G'day fellow A800 owners! For anyone considering replacing / changing pads, here's my 2 cents.
^If anyone has a question on removing the mounting plate, please see the quote above.
*Cross-posting from the Onkyo A800 thread and this thread
It took about 1 - 2 months to receive these Vesper Audio Pads. I did make some last-minute changes and it's like EU to Southeastern USA. 1st impression is that I really like the basic Vesper Audio Onkyo A800 pads. I order these with my ATH-L3000 and those pads are awesome as well. I want to say Vesper Audio is a really good copycat pad maker that stay pretty close to the original source, but they will always be little differences and they are flexible with customization. I really like the little plastic mounting plate for the Onkyo A800 for people that lost their mounting plate. I do not know how to install the Vesper Audio pads properly on the Onkyo A800. Vesper Audio told me it's double adhesive rings, but I think I only got 1 sided adhesive rings unless I do not know where to peel which could happen. I email Vesper audio if it's supposed to be double adhesive rings or maybe if I am missing something. In terms of comfort, they are pretty ok, not the best I wore and not the worst I wore. The Vesper Audio Onkyo Pads I got were really thick, so my ears only touch the pads, not the driver.
Sound Differences:
Onkyo A800 Caldera Thin Pads:
* Most comfortable and smallest pad
* Have the most visceral impact
*Soundstage is intimate
Vesper Audio Onkyo Custom Pad - Black, Not through perforation (as shown in the screenshot from your response),
(not through) perforated leather on the inner cavity with (through) perforated alcantara in black.
All other surfaces are intact (whole gain real leather), angled pad,
regular acoustic foam Impression:
* Soundstage is further compared to the other 3 pads.
* Overall more veil compare to the basic Vesper pads
* Feels like it favors more in the lower region and the upper region of the frequency sound nonexistent. Basically, I think the bass overpowers the other frequency.
* Visceral impact
* Sound louder
Vesper Audio Onkyo Basic Pad - Basic black pad, real whole leather, Natural latex Impression:
* Soundstage is more intimate and the music is closer
* Most clear sounding pad, but just by a little bit
* Less visceral impact compare to the Caldera Thin pads, but it's still there
* Sound louder, making me feel like I'm closer to the music
I did not like the Vesper Audio Onkyo Custom Pad at all. I think I went too crazy on the customization on it, so this pad will not be part of the discussion any longer. At the end of this 1st impression, I really like both the Caldera Thin Pads and the Vesper Audio Onkyo A800 basic pads. Both of these pads have a great balance of bass, midrange, and treble. They are pretty similar in terms of sound quality overall, but both have a little different experiences. For example, the Caldera Thin Pads have a more visceral impact while the Vesper Audio Onkyo A800 basic pads have more clarity. In my opinion, the Vesper Audio Onyko A800 basic pads sound a little sweeter in the midrange vs the Caldera Thin pads. This may be due to the Caldera Thin pads being more focused on the bass range. The difference isn't a huge jump, but it's a noticeable little difference.
At the end of the day, I have to tell myself, what do I like more? More visceral impact or a little more clarity and sweeter midrange? After finally having breakfast, I decided to keep the Vesper Audio Onkyo Basic Pad for my main Onkyo A800. I kept the Caldera thin pads installed on my backup Onkyo A800 if I want a little more visceral impact.
Was it worth the price and wait time? I think it's a fair price and wait time isn't that bad unless you desperately need a pad in 1 week. For wait time, I just order and forget about it until I receive an email.
^Onkyo A800 with Mounting Plate
^Onkyo A800 without Mounting Plate
^ Vesper Audio Onkyo A800 Basic Pad install on left side, Caldera Thin Pads install right side
^ Closer look at the Caldera Thin Pads install on the Onkyo A800
^ Closer look at the Vesper Audio Onkyo A800 Basic Pad installed in the Onkyo A800. You can see the driver very clearly since it does not have a screen.
