[GL1TCH3D]

I was just thinking...
When my T5ps came in, the pads were moist and hydrated and very soft. Now after over a month, the pads are more dry and not as soft.
I was wondering if using a leather treatment or other type of leather care is good for the pads.

http://www.leathermagic.com/Pages/lthrconds.htm

Is it worth it? Is it dangerous for the leather?

 

[wje]

We found some leather repair / conditioner that was like a thick oil at a local horse saddle shop.  We ended up re-dyeing our leather couch and chair with quality leather dye purchased through an Amazon vendor.  The leather repair / conditioner that we used  was rubbed onto and into the leather furniture pieces and left to sit for a few days.  While our leather furniture is over 10 years old now, it's actually softer and looks better than when we purchased it new.

 

[GL1TCH3D]

We found some leather repair / conditioner that was like a thick oil at a local horse saddle shop.  We ended up re-dyeing our leather couch and chair with quality leather dye purchased through an Amazon vendor.  The leather repair / conditioner that we used  was rubbed onto and into the leather furniture pieces and left to sit for a few days.  While our leather furniture is over 10 years old now, it's actually softer and looks better than when we purchased it new.

Thanks for the response.

I know there are products for couches and such. My mom has a leather treatment cream for her purse.

I was just wondering about using them on headphone pads =)

 

[obobskivich]

I think it may vary from headphone manufacturer to manufacturer, my SA5000 pads have done the opposite of what you've described - fresh out of the box they were stiff like new shoes or a new wallet, but after a lot of usage they've "broken in" and are very soft and comfortable. My K1000 has done the same thing, but I'm not so sure those are real leather. I think climate may also play into this, but I live in a fairly dry region (I think it's about 8% ambient humidity today) so unless you're in a dehydrator I don't see it being a problem (I know rot can be helped along by extreme humidity though). 
 
Some other bits to add: 
 
I know that leather, like other hide products, benefits from being handled by humans (or probably very likely other animals) because oils are returned to it, but I'm sure this can be overdone. 
 
I know that leather can be "sealed" and that will ruin it (this is based on outdoor/mountaineering equipment made from genuine leather, basically the material has to be able to "breathe" to some extent). 
 
I know that eventually it will rot into a cakey and horrible thing that is the stuff of nightmares (this is on the order of decades though, not months - I've only ever seen this on book bindings). 
 
The saddle-soap products are probably a good place to start, I've seen them used with great success on all sorts of leather work (including shoes, gloves, boots, jackets, etc). Alternately, look at the treatment products for garments (like what you've mentioned for the purse). If in doubt, I would probably contact Beyerdynamic and ask what their suggestion is for caring for the pads (perhaps they even sell a treatment product?). One thing I would be (personally) worried about is leaving a very greasy/oily layer on the pad that will transfer to everything it touches, like a polish/wax (I'm just seeing it leaving black rings on your head). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[GL1TCH3D]

I think it may vary from headphone manufacturer to manufacturer, my SA5000 pads have done the opposite of what you've described - fresh out of the box they were stiff like new shoes or a new wallet, but after a lot of usage they've "broken in" and are very soft and comfortable. My K1000 has done the same thing, but I'm not so sure those are real leather. I think climate may also play into this, but I live in a fairly dry region (I think it's about 8% ambient humidity today) so unless you're in a dehydrator I don't see it being a problem (I know rot can be helped along by extreme humidity though). 
 
Some other bits to add: 
 
I know that leather, like other hide products, benefits from being handled by humans (or probably very likely other animals) because oils are returned to it, but I'm sure this can be overdone. 
 
I know that leather can be "sealed" and that will ruin it (this is based on outdoor/mountaineering equipment made from genuine leather, basically the material has to be able to "breathe" to some extent). 
 
I know that eventually it will rot into a cakey and horrible thing that is the stuff of nightmares (this is on the order of decades though, not months - I've only ever seen this on book bindings). 
 
The saddle-soap products are probably a good place to start, I've seen them used with great success on all sorts of leather work (including shoes, gloves, boots, jackets, etc). Alternately, look at the treatment products for garments (like what you've mentioned for the purse). If in doubt, I would probably contact Beyerdynamic and ask what their suggestion is for caring for the pads (perhaps they even sell a treatment product?). One thing I would be (personally) worried about is leaving a very greasy/oily layer on the pad that will transfer to everything it touches, like a polish/wax (I'm just seeing it leaving black rings on your head). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks for the response =)

It's not that my pads are not softer, they're less stiff than before, but I meant soft as soft to the touch. They used to feel a lot more moist (like the headband would pull my hair a bit when taking them off). But now they just still feel a lot more dry.

 

[JadeEast]

Leather finishes can usually be buffed up with just a brush or a polishing cloth. Lexol makes excellent Ph balanced cleaner and conditioners for leather. Saddle soap is for what it says on the tin. 

 

[GL1TCH3D]

Leather finishes can usually be buffed up with just a brush or a polishing cloth. Lexol makes excellent Ph balanced cleaner and conditioners for leather. Saddle soap is for what it says on the tin. 

Thanks for the response.

I tried contacting beyer both on the FB page and through the "contact us" with no response yet >.>

 

[GL1TCH3D]

I got a response,
They told me that I should use a damp cloth or disinfecting wipe and wipe down the pads. They also told me leather care products can be used but they have no recommendations.

 

[warubozu]

Any quality leather conditioner can be on the leather ear pads, it doesn't have be a real expensive or name brand one either. I occasionally use the leather cleaner and conditioner from leather and luggage maker Tumi. They recommend it being used on their leather goods, so I though if it's good enough for their leather goods it's good enough for my leather ear pads. I've use the Tumi leather cleaner and conditioner on my ATH-L3000 and R10 ear pads with good results and the Tumi products weren't expensive at all. As obobskivich has mentioned earlier, climate in your region can also play a role in the condition of your leather ear pads. If it's dry and hot most of the year in your area and you expose your cans to those elements daily, the leather ear pads can age and harden quickly. Where I live the climate doesn't get very hot or humid, so I don't do anything fancy to maintain the leather ear pads on my cans. I just clean them with a soft damp cloth or leather cleaner if they're really dirty and apply a coat of leather conditioner about twice a year.