[greg89]

I am planning to buy ATH M50 as my first set of headphones. However, some forumers have mentioned that the ear pads of M50 cracked in less than a year of use. Any owner of M50 has this problem? Is this a common issue for ATH M50?

 

[zowki]

I've owned a pair of M50s for under a year but the pads seem to be holding up pretty well. I would not expect them to crack in the foreseeable future and I have not heard any reports of M50 pad cracking.

 

[ib1dance]

The pads on my M50's are cracking .
 
I've had them over a year and use them regularly .
 
Depending on where your located on the sphere You can get replacements from http://www.audiotechnicashop.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=255 that costs £9.50 .
or http://www.thomann.de/gb/audio_technica_ath_m50_ohrpolster.htm £6.83
 
Of course it would be far better for our planets limited resources if these pads were made from materials that didn't crack .The potential for the pads to crack on the m50's do not reflect the quality of the rest of the headphone which is  constructed to last, though does not have a replaceable cable like the comparable senn HD 25 II .
 
 

 

[TMRaven]

Wipe them off after every extended use and put vinyl/pleather protectant on them every month or so. 

 

[ib1dance]

Quote:

Wipe them off after every extended use and put vinyl/pleather protectant on them every month or so. 

Excellent advice!.If I'd thought to do this they'd most probably still be as Good as new .

 

[greg89]

Thanks for your replies

 
Are the M50 pads more prone to cracking than pleathe  pads of other headphones?
 
Quote:

Wipe them off after every extended use and put vinyl/pleather protectant on them every month or so

 
Thanks for the great advice! Do I need to use any cleaning product to wipe the pads or just wet cloth will do? Also, do you know where can I get the vinyl/pleather protectant from and which brand would you recommend? 

 

[TMRaven]

I just used a regular, dry microfiber and the vinyl protectant that came with my car.  I think the main cause for wear is that M50 seals so well and gets hot quick, so the pads get sweaty real easily.  Just minimize the sweat and sweat penetration.

 

[greg89]

Thank you very much for your advice.

 

[Radioking59]

Mine cracked after about a year. I got replacements for $12 straight from AT in the US.

 

[greg89]

$12 sounds good for genuine AT pads. I wonder how much does it cost to replace the pads in australia

 
Does anyone know if the M50 pads are more prone to cracking than the pleather pads on other headphones?
 

 

[Alfah]

I am new to this forum, but I want to make a contribution already, as this forum is guilty of two of my best purchases ever. the k701 and the M-50 who are my dynamic duo for everything I do music related.

Now, to the thing. I bought the M-50 to replace them for a technics RP-DH1200, good set of cans which lasted me about 4 years, but the left driver started to have some crackling and distortion. Also, the pads started cracking after those 4 years of rough use (very good quelity of leather pads). I was also seeking for a replacement for the pads, but instead I bought the AT phones. Last day I read about the topics of the pads cracking really fast, and also I also am concerned about how hot the M-50 pads get hot. 
 
For my surprise, even with a really different shape, the pads of the Technics fitted really well 

, they are way less hot, and still have a good surface (just a bit of cracking). I found that there are velour pads for this thing (in funky colors) because the HDJ1000 are also really common and have the same pad extension. There are several velour pads in sale out there, but I will get the original ones, which are way less hot than the M-50 ones.
 
I can not assure they will fit perfectly, but mines are tamed by the use and fit perfectly, they are no that tightly inserted, but enough to be secured in place. Isolation is a bit less than the original pads, just a bit less, they are way less hot, and they are really comfortable and soft because I think they are real leather (I think...).
 
The sound, I detect a negligible change in the sub-bass, but nothing I can find as unpleasant, I find almost the same signature. I will order velour pads for my technics and try them on the M-50 and tell you the result
 
 
I will also post photos soon, see you