[BassicScience]

Ah bollocks.. Just checked mine.
One side is fine. The other side, it's starting.. Sticky black substance from the padding starting to melt.

At least you discovered it fairly early! It amazes me how much technology goes into TOTL headphone drivers, and yet ear pads generally haven't improved in decades.

 

[Arnold Schwartz]

@Roasty, that's too bad...how old are your pads?

 

[iamoneagain]

Wow, my pads are a sticky mess.. Luckily not close to the driver. So now what? Does Focal cover replacements under warranty? Or do I have spend $200 to get new pads?

 

[Roasty]

At least you discovered it fairly early! It amazes me how much technology goes into TOTL headphone drivers, and yet ear pads generally haven't improved in decades.

Manufacturers really need to borrow the Empyrean pad rolling system.. So convenient!

@Roasty, that's too bad...how old are your pads?

I tried wiping off the goop with some baby wipes (non alcohol) and am going to stick it in the fridge for a bit.. They're about 2 plus almost 3 years old I think.

 

[Arnold Schwartz]

Any reports of goop from new pads, 2020 utopia or recent replacements? Wondering if this is fixed or not and Marnie @FocalOfficial never provided a follow-up to the question from Nov 2020.

 

[Roasty]

Managed to slowly clean off the sticky stuff. There are small shallow defects in the pad which is where the melted stuff came from. Upside is no more stickiness. Will leave the pads off for a while and see how it goes.

Reminds me of the rubberized knobs in my car which melt and become sticky if the car has been under the sun for too long, but harden and get non sticky once the air conditioning is blasting and the car cools down.

 

[thecrow]

How easy are the pads to pull off

i’m worried i might do some damage - eg pad comes off the clip mechanism

 

[iamoneagain]

How easy are the pads to pull off

i’m worried i might do some damage - eg pad comes off the clip mechanism

Just grab from the inside and hook finger under the hard plastic part. They should pop out.

Think my pads might be a tosser. Got goop off the headphones but still a mess on the pads. And then don’t want to get more goop back on headphones. And one pad, looks like plastic is just disintegrating. Ordered new pads from headphones.com

 

[up late]

How easy are the pads to pull off

i’m worried i might do some damage - eg pad comes off the clip mechanism

they take some effort to remove.

dekoni shows you how:

 

[buzzlulu]

Yes - curious as well
Are goopy pads considered a warranty replacement? I am in the States

 

[iamoneagain]

Good thing I checked but now I can’t listen to my headphones for a few days until I get the new pads. If pads are covered in warranty, might keep set I ordered as backup. But not sure how you get stickiness off the pads themselves.

 

[up late]

Yes - curious as well
Are goopy pads considered a warranty replacement? I am in the States

they should be imo but focal has not responded to this issue in this forum, which is disappointing

 

[Progisus]

Funny, it seems no one is talking to their dealers about goop pad warranty replacement (including me). Everything is such a hassle with this virus life! It was easier to order Dekoni overnight from Amazon.

 

[iamoneagain]

Funny, it seems no one is talking to their dealers about goop pad warranty replacement (including me). Everything is such a hassle with this virus life! It was easier to order Dekoni overnight from Amazon.

But how does Dekoni compare to the original? I have no desire to alter the sound. But I already ordered the original. I figured if had to go thru warranty, if even valid, would take weeks and I can’t be without music for weeks.

 

[Samatar10]

But how does Dekoni compare to the original? I have no desire to alter the sound. But I already ordered the original. I figured if had to go thru warranty, if even valid, would take weeks and I can’t be without music for weeks.

Thats why is good to have at least two headphones. You gotta have a backup plan