[Bjarne]

I bought a pair NOS pads and a worn headband in good condition from Japan. Check out the sale thread here: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/557989/sony-mdr-cd3000-pads-nos-headband-used-good-condition
 
I'll be happy to provide them to a CD3k owner for a reasonable price.

 

[oqvist]

bump!
 
I am wonder if all CD 3000 owners get this static when you stand up or move around? can go on for a couple of seconds. On my LCD-2 the sound just stops momentarily for example. I generally
don´t move around with them thus I haven´t really noticed this until now

 

[Bush]

Hi leeperry,
I know your post is rather old, but something seems strange to me : on the 3rd photo of you CD1000, the earpad with a red mark is on the left cup, while usually the red mark is for the right earpad, at least for genuine Sony earpads.
Why is it so ?
 

 

[hekeli]

Bought ones out of curiosity for decend price (250€). The pads actually look pretty much like new and original (very soft, with red and blue stitches). I cleaned the foam gunk from drivers, so the urethane sheet is gone, as is the outer foam ring (pretty much crumbled from my touch).
 
I'm surprised how good they sound. 

 
Some measurements with my calibrated Smyth Realiser mics in ear, no compensation applied. So includes some HRTF/pinna-effect.
 
CD3000 vs HD600 / HD800:
 

 
No problems with THD, great all around at 90dB (<1% >40hz, <0.2% >100hz):
 

 
CSD looks clean:
 

 
I will try to replace the foam ring and driver sheet. If they take a bit off the highs I think I'll like it even more..

 

[Canuck57]

I have stock CD300s and Headfile deep cup CD3000s love them both, but the Headphile version are even better

 

[zhenya]

Anyone have any experience with different replacement earpads? I bought a set off ebay a couple of years ago that are fine, just a little bit stiff. There are big differences in price from different sellers on ebay, so I'm wondering if they are all just from the same factory or if any of them have any better quality and/or softer materials yet?
 
And to further illustrate how good these still are, I bought the new MDR-Z7's in hope that they might have some of the CD3000 magic. Lots more bass slam and better build quality, but for a neutral, versatile, reference headphone, the CD3000 is still miles ahead. 

 

[Bush]

Hi Zhenya,
 
I don't know if all the replacement earpads come from the same factory, but I know that they are not all the same,  and have not the same quality.
The first ones I bought were good : good sizes, same dimensions and same thickness for the left and right earpads. I bought them from "go_me05" on ebay :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Earpad-ear-pads-replacement-for-Sony-mdr-cd1000-mdr-cd3000-headphones-/170877609697?pt=US_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item27c91966e1
 
As I have several CD3000, I then bought 6 pairs (less expensive) from "sitedv88" (who doesn't sell these items at the present time), and I was VERY disappointed : the central hole was a little smaller than the one of the first earpads, and they were not comfortable to wear, but the main problem was that the thickness and softness of the left earpad were not the same than those of the right earpad.
 
So my advice would be to buy one pair at a time and check them before buying others, and to carefully select sellers.
I was pleased of the 3 pairs of earpads I bought from "go_me05" in 2012, but I can't tell you if they have the same quality today.
So I think you'll have to try by yourself.
Hope this helps.

 

[zhenya]

Thank you very much! Those look decent and I will probably order a pair. I'm also wondering about the ones from Japan that are considerably more expensive like these.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SONY-JAPAN-Headphone-Ear-Pad-SC346-for-MDR-CD1000-MDR-CD3000-/151383957833?pt=US_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item233f2fe149

They LOOK softer than the others, and I'd have no problem with the price if I knew what to expect, but don't want to pay that price for the same cheap stuff.

I wish someone made these in real leather!

 

[Bush]

I saw them on ebay, and I personally won't buy them because they seem to have defects (on the right side of the earpad on the right of the photo). But as I didn't test them, I may be wrong.
If you decide to buy these, tell us what you think about them.
I have one pair of CD3000 with genuine Sony earpads in rather good shape, while the others (several CD3000, one CD1000, two CD950, one CD750) are equipped with recent replacement earpads : the genuine earpads are very comfortable and soft, whereas the replacement ones are firmer (but still wearable for hours) and thicker, and I think this thickness slightly improves the deepness of bass and the realism of sound (realism : especially in the case of the CD3000, of course).
Regarding making earpads in real leather, I tried last year to find someone able to make genuine lethear earpads, but the person I asked for told me they were very difficult to make. So at the present time I keep on using the replacement earpads, and I must admit they are quite good, even if you can't forget you're wearing headphones, as it seems to be the case with a Sony R10, according to Modwright01.
Anyway, if someone finds a person able to make good quality and comfortable real leather earpads, I may be interested.

 

[zhenya]

I'm taking that 'defect' to hopefully be softer material that bunches up a bit more than the stiff ones I have now. I don't recall who I bought my last set from but they have been fine; just a little bit hard compared to the stock ones which are no longer usable.

 

[zhenya]

Hey Bush, just wanted to let you know I received a set of earpads from the seller you recommended above. Took a while because he sent the wrong pair at first, but the correct ones just arrived. He was easy to deal with anyhow.
 
The pads I received from him were quite difficult to get installed as they needed a lot of stretching, but they did go on there. I can't recall if my old ones were that difficult to install at first and just held that size over time. Anyhow, these are definitely a bit softer, maybe slightly less thick, but not much, and reasonable quality. There is definitely more bunching in the material and the stitching is not as straight, but I think it's because they are of softer material vs. the old ones.

 

[Bush]

Hi Zhenya,
thank you for keeing me informed.
They won't be as soft and comfortable as the original ones, but do they suit you ?

 

[zhenya]

Yes, they are good enough. They may well be the same material as the others I've been using that have hardened with several years of use, or they might be and stay softer. Hope so. Anyhow, I now have two decent sets of pads which should last me a good long while.

 

[E3E]

Are any of you guys the buyer of those CD3000s on ebay that went for only $60 thanks to an oblivious seller? Deal of the decade right there, maybe even two.

---
I bought my pair of CD3000s off of eBay when they were first incorporating eBay bucks I believe, and only certain auctions had deals. I got mine with a nice rebate and felt good about my purchase back then. The downside is that the CD3000s were really beat up. The pleather headband was already deteriorated, the ear pads too, even having separated from the seams and exposing the foam (which is really soft, I have to say ). The paint on the earcups blistered up for whatever reason, it was like that when I got them. The self-adjusting strap for the headband was in terrible shape and I always had to rig it to work right, not to mention the elastic band losing its elasticity as well.

So, my dream is to one day refurbish my precious pair of weathered headphones into something unique. I already rewrapped and refinished the headband and self-adjusting strap in real leather. I want to get some new earpads as well sand and paint the earcups a unique, yet tasteful color and reapply the appropriate decals. I've already done a detachable cable mod, which I'm quite proud of, heheh. Someday, I'll get these guys back in good shape!

Does Audiocubes still sell the headband assembly, per chance? It'd be good to know even if i won't be getting it.

 

[zhenya]

Nobody sells the headband anymore so far as i am aware. I picked up a NOS one several years ago and even that was hard to track down.
 
Missed the $60 pair. Were they mis-listed? I watch those auctions daily and didn't see them.