Taking a Look at the new Midnight and Jerzee Earpadz with the Sennheiser PC37X - Part 1 - Midnight

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