Ear Pads - Leather, Pleather, Protein Leather, PU Leather ???

The outer surface of the ear pads on my AKG K550 headphones has been disintegrating and falling off for a while so it's time for a new pair of pads. Seems my options are:

Cheapest - PU Leather / Pleather (Basically it's plastic - I suspect they'll last a couple of years then disintegrate again)

Medium Price - Protein Leather (Is this really better than PU Leather or just another name for it?)

Highest Price - Genuine Leather (would like to get these but can't seem to find any the right size to for my headphones)

I think I'll avoid the PU/Pleather. Does anyone have any thoughts on Protein Leather?

 

Protein Leather is a near-generic Japanese trademark of Idemitsu Kosan - a resin artificial leather with a coating made of collagen etc from eggs. The company also makes silk-infused coating for auto upholstery. Like "Alcantara", a brand name for microsuede made the same way as the past 30 years, it's mostly just marketing Japanese technology in simulated natural materials of plastic fabrics.

I suspect early examples of this are the Japanese headphones that have a coating on the fake leather that flakes off and gets everywhere and turns gummy.

Also something to try to avoid but pervasive is the ear cups made of thin bonded material that splits at the seams. And give preference to headphones without very proprietary replacement pads that have hard plastic backing that snaps in.

Shure makes good and cheap replacements if you can find one that works for your phones. K550 seems to be 11cm in diameter, significantly larger than 10x8.5 pads for Sony, AT, Shure 440 etc that are the most common.

 

I'll be interested in what you choose as I have exact same problem with same model, struggling to find a genuine replacement.

 

Ha, random happenstance. I was listening to Paul Van Dyk live at Love Parade on my Sony headphones (MDR-V6/7506), and thought I'd see if there's video of it. Sure enough there is - and I spotted the same headphones with everybody's blown-out inside seam showing white foam, which I just replaced:



If your closed-back headphones have this, you're probably losing bass. Try squeezing the headphones closer to your ears and see if they change from tinny to bassy. Amazing the sound difference bad ear pads makes, and a caution not to try out velour soft replacements (Beyerdynamic) or fat pads on these.

 

I've done a bit more exploring and decided to go for some Brainwavz XL Micro Suede ear pad replacements. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07H4F5Z8H/ They arrive today.
Several reviews are from AKG K550 users so at least I know they will fit.

Microsuede is synthetic (made from Polyester) but seems to be very durable - they make sofa coverings with it. It is also breathable and washable.

Will report once I've had them a while.

 

OK so I've had the Brainwavz XL Micro Suede ear pads for a while now.

They are easy to fit on my AKG K550 headphones and I feel they increase the bass (a plus as I always thought the AKG K550 lacked bass) probably due to creating a better seal around my ears. The memory foam is firmer than the original so IMO not quite as comfortable though still absolutely fine for listening for hours. I feel the microsuede makes my ears a bit warmer than the old pleather pads and the most serious negative is that due to the fibrous nature of the microsuede it picks up dust, fluff, etc very easily, though it brushes off.

There is a sheepskin leather version which I'd like to try but probably won't until these ones die: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brainwavz-...ry-Earpads-Genuine-Leather/dp/B076SLL6BK?th=1

 

Have you considered velour?

US $17.35 11% OFF|Softer Thick Velour Velvet Ear Pads Cushion For AKG K550 K551 K553 Headphone Replacement Parts-in Earphone Accessories from Consumer Electronics on AliExpress

 

Thanks for the review, I'll get a pair.

 

microsuede or leather?

 

No, I'm not so keen on the feel of velour.

 

I'll go for the microsuede I think