I’ve found the same to be true. When using the measurements to EQ, I’ll follow the compensation pretty closely up until around 2 K. From there, I just use the measurements more as a rough guide and rely more on my hearing. In particular I find that there’s always a weird feature right at 4 KHz so I just ignore it. If the headphones under test (HUT?) actually have a real problem at 4 KHz, the E.A.R.S. isn’t going to be of help.
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Still would be nice to see if there’s a way to dampen that resonance at all, without affecting everything else.
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Thanks for explaining this @Torq. This really helps put things into perspective. As I’m sure you’re aware that not all of us have or use measurement rigs. So a having a simple understanding of the basics really helps. Thanks.
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Brilliant to see the pad rolling like this. Any chance for a few words of listening impressions between the Elegia Stock and Elegia with Stellia pads? If you still have the BRAINWAVZ Micro Suede Ear Pads also, those could be nice to hear a bit about in the same comparison, even if my beard tends to agree better firmer material than the Brainwavz seem to be made from.
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Welcome to the forum!!! @Meshuggah
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Welcome to the forum!
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Welcome to the forum!!
Alex
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Welcome to the forum @Meshuggah
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Hello and welcome @Meshuggah.
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I’m trying to decide whether to order the Dekoni Audio Elite Velour or their Elite Sheepskin pads for my Elegia. Does anyone have any experience with either of those?
I haven’t tried either these pads, or headphones, but the general consensus and what ZMF claim in their new pad chart is that Lambskin produces more bass as opposed to Suede/Velour pads. Suede/Velour can affect treble (elevate).
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Thanks for the feedback. I went ahead and bought the Dekoni Audio Elite Velour pads. What you say about suede/velour is true when you use them to replace leather/leatherette pads. But, the Elegia stock pads are already a microfiber/velour like material, so no issues with treble being elevated, or with loss of bass.
The opposite is true with the Dekoni Velours on the Elegia. To my ears, they increase the bass by a very small amount, and reduce the treble by an almost imperceptibly small amount.
Overall, a very good replacement for the stock pads. They are a good value and very useful if you want to replace worn stock pads or to allow you to put newer stock pads in storage to maintain resale value by keeping them from getting worn or dirty…since Focal charges well over $100 for a new set of stock pads.
There is a slight trade off in comfort though, since they are a bit firmer than the stock pads. The Elegia clamps pretty hard, but that clamping force is mitigated by the cloud like stock pads. The Dekoni Velours don’t do as good of a job at mitigating the clamping force. That being said, the pads are only a day old, so I expect that they’ll soften up a bit more over the next few weeks.
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I’ve now used the Dekoni pads on my Elegia for 5 days, and I’m afraid that my initial impressions of the Dekoni Audio Elite Velour pads are not holding up. I thought they would get better as they broke in, but the opposite seems to be happening.
I’ve noticed that my Elegia’s bass response has lost depth, volume, and impact over the past few days. That lead me to check the seal of the pads to make sure all of the clips were attached…and they were. So, I pulled the Dekoni pads off and reattached the stock pads to try to isolate the cause. Was it my ears or sinuses causing me to hear differently? Was it the Dekoni pads developing a less favorable synergy after breaking in? Or, were the Elegias going through some sort of late burn in hoodoo voodoo loss of bass after more than 100 hours of playback time?
The answer became clear the moment I started listening after reinstalling the stock pads. The amount and quality of bass was back at an enjoyable and accurate level. They also seem to isolate a bit better than the Dekoni Velours. I find this all a bit strange because the foam inside the Dekoni pads feels firmer, which lead me to believe that it was more dense and would therefore isolate and seal better. But, that is definitely not the case.
The stock pads are also provide greater comfort. They have a slightly larger opening so they are roomier, they feel softer, and they are definitely cooler. The Dekoni pads had a tendency to get a bit hot after a while, and they always felt a bit too firm.
It’s a shame because, all in all, the Dekoni Audio Elite Velour pads are well made and are not a bad option if you don’t want to wear out the stock pads or don’t want to pay Focal $120 plus to replace worn out stock pads. But, the hit in the bass department on a headphone that already has a very neutral bass is unacceptable to me. I’ll be sending mine back to Amazon.
I’m not ready to give up my search for an acceptable ear pad replacement, though. I’m thinking about ordering the non fenestrated Dekoni Audio Elite Sheepskin pads…since leather pads probably wouldn’t decrease the bass. If anything, the problem might end up being the opposite…too much bass. I’ll post an update if I decide to try those…or any other pads.
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so if I remember correct, the Dekoni Elite Velours Pads, I bought for my DT 1990 Pro are 49 plus shipping
so with the next pad plus shipping you are in the budget for the original Elegia pads.
my Elegia pads are getting used almost every work day and in the evenings since many months and there is no change in comfort, seal or frequency response yet, from what I can say.
I would be very interested in others opinions about the original pads - for how long did your pads got used and when did you have to change for new pads?
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You are correct in regards to the cost of the Elite Velour pads. The price is good, and very fair. But, even at less than half of the cost of the stock pads, I’m just not willing to compromise the 5% to 10% of the bass that I felt that I was loosing.
That being said, I’m also not ready to commit to spending $120 for replacement stock pads…even if it’s 2 or 3 years from now. It would be nice to find another option.
I’d also like to hear some feedback from those who’ve owned the Elegia for close to a year or longer regarding the durability of the stock pads. Especially the light gray interior.
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sure. Good luck @JoePR31
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It is, isn’t it? Until I actually tried it I thought this was one of those questionable audiophile things like $500 power cords. But it really makes a difference!
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Manufacturers factor in pads when tuning their headphones.
Imo, it’s often the biggest differentiator of sound between models.
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I’ve had the Elex a year now and have wondered how Utopia pads would sound on them. Not too sure why people keep saying Clear pads are the same as Elex pads. They change the sound. I got permission at CanJam to briefly swap stock pads on both to try. If universe pads from ZMF came out for Focal models, oh man would that be delightful. Or a black colored micro suede.
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The T50rp and a set of different material pads is a real gateway into tinkering with your headphones. I’m getting T60s in a week or so. If the ZMF Lambskin pads I have on my Argon MK3 change the stock sound enough, I’ll also get some Micro Suede from Zach. By the way, I know it isn’t related to this thread, but I’ve been wondering for a while now how the Eikon Lambskins and Suede pads would sound on the Atticus. I have Ori lambskin and Ori suede for those headphones.
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