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Hello everyone, it is I, Daniel aka SamuraiDan aka SamuraiDLH. In recent times the amount of headphones I own has creeped up a little bit. I own 3 pairs of headphones and I don’t know how. Recently I switched back to my ATH-M50x from my DT 770s, with the switch I was able to get two new ear pads to use. Both come from EarPadz, a part of Dekoni Audio that sells earpads for your more everyday headphones. From EarPadz I received Jerzee and Midnight ear pads for the ATH-M50x. Before the switch to the new ear pads, I was using the Choice Hybrids from Dekoni. I was using them for gaming, music listening, and youtube binges, after using both ear pads over the weekend. Both ear pads were a really nice change for my headphones, with their own unique changes.

For most of the weekend I was using the Midnight ear pads. The feel of the protein leather was great against my head and ears.They wrapped around my ear, and I was able to wear them comfortably the whole day. I love what these ear pads do to the sound as I play through them, these pads for me really add power to the low end. I’ve been playing the new Battlefield 2042, and these ear pads added strength to every explosion, bullet and vehicle. It upped my immersion 10 fold, the experience really hyped me up. That power in the lows carried to the music too, I mostly listen to rap/hip hop so the bass punch/slap is something I really like to hear. The pads did not ruin the low end for me, and the high end was not really affected when I was watching/listening to podcasts or youtube videos.

Switching to the Jeerze ear pads, you lose a little bit of that strong bass but I balance everything out very well. The ear pads are made with this material that is similar to a sports jersey, hence the name Jeerze. They are also supposed to be good for sweating in, I really did not get test the sweat absorption as I like to keep my room as cold as possible when gaming because my desktop is sometimes a mini heater when playing intensive games.These for me worked the best when I was watching Youtube and listening to podcasts, I also used them for gaming and they were great at that too, I used them to play The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. They worked great for that, the background music sounded great, the sound of swords clashing against each other was crisp. I also used them in Apex Legends, and the audio was fine. Being able to hear another team run up to you after/during a firefight increased my longevity in games.

After using both of these ear pads for about a week, if I had to choose a faction between the Midnight and the Jeerze. I would go with the Midnight, just for that extra power to the bass. That extra power is what pushed me over to the Midnight side, it makes the FPSs(First Person Shooters) I play just pop and listening to music was great. If you are looking for a ear pad for the ATH-M50x, I would suggest getting a EarPadz ear pad. They are not expensive and they are really comfortable compared to stock.

With the basic definitions covered in our previous post, let’s investigate exactly how these apply to each of our available series, starting with our Platinum Series.

The Platinum series uses a combination of high density memory foam and eggshell based protein leather , a vegetarian alternative with near identical qualities to real sheepskin. The protein leather offers a sleek appearance with a faintly textured surface, resulting in a pad that grips firmly to the side of your head and keeps you well isolated from outside noise.

The high density memory foam combined with the protein leather makes for a warm, sealed environment where heat will be generated during long listening sessions. This heat is what allows the memory foam to soften and comfortably mold to the contours of your head.

In terms of sound, the Platinum series is bass-focused while preserving detail in the mids/highs. This is a combined result of the use of protein leather sealing in low frequencies and ensuring they reach your ears instead of escaping from the earcups, as well as the high density memory foam reducing the midrange a little more than lower density foams.

If we compare this to our Earpadz by Dekoni Audio Midnight series, we’ll find the same protein leather wrapped around medium density memory foam – a foam which is more reactive to pressure, with more immediate give and a faster rebound. The Midnight series offers slightly less overall padding as a result, but this padding quickly conforms to contours and creates a similar seal.

The lower density of the foam also means slightly less isolation from outside noise vs Platinum as there’s less physical material inside the pad to block outside noise; that said, improvements in isolation are still present vs many stock pads. For headphones with a high clamp force (tight grip around your head), you may find more comfort with pads using the medium density memory foam, as the more immediate give of the ear pads means less initial soreness from the pressure.

The sound of Midnight is similar to Platinum, with a few distinct changes; the lower density foam vs Platinum means more of the midrange is preserved, while the easier compression places the headphone driver closer to your ear. This results in a slightly deeper bass vs Platinum, making Midnight an excellent option for bassheads on a budget.

Looking to the Standard series, we find pads designed to be a pure replacement to existing stock pads. Comfort should see a slight improvement over stock, and older model headphones with flaking, worn pads should see themselves revitalized in terms of sound and isolation.

Dekoni’s mantra in developing ear pads for headphones has been about giving users a wide range of options to finetune their listening experience. The largest facilitator of this is the variety of materials used during the construction of the ear pads, and this design philosophy has extended down to the Earpadz line as well in the form of the Platinum, Midnight, Jerzee, Standard and Velour series of ear pads.

What most may not know is exactly what these materials can do to modify the comfort, sound and isolation of your headphones when compared to the stock pad. In this writeup, we’ll be looking to define each of these terms and explain how the construction of the pad influences each of these aspects. So let’s begin, starting with defining each of these terms:

1. Comfort – on the face it’s simple enough, though something more commonly attributed to the foam inside the ear pads: how much padding do the pads offer? But there are other areas of consideration too, such as heat generation, the texture of the pad against your skin, the impact of wearing classes and more. The ultimate goal for comfortable pads is to check all of these boxes, ensuring listeners can wear headphones for long periods of time without any form of discomfort. Foam plays a significant role in this, however it’s important to consider the material that will be contacting your skin during use as well.

2. Sound – ear pads are one of the easiest ways to tune the sound of your headphones, with a few general trends making it easier to identify exactly what you’ll find different when swapping pads. A general rule of thumb is velour or fabric materials reduce bass, while protein leather and leather pads increase it; that said, there are finer details specific to each model of headphone that’s worth considering when looking for specific sound changes.

3. Isolation – isolation specifically refers to how much isolation a listener has from outside noise. For example, closed back headphones are very isolating, while open-back headphones allow sound both out and in through the backside of the earcups. ear pads also contribute to this, though the impact is much more present on closed back headphones. In line with the general rule about sound impact per material above, more breathable materials such as velours or fabrics allow more sound in and out, while leathers are more isolating.

To tie all of these together, there are some basic things you can expect from our foam/material combinations (relative to each other, not necessarily stock):

– the higher the density of the memory foam, the more isolation from outside noise

– sealed materials like leather, suede or similar have more bass and isolation

– porous materials like cloths and velours have less bass and isolation, for a more open sound at the expense of external noise leaking in more easily

That covers the absolute basics in ear pads and exactly how important they can be to your listening experience, well beyond simple comfort. In our next post we’ll take a closer look at exactly what our materials offer to help make your choice that little bit easier.

In our previous blog post, we discussed the discomfort found in the PC37X when using the stock pads, and how the Midnight series Earpadz helped to alleviate the pressure with its heat activated memory foam and smooth, grippy texture.

Today we’ll be looking into the Jerzee pads from Earpadz by Dekoni, a fabric-wrapped counterpart using the same memory foam found in the Midnight series.

For those who haven’t yet read our post covering the Midnight series, here’s a quick briefing on the installation process.

Removing the stock pads is simple, as the pads are held to the ear cup by a series of clips. Grabbing the pad at the bottom of the cup with my index finger inside and gently pulling it away from the cup frees the pad.

Installing the new Earpadz is just as simple. There’s no up or down on these pads, so lining it up with the earcup and pressing on the foam until you hear a few audible clicks is all that’s required. It’s important to do a visual inspection around the entire edge of the ear cup to ensure that the earpad is seated properly.

With installation out of the way, we can now focus on the comfort aspect of the Jerzee Earpadz. Contrasting the smooth, skin-like texture of the Midnight Earpadz, we’re met with a cushy, porous-looking fabric. Rather fittingly, it has the same feel as a sports jersey.

I found similar levels of comfort as the Midnight pads thanks to the use of the same memory foam, reducing the pressure created by the high clamping force of the PC37X. The Jerzee pads weren’t able to grip as well as the Midnight pads, as I experienced some minor shifting if I turned my head quickly. Despite this, I didn’t experience any discomfort or irritation from rubbing, and it wasn’t a common enough occurence that I needed to readjust the headphones at any point.

A quick note about the use of memory foam. The foam helps to create that cushion between you and the earcup, and is what’s known as “heat activated”. This means that as the pad heats up through contact with your head and the sound vibrations from the headphones themselves, the foam will expand. This reaction is what helps these pads maintain their comfort through even the longest sessions. Despite the supposed heat buildup from the foam, I found these to remain a bit cooler than the Midnight pads, likely thanks to the use of fabric.

Back in our previous post we discussed the heat and intensity that comes with sim-racing. This is an area where Jerzee excels relative to Midnight. Beyond the coolness of the material itself, the fabric also manages sweat better than Midnight by keeping it away from your ears, instead of having a layer form between you and the ear pad.

So this begs the question: what to choose? The Midnight series helps to create a headphone that’s much less likely to move around on your head, while the Jerzee series is able to keep things a little cooler.

For me, I feel that Midnight is the way to go with how well it prevents the headphones from shifting on my head. This is especially valuable as I plan to use virtual reality more regularly in future races, which will require those quick movements when looking around to stay aware of nearby cars.

That said, it wasn’t an easy choice by any means; both had stand-out qualities to appreciate, with my conclusion having been reached only after multiple nights of racing with each.

Both the Jerzee and Midnight pads were an improvement compared to the stock pads, so I’m happy to say that you’ll find a positive experience no matter which one you choose.

– Josh “The Time Wizard” Staffin, Chief Time Officer at Dekoni Audio

The Sennheiser PC37X headset is a fantastic option for those looking to game on a budget, particularly with its built-in noise-canceling microphone that helps cut out the background noise generated from a noisy PC or mechanical keyboard. In fact, it’s my current daily driver as a racing league administrator and professional simracer.

One issue I’ve found with the PC37X fairly early on was the clamp force: the constant pressure of the earcups against the sides of my head, calling for frequent readjustments to find a more comfortable position. The stock pads on the PC37X have very little rebound when compressed, which results in the foam nearly collapsing when worn, leaving the earcups pressed almost directly against my head.

This kind of problem only worsens over the life of headphones, as the foam loses its rebound or begin to flake and fall apart. At this stage, many would start looking for replacement headphones, as they may not be aware that replacing the earpads is even an option.

Today we’ll be looking into the Midnight Series pads from Earpadz by Dekoni, one of two comfort-built replacement pads available from Earpadz.

In terms of installation, Sennheiser made this simple. Removing the stock pads is quick and easy, with the pads held to the earcup by a series of clips. Grabbing the pad at the bottom of the cup with my index finger inside and gently pulling it away from the cup frees the pad.

Installing the new Earpadz is just as easy. There’s no up or down on these pads, so simply lining it up with the earcup and pressing on the foam until you hear a few audible clicks is all it takes. It’s important to do a visual inspection around the entire edge of the earcup to ensure that the earpad is seated properly.

With the new pads installed, it’s time to talk about comfort. The first thing I noticed was the smooth texture. Combined with the memory foam inside, I found it to be very comfortable against my skin, with no long-term irritation or rubbing. Also of interest was the hold that these pads were able to maintain, refusing to slide or rub even with quick motions. The memory foam also helped to offer a bit more resistance against the high clamp force, all of which resulted in a headphone that I didn’t feel the need to adjust even once over multiple hours.

The grip of these pads is a very nice touch, particularly as I’m beginning to use virtual reality in more of my races. Being able to quickly glance over my shoulder and really keep an eye on the cars around me helps improve my awareness of the situation. Immersion is also maintained since I don’t need to even think about being careful with my movements, and can instead focus on the racing.

One thing to note about these pads is the use of memory foam. The foam helps to create that cushion between you and the earcup, and is what’s known as “heat activated”. This means that as the pad heats up through contact with your head and through the sound vibrations from the headphones themselves, the foam will expand. This reaction is what helps these pads maintain their comfort through even the longest sessions.

I never noticed any significant heat buildup around my ears despite this, even over the course of multi-hour practice sessions. Normally these sessions last for 3+ hours, all in a closed room with my PC providing plenty of heat. Even with all of this extra heat being dumped into the room, there was never a point where I thought to myself, “I need to take these headphones off and cool down”.

This heat becomes even more intense in actual race scenarios, as explained by real-world GTWCA race winner Guy Cosmo:

– “I gotta tell you, this virtual racing, it’s a workout. I mean, it’s a workout in every way. Driving with the rig and doing the race; you’re sweating, your muscles are tense, it’s all very real in that regard.”.

Overall, these are a great option for those looking for more comfort over long sessions or have an issue with headphones that never seem to sit quite right for long enough. Better yet, they aren’t even the only option available: next time we’ll be taking a look at the Jerzee Series, and come to a decision of which series will take the role of daily use on my PC37X.

– Josh “The Time Wizard” Staffin, Chief Time Officer at Dekoni Audio