[The Boatman]

What about Stax? which of the Stax models use leather? It won't be for a long while, says my (vegan) wallet, but the next phones I would get would probably be Stax.

 

[003]

Get yourself an L3000, I hear it has no leather

I kid, I kid....


The HE90 does not have leather, does it?

EDIT:
Also you could get an HP1000 and I'm sure Larry would be willing to make a vinyl headband for it .

 

[DJShadow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Boatman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Although I'm not religious, there are I think some religions (Buddhism perhaps?) whose members would not want leather in their equipment...

Devout Hindus and Sikhs I'm fairly sure.

 

[ClieOS]

Just saw History Channel's Modern Marvel about the use of leather in the course of human history, apparently our ancestor all wore leather since hundreds of thousand of years ago (No, they weren't naked all the time), so I guess wearing them around my ear doesn't really bother me a bit. No offense to vegetarians, but I just can't see the point. Everytime I put on my headphone, I can see how much pollutant was dumped into the ecosystem just so I can enjoy my music, yet I am still buying new gear - It is in a way that we are doomed by what we do (past and present), just have to look past it (and maybe figure a way out during the process).

 

[fatcat28037]

No cows were harmed in making Sennheisers, however Grado uses baby seal skin to cover their headbands.

 

[boomana]

The choice to use any material in a pad has to do with comfort, seal, and sound (though I'm sure cost enters the equation from a company standpoint). If you change the pads, depending on the headphone, it will affect seal and it will affect the sound. I switched the pleather pads of my K340s to velour because the pleather was looser (already loose headphones) and made my ears sweat after listening for a while. I actually feel that I lost a bit of bass by the switch. Others have reported sq changes for good or bad with other headphones when they've switched materials.

If you want to avoid leather, I say avoid pleather, too. It does get sweaty.

 

[scompton]

I don't think the top Beyers come with leather. I know the ear pads are velour. I'm not sure about the headband, but considering leather is extra in the Manufaktur, I doubt the standard 990 and 880 come with leather headbands.

 

[Jeffreybar]

I'm also a strict vegetarian (for going on 10 years), and this is a concern of mine, but like boomana, I've reached the (perhaps a bit cynical) point in my vegetarianism where I'm willing to use products that are not strictly vegetarian. I can't say I like it though...makes me feel like a big, fat hypocrite to go way the hell out of my way to not eat a hamburger, but use headphones that are made with animal skin.

Lots of headphones (even some high end ones), thankfully, use either velour or fake leather. It's definitely a bonus in my book. For instance, the Omega II uses *fake* leather, not real leather, contrary to what the poster above said. (Lots of places have this info, but see this for instance).

I think the biggest irritant when it comes to being a vegetarian headphone junkie is the same thing that irks me about being a vegetarian anything else: namely that as soon as you ask a completely unloaded, non-accusatory question about how to make your beliefs and your hobbies comply, some (not all, of course) folks want to either be combatative or make inane jokes about it. But I suppose that's just the nature of the lifestyle.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Boatman /img/forum/go_quote.gif What about Stax? which of the Stax models use leather? It won't be for a long while, says my (vegan) wallet, but the next phones I would get would probably be Stax.

Both the Omegas (SR-Omega and SR-007) use leather ear pads, the rest uses vinyl and some different types of artificial leather.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 003 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HE90 does not have leather, does it?

The earpads use leather on the sides and the headband is covered in leather as well.

 

[Superpredator]

I had a hamburger from Wendy's the other week after nearly a six-year hiatus from fast food. It tasted like poop. No foolin' poop. If headphone parts were made from Wendy's hamburgers I would be a speaker guy.

 

[jayehs]

None of the high end IEM's have leather on them (probably because there's no space for them )

 

[kramer5150]

From what I understand, thats a step beyond vegetarianism... you're entering the realm of a vegan (sp?) at this stage. A gal I used to play volleyball with was a Vegan. She refused to wear leather court shoes and play with a leather ball. She was really stubborn too and made an issue of the dam ball every time. She didn't last a month on this team, she couldn't blend in with this team of savages.

My HF1, A250 and HD580 don't use any animal parts (LOL... that sounds funny).

 

[kramer5150]

If I ever die, I want my hide to be re-incarnated as a PS1 headband or a Stax earpad cushion... I would be honored.

IMHO those cows are really lucky.

I am an organ-donner for CA... do I qualify?

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Boatman /img/forum/go_quote.gif out of curiosity, what's the most 'high-end' headphone that doesn't use any animal products?

The Stax 4070 comes to my mind. Afaik it don't use any animal products.

Personally I sit in my leather couch wearing a pair Stax SR-007's with leather earpads.

 

[Superpredator]

Just to contrast with the grillicious picture above: