Dekoni Premium Pads: Audiophile Models Discussions | Drop

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Dekoni Premium Pads: Audiophile Models

Audiophile

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BlueSkies

Mar 9, 2019

I've come to the conclusion that "pad rolling", while fun, is not a good idea. I think the only reason most people buy aftermarket pads is because they look nice. I did just that - Brainwavz sheepskin. They look so cool, and the sheepskin feels good against the skin. But if you stop and think about it, headphone designers don't just throw any old pad that happens to be lying around onto their headphone designs. The selection of the pad and its design is very much part of the overall headphone device. The pads are carefully designed and manufactured to match up with the rest of what goes into the design - the cups, transducers, venting, etc etc. Taking the "stock" pads off is throwing away an important part of the engineering that went into the headphone. My experience has shown it changes the sound and character of the headphone. What is created in essence is a kind of Frankenstein Headphone - disparate parts all hacked together. Does it actually sound better? Most people will say "of course it sounds better - look at how much they cost me!" Best advice.. don't do it - it's a waste of time and money.

(Edited)

Mar 9, 2019

DekoniAudio

194

Mar 12, 2019

BlueSkiesWe agree that most serious headphone designers do not just throw any pad onto their headphones... it is usually one of the last, and most finicky steps in tuning the sound of a headphone, especially with closed headphones. Dekoni Audio does not just slap a compatible mount onto a standard pad and call it a day. Dekoni specializes in mostly per-model tuned pads. We considered many choices of interior foams (before selecting a premium medium density memory foam), velours, leathers, even different fenestration patterns and grades of protein leather. The depth and shape of the pad also play a big role in how well it will seal against your face, in turn affecting the bass response and how direct or diffuse the transducer can transmit to your ear, how much volume of air it has to exert pressure on. When designing our pads, we purchase two units of a model, combine measurements from our test rig (which some people might recoignize) and listen with our own ears 👂🏻, and usually iterate through a few prototypes before coming to market (Sorry for the extended development on the HD 700 pads, folks, but we’re really proud of the result!). Lastly, audio and comfort are highly subjective things. Our tastes may differ from the (talented) designer’s tastes, and Dekoni offers Sheepskin, Velour, and Hybrid options where the original manufacturer might only offer one option. Have a pair of AKG K7XX in the studio to analyze for clipping and mastering issues, but want an easy to clean, durable pad that can be shared with the whole crew? Pick up a pair of Dekoni Sheepskin. Maybe the Sennheiser HD 6XX lacks a bit of bite, and the Fenestrated Sheepskin (along with a decent amp) helps the near perfectly balanced stock sound get just a bit more crisp without being fatiguing. Or maybe, nothing is better after a long day of work than lying down in bed with a pair of Fostex TH-X00 wearing Dekoni Hybrid pads as soft as your blankets but still sealed against keeping your spouse awake. The soft, luxurious feeling of the Choice Suede Pads on the next long flight with the Sony WH-1000XM3. Dekoni Audio provides choices, embracing that the stock experience can be expanded on to suit individual preferences.

(Edited)

Mar 12, 2019

BlueSkies

Mar 12, 2019

DekoniAudioThanks for the well thought out reply. Still, the average owner, who in truth knows next to nothing about the technicalities of what goes into designing headphones, is left wondering... "let’s see, these change the design the original engineer intended. These aren't really XXX headphones anymore. What exactly have I got now?" On the other hand, I’ll take a guess and say that the typical headphone user probably doesn’t really care.

Mar 12, 2019

Hyde

1119

Sep 6, 2019

BlueSkiesI appreciate the civilized discussion from both sides. And it's nice to know Dekoni put extensive research and development into their pads. Though speaking from personal experience, maybe TH-X00 and E-Mu Teak are a bit picky (and less tolerant) on pad designs. I've tried the pleather, leather, and hybrid pads and find that while all of them sound "different", in the end I still prefer the sound of the stock pad. But I gotta give it to Dekoni for their awesome customer service and quality product (build quality and packaging is top notch). Also feels really comfortable. I guess at this point it just depending on how picky is the user on sound, and as BlueSkies mentioned some might not notice the difference.

Sep 6, 2019

batman5088

Sep 8, 2019

BlueSkiesSo true.....I had swap out a Brainwavz sheepskin (bigger radius, thickness) from a factory PU leather of a Sony. It totally destroy the Sony signature sound. The shitty PU leather is there for it's sound purpose not for the comfort or long lasting. I rather stick to factory cup and change with original parts when it wear out every year.

Sep 8, 2019

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