Though I may have been unintentionally vague, it’s the implementation of the the wood used that affects the sound. Not just type, but shape/size as well (acoustical dampening is also a factor).
Maybe reach out to those Creative guys, see if the EMu Teak could be sold? You would be the only North American dealer to sell them, and they kick the Drop version’s butt all over the dojo. Drop’s Kung Fu is weak.
No, I didn’t–but I did try the physically very similar (in dimensions & materials) Brainwavz sheepskin pads. Like all the other pads I tried on the Teaks, that was a fail. It really messed with the sound of the Teaks, and not in a good way.
Was going to post Tyll’s review but you beat me to it.
For the price I found the E-MU Teak a very enjoyable listen, more so than most other headphones at that price. They are very light and comfortable to wear but the cups are quite thin and brittle. If you live in a region with large variances in humidity you have to be careful about removing and replacing the cups. I cracked one not realizing that it had contracted because of the dryness caused by winter heating in my home.