[PeteMtl]

I can't recommend the Yaxi pads since they ruin the sound. Best you can do, in my opinion is to get the HD25 Amperior pads. I'm gonna do a write up on the different pads since I have them all but I'm far away from home atm.

You can order them through a local seller for Sennheiser with no extra charge. I paid about €16 for mine.

Amerior pads artikel number: 549336

I couldn't agree more. I fully recommend the Amperior pads or the synth velour pads included as second pads in the HD25 Plus package version. The Amperior is simply a low impedance version of the HD25 with aluminium cups (same as HD25 Aluminium) with a mic+remote cable instead of the steel cable standard of the HD25. Therefore it is a member of the HD25 family and the Amperior pads are 100% compatible with the HD25 plastic cups. I own both the Amperior and the HD25-1 II and I prefer the Amperior or velour pads over the standard fake leather pads of the HD25. It’s a question of preference but all three aforementioned genuine Sennheiser pads do sound good on the HD25 in my opinion.

 

[CJG888]

I can't recommend the Yaxi pads since they ruin the sound. Best you can do, in my opinion is to get the HD25 Amperior pads. I'm gonna do a write up on the different pads since I have them all but I'm far away from home atm.

You can order them through a local seller for Sennheiser with no extra charge. I paid about €16 for mine.

Amerior pads artikel number: 549336

 

[CJG888]

I’ll try the velour pads. Thanks.

 

[smorgar]

Since ive got all the different pads (i think) I took it upon myself to take a few hopefully good pictures. I also included some photos of the different cables that comes with the "Plus" package and also an aftermarket cable from Oyaide.

Unfortunately I have sold my Yaxi pads so I cant make a picture comparison but i will explain why I dont recommend them. They are very comfortable, and of a very good quality but when it comes to the sound they ruin it a bit with taking the edge off in both highs and lows. They take away that special HD25 "magic sauce". The reason why, you can see below in picture #2. The Original Sennheiser pads has a plastic funnel that leads to the center hole in the pad. You can see in the $2 AliExpress pad that its just fake leather on both sides. This makes the sound dull and as I said before removes much of that special raw edge that the HD25 has. This is especially true for the comfort pads from Yaxi since they use a fussy like suede leather that absorbs even more sound than plain leather.

I will say that all the Sennheiser pads has the same or very like foam inside. The sponge/springy-ness all depends on the cover. The backside of the pads with the plastic funnel has a ventilation hole in it so that the pad can compress and decompress.

The original vinyl pads gives very good isolation, as good as the Amperior pads. They sound very good and seems to hold up very well over time. I think these are cheap, very functional pads that are meant to be changed after they go through hell and back. They are sweaty, but they sound the best when they get a little sweaty and the ultimate seal against the ear takes place. Ear sauna all year long since the fabric does not breath at all.

The Velour pads gives least isolation and also takes away some from the sound but its very little but this depends on how picky you are. They are also very similar to the old HD555/595 pads in the texture/fabric.

The Amperior pads texture/fabric is like HD598CS pads. They are my favourit pads all around since they dont make my ears sweat and at the same time give high sound isolation and are very comfortable.

The Aluminium pads gives the best isolation and comfort in regards to softness but they are a ear sauna during the summers. I cant say if this is real leather or not, my guess is not but i cant say for sure. VERY good fake leather if so.

The $2 AliExpress pads are stiff, deformed itchy and crazy sweaty.

Regarding cables i recommend the Oyaide cable. It's cheap, sleek and durable. The 3,5mm connector is very slim and made in one durable piece. I think i got mine from Amazon for €18 or something like that.
http://www.oyaide.com/ENGLISH/AUDIO/products_category/headphone_earphone_cbl/hpc-hd25.html

The standard straight cable is longer than you would probably like on the go and in the winter time it gets very stiff. The 3,5mm connector is also very large. This cable can take some rough beatings and it wont fail. Its built like a tank like the rest of the HD25.

The spiral cable i have not used but i guess it's as durable as the standard straight.

The Custom Cans Mass Loading & Damping Kit for HD25 was not for me. It made the bass softer and deeper. It also took away some of that agressive highs that i like in my HD25.
https://customcans.co.uk/s/s/index....loading-uber-mods-mods-uber-damping-kits.html

The product code/number for Amperior pads are: 549336
The product code/number for Aluminium pads are: 556906

All the Sennheiser spare parts can be order through you local retailer with no extra cost added. The Sennheiser Sweden customer support told me this and i have had no problems ordering parts through my local retailer.

Overview



Standard pad that comes with HD25-1 II (Also included in Plus package)


Velour pad that comes with HD25-1 II Plus


Amperior pad that comes with HD25 Amperior


Aluminium pad that comes with HD25 Aluminium


$2 from AliExpress
A thin net was sown in to the back but that had to go since i use the standard foam inserts.


Standard straight cable


Oyaide cable


Comparison Standard straight VS Oyaide


Custom Cans Mass Loading & Damping Kit for HD25


Bonus picture of my cat Bajjen (the turd) borrowing my custom HD25 with Amperior pads and 2,5mm balanced silver cable.

 

[PeteMtl]

Since ive got all the different pads (i think) I took it upon myself to take a few hopefully good pictures. I also included some photos of the different cables that comes with the "Plus" package and also an aftermarket cable from Oyaide.

Unfortunately I have sold my Yaxi pads so I cant make a picture comparison but i will explain why I dont recommend them. They are very comfortable, and of a very good quality but when it comes to the sound they ruin it a bit with taking the edge off in both highs and lows. They take away that special HD25 "magic sauce". The reason why, you can see below in picture #2. The Original Sennheiser pads has a plastic funnel that leads to the center hole in the pad. You can see in the $2 AliExpress pad that its just fake leather on both sides. This makes the sound dull and as I said before removes much of that special raw edge that the HD25 has. This is especially true for the comfort pads from Yaxi since they use a fussy like suede leather that absorbs even more sound than plain leather.

I will say that all the Sennheiser pads has the same or very like foam inside. The sponge/springy-ness all depends on the cover. The backside of the pads with the plastic funnel has a ventilation hole in it so that the pad can compress and decompress.

The original vinyl pads gives very good isolation, as good as the Amperior pads. They sound very good and seems to hold up very well over time. I think these are cheap, very functional pads that are meant to be changed after they go through hell and back. They are sweaty, but they sound the best when they get a little sweaty and the ultimate seal against the ear takes place. Ear sauna all year long since the fabric does not breath at all.

The Velour pads gives least isolation and also takes away some from the sound but its very little but this depends on how picky you are. They are also very similar to the old HD555/595 pads in the texture/fabric.

The Amperior pads texture/fabric is like HD598CS pads. They are my favourit pads all around since they dont make my ears sweat and at the same time give high sound isolation and are very comfortable.

The Aluminium pads gives the best isolation and comfort in regards to softness but they are a ear sauna during the summers. I cant say if this is real leather or not, my guess is not but i cant say for sure. VERY good fake leather if so.

The $2 AliExpress pads are stiff, deformed itchy and crazy sweaty.

Regarding cables i recommend the Oyaide cable. It's cheap, sleek and durable. The 3,5mm connector is very slim and made in one durable piece. I think i got mine from Amazon for €18 or something like that.
http://www.oyaide.com/ENGLISH/AUDIO/products_category/headphone_earphone_cbl/hpc-hd25.html

The standard straight cable is longer than you would probably like on the go and in the winter time it gets very stiff. The 3,5mm connector is also very large. This cable can take some rough beatings and it wont fail. Its built like a tank like the rest of the HD25.

The spiral cable i have not used but i guess it's as durable as the standard straight.

The Custom Cans Mass Loading & Damping Kit for HD25 was not for me. It made the bass softer and deeper. It also took away some of that agressive highs that i like in my HD25.
https://customcans.co.uk/s/s/index....loading-uber-mods-mods-uber-damping-kits.html

Overview



Standard pad that comes with HD25-1 II (Also included in Plus package)


Velour pad that comes with HD25-1 II Plus


Amperior pad that comes with HD25 Amperior


Aluminium pad that comes with HD25 Aluminium


$2 from AliExpress
A thin net was sown in to the back but that had to go since i use the standard foam inserts.


Standard straight cable


Oyaide cable


Comparison Standard straight VS Oyaide


Custom Cans Mass Loading & Damping Kit for HD25


Bonus picture of my cat Bajjen (the turd) borrowing my custom HD25 with Amperior pads and 2,5mm balanced silver cable.

Thank you for your post, It gives a lot of information.
May I simply add a fact regarding the standard HD25 cable: it is made of steel, instead of copper. For better and for worse. The choice was made for resistance, because if its usage by professionals, DJs, music production people. However some say it changes the sound, not as transparent or smooth, making highs more harsh. Is it true or not, I won’t be partial on one side or the other. What I will say is that the steel cable is stiffer, less flexible, maybe more rugged. The advantage of your Japanese Oyaide third party cable is that it is made of 100% OFC, (oxygen free copper), more pleasant to the ear (maybe) and more flexible when you bend it, but probably less resistant. But probably solid enough for home usage. Just my 2 cents...

 

[smorgar]

Thank you for your post, It gives a lot of information.
May I simply add a fact regarding the standard HD25 cable: it is made of steel, instead of copper. For better and for worse. The choice was made for resistance, because if its usage by professionals, DJs, music production people. However some say it changes the sound, not as transparent or smooth, making highs more harsh. Is it true or not, I won’t be partial on one side or the other. What I will say is that the steel cable is stiffer, less flexible, maybe more rugged. The advantage of your Japanese Oyaide third party cable is that it is made of 100% OFC, (oxygen free copper), more pleasant to the ear (maybe) and more flexible when you bend it, but probably less resistant. But probably solid enough for home usage. Just my 2 cents...

I belive what you are saying is true. When i changed from the standard straight cable to the Oyaide it made the sound less harsh. I have done some testing on this and i belive i can hear a minimal difference.

 

[CJG888]

I also use the Oyaide cable, finding it increases transparency (in conjunction with the Custom Cans mods).

 

[jfunk]

I also use the Oyaide cable, finding it increases transparency (in conjunction with the Custom Cans mods).

The stock sennheiser straight cable is rather unusual as the conductor / wire is made from steel so they have incredible tensile strenght but it does mean they also have quite high impedance - the stock steel cable is around 4ohms where as something like the Oyaide will be around 0.5ohms so swapping the cable does make them a little bit easier to drive. Also... Glad you like our mass loading and damping kit

 

[Slaphead]

How do the hd25 compare to the dt1350 in terms of sound, comfort and durability?

Sound - Hmmm, I have to admit a preference for the DT1350, but it's close, real close.

Comfort - it depends on your head - I'll take the DT1350 anytime in that department, but I also know people that are the complete polar opposite in that regard. Comfort is a personal thing - what's comfortable for me maybe the pitchforks from hell for you.

Durability - HD25 by a mile. You could drive a tank over these things and the chances are you could snap them back together and they'd still work.

 

[sainteb]

I've been looking for a shorter cable for my HD-25 I and I've found some that are 1.3M total. However, as they're not HD-25 specific, I realise that I'll need about 40cm of it to connect the left side and put it under the headband. I was wondering if 90cm - starting from the area where the bolts/ear cups are - is likely to be enough for regular/portable use or I should look for longer cables?

 

[jfunk]

Oyaide make cables for the HD25 that are about 1.2 Meters and they fit the groove in the headband properly. Or you could just cut down a standard HD25 cable and re-jack it

 

[crazywipe]

Oyaide is the best cable for hd25. I tried many!

 

[Peti]

Good luck finding one though at reasonable prices!

 

[crazywipe]

Since ive got all the different pads (i think) I took it upon myself to take a few hopefully good pictures. I also included some photos of the different cables that comes with the "Plus" package and also an aftermarket cable from Oyaide.

Unfortunately I have sold my Yaxi pads so I cant make a picture comparison but i will explain why I dont recommend them. They are very comfortable, and of a very good quality but when it comes to the sound they ruin it a bit with taking the edge off in both highs and lows. They take away that special HD25 "magic sauce". The reason why, you can see below in picture #2. The Original Sennheiser pads has a plastic funnel that leads to the center hole in the pad. You can see in the $2 AliExpress pad that its just fake leather on both sides. This makes the sound dull and as I said before removes much of that special raw edge that the HD25 has. This is especially true for the comfort pads from Yaxi since they use a fussy like suede leather that absorbs even more sound than plain leather.

I will say that all the Sennheiser pads has the same or very like foam inside. The sponge/springy-ness all depends on the cover. The backside of the pads with the plastic funnel has a ventilation hole in it so that the pad can compress and decompress.

The original vinyl pads gives very good isolation, as good as the Amperior pads. They sound very good and seems to hold up very well over time. I think these are cheap, very functional pads that are meant to be changed after they go through hell and back. They are sweaty, but they sound the best when they get a little sweaty and the ultimate seal against the ear takes place. Ear sauna all year long since the fabric does not breath at all.

The Velour pads gives least isolation and also takes away some from the sound but its very little but this depends on how picky you are. They are also very similar to the old HD555/595 pads in the texture/fabric.

The Amperior pads texture/fabric is like HD598CS pads. They are my favourit pads all around since they dont make my ears sweat and at the same time give high sound isolation and are very comfortable.

The Aluminium pads gives the best isolation and comfort in regards to softness but they are a ear sauna during the summers. I cant say if this is real leather or not, my guess is not but i cant say for sure. VERY good fake leather if so.

The $2 AliExpress pads are stiff, deformed itchy and crazy sweaty.

Regarding cables i recommend the Oyaide cable. It's cheap, sleek and durable. The 3,5mm connector is very slim and made in one durable piece. I think i got mine from Amazon for €18 or something like that.
http://www.oyaide.com/ENGLISH/AUDIO/products_category/headphone_earphone_cbl/hpc-hd25.html

The standard straight cable is longer than you would probably like on the go and in the winter time it gets very stiff. The 3,5mm connector is also very large. This cable can take some rough beatings and it wont fail. Its built like a tank like the rest of the HD25.

The spiral cable i have not used but i guess it's as durable as the standard straight.

The Custom Cans Mass Loading & Damping Kit for HD25 was not for me. It made the bass softer and deeper. It also took away some of that agressive highs that i like in my HD25.
https://customcans.co.uk/s/s/index....loading-uber-mods-mods-uber-damping-kits.html

The product code/number for Amperior pads are: 549336
The product code/number for Aluminium pads are: 556906

All the Sennheiser spare parts can be order through you local retailer with no extra cost added. The Sennheiser Sweden customer support told me this and i have had no problems ordering parts through my local retailer.

Overview



Standard pad that comes with HD25-1 II (Also included in Plus package)


Velour pad that comes with HD25-1 II Plus


Amperior pad that comes with HD25 Amperior


Aluminium pad that comes with HD25 Aluminium


$2 from AliExpress
A thin net was sown in to the back but that had to go since i use the standard foam inserts.


Standard straight cable


Oyaide cable

Comparison Standard straight VS Oyaide


Custom Cans Mass Loading & Damping Kit for HD25


Bonus picture of my cat Bajjen (the turd) borrowing my custom HD25 with Amperior pads and 2,5mm balanced silver cable.

I ended up with the same conclusions.

Yaxi pads are nice, but I don't feel they are an upgade in sound to the stock pads. Stock pads has more bass punch that I like very much.
I tried also the Uber mods. It's a nice mod, but removing the white foam behind the cups adds some reverb to the sound. You can notice especially in vocals. So I ended up removing it.

My final optimal setup for the hd25: Stock Pads, Oyaide Cable.

 

[smorgar]

I ended up with the same conclusions.

Yaxi pads are nice, but I don't feel they are an upgade in sound to the stock pads. Stock pads has more bass punch that I like very much.
I tried also the Uber mods. It's a nice mod, but removing the white foam behind the cups adds some reverb to the sound. You can notice especially in vocals. So I ended up removing it.

My final optimal setup for the hd25: Stock Pads, Oyaide Cable.

I would argue that the Alu pads are a clear upgrade from the stock pads. Exact same sound but much more comfortable. The Amperior pads are my favourites since they are slightley more comfortable than the Alu pads due to no sweat. They do leak sound a little bit more than the Alu/stock but sound wise I cant tell them apart.

Did you remove the felt in the back of the cups and replaced the with the dampening kit from Customcans or did you just use no dampening at all? I wonder how they would sound with both the felt and the dampening from Customcans at the same time