[HeadphoneAddict]

I wanted to write up a little something about the JMoney leather Denon ear pads, which I think are a nice upgrade over the stock Denon ear pads. The pads come in a small dust cover bag with a J$ on it in cursive, which is a nice touch in lieu of "packaging".

First you need to remove the stock pads. You have to press-in against the old pads and twist counter-clockwise to "un-hook" the stock pads from the baffle, which have a locking retainer-ring with prongs on the underside to mate with the Denon baffle. (see photo). Then you remove the plastic retainer-rings from the old pads and transplant them onto the new pads, as the rings slip under a skirt of material on the backside of the ear pads.

The retainer-ring install can be tricky but I used a simple technique that I used to install bicycle and motorcycle tires on rims in the past. I used a paperclip as the lever bar to wedge between the disk and the skirt, and as I would slide the "bar" around the rim of the disk it pulls or levers the skirt material over the disk. (See photo):

These thicker ear pads improve soundstage over stock ones just like stuffing the stock pads, and are still very comfortable. The headphones are not as loose as with the stock pads or the Lawton stuffed pads, so there is just a little more pressure on the head.

Because of that pressure and the fact that the ear holes are just a couple of mm smaller in both height and width, they also help grip my head better so that I can recline back in my easy chair and have the headphones stay in place better. With the stock pads or the modded/stuffed stock pads I find the Denon tend to have a more floppy or loose fit, which bothers me if I want to lean back a little more and relax when I listen.

Also, with the stock pads or Lawton stuffed pads my ears will hit the fabric screen/dust cover that goes between the ear pad and the driver cover/baffle, but the JMoney pads actually have a deeper cavity in front of the fabric screen/dustcover so my ears don't touch anymore.

In the end, I would highly recommend these JMoney leather pads! Rumor has it that Headphone.com will be carrying them for sale in the near future, so give them a call if they aren't on the website yet.

 

[KingStyles]

The dust cover always bugged my ears also, but with the jmoney pads it is never a problem. That alone was worth the cash without even mentioning better fit and better soundstage with more space in the presentation.

 

[Usagi]

Since the J$ pads increase the distance between the ear and the drivers, does it reduce the overall impact or aggressiveness of the headphone (i.e., changing from Todd-flats to bowls on a Grado headphone)?

 

[kejar31]

I also wanted to give my 2 cents on these pads. As someone who modded my own headphones, the pads were one piece I could never get correct. Every attempt to stuff them resulted in headphones that were too sibilant. To top that off I always felt that the stuffed pads looked like crap. I know this is unrelated to the sound but when you go out and buy a pair a $400 + headphones you don’t expect to look at ear pads with uneven seams that just look bad. So I ended up compromising the great soundstage for a more balanced sound and didn’t stuff my pads.

When I saw the J$ pads on head-fi I immediately made the purchase and boy am I glad I did. Not only was I able to get the great soundstage, but the sibilance that was always a problem for me with the stuffed pads was not there as well! To top it all off they look great as well!! I now feel that my d5000’s are everything I was originally looking for in a headphone when I came here a couple of years ago. The funny thing is, I hated the D5000’s when I first got them but after modding them and getting these pads they are perfect. Either way if you have a pair of d2000,d5000,d7000 I would highly recommend these pads.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Usagi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since the J$ pads increase the distance between the ear and the drivers, does it reduce the overall impact or aggressiveness of the headphone (i.e., changing from Todd-flats to bowls on a Grado headphone)?

I don't find that to be a problem with these pads.

 

[cswann1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Usagi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since the J$ pads increase the distance between the ear and the drivers, does it reduce the overall impact or aggressiveness of the headphone (i.e., changing from Todd-flats to bowls on a Grado headphone)?

Not for me. These are nothing but an improvement to my D7000's in every way pads can affect my listening experience.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Liked these so much that I'm signing up for a pair of JMoney earpads for my HE60 (group buy). I'm surprised at how little attention these are getting.

 

[myk7000]

I felt they were a HUGE upgrade to the sound of the d7000 I had. Unfortunately I cannot say the comfort was better than the stock pads. However, they are still more comfortable than most headphones out in the market even with the j money pads.

The increase in soundstage was probably the biggest improvement for me, which was completely worth it!

 

[jyle_t]

well for me, not only its not as comfortable as stock, (i use 5th lever level with stock, max with jmoney O.o) i didn't really enjoy the changed sound as much. sure the bass is more controlled, but IMO the overall sound sounds thinner because of it and the increased distance. once i switch to the stock pads and got the fat pounding bass back, i realised this is why i got denons in the first place. so, yeah. more like a side-grade to me.

i must say the build quality is top notch tho.

 

[aimlink]

I got the pads and shrugged at the construction though there's definitely more padding. Not really much different in quality though it's a bit better made. I had problems fitting one so that it was able to rotate as it should.

Using the JMoney pads leads to a snugger fit since the pads are thicker and the headband is stretched more for a fit. I can't say that I like the firmer grip, though it's like going from the frying pan into the fire. The stock pads led to a very loose fit that made bending forward or being recumbent a problem.

There's better sound isolation now which adds to the sound. A bit more soundstage is present.

I've been getting wearing fatigue with them so far (discomfort and eventually a headache) and just now switched to using my HD650 and am feeling a lot better now. So all in all, I'm not over the moon. There have been ups and downs and think that overall, things are a little better.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Like I said in the review, the clamp is stronger so I can finally lean back in my chair to listen without the phones sliding off my head. Before I couldn't use my back rest at all without leaning my head forward with chin to my chest.

 

[oldson]

even after a few negative comments. i find these tempting.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldson /img/forum/go_quote.gif even after a few negative comments. i find these tempting.

The good thing is that it's affordable, so I encourage giving them a go and seeing how you fair.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Try them. I still have not gone back to the stock pads since I switched to these.

 

[oldson]

i see there is a 4-8 week wait for them now!
may wait 'til after xmas.