PAD ROLLING OBSERVATIONS ...
Stock pads:
flat sterile but very nice soundstage for small pad.
HM5 angled leather pads:
much more distant, yet sweeter "U shaped" sound, lacking much liveliness..
Adapters helped fit but same outcome.
Flat HM type pads:
worst tinny flat lifeless sound.
Adapters helps fit but still same.
Some protein leather small pads:
Similar shape and fit as stock,
But overall duller lifeless sound.
Did attenuate trebles though.
No adapter needed.
Geekria Sennheiser RS160 RS170 RS180 Headphone Velvet Replacement Pads :
Now this was an extremely quality pad with almost exact shape as sine and OVER EAR pad, which NEEDED the adapter to fit.
Excellent quality feel and look.
Too bad can't say same for sound.
While the proximity of soundstage and midrange was better than all the other pads previous,
It really sounded soo lifeless and a suck out almost as bad as the HM5 angled pads, except shifted to upper midrange loss...
Epic fail on all pads so far untill ...
Audio Technica...
Ath 7 pads with adapters:
wow,
juicy, more detailed, most involving, most natural tone & better mids. Livelier.
Only drawback is Soundstage a bit close than stock or all others, yet deeper stage as well.
A bit of lower midrange bleed as well
Ath7 pads w/2mm inserts:
Even more detailing, realism and focus.
More seal, slam and a bit more overall brightness and clarity.
No tunnel effect or midrange dullness or treble weirdness of other pads.
Better more accurate mids was high point.
Most impressive outcome was the surprising overall increase in realism.
I attribute this to tightening & stretching of the pads on driver from the inserts.
This combo will be extremely hard to beat.
Still having less stage than stock pads.
Ath7 pads with 4mm inserts:
AMAZING...
Soundstage finally proportioned properly to account for proper discernment of spacial cues,
and much better imaging/instrument separation, without the slight confusion of midrange sense of too "proximity" when using with no insert.
Also the more proper or neutral soundstage which 2mm insert almost achieved.
With the 4mm inserts Sine gives better presentation than stock pads in both soundstage and imaging..
Imaging actually very impressed now.
Take note that none of the pads could solve the slight treble elevation of the upper most trebles, but it was not an aspect of much concern with this combo as it was with the other pads.
The Audio Technica pads with the adapter and 4mm spacer combo , are ....
sooo far away BETTER than ALL THE OTHER PADS...
it's ridiculous!
It's like night and day.
No ear sucking or internal vaccume pressure problems either...
Audeze representatives truly need to wake up and look at this ..
So total cost expect to pay around $65.50 total for the adapter and the Audio Technica pads...
This puts the price in same league as the custom-made
*vesperaudio* leather pads, which are shipped and on way to be tested next...
along with two other cheapo flebay pads...(another velour and fake leather)
So far the BEST setup is the Audio Technica with insert by a landslide...
I do mean a landslide.
So Untill Audeze finally wakes up to it it's blunder with it's garbage suction pads,
This adapter needs to be on every Sine.
You have no clue what your missing.
Pics: