Preface
Dekoni Audio asked here on Headfi for users willing to test ear pads for various headphones and provide their unbiased impressions.
We have applied and luckily we were selected to test the replacement ear pads for the Sennheiser HD660S so Dekoni Audio kindly provided a pair of our choice free of charge.
The USA based Dekoni Audio is the largest and most well known maker of aftermarket ear pads for various models of headphones.
They also make aftermarket ear tips plus hearing protection ear plugs and some other very useful accessories.
More info can be found at their website
https://dekoniaudio.com/
Now what sets Dekoni apart from other similar manufactures is that their ear pads are not just copies of the originals but they are designed with three parameters in mind.
First to offer way better comfort , secondly to be made more durable and thirdly and most important to offer minor corrections and improvements to the sound signature of the applied headphones.
Most ear pads are offered in various versions made from different materials each one providing it's own tuning plus varying in comfort results.
And the best part is that usually all this sound tweaking is supported by frequency measurements so the potential buyer will have an idea what's all about.
For the Sennheiser HD6-- series (plus 58x) we are offered six different replacement ear pads to choose from.
Two are the Choice more budget oriented variant and the other four are from the top tier Elite Series.
Measurements are provided for all the six pads although only for the Sennheiser HD650 but since all the other compatible headphones have well known frequency measurements and comparisons available online it is easy to choose.
Build quality - comfort
We have opted for the Hybrid variant since it is our beloved and we have been using it for years with great success with our Sennheiser HD800 and HD800S.
It is luxuriously made with great care and workmanship featuring velour at the face contact side , sheepskin for the outer part and fenestrated sheepskin for the inner circle.
All this materials engulf a pad of slow rebound memory foam of better quality than the original.
As we have been using the hybrid pads for a few years with our above mentioned headphones we can confirm that they outlast the original ear pads about two times so as you can understand there are way better value since they will not need to be replaced so frequently.
Regarding the specific HD660S hybrid ear pad we thought of it as being more comfortable than the original due to the better touch feeling to the face and the much more roomy inner circle.
It can fit without depressing or touching the ear , something that
happens with the stock pads.
Sound variations
Sound wise we heard some minor but really welcomed differences.
As you can see from the photo the Dekoni pads are a little more deep so they push the driver a bit far away from the ear resulting in a better stage width.
Don't think this as a wow difference but it is there and happily noticed adding more air between the instruments and even better positioning accuracy.
Bass extension is slightly increased and we can hear better layering with improved clarity and detail retrieval with the last being true for all the frequency range.
Finally there is a slight decrease at the upper mids - presence area making for a more natural tonality reducing some echo or glare that it was otherwise present especially with some voices.
At the end
The Dekoni Hybrid ear pads for the Sennheiser HD660S are highly recommended for their increased durability and extra comfort and above all the ability to tweak and fine tune the sound with a welcomed improvement at least for our particular taste.
Don't forget that you can choose from six different offerings to slightly modify your beloved headphones tuning but if you are hardcore fan of the stock sound then go for the original pads.
Postlude
Several members after reading this review have complained being more about comfort than sound.
Well yes and no!
This are replacement ear pads so yes comfort and quality is the first thing to be discussed here.
Then we come to sound and we must understand that ear pads won't buy you a new sounding headphone.
We are talking here about fine tuning , minor tweaks that for someone will be considered as improvements and for some others not.
So people don't expect night and day differences and as it is noted above if you like stock sound then stay with stock pads.
Copyright - Laskis Petros 2020.
