Replacement pads for AKG k371

[Feelas]

more good news, only for people living in Finland ans Sweden. Searching this slightly different reference than the one shared a few post above, seems that this shop also has them in stock and at a more reasonable price. They don't ship to other countries unfortunately (unless i understood wrong):

View attachment 311745

Wondering whether some kind of dropshipping is possible...

I just got my Brainwavz's oval velours & standard ovals; from short testing, neither do justice to K371. People who complain about narrow centered soundstage would probably be happy with velours. Widens up the perceived soundstage (perhaps due to fiddling with midrange/treble balance - no rig to test it on) very much. Would be interesting to get those velours measured.

PU standard ovals, well, work? That's how I would call it, and boost lower bass. The memory foam is very, very stiff and far cry from the cushy cushy original pads.

I'll try to drop in after 3-4 weeks of usage to report.

Hopefully in 2 or 3 years AKG will start distribution of pads in wider EU region. The replacement earpads don't quite cut it.
I saw on Reddit that someone stuck with HPEAC1540 from SRH-1540 on K371 as a final pair of pads. @solderdude I remember you did some measurements of HPEAC1540 on various headphones, however I believe that you don't have time and neither a pair of K361/K371 available to measure how HPEAC1540 measures up on those?

EDIT: I decided also to send a query to Muziker.com from whom I bought the K371s which should still be under warranty. Let's see what a direct retailer has to say on this matter.

 

[MCH]

Not wanting to spend 54 euros for 2 years of pads, I ordered these from AliExpress for 1/13 the price to see if they are usable:

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005004801284534.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.15.19f3194dF8xn8F&gatewayAdapt=glo2esp

I don't have means to measure the frequency response, but a few observations in case someone finds them useful.

Comfort wise, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart when I changed only one. The biggest difference is the textile inside, that has a wider woven in the original ones:

I understand from you guys that this might impact the sound, so I am thinking on the possibility of reattaching the original textile to the new pads. They are heat sealed, I am not sure if it is feasible.
The foam inside is very similar in consistency and has a very similar, but not identical shape:

I would say that it is as close as it can be.
As a side note, I find the decoration of the original foam excessive for two years under a black opaque cover, does not tell much about its quality. I am starting to think that the pads might be already relatively old the day I bought the headphones from Amazon, what could explain the very poor durability of the external side.

I would say the faux leather cover material is exactly the same, but not the inside part, that in the original pads is the same than the outer, but in the AliExpress ones is not.

Anyways, will be using these until I find the original ones at a more reasonable price. Durability cannot be worse, that is for sure.

Edit: hmm if the date code I just saw means what I think it means, I think I have an answer to my doubts... They were 2 years old the day I bought them!

 

[FTB]

Hi there,

Giving my input too about replacement earpads.
I first bought the velour pads from Dekoni. To me it doesn't sound like the graph shows :

https://dekoniaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/k371-elvl-1536x969.png

Velour pads have less bass and are globally more bright (on snare drum, on cymbals... even on voices)
Plus they're a bit stiff about confort.

I took a look about pads on ebay or aliexpress, there is a lot of options for pads looking similar to original ones.
I choosed these ones as the seller have good recommendation :

Replacement Ear Pads Cushions Earmuffs For AKG K361 K361BT K371 K371BT Headphone | eBay

Applicable models: For AKG K361 K361BT K371 K371BT Headphones. 1 Pair Earmuffs. L+R On Ear Earmuffs Cushion Ear Pads For AKG Y500 Wireless Bluetooth Headset B. Ear cotton will improve the bass performance of your headphones.

www.ebay.com

Like the post before, they are very close to the original ones.
There is blue foam whose density feel the same. The synthetic leather is identical, as the dimensions.
They sound very similar although I prefer the replacement ones as they are not worn out I guess : tighter bass (better seal ?) and less bright upper trebble : with the original pads the cymbals are harsher.

Please consider I don't have measurement tools to check but I'll try to send these to Oratory to perform a measure with different pads.

My way to check the pads are to put a new one on a channel, and put an original on the other channel. I then put the signal in mono and balance quickly L to R to compare. I then test the pads with the two identical on both channels.

Next step will be to test the synthetic suede pads from Dekoni. It has good review here and the feeling about velour pads are the same with mine :

The Ultimate Dekoni Earpad Guide for AKG k361/k371

The Ultimate Dekoni Earpad Guide for AKG k361/k371 The only earpad guide you need TLDR; 1. If you want more bass/low-end, Dekoni Sheepskin (darker, warmer, smoother) Dekoni Choice Leather (thicker tighter bass, V-shaped, fun) 2. If you want more treble/brighter, Dekoni Elite Velour...

www.head-fi.org

I'll not test leather pads as I don't use leather.

Today I can recommend the ebay ones but not the dekoni velour.
I'll tell about suede ones.

 

[PuX]

is it possible to see the foam without ruining the earpad? I only took mine off once and there was no obvious way to do so.

if is is somehow possible, what stops us from taking the foam from the original pads and replacing the foam in the substitute ones? I assume the foam makes the most difference.

 

[undeakyetonde]

Hey, thanks, managed to snatch a pair before they went out of stock. This is indeed ridiculous, it should not be that hard to acquire stock replacement pads, especially when they are only good for a year.

Got them, very grateful for existence of shopping proxies. Original ear pads are much much better than Brainwavs (I have exactly the ones that oratory1990 measured), even with EQ. (If I wanted good sound with EQ I would just buy Sony 7506)

 

[Feelas]

Got them, very grateful for existence of shopping proxies. Original ear pads are much much better than Brainwavs (I have exactly the ones that oratory1990 measured), even with EQ. (If I wanted good sound with EQ I would just buy Sony 7506)

How did you buy them and where do you live? Ovals are fine, but midrange is really recessed & unclear.

 

[undeakyetonde]

How did you buy them and where do you live? Ovals are fine, but midrange is really recessed & unclear.

I bought them through a proxy shopping service. This was just one of many items in my parcel so shipping was amortised.

Just search for "proxy shopping Japan" and you will get a handful of options. You might find one that works well for a single purchase. Or ask around, somebody among your friends of friends and acquaintances of acquaintances might use those services on a regular basis, and will be happy to split shipping costs.

 

[dib]

hi,

I am looking for some replacement pads of the AKG K371.
I cannot find any official pads from AKG (I happy with the stock ones), I can only find some compatible ones on ebay, but I am not so confident about their quality.
Brainwavz pads would be a good option, but buying only one pair costs ~20€ and the shipping is 7€, that is not so convenient...

I am located in Germany, any suggestions?

Thanks.

You can get the Dekoni Choice Suede to have a very similar frequency response.

 

[FTB]

I am not sure these graphs are very reliable.

I bought a pair of velour pads from Dekoni, according to their graph it gives more bass but in reality, velour pads are very bass shy, way more than originals.

 

[dib]

I am not sure these graphs are very reliable.

I bought a pair of velour pads from Dekoni, according to their graph it gives more bass but in reality, velour pads are very bass shy, way more than originals.

Thanks for this comment!
Are you sure the pads fits you well and not loosing the bass impact because of a leak?

 

[FTB]

I will try these again but I am pretty sure the seal was good.

 

[FTB]

Thanks for this comment!
Are you sure the pads fits you well and not loosing the bass impact because of a leak?

Hey,

So I tried again velour pads.
I can confirm that, with proper seal, these are bass shy with a far margin. So the overall sound is brighter.
The comfort is very firm too.

I am happy with ebay replacement pads, precisely these ones : https://www.ebay.fr/itm/385805018749
When I compared to worn originals, the sound was the same.

I will try suede pads from Dekoni as it has good review here : https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-ultimate-dekoni-earpad-guide-for-akg-k361-k371-🎧.964234/

I may send to Oratory in the next few months ebay/velour/suede pads for measuring.

 

[Kurtrune]

Im no audiophile at all but enjoy good sound.
I have the K371 and been using them to little due to the original pads being to soft and my ear pressing against the hard inside, also the original pads started to wear down leaving black dust on my head.
I bought a pair of replacement pads from wicked cushions, and they fitted nicely, took some time to put them on, but they work.

I do not know how or if they change they sound, but for me they work great, no ear pressing against the hard plastic inside any more.
Also they are on Amazon, so easy to buy even in Sweden.
Bought the one that fitted for the Hyperx Cloud series:

Wicked Cushions