[djnsmith7]

Just ordered a pair of these on Amazon & they should be here tomorrow.  Expecting these to be a solid improvement over my 10 year old $20 Sony's, which are just about ready for the bin.  Excited to see how these do with the X5 III & my Pioneer Elite receiver (they'll be used for PC gaming & movies); not really expecting my Note 3 to push them all that well, but who knows, it'll be a fun test.  Will be adding either an LG V20 or Pixel XL shortly, which should be fun.  

 

[Ceteru]

Hello all, longtime lurker/first time poster here.
 
I have had an interesting relationship with the m40s to say the least.
 
I bought them last year and used them for a while, but, unhappy with the initial sound and comfort level, I just stashed them away in a drawer and forgot about them.
 
Fast forward to this year, early December. I'd been watching Z Reviews for the past few weeks and wanted to enhance my music experience. Funnily enough, I didn't remember that I had bought m40x's and assumed that due to the (in my inexperienced mind) "terrible sound" I had actually bought m50x's. 
 
Eventually, I figured out my mistake and decided to burn them in. After that, the sound quality increased tremendously, although the comfort did not.
 
Determined to make these headphones work for me, I've been looking for pad options that will help with the sound as well as the comfort. I purchased a pair of Brainwavez Hm5's  (non-angled) as well as a pair of Beyerdynamic DT250 velours (after the positive comments from @MrPhilicorda). Both sets of pads are so much more comfortable than the stock ones, but the sound is indeed changed (which I anticipated after my research).
 
My question is: are there any pads out there that would help with both sound and comfort? I liked the increase in soundstage granted by the HM5s, but the bass reduction was too much for me. The DT250 velours have somewhat better bass, but the soundstage closes up again (to my ears).
 
I've been considering the ZMF pads Zeos recommended in his M40x review, the Sound Professionals recommended by @MrPhilicorda, and even some Alpha Pads for sale in the listings here. I have read through this entire thread and I guess I just need some further advice. I don't want to just blindly spend money, especially since I just bought two sets of pads.
 
Thanks!

 

[atarione]

  Hello all, longtime lurker/first time poster here.
 
I have had an interesting relationship with the m40s to say the least.
 
I bought them last year and used them for a while, but, unhappy with the initial sound and comfort level, I just stashed them away in a drawer and forgot about them.
 
Fast forward to this year, early December. I'd been watching Z Reviews for the past few weeks and wanted to enhance my music experience. Funnily enough, I didn't remember that I had bought m40x's and assumed that due to the (in my inexperienced mind) "terrible sound" I had actually bought m50x's. 
 
Eventually, I figured out my mistake and decided to burn them in. After that, the sound quality increased tremendously, although the comfort did not.
 
Determined to make these headphones work for me, I've been looking for pad options that will help with the sound as well as the comfort. I purchased a pair of Brainwavez Hm5's  (non-angled) as well as a pair of Beyerdynamic DT250 velours (after the positive comments from @MrPhilicorda). Both sets of pads are so much more comfortable than the stock ones, but the sound is indeed changed (which I anticipated after my research).
 
My question is: are there any pads out there that would help with both sound and comfort? I liked the increase in soundstage granted by the HM5s, but the bass reduction was too much for me. The DT250 velours have somewhat better bass, but the soundstage closes up again (to my ears).
 
I've been considering the ZMF pads Zeos recommended in his M40x review, the Sound Professionals recommended by @MrPhilicorda, and even some Alpha Pads for sale in the listings here. I have read through this entire thread and I guess I just need some further advice. I don't want to just blindly spend money, especially since I just bought two sets of pads.
 
Thanks!

 
 
Hi.. I do not own the M40X's but I do own the M50 and M50X's .. I also didn't like the HM5 pads on my M50's messes with the sound too much.    What I use / have used for several years .. Shure 840 ear pads..   they fit sort of loose.. stay on but can be knocked loose if you are not careful.    SQ stays comfort increases ..  YMMV but I've been happy with the 840 ear pads on my M50's

 

[Ceteru]

   
 
Hi.. I do not own the M40X's but I do own the M50 and M50X's .. I also didn't like the HM5 pads on my M50's messes with the sound too much.    What I use / have used for several years .. Shure 840 ear pads..   they fit sort of loose.. stay on but can be knocked loose if you are not careful.    SQ stays comfort increases ..  YMMV but I've been happy with the 840 ear pads on my M50's

Thanks for the reply!
 
In your experience, would the Shures be able to be held more securely with a rubber band?
 
What I mean is, could I tuck the pad into the groove of the M40x cups like normal, and then use a rubber band to slip into that same groove over the pad and hold it there?
 
I tend to take my headphones on and off a lot during the day (I'm a college student) and I don't want to constantly have to mess with the pads..

 

[atarione]

  Thanks for the reply!
 
In your experience, would the Shures be able to be held more securely with a rubber band?
 
What I mean is, could I tuck the pad into the groove of the M40x cups like normal, and then use a rubber band to slip into that same groove over the pad and hold it there?
 
I tend to take my headphones on and off a lot during the day (I'm a college student) and I don't want to constantly have to mess with the pads..

 
hmm.. I have found the 840 pads stay on well enough.. they don't just fall off at the slightest provocation.. I have knocked a pad loose like 2 times in 3yrs.. both times sort of fumbling while removing the headphones from their bag..
 
I don't know on the rubber band idea... never bothered with it..because the pads do stay on fine 99+ percent of the time for me .. but they are significantly easier to pull off than the stock ATH pads..
 
the headphones are currently in my car.. and it is cold outside

  sooo... I don't wanna go outside right now.. but I will try to see if i can find something and see if it looks like it would hold better..  I'm pretty sure something like that could be worked out.. i've considered it in the past..but it hasn't been enough of a concern to bother so far.

 

[atarione]

alright scratch that.. I decided i didn't want to be a baby ..so I went out to the car.. located a couple of my wife's pony tail holders (bigger ones)..black conveniently..   I actually think this will work.. holds the pads on better.. Looks fine~ ish..
 
job done I guess..
 

 
 
so yeah.. order 840 pads .. swipe a couple of your girl friend's (or wife..or buy some I guess?) bigger black pony tail holder elastics and you are off to the races...

 

[MrPhilicorda]

Hello all, longtime lurker/first time poster here.

I have had an interesting relationship with the m40s to say the least.

I bought them last year and used them for a while, but, unhappy with the initial sound and comfort level, I just stashed them away in a drawer and forgot about them.

Fast forward to this year, early December. I'd been watching Z Reviews for the past few weeks and wanted to enhance my music experience. Funnily enough, I didn't remember that I had bought m40x's and assumed that due to the (in my inexperienced mind) "terrible sound" I had actually bought m50x's. 

Eventually, I figured out my mistake and decided to burn them in. After that, the sound quality increased tremendously, although the comfort did not.

Determined to make these headphones work for me, I've been looking for pad options that will help with the sound as well as the comfort. I purchased a pair of Brainwavez Hm5's  (non-angled) as well as a pair of Beyerdynamic DT250 velours (after the positive comments from @MrPhilicorda
). Both sets of pads are so much more comfortable than the stock ones, but the sound is indeed changed (which I anticipated after my research).

My question is: are there any pads out there that would help with both sound and comfort? I liked the increase in soundstage granted by the HM5s, but the bass reduction was too much for me. The DT250 velours have somewhat better bass, but the soundstage closes up again (to my ears).

I've been considering the ZMF pads Zeos recommended in his M40x review, the Sound Professionals recommended by @MrPhilicorda
, and even some Alpha Pads for sale in the listings here. I have read through this entire thread and I guess I just need some further advice. I don't want to just blindly spend money, especially since I just bought two sets of pads.

Thanks!

I still stand by my recommendation of the Sound Professionals ear pads. Compared to the stock pads they reduce the mid bass hump and they tame the treble slightly. I felt that there was a treble spike that could sound a bit irritating in some songs but not anymore with the new pads.

I tried the DT250 pads again a while ago and didn't like them that much anymore. They are comfortable but I think they make the M40x's more V-shaped, where as the Sound Professionals pads make them more neutral. Initial impression might be that the sound slightly duller, but that's how "neutral" sounds compared to V-shaped or "fun" IMO. But in time you will learn to appreciate that. And as I said previously, the soundstage appears to be better and more airy too.

Oh, and regarding the fit... The Sound Professionals pads stay on firmly. I use the headphones while commuting to work so they get thrown in and out of my bag all the time and they've never came off.

So to summarize: they will improve both sound and comfort in my opinion, if you're after a more neutral sound. They will however not make the headphones sound more fun. It is not a huge difference though, not like the Brainwavz, but more like a gentle but noticeable tweak.

 

[Ceteru]

  alright scratch that.. I decided i didn't want to be a baby ..so I went out to the car.. located a couple of my wife's pony tail holders (bigger ones)..black conveniently..   I actually think this will work.. holds the pads on better.. Looks fine~ ish..
 
job done I guess..
 

 
 
so yeah.. order 840 pads .. swipe a couple of your girl friend's (or wife..or buy some I guess?) bigger black pony tail holder elastics and you are off to the races...

 
Huh.. that does look pretty okay. As far as the soundstage goes with the 840 pads, do they open it up or maintain the original sound?
 
 

I still stand by my recommendation of the Sound Professionals ear pads. Compared to the stock pads they reduce the mid bass hump and they tame the treble slightly. I felt that there was a treble spike that could sound a bit irritating in some songs but not anymore with the new pads.

I tried the DT250 pads again a while ago and didn't like them that much anymore. They are comfortable but I think they make the M40x's more V-shaped, where as the Sound Professionals pads make them more neutral. Initial impression might be that the sound slightly duller, but that's how "neutral" sounds compared to V-shaped or "fun" IMO. But in time you will learn to appreciate that.

And as I said previously, the soundstage appears to be better and more airy too.

Oh, and regarding the fit... The Sound Professionals pads stay on firmly. I use the headphones while commuting to work so they get thrown in and out of my bag all the time and they've never came off.

So to summarize: they will improve both sound and comfort in my opinion, if you're after a more neutral sound. They will however not make the headphones sound more fun. It is not a huge difference though, not like the Brainwavz, but more like a gentle but noticeable tweak.

 
Thanks Phil. We have similar (though still different) preferences regarding bass and sound signature, so I think your suggestion might be very applicable to me. I like my soundstage somewhat wide but not to the point of losing details, and I like my bass to have a nice "thump" but not to the point of being overbearing. Do the Sound Professionals pads provide that kind of signature? Are you still using them on your M40x's?

 

[MrPhilicorda]

Thanks Phil. We have similar (though still different) preferences regarding bass and sound signature, so I think your suggestion might be very applicable to me. I like my soundstage somewhat wide but not to the point of losing details, and I like my bass to have a nice "thump" but not to the point of being overbearing. Do the Sound Professionals pads provide that kind of signature? Are you still using them on your M40x's?

Regarding soundstage, I like it wide too but since they are closed cans there's a limit how much of that you can get without compromising sound quality too much (Brainwavz). With the SP pads it's as good as it can be in that respect.

It's always hard to objectively explain how big a difference something makes, but since you tried the HM-5 pads: for the sake of the argument lets say the HM-5 reduced bass by 70%, then I'd say the SP pads reduced bass by about 15%. Considerably less that is and not too different from the stock pads. You can still hear everything and music sounds warm pleasurable to listen too.

I have however switched back to the stock pads for the time being. The reason being that while commuting with subway and bus the traffic noise tends to drown the bass. So while my modified M40x sound perfect in a rather quiet environment the bass did get somewhat drowned in loud traffic. I might switch back still, I've been going back and forth a couple of times.

 

[atarione]

yeah... the M50X's don't have a great sound stage... the shure pads don't do much one way or the other honestly in this regard as far as I can tell.

 

[Ceteru]

Regarding soundstage, I like it wide too but since they are closed cans there's a limit how much of that you can get without compromising sound quality too much (Brainwavz). With the SP pads it's as good as it can be in that respect.

It's always hard to objectively explain how big a difference something makes, but since you tried the HM-5 pads: for the sake of the argument lets say the HM-5 reduced bass by 70%, then I'd say the SP pads reduced bass by about 15%. Considerably less that is and not too different from the stock pads. You can still hear everything and music sounds warm pleasurable to listen too.

I have however switched back to the stock pads for the time being. The reason being that while commuting with subway and bus the traffic noise tends to drown the bass. So while my modified M40x sound perfect in a rather quiet environment the bass did get somewhat drowned in loud traffic. I might switch back still, I've been going back and forth a couple of times.

I understand perfectly. I'm feeling even more inclined to picking them up.. Having read your previous posts about your pad experiences, I was wondering if you'd ever tried thick pads like ZMFs or Alpha Dogs? With a bigger shape than the Sound Professionals (more similar to the HM5's), the effect on soundstage/bass would theoretically be similar (aka negative), but I feel like the leather/cowhide/sheepskin etc. would trap the sound better than pleather+memory foam.
 

  yeah... the M50X's don't have a great sound stage... the shure pads don't do much one way or the other honestly in this regard as far as I can tell.

The M40X's have a better sound stage than the M50X's, but I know what you mean. Lol for me it goes improve sound+comfort > preserve sound+comfort > reduce sound+comfort, so preserving the original sound and making it more comfortable is not that bad of an option.

 

[MrPhilicorda]

I understand perfectly. I'm feeling even more inclined to picking them up.. Having read your previous posts about your pad experiences, I was wondering if you'd ever tried thick pads like ZMFs or Alpha Dogs? With a bigger shape than the Sound Professionals (more similar to the HM5's), the effect on soundstage/bass would theoretically be similar (aka negative), but I feel like the leather/cowhide/sheepskin etc. would trap the sound better than pleather+memory foam.

I haven't tried any other pads. I felt I achieved what I wanted with the Sound Professional pads so I ended my search there. But you are right in that material plays a big part in how they sound. I understand the more they let air escape, the thinner they sound.

 

[Mad Max]

  yeah... the M50X's don't have a great sound stage... the shure pads don't do much one way or the other honestly in this regard as far as I can tell.

M50x's soundstaging is still lacking even with HM5 pads.

 

[Ceteru]

That makes sense.
 
So would you say it's worth it to return the Beyerdynamics and get the Sound Professionals instead?

 

[Sp12er3]

I'd recommend Yaxi leather StPads if you want to keep the original sound profile, it improves both comfort and quality with it's Leather and memory foam combo comform the head more flush thus promote better seal.