[ATHFan]

I'm curious. Does replacing the Audio-Technica ATH-AD900's earpads with the ones from ATH-A1000/ATH-AD2000/ATH-L3000/ATH-W5000 improve the sound of the headphones? Did anyone try this? How does the sound (bass, midrange, treble and soundstage) and comfort compare to the ATH-AD900 with standard earpads? Will everything sound better? Or would some quality of the sound be sacrificed?

Thanks for answering

 

[JazzHands]

Changing the pads can have numerous effects. If you get a tighter fit, it can improve the sensation of bass. Smaller pads that bring the diaphragms closer to the ear can also affect sound quality, but whether or not that's for the positive is highly subjective.

But it won't make a radical difference overall.

 

[jbloudg20]

The A series uses pads from the 'older' series... W10/W11/L3000/W100/W1000
The W5000 pads will not fit. I do not know about the AD series' pads.

 

[ATHFan]

I send a PM to Kernmac, who has a ATH-AD900 with ATH-W5000 earpads, and asked his impressions about them. He had this to say:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kernmac The W5000 earpads fit perfectly. The pads are probably no more comfortable than the velour stock pads, however there is something about leather that makes them just so right. I haven't experienced any heat issues with the leather pads, which can be an issue with pleather or other synthetic pads. The sound signature has certainly been altered with the change of pads. I believe they have gone from a mid/trebble emphasis to a more mid/bass focus, resulting in what I would call a warmer sound signature. To my ears, they seem to have more bass impact as well. I would not say they go deeper, the actual frequency range shouldn'y have altered, but the emphasis has certainly moved more toward the dark side. That is not to say that the AD900 is now a dark sounding headphone, just that it is overall warmer. The wide soundstage is still there, and the highs although perhaps sacrificed in a small way, are still clear and well extended. The sweet mid range is still sweet and smooth, maybe with more impact. So, overall a warmer sound signature without any negative effects for my ears. I prefer the new sound, but that is not to say I didn't like the stock sound, as I thought they sounded great. For me I now have two headphones for the price of one plus the cost of the pads (which weren't cheap). Some criticism labeled at the AD900 was about them being a bit thin sounding and lacking bass, although I don't agree with that even for the stock fon, with my sony DAP, Porta corda amp and the W5000 pads, I don't know how anyone could call them either thin sounding or lacking bass.

So changing the ATH-AD900 earpads can improve the sound.

Thanks again, Kernmac.