Just ordered some Dekoni DT pleather pads for ~$30. At 22mm thickness, they're a good bit thinner than the regular HM5 pads. They are also circles and 102mm in diameter, making them (in theory) a better fit for the AKG K553. Will report back when they arrive later next week.
THEY'RE HERE. These are the Dekoni Beyerdynamic DT770/880/990 Memory Foam Replacement Ear Pads. You can find them under the "Platinum Protein Leather" collection. EPZ-DT78990-PL is the SKU.
First a word from me to tease you all: YES.
Here are the goodies.
Best packaging by far.
First row(left to right): el cheapo K550 replacement pads you find on ebay, stock pads, Dekoni
Second row: HM5 angled pleather, HM5 pleather
Pads installed
Stock vs Dekoni
HM5 angled vs Stock vs Dekoni
Well? Don't they look great? I think so too. The dekoni pads are a tiny bit thicker than my stock pads(which are quite old I might add, Massdrop says I purchased my K553 in May 2015!! & my particular pair of cans & pads went to ZReviews too). They are very nice circles which won't show the stretch and wrinkles of the HM5 angled pads. The dekonis are a bit smaller in diameter than the old pads and the cups themselves, but the more defined edges makes it look a lot cleaner.
The foam inside the Dekoni is indeed a memory foam, but it's stiffer than the stock's crinkly foam. It is softer than the HM5 angled pads though(although keep in mind that my pads are still not really broken in at all).
Now the most critical and important part that has driven us wild when trying to replace pads: how do they sound?
They sound close to stock. VERY close to stock. With a thinness of 22mm, this is even thinner than the thinnest part of the angled HM5. The stiffer foam combined with the low clamping force means the driver is still a tiny bit further away from the ear than stock. It also means that getting an airtight seal on your head is a bit harder. Highs and mids are about the same upon first impressions. I think there's slightly less bass, but it could just be my ears being used to my M1060C. The sound is honestly close enough to my ears between these two pads that it's not really a issue for me.
Comfort-wise, it's a tradeoff. The super soft foam of the stock pads was great for comfort around the ear, but that caused the driver cover to push on the tips of my ear. I need a bit more time to judge the new pads, but the extra millimeter of thickness and stiffer foam means I feel more around my ear and less on the tip of my ear.
But the best part? Installation. The Dekoni pads just slide on. That's right - no pre-stretching, no flexing rituals needed. They slip on easier than even the stock pads. This seals the deal for me.
Are there improvements to be made? Sure, just increase the diameter a few millimeters to match the cup size. But honestly, that's about it. And if that's all I have to complain about, then this product gets the green light from me. The asking price of $50 is a bit too steep, but I purchased mine new off eBay for around $33 (minus a few eBay bucks I just got). You can find them on Massdrop for around $30 too whenever they come around. If you can afford it, it's the perfect third party replacement pads for the K553.
I will note that the Brainwavz HM5 Angleds are still a good alternative. At the semi-frequent sale price of ~$15, it's significantly cheaper than the Dekoni Platinum pleather pads. If you weren't happy with what comfort the stock pads had, the HM5 Angled pleather pads will provide the extra breathing room so that your ear tips don't touch the driver at the cost of a thinner sound signature. But if you're looking for an easy drop-in replacement as close to stock without actually buying the overpriced and peel-prone stock pads from AKG's parts department, the Dekonis are the way to go.
tl;dr
looks hot, sounds stock, as comfy as stock, easy af to install, worth it at $35 or so
My biggest problem with the stock pads was that my ears overheated pretty quickly in them. The Brainwavz angled pads solved that problem for me, but at the expense of extra clamping force. Do you have any impressions of heat retention in the Dekoni pads vs. stock?
I haven't used stock pads in so long since they've begun to crack and peel a bit. I've had the K553 on for a few hours straight now and it's a little bit warm but not so much that it bothers me. I remember I'd have to do a quick air out of the K553 once every few hours. I don't think the Dekoni heats up as much considering how long I've had it on my head while testing it.
Has anyone tried the alcantara pads from Shure? Kinda pricy but apparently they fit the Fostex T50RP just fine which means they should fit the AKG 550 too?
Just looking for some pads that give a bit better seal without getting too thick like the Brainwavz HM5 pads
Yep - just tried the Shure 1540 alcantara pads with my AKG K550 after I was not satisfied with the sound the standard round Brainwavz pads produced.
My initial impressions for the shure pads are very positive. Most importantly they fit, but need a bit of stretching and careful "application". They do, however, stretch to the point at which they seem round instead of oval, and as they stretch they become slightly thinner on top/bottom - or rather - "along" the longer axis of the oval). Still, I was able to get a good seal, but I can imagine some people being concerned about that.
The Shure 1540 alcantara pads seem more comfortable than both stock pads and brainwavz round (standard, PU leather), at least for me, although the are a bit more "stiff" than both stock and brainwavz.
As for sound:
vs stock:
I'd say bass is slightly different than stock pads, maybe slightly deeper, highs seem a bit more rounded (ever so slightly softer sibilants). Mids about similar, but I'd have to do extensive listening tests to say anything more.
vs round Brainwavz (PU leather)
Shure pads do not produce the "tinny" effect, highs way more civilized than brainwavz (I really do not like piercing sibilants, and I sometimes got those with Brainwavs round pads)
I hope I will be able to compare the shures to brainwavz angled pads, will post when I do get these.
THEY'RE HERE. These are the Dekoni Beyerdynamic DT770/880/990 Memory Foam Replacement Ear Pads. You can find them under the "Platinum Protein Leather" collection. EPZ-DT78990-PL is the SKU.
First a word from me to tease you all: YES.
Here are the goodies.
Best packaging by far.
First row(left to right): el cheapo K550 replacement pads you find on ebay, stock pads, Dekoni
Second row: HM5 angled pleather, HM5 pleather
Pads installed
Stock vs Dekoni
HM5 angled vs Stock vs Dekoni
Well? Don't they look great? I think so too. The dekoni pads are a tiny bit thicker than my stock pads(which are quite old I might add, Massdrop says I purchased my K553 in May 2015!! & my particular pair of cans & pads went to ZReviews too). They are very nice circles which won't show the stretch and wrinkles of the HM5 angled pads. The dekonis are a bit smaller in diameter than the old pads and the cups themselves, but the more defined edges makes it look a lot cleaner.
The foam inside the Dekoni is indeed a memory foam, but it's stiffer than the stock's crinkly foam. It is softer than the HM5 angled pads though(although keep in mind that my pads are still not really broken in at all).
Now the most critical and important part that has driven us wild when trying to replace pads: how do they sound?
They sound close to stock. VERY close to stock. With a thinness of 22mm, this is even thinner than the thinnest part of the angled HM5. The stiffer foam combined with the low clamping force means the driver is still a tiny bit further away from the ear than stock. It also means that getting an airtight seal on your head is a bit harder. Highs and mids are about the same upon first impressions. I think there's slightly less bass, but it could just be my ears being used to my M1060C. The sound is honestly close enough to my ears between these two pads that it's not really a issue for me.
Comfort-wise, it's a tradeoff. The super soft foam of the stock pads was great for comfort around the ear, but that caused the driver cover to push on the tips of my ear. I need a bit more time to judge the new pads, but the extra millimeter of thickness and stiffer foam means I feel more around my ear and less on the tip of my ear.
But the best part? Installation. The Dekoni pads just slide on. That's right - no pre-stretching, no flexing rituals needed. They slip on easier than even the stock pads. This seals the deal for me.
Are there improvements to be made? Sure, just increase the diameter a few millimeters to match the cup size. But honestly, that's about it. And if that's all I have to complain about, then this product gets the green light from me. The asking price of $50 is a bit too steep, but I purchased mine new off eBay for around $33 (minus a few eBay bucks I just got). You can find them on Massdrop for around $30 too whenever they come around. If you can afford it, it's the perfect third party replacement pads for the K553.
I will note that the Brainwavz HM5 Angleds are still a good alternative. At the semi-frequent sale price of ~$15, it's significantly cheaper than the Dekoni Platinum pleather pads. If you weren't happy with what comfort the stock pads had, the HM5 Angled pleather pads will provide the extra breathing room so that your ear tips don't touch the driver at the cost of a thinner sound signature. But if you're looking for an easy drop-in replacement as close to stock without actually buying the overpriced and peel-prone stock pads from AKG's parts department, the Dekonis are the way to go.
tl;dr
looks hot, sounds stock, as comfy as stock, easy af to install, worth it at $35 or so
It's noticeably tinnier. Not as tinny as the regular HM5 pleathers, but there is a definite loss of bass and warmth in general. I find the Dekonis are very similar to the stock pads when it comes to sound. I have no regrets buying my Dekoni pads - that's how happy I am with them.
It's noticeably tinnier. Not as tinny as the regular HM5 pleathers, but there is a definite loss of bass and warmth in general. I find the Dekonis are very similar to the stock pads when it comes to sound. I have no regrets buying my Dekoni pads - that's how happy I am with them.
I wish they sold in the EU for a decent price, gonna have to go on a hunt for a pair now^^
Have a K550 coming to me in roughed up condition and I'm hoping to restore it, these pads do look nicer than the original, Ill need to grab a cable too.
FWIW I recently tried the Brainwavz Round (non-XL) Hybrid pads. (More as a comfort experiment than anything else.) I find that they have more of a treble tilt than the Brainwavz Angle Ovals do, and while comfortable, I don't think they're more comfortable than the Angled Ovals in either leather or pleather. I don't really recommend them.
The Brainwavz pads are inexpensive enough that I don't mind a few unsuccessful experiments, though. They have a new micro-suede covering available for the ovals (non-angled) and the XLs, and I may give the oval one a try unless someone else does it and reports back first.
FWIW I recently tried the Brainwavz Round (non-XL) Hybrid pads. (More as a comfort experiment than anything else.) I find that they have more of a treble tilt than the Brainwavz Angle Ovals do, and while comfortable, I don't think they're more comfortable than the Angled Ovals in either leather or pleather. I don't really recommend them.
The Brainwavz pads are inexpensive enough that I don't mind a few unsuccessful experiments, though. They have a new micro-suede covering available for the ovals (non-angled) and the XLs, and I may give the oval one a try unless someone else does it and reports back first.
Yes, I have. I have the microsuede ovals on a K551 (impression here). I love how it feels and breathes, but I felt the sound was still too far from stock for my liking. Maybe somewhat closer to stock than the hybrid pads, but still not where I wanted it to be.
Yes, I have. I have the microsuede ovals on a K551 (impression here). I love how it feels and breathes, but I felt the sound was still too far from stock for my liking. Maybe somewhat closer to stock than the hybrid pads, but still not where I wanted it to be.
Assuming you mean the "PU leather" angled ovals, I think that's a great choice. The angled ovals are the best-sounding (to me) of the alternate earpads I've tried. I have them in both PU and sheepskin, and while the sheepskin is a little more premium looking and feeling, IMO there is nothing at all wrong with the PU, which looks and feels fine and sounds the same as the sheepskin.
So I got my used K550 which was in pretty terrible condition but the drivers are working so that's a start! Cleaned it all up, need to buy a replacement cable (gonna wire it directly to the drivers as I don't really care for single sided cables) and I need new pads and headband cushion too.
Decided to make this el cheapo headband cushion from the original insert and some P leather and extra foam. Had all the material laying around so it's saving me a few monies.
Now for the pads... I'm in Ireland so shipping dekoni or alcantara pads from the US would cost too much and the UK prices are even higher...
I don't mind if it's a little thinner, I can open it up and stuff some extra foam from the original pads or even denser foam if needed to add thickness. I'm wondering if the other dimensions will be similar and the matierial will be the same or sound the same as stock pads.
I don't know what other options I have without breaking the bank :/
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