Depending on how heavily you use them, each set can last several months to many years. YMMV. You may also wish to try Dekoni’s Focal pads. They change the tone and fit to a degree and in different ways, and you may find that one style is better than factory (or worse).
https://dekoniaudio.com/product-category/brands/focal/
Also see @Resolve’s review:
Thanks! I actually read that late last night and I have the Dekoni Sheepskins that I was using for the Elegia. Just tested them out this morning and they sound pretty good on the Clear as well. I think I prefer the stock pads, but I only used them for one song. I’ll likely pick up a set of the velour pads to see how those sound as well. I also tried them with the Elegia pads, which sounded… decent. I’d say they made the Clears sound a touch thinner, which is pretty much a no for me.
I’ll have to test both pads for a bit longer for a final verdict, but based on my initial non-technical, very brief observations, the stock pads are the way to go at the moment.
I’m currently running Dekoni velour pads on my OG Clear – I concur with @Resolve that their physical comfort is fantastic. IMO this outweighs their (unimportant to me) tonal changes.
Enjoy, and good luck.
I’m late to the party here, but I wear thick rimmed glasses and have thick head of hair, which makes it nearly impossible to get a good seal. The HE6se works great for me, and I actually prefer it with glasses. When it loses seal, it loses a bit of the very lowest sub-bass, but it actually gains more bass overall.
@pwjazz, thanks for your comments on headphones with glasses. I decided to go with a pair of Sundara’s (based upon comments in this forum about planar headphones with their thick pads working well with glasses). I agree! I also bought a pair of Focal Clear headphones when they went down to $1000 and I love them as well.
Can anyone advise me on which machine (i9 or Mac Mini) to run Roon and HQPlayer exclusively? I run convolution and DSD conversion in HQPlayer; it is maxing out my current i7. I have already asked Jussi at Signalyst but did not get a response.
Give him time after all its still the holiday.
Have you looked at the Audiophile Style Forum? There is a ton of content there, and Jussi posts a lot, using username Miska.
Here are a couple of threads I was just reading (they both started a few years ago, but people were still posting somewhat recently):
Best CPU For HQPlayer
Design a PC/Server for ROON and HQ Player
Thanks. I have a profile there. I will check it out.
Hi, new to the forum, so hoping I am posting in the right place.
I want to buy a headset like the creative sxfi air but I can’t find something similar and the creative is out of stock
they must have:
I had a razer kraken v2 but the cord broke so now i want something that I can replace the cord
Hey all, anyone got a good, Bluetooth (or simple attachment), small powered speaker?
Thinking something that sorta hangs out on the kitchen counter or could be moved around as needed but better sound quality than rando Amazon stuff. Heard good things about Genelec, but open to ideas!
Thanks!
Google Home Max with it’s two 4.5" high-excursion woofers and two 0.7" custom tweeters but that’s no longer available.
Sonos Five ?
Heyo!
I am looking for wired over the ear headphones. Nothing too too fancy and nothing to shabby. But they should have good sound quality.
But hey, CloudyDust, what do you mean with good sound quality … um not sure myself. I’ll trust you with that since you are the expert 
Regarding the use of the headphones:
I plan to use them for daily things such as listening to music while studying.
I also plan to use them while doing some medicore excercise (think elliptical trainer for example).
I have been listening to a variety of genres. So, can’t really specificy anything there.
The design of the headphones don’t really matter to me as long as it is comfortable. (Though it would be a plus point if they are similar to the WH-1000XM3, BUT they do NOT need to be).
Very important: The headphones shouldn’t have any battery in them. I do not want to have headphones with extra functions like mic or noise cancelation.
Since I am not very knowledgeable as to what the prices are for such headphones, anything is fine as long it is below 500? 400? dollars (My budget is flexible).
Looking forward to your recommendations! 
PS: Currently, I have the WH-1000XM3. They are really good though I would really like to have them but without the mic, nfc, Bluetooth, noise cancellation and ambient sound mode. (While I do prefer something similar without the mentioned functions, I am open to anything).
Hi @CloudyDust and welcome, I have moved your post to this thread but you will need to share a little more info in order to get some recommendations.
Things like budget, music tastes, any headphones that you have tried and what you thought of them etc. would be helpful.
Hey, thx! Just added some more information.
Focal Elegia is closed back, offering good passive isolation for study. Sounds good from most any source, so not amp picky. Can be had from approximately $400.
Almost any quality mid-fi ($350-$500) audiophile headphone will be a shock to your ear canals after using the WH-1000XM3. Those Sony cans are stuffed with bloated, booming bass and have a V-shaped (big bass and treble, no midrange) sound signature common to most consumer-brand headphones.
Audiophile headphones have much more controlled and, in most cases, less bass than consumer cans like the Sony WH-1000XM3. So, I’m betting you will say, “Where’s the bass?” immediately after you try most of the headphones we recommend here.
Please don’t interpret that as haughty dickishness by arrogant audiophiles. No, sir. It’s the truth. We want to help you, and truth is the first place to start.
If you want something with a lot less bass than the WH-1000XM3, I’m sure you’ll get some fine recommendations in this thread. But if you like the bassy signature of the Sony’s, here’s my wired headphone recommendation for you: Meze 99 Classics – for many reasons.
One, I like to call the 99 Classics an audiophile headphone that has a “consumer sound signature in a tuxedo.” In other words, the 99 Classics have a lot of bass. And it bleeds into the mids, just like consumer headphones with V-shaped sound signatures. But the bass isn’t quite as flabby on the 99 Classics as the Sony’s, and the mids are present if obscured a bit by the bass, unlike the Sony’s. Finally, the treble on the 99 Classics isn’t nearly as grainy, hot and crispy as the Sony’s.
The 99 Classics have an elegant, V-shaped sound signature that’s a really good gateway drug from consumer-oriented headphones to audiophile headphones. You’ll notice the difference in the sound quality of the 99 Classics right away, but there still will be some comfortable similarities to your Sony’s.
99 Classics sound signature, in a nutshell: Nowhere near neutral, but fun.
Second, the 99 Classics are EASY to drive. They’re one of the few audiophile cans that don’t need an amp and don’t really benefit that much from one. Low impedance and high sensitivity – the perfect recipe for an easy-to-drive can.
Third, the 99 Classics have some of the best build quality of ANY headphone. There’s not a centimeter of plastic anywhere. The headband and suspension pieces are metal and leather. The cups are gorgeous wood. The pads are lovely leather.
The Meze 99 Classics are $310 new. I think you would really enjoy them since you’re coming from the Sony WH-1000XM family.
Good luck!
I’m looking for some input on how to best and most cost effectively improve my SQ. I use a laptop iTunes → AccurateSound filters → BiFrost 2 → JotR → SR1a.
I considered the HSA-1b, but didn’t find enough difference to warrant $4k. I’m interested in the RAAL tube amp, if it ever comes out, but probably won’t ultimately spend $5.5k on an amp I can only use on RAAL ribbons.
I’ve thought about a new DAC, though it seems (judging from reviews) that like improvements won’t be a great, even if I go all out and buy a Dave or May. That seems to suggest an amp (using the interface box), a streamer, or a preamp might make sense. I confess though that I don’t understand the point of a streamer or preamp–not out of principled disagreement with those who did, just out of ignorance about what they can do (despite having read several reviews).
I listen almost exclusively to classical music (all genres) and classical Indian music. I am willing to spend between $5-10k. Since a common question is what I’d like to improve: bass, producing a image in front of me, and better climatic moments, would be tops, though I am open to any improvements.
Thank you for your help!
Just my two cents but the first step to improve sound quality in your system would be to get a dedicated digital transport for your music.
You can easily put together a Raspberry Pi based player for few money (with a If transformer instead of the standard one) or you can look at Innuos, Auralic and similar players.
This is to my eyes the only weak point in your system and the one that will benefit more from an update.
Hmm…that’s tough, as the SR1a isn’t known for it’s “bass” performance. It’s also low(ish) sensitivity and low impedance, so I don’t know how it would perform with a tube amp. I don’t see a change in DAC vastly improving on the qualities you mentioned above, though it may play a minor roll. You may want to hit up @TylersEclectic and get his take, as he’s had extensive experience with that headphone.