I did some listening today while swapping both sets of pads and thought I would come back to clarify/ correct my previous comments about the pads. At one point I had one leather pad and one microfiber pad on at the same time. The difference from ear to ear was not as dramatic as expected, so I feel that they are closer to each other in sound than I originally perceived.
Alcantara Pads
The microfiber pads absorb some of the sound so I have to turn the dial on my LP louder. What I think I realized is that the absorptive quality is what warms up the sound. The treble gets a little subdued and so does the bass punch. The pads are indeed more neutral. When some of the bass punch is absorbed, the sub-bass appears to be more prominent. I think this is why some people are saying that they sound bassier even though the mid-bass punch is slightly subdued.
Leather Pads
The leather pads are actually more punchy since they reflect more sound rather than absorbing it. The treble is also more impressive, a tad more forward, but not really any sharper. The overall sound becomes slightly more V-shaped.
Hi matp86.
Some interesting observations you make.
That 'absorptive quality' you mention is indeed possibly what eases any treble harshness/sibilance, and actually leads to some folks feeling it adversely affects 'air' and spatiality that they like in the HD800s, for example. I myself didn't find these areas lacking, and that's coming from T1s (v1) with upgraded cable...and that I actually found surpassed the Senns
in my system.
Again, I myself found that 'punchy' bass with the leather pads, along with its (bass) upper range and lower mids, took away too much of the 'neutrality'...thereby entering 'dark' territory, which is fine if that's your tipple lol!
But I must qualify all that we are describing as being in minefield territory, to say the least. There are so many other factors within each individual system that can - and will - alter final outcome...perhaps in these lower registers more than most (once at a highly resolving system level).
For example, an obvious factor in my own case of tube amp is the tubes themselves! There can be vast variations in final sound delivery simply by changing said tubes, despite what some might call the 'house' sound based on the amp's circuitry/topology. I myself have experimented with non 'conventional' tubes, many of which have delivered totally different bass response, along with other very noticeable changes. My latest (and final!) trial - the EL38 power tube - has taken my amp to a completely new (higher) level of bass delivery than I have ever heard from it (them) in years now. Upgrades to other items of equipment have also impacted bass, and other, performance.
In addition, even different
cables will have an impact. More specifically, different
wires used. After years of experimenting with different combinations of silver and copper - namely from 'pure', soft-annealed silver to the latest (and best IMHO) mono crystal
OCC silver, copper and silver/gold alloy wires - I have found this area to have a far greater impact on
all frequencies - bass included! - than many might ever realise.
And so, given just these few examples even, whatever assessments we as individuals make - especially in finer detail - can only therefore be taken as a
rough guide, and one that others may find totally alien lol!
. But in the final analysis,
something is better than
nothing...or is it?!!!