[MonoOno]

Really loving the Teak with my Magni 3. My intent was to get the Jotunheim so I could have them in balance, but this paring sounds great to my ears. Just 4-5 o'clock on the dial drives them to great listening experience.

 

[Franklin]

Anyone tried already these chinese pads on E-Mu Teak (or X00):

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ang...32816766104.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.ASCGnT

Based on photos only, I found it very similar to ZMF Eikon pads. This Store on AliExpress have very interessant others options too. I received my E-MU teak today, and have no confort problems with stock pads by now, but I'm looking foward to experiment other good pads.

Thanks!

 

[Pharmaboy]

Anyone tried already these chinese pads on E-Mu Teak (or X00):

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ang...32816766104.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.ASCGnT

Based on photos only, I found it very similar to ZMF Eikon pads. This Store on AliExpress have very interessant others options too. I received my E-MU teak today, and have no confort problems with stock pads by now, but I'm looking foward to experiment other good pads.

Thanks!

You should go back 2-3 months to various posts by @ProfFalkin & myself on this topic. We both experimented fairly extensively with various pads & inserts for the E-Mu Teaks (him more than me!). We found a couple general things:

• Using any angled pads that are thicker/deeper than the stock pads always degraded the sound. I tried just one angle pads (Brainwavz angled oval) and @ProfFalkin tried 2 or 3. Results were pretty bad.
• I got the best results w/Brainwavz round pleathers, which shows that whether the replacement pads are angled or not probably isn't the most important thing.
  • Another reader speculated that even better results would be obtained with non-angled/round pads that are not quite as deep as the Brainwavz rounds (which are slightly deeper than the stock pads). I don't have the URL handy, but he linked to an ebay sale pad that might be better.

So this is a long way of saying the pads you link to might be great for some other headphone--but not the E-Mu Teaks (at least not in my experience).

Final comment: @ProfFalkin reported his best results with Eikon pads, which are subtly angled, no deeper than stock pads, though somewhat wider (it made for a loose, but manageable fit on the earcups). I never tried Eikon pads, but based on my tests, I have every reason to believe these would be good, primarily because they are not significantly deeper than the stock pads.

 

[Franklin]

You should go back 2-3 months to various posts by @ProfFalkin & myself on this topic. We both experimented fairly extensively with various pads & inserts for the E-Mu Teaks (him more than me!). We found a couple general things:

• Using any angled pads that are thicker/deeper than the stock pads always degraded the sound. I tried just one angle pads (Brainwavz angled oval) and @ProfFalkin tried 2 or 3. Results were pretty bad.
• I got the best results w/Brainwavz round pleathers, which shows that whether the replacement pads are angled or not probably isn't the most important thing.
  • Another reader speculated that even better results would be obtained with non-angled/round pads that are not quite as deep as the Brainwavz rounds (which are slightly deeper than the stock pads). I don't have the URL handy, but he linked to an ebay sale pad that might be better.

So this is a long way of saying the pads you link to might be great for some other headphone--but not the E-Mu Teaks (at least not in my experience).

Final comment: @ProfFalkin reported his best results with Eikon pads, which are subtly angled, no deeper than stock pads, though somewhat wider (it made for a loose, but manageable fit on the earcups). I never tried Eikon pads, but based on my tests, I have every reason to believe these would be good, primarily because they are not significantly deeper than the stock pads.

Thanks for your feedback Pharmaboy. I readed already your posts about pads, and ProfFalkin posts too. Because of all posts of you guys I'm guided my search based on Eikon pads style... and I ended up finding this chinese pad one. Maybe I will try it later, when I have more hours on my Teak.

Thank you again!

 

[Corleone]

Guys each and every Fostex model in this specific series has seen an overwhelming feedback if how badly other pads impacts the sound. I tried the Dekoni sheepskins once and never tried another pad again because of it. Stick with the originals and fine-tune it's position, or get another headset altogether. Alternatively we need to campaign to have Massdrop/Fostex (or another company) develop some more comfortable pads that doesn't deteriorate the sound too much.

 

[Mark Up]

It's been a while since I last heard from them and it has been busy, but ZMF, despite the new MassDrop offering, is supposedly planning on pads made JUST for this series. Pads that give increased comfort and seal, while not increasing treble and decreasing mids and bass, which seems to be endemic in almost all of the other pad options, to a varying degree, unfortunately.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Well, there's a ZMF earpad drop on Massdrop right now--but it's unclear whether the ZMF/dedicated Fostex X00/E-Mu Teak earpad is represented there. Here's the one sentence that is ambiguous:

"The company’s smaller round pad, the Ori fits HiFiMAN and Fostex TH series cans, and features a flexible ring that allows for attachment to many other models."​

There's a problem here: even if the Ori pad has been adapted for the Fostex X00 earcups--in my experience, and that of at least 1 other person on this thread, the Ori (a reasonably deep, angled lambskin pad) produces very poor results with my E-Mu Teak. I didn't actually try the Ori, but did try a pad that's essentially identical in dimensions (Brainwavz Angled Sheepskin). The result was truly miserable sound w/great comfort.

Another person here (@ProfFalkin) whose pad rolling experiments were more extensive than mine & pre-dated mine, tried 2-3 different angled pads (the same Brainwavz Angled Sheepskins; Alpha pads; and I believe the Ori pads). All produced pretty bad sonic results, though comfort was terrific.

That's the thing: it's very easy to better the comfort of the stock pads; but very hard indeed to approach their sound.

We both found that sonic results depended largely on how deep the replacement pads are. Whether angled (Eikon pads were his best attempt) or non-angled (Brainwavz rounds were my best), sonic results closest to that obtained w/stock pads seemed to come from pads as close to equal the stock pads as possible. But even the Eikon pads didn't quite equal stock pads sonically.

I have my Teaks F.S. If I was keeping them, I'd get a pair of Eikon pads (also offered on the drop @a significant discount) and give them a shot. There also was a promising suggestion, posted here weeks/months earlier, about a pair of el cheapo round pads (~3/4" deep, like the Teaks' stock pads) that produced really fine results on that person's Teaks. As long as the pad is ~100mm round, fit is relatively straightforward, using the stock ring as an insert.

 

[squeakez]

Has anyone tried the Lawton pads? I am thinking of doing the Level 1 mod and the pads are included in that. I used to have a pair of THX-00 Mahogany and they were much improved by the Level 1 mod and the pads from a comfort standpoint.

 

[Mark Up]

Well, there's a ZMF earpad drop on Massdrop right now--but it's unclear whether the ZMF/dedicated Fostex X00/E-Mu Teak

I think those are the same as the last two drops he's done there. No new pad specifically for this. I think he'd announce it and give it its own name. Miracle Pad maybe? I've tried other thinner and fatter round earpads and never quite got the same sound quality even with improvised insert things I'd put in. It won't be easy, and that may be why it's taking him so long.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I think those are the same as the last two drops he's done there. No new pad specifically for this. I think he'd announce it and give it its own name. Miracle Pad maybe? I've tried other thinner and fatter round earpads and never quite got the same sound quality even with improvised insert things I'd put in. It won't be easy, and that may be why it's taking him so long.

It's the central conundrum of the E-Mu Teaks, something it took me awhile to recognize: their sound can be really thrilling w/palpable bass--but when you start to feel that earpad discomfort, the usual remedies just don't apply.

 

[cute]

It's the central conundrum of the E-Mu Teaks, something it took me awhile to recognize: their sound can be really thrilling w/palpable bass--but when you start to feel that earpad discomfort, the usual remedies just don't apply.

I like the Ori Perforated pads on my EMU Lawton, big soundstage, tight bass, more forward mids, details, but it all boils down to how they match up with your source, DAC and AMP. I don't think any two sets of gears sound the same, a lot goes into the perfect synergy for your own ears!

 

[Corleone]

It's the central conundrum of the E-Mu Teaks, something it took me awhile to recognize: their sound can be really thrilling w/palpable bass--but when you start to feel that earpad discomfort, the usual remedies just don't apply.

This is exactly the same for all TH-X00s which afaik do share the same or very similar driver with the E-MUs. Luckily I don't really feel much of a discomfort when wearing the original pads.

I like the Ori Perforated pads on my EMU Lawton, big soundstage, tight bass, more forward mids, details, but it all boils down to how they match up with your source, DAC and AMP. I don't think any two sets of gears sound the same, a lot goes into the perfect synergy for your own ears!

With the Fostex-family this really has very little to say vs. pads. You can drive them off a Fiio E17 or a Sony DAP quite successfully without losing too much vs. some very high end gear, but swap the pads and it sucks out all the life that makes the TH-X00/E-MUs what they are. I'm quite baffled by how many who claims to hear improvement from changing pads, and I think we got to realize these are the Grados of the semi-closed headphones. There's a reason so many are passing them on: they can't handle the comfort issues even if they love the sound. Like mentioned above this is probably also why we're still not seeing any new pads from ZFM yet. It's probably a lot more work than first expected.

 

[Pharmaboy]

This is exactly the same for all TH-X00s which afaik do share the same or very similar driver with the E-MUs. Luckily I don't really feel much of a discomfort when wearing the original pads.



With the Fostex-family this really has very little to say vs. pads. You can drive them off a Fiio E17 or a Sony DAP quite successfully without losing too much vs. some very high end gear, but swap the pads and it sucks out all the life that makes the TH-X00/E-MUs what they are. I'm quite baffled by how many who claims to hear improvement from changing pads, and I think we got to realize these are the Grados of the semi-closed headphones. There's a reason so many are passing them on: they can't handle the comfort issues even if they love the sound. Like mentioned above this is probably also why we're still not seeing any new pads from ZFM yet. It's probably a lot more work than first expected.

In all fairness to @cute, his E-Mu Teaks are apparently not like mine--a Lawton mod modifies the sound, plus there are the added variables of new/larger earcups (not sure if that's part of this particular Lawton mod) and their pads. This "EMU Lawton" may play by entirely different rules than stock ones...

 

[Mark Up]

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[Mark Up]

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