This is a mini-review of Mr Speakers “Alpha” genuine lamb leather replacement earpads used on Beyerdynamic T5p.2 (2nd gen) full size headphones.
https://www.mrspeakers.com/shop/accessories/alpha-pads-genuine-lamb-leather.html . I would like to Thank Dan (
@mrspeakers) for providing me with a pair of Alpha pads in exchange for my honest opinion.
Fine-tuning the sound of full size headphones is not as simple as dealing with in-ear monitors. With IEMs you can easily switch to another set of common eartips which affects the fit and the seal and can result in noticeable sound changes. You can also try the same with full size headphones, if they support replaceable earpads, but this replacement is not as trivial due to a wide variety of earcup sizes and shapes. Plus, eartips are dirt cheap and come in extra sets with most IEMs, while earpads are a lot harder to come by and not as easy to remove.
When I take a break from my IEM reviews and test full size headphones, I usually accept their earpads as is and only “mod” the cable if it’s replaceable. That’s exactly what I did while recently reviewing T5p.2 (reviewed
HERE), and the only thing I could tinker with was the cable. The large round shape of Beyer earcups and a narrow thin earpads flap made it very hard to find the replacement. Of course this is purely my subjective opinion, but I think there is still a little room for improvement when it comes to T5p.2, especially for those who crave an even smoother and warmer sound.
After doing a little research I came to a conclusion that I won’t be able to find the exact replacement with a thin flap that goes into the edge of the earcup ring, and instead will have to settle for a replacement with a flap stretching over the ring.
This is how the original T5p.2 earpads look, on and off the earcup.
There was one replacement set of thicker earpads I found on ebay, and it actually had wide enough opening for the flap to go over the earcup ring, but the flap itself wasn’t as durable and sound improvement was down to minimum (cheap pleather with soft foam filling didn’t affect the sound). I also tried Zach’s (ZMF) replacement pads, high quality but their flap opening was too small. Last, but not least, Brandon (
@PETEREK) recommended to try Mr Speakers Alpha pads, and that was IT!
Priced under $60, we are talking about genuine soft lamb leather with a memory foam. With exterior dimensions of 4.25” in length and 3.75” in width, these are oval rather than round, but it takes on a more rounded shape when you stretch them over the Beyer's earcups. The ear hole opening is 2.5” tall and 1.75” wide which fits my medium size ears without a pinch, and due to their angled design you get approximately 1.5” depth on the back and 0.75” on the front. Unlike original T5p/T5p.2 earpads with a completely open ear hole, Alpha pads have a stretchy fabric material which probably adds another subtle layer of filtering. The most important factor in here – the flap opening was wide enough to fit these earpads without too much struggle.
Original T5p.2 earpads next to Alpha replacement earpads.
The installation of these earpads is not as quick as switching IEM eartips, and it will require some patience as you stretch the flap over the ring of earcup, but it was a lot easier in comparison to other earpads I tried with T5p.2. Keep in mind, T5p.2 look will be transformed with these DIY angled thick earpads, and it will no longer look as slim and neat. But the whole point of this mod was not to improve the looks of these Beyer cans, but rather to see if I can update the sound. The flap didn’t obstruct the earcup cable port opening, nor did it obstruct the bass port opening, and it went under the plastic part of the hinge without interfering with it. Overall, I was pleased with installation.
Alpha pads on T5p.2.
After the earpads replacement, I noticed right away a stronger clamping force, obviously due to a thicker pads. By bending the headband a little outward, I was able to relax the arc of the headband which also reduced the clamping force, making it more comfortable. This is especially important because now you are dealing with real leather, and a tight fit will result in earpads getting hot. After adjusting the clamping force and making the fit more comfortable, I had them on for 2 hours and my ears never got hot or sweaty.
Sound Analysis.
The first thing I noticed right away is that Alpha leather pads do improve the isolation, not 100% dead silent because the bass port is still open, but thicker angled pads form a better seal around my ears. But keep in mind, even so the isolation was improved, the sound leakage was still there.
In terms of the sound, default stock pads give you a balanced, neutral, leaner, revealing sound. With Alpha earpads I found an improvement in sub-bass extension, thicker texture, and overall a little more quantity. I also hear some changes in mid-bass impact and more body in lower mids. Furthermore, the upper mids and lower treble are noticeably smoother. The sound is a little more organic, warmer, still revealing, airy, and detailed (on micro-detail level). The soundstage expansion wasn't affected as much, but I do hear some reduction in depth.
Conclusion.
Even so I enjoy the sound of T5p.2, I was still on a mission to see if I can improve it further, closer to my ideal smoother/warmer sound sig preference. Mr Speakers Alpha pads did the trick, and it's a very simple, cost effective, and easily reversible mod. In terms of the sound improvement, subjective to my personal taste, I'm very pleased with a change. In terms of the change to how T5p.2 looks with Alpha pads - it's definitely bulkier and more masculine, and not as sexy as with the original earpads. But in my opinion it's a small price to pay if this particular sound change is your cup of tea.
Next stop, earcups mod proposed by
@PETEREK to minimize the sound leakage. Stay tuned...