So after almost two months using the new velour pads I would like to provide an update.
These pads collect some extra fluff in comparison with the sennheiser velour pads.
Also you may like the change in sound signature or you may not but for me now the Neo is a totally different headphone.
I like it a lot and since I cannot use my other open headphones due to family constraints I am exclusively listen to them the last two months.
I do not care if 58x, 6xx or 4xx are better because simply I cannot use them where I can use my neo. With the new pads any criticism is due to ommision in comparison to a better headphone and not due to any offensive flaw.
As my previous balanced cable became faulty I decided to buy the original Meze balanced cable under the fifty percent discount. I still find 50£ a lot for a cable but from a brief listening today I can say that it deserves every penny. In combination with my beloved xCan the sound is amazing!!!
I am also happy to see Meze introducing a reasonable shipping cost option to UK! Well done!
Now I am looking forward for Meze original special tuned velour pads that will make full justice to the beloved 99 series which unquestionably deserves.
I had replaced my factory ear pads with the Brainwavz Hybrid velour pads too and, initially, they fit on the Meze ear cups very loosely but still sealed. The y really improved the depth and prevented my ear from touching the inside, but b/c of the loose fit I had to adjust (jostle) them to me ears for proper frequency dispersion. The sound signature also changed, as you stated, but not in a good way to me. I lost too much sub-bass, soundstage became narrower, and the overall sound was less detailed and bloated. I think it was leaking sound audio, b/c even though the shape Is oval it’s got a lot more air space surrounding the ear than the stock ones.
I loved these cans from the get go, but was just disappointed with the stock ear pads. I’ve dealt with this “synthetic“ leather
BS before and can attest to it’s ridiculous flaking & shedding process of degradation and try to avoid them like the plague. The faux leather degrades to rapidly also and becomes a constant ear pad replacement merry-go-round. I’ve tried to share my concerns and thoughts with manufacturers (those I respect
) as to this issue, but most have either replied stating it’s a cost/supply/environmental issue or replied with the “We respect the lives of our furry friends in the animal kingdom blah, blah, blah..
”
I tried out 2 more aftermarket ear pads and hit Gold with the BW’z Sheepskin leather pads! The fit was a lot tighter and it totally solved all the issues I was having! Plus..they are as soft and supple as a newborn‘s…...derrière
. They’ve already lasted over a year and still look great! The sound signature actually improved for my likes! Soundstage extended a bit, got my sub bass back with even more tightness, and the musical articulation sounded even more detailed!
I know how personal the opinion becomes among those of us in the hobby when it comes to the Gold Standard for superior audio quality. It has always been contested and always be. That’s because we all have different ears, ear canals, and inner-ear “parts”…aka, are humanly engineered with a multitude of bodily variations. What fun would it be if we were all created the same
I thought I’d pass this on, if anyone is still looking for a good, viable replacement for their Meze 99’s ear pads. Plus, I picked them up from Amazon for around $37.00, a year ago! Hopefully, they’re still at this low price…..
BRAINWAVZ Sheepskin Ear Pads for ATH M50X, M50XBT, M40X, HyperX, SHURE, Turtle Beach, AKG, ATH, Philips, JBL, Fostex Replacement Memory Foam Earpads & Fits Many Headphones
)
![20170901_144432[1].jpg](https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/9994777.jpg)
