http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ear-Pads-for-Audio-Technica-ATH-WS70-ATH-WS77-ATH-WS99-SONY-MDR-V55-Somic-E-95-/271875418699?hash=item3f4d09aa4b:g:9rYAAOSwpdpVW-G3 and what about those? do they give better bass also? Are those pads still over the ear?
I saw them from another seller, he answered: The item size outer diameter 80mm, inner diameter 40mm, thickness 17mm.
So, forget it. It is a real replacement, meaning, not an improvement (maybe even worse, beside the horrible colour.
I have news anyway.
As you know my favourite BT Headphone is the ATH-WS99BT so I have tried all possible earpads on them. They are the BT version with same dimensions of the wired version.
Here a list of the earpads which I have tried and which fit.
FYI, OD is outer diameter, ID inner diameter, T is thickness (the distance between the base and the top), S is the sleeve (the thing on the back which you must insert in the headphone) and so if you do OT-2xS you have the real outer diameter. One example: OT 9, S 1, 9-2x1=7. So, the outer diameter excluding 1 cm sleeve all around is 7. Which is ok for the ATH. You should not have much less than 7 or it is difficult to insert, and not reach 8 or it might fall out.
Measures are in cm.
Razer Kraken: OD 9, S 1, T 2.5, ID 5
Nice, comfortable, do not alter the sound noticeably. Easy to find.
Kicker Cush: OD 9, S 1, T 2.7, ID 5.2
Not so nice, comfortable, alter the sound a bit, difficult to get (Kicker is not a friendly Company). It makes imo no sense to make the effort, eventually get the Razer.
AKG K845BT: OD 8.5, S 0.5, T 2.2, ID 5.5
Nice, soft but not thick enough to solve the problem of the curve of the driver which touched the ears. I still have to stuff them with some kind of dense foam (like the yoga mats, or camping mats. Beware, each material will alter the sound differently). But at least they offer slightly more space. They are easy to get as AKG sells them, but expensive. So...
Brainwavz HM5. They make several versions of different materials, which affect the sound differently, and one angled. All are VERY comfortable.
They are oval, so I will give two OD and two ID, and for the angled I give two T because, well, it is angled. The dimensions may vary a few mm, but are so abundant that it does not matter.
- Hybrid 3 Materials (Leatherette outside, Velour above, perforated leatherette inside): OD 11 and 9, S 2, T 3, ID 7 and 5
the velour on to gives a nice not cold feeling on the skin. But the perforated peatherette was not, as I had hoped, an improvement in sound over the full leatherette. They absorb some bass and some mids, making the sound somehow more balanced if you also agree that the ATH are a bit bassy and a bit warm. The sound becomes more bright and thin. The 5-6k becomes at times more sibilant. The soundstage is improved, the impact a bit reduced, there re is no muddiness, a slight veil.
- leatherette: same dimensions, maybe a bit more OD.
They improves the soundstage more, although with a slight boominess and muddiness which is mostly compensable with EQ. The bass is overall increased but its impact is reduced due to the distance from the ears. Much less absorbtion of mids, and less effect on the 5-6k. These are the ones I have used with plenty of satisfaction till now.
- angled leatherette: same dimensions but T is 2.5 on the front and 4 on the rear, and the ID is 7 and 4, so, 1 cm less horizontally.
they are the one I use now. They respect the sound and impactfullness of the ATH the most. The mids are almost unaltered, the bass a bit improved, almost no veil/muddiness/boominess, the soundstage is still improved, there is almost no sibilance on the 5-6k. The drivers are nearer to the ear due to the angled form and the less thickness on the front, which is I suspect the reason why they respect the impact of ATH' sound. At same time the bigger thickness on the rear makes them able to host more protruding ears. I must say, the horizontal space might become a little tight for large ears. I suppose they could be stuffed with something which forces them to be more round. Maybe even just pushing the sleeve more inside could work. I personally have made a semi rigid oval form which I have inserted on the back, below the sleeve (of course with a hole for the sound). Mine is as bright as the earpads, it is just to provide more rigidness on top and bottom where the earpads do not have the drivers behind. But if you make it brighter it would force the earpads to be more round. It must be flexible enough to be pushed there.
I anyway so much prefer the sound of these, that I do not care if my ears touch a bit the sides.
- velour, I do not have them anymore, the dimensions were the same, maybe a bit smaller and thinner, matter of few mm. Also, given the less rigid material they would flex more and make the ears go more inside, so, less overall final thickness. They are nice to feel, you decide if you like the look. The sound is in my memory like with the hybrid, which is why they went back.
In few words, buy the Razer AND the Brainwavz.
I would suggest buying all the different HM5 and sending back those you do not like. The company is reliable, the refund arrives.
Do not forget to use foobar2000 with the Real Bass Exciter plugin, you will not believe what it can do to the bass.
