesh over foam cushions,--and that not having a good seal is what's important for the K500/K501's sound quality--this is totally doable. And at least there's no mystery about how the K500/K501 earpads sound so good.

C
Call Dekoni or Brainwavz (or whomever else makes pads) to create them and make them an offer they can't refuse (not meant to endorse a Godfather approach lol).

If anyone else has ideas about how we can replace the earpads in the future, please chime in. Cheers :) IMG_5027.JPGIMG_5028.JPG
 
Mar 10, 2022 at 8:27 PM Post #1,172 of 1,177
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Mar 10, 2022 at 10:37 PM Post #1,173 of 1,177
Yeah, the bayonet-style earpads are the same for the K400, K500, K501, K601, K612, K701, etc. The problem though is the K601 and later earpad styles change the sound of the K400/K500/K501 too much IMO. Hope it's working out for you, but for me the spaciousness and midrange tone aren't up to snuff.
 
Apr 17, 2022 at 5:16 PM Post #1,174 of 1,177
So i've received the AKG K550 MKII and compared it to my beloved AKG K501.
Let's just say the K501 ist at least two classes above the K550 MKII.
The K501 has bigger soundstage more spacial,clear and enjoyable to listen to. The soundstage in the K550 is congested and thats baffling me because AKG states that they should sound like open headphones.
So yeah, AKG K501 wins.
 
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Aug 28, 2022 at 7:32 PM Post #1,175 of 1,177
I never liked how K702 earpads or generic velour earpads sounded with the K501--voices seemed to get a bit flooded by the bass, and they get a haziness and veil added to them. Vocal realism is one of the most important aspects of sound to me. But I was wondering if anyone uses such pads and has EQ settings to fix those issues. I'm playing around with Equalizer APO/Peace right now but am struggling to find a satisfying sound. Any help will be appreciated.
 
Aug 28, 2022 at 7:55 PM Post #1,177 of 1,177
Never heard of Yaxi, thanks for the info. But yeah, $59 is pushing it for me. Out of curiosity though, how would you describe the change in sound from stock earpads?
 

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