Reddit reviews Shure HPAEC840 Replacement Ear Cushions For SRH840 Headphones

I have the same headphones mentioned in this video, the Audio Technica ATH M50's, and I definitely think they were the right choice. I spent quite a while researching headphones to come to this decision too. The only problem I've had with them was about 6 months into owning them I noticed the stock pads were becoming a bit stiff. However, this was easily fixed by buying a $10 pair of Shure pads. If your budget is $200 I would get the M50X version because they have a removeable cable.

Edit: These are the headphone pads I go.

I got everything from amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K88THN6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Z9JWZS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CVNTL6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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The earpads aren't a perfect fit though, like I can rotate them pretty easily, I might just hot glue it in.

In the future, you can get Shure 840 pads for like $10 or even shure 440 pads for $7 if you need a replacement

Just feel like mentioning that a larger soundstage is nice for gaming, but will mean that sound leaks out of the headphones. If you live with roommates or in close-quarters (like a dorm), you absolutely should buy closed-back headphones or (even better imo) some nice in-ear monitors.

I just picked up the Massdrop x NuForce EDC in-ears and they are brilliant. Perfect for, well, every day carry. Throw them in my backpack, great for jogging, snug fit, crisp and deep profile.

Just throwing that out there.

I use the ATH-M50's at work. I replaced the ear cups with slightly larger and softer Shure ear cups, and I had to get a knit wrap for the headband, which was starting to flake. Overall, I highly recommend the ATH-M50 cans, they sound punchy and fun, but still flat enough to not overtly influence music to the point where I feel like using a software EQ. No amp needed, I plug directly into my MacBook Pro and play Spotify high quality @ 320 kbps.

I've had these phones for about a year. I would recommend doing two things to improve the comfort, that is if you don't find them comfortable.

1. Buy these if you think the ear pads are too small, or if they pinch your ears.
   
   
2. I felt the phones were putting too much pressure right below my ears on my upper jaw. So I bought a sweat band and attached it to the bottom of the headband. They fit so much better now, and even though it looks silly, it feels great.
   
   I have to say that these two adjustments have made a world of difference. Cheers, hope you enjoy some great sounds with them.

The M50's are a low impedance set of headphones, I think it is 38 ohms. Now a lot of high end headphones have a high impedance, up to 600 ohms or more. What this means is for the same voltage output from your source, the higher impedance headphones will be more quiet. That is where the need for an amp comes from, to increase the voltage output to the higher impedance headphones to get louder music. Unless you are unhappy with the volume output of the headphones, don't bother with buying an amp. They also color the sound, which you may or may not like, but that's just a personal opinion.

I would suggest these for the M50's: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Z9JWZS/ref=oh_o03_s00_i08_details

Also, if you are worried about the long cord, get the coiled version. It's still something like 3 feet unstretched, but much shorter than the 9 feet I think the regular one is. And for getting a DAC, they only make them for iphones I believe, which is why they all have the iphone jack. Android doesn't support it quite yet, doing a google search turns up very little on the matter, but if it did it would use the USB on the phone. If you are talking about getting a DAC for your computer and if you are using onboard sound then I would suggest it. I noticed a marked improvement to my M50's when I upgraded my computer from onboard to a HT Omega Claro Halo XT sound card, I'm sure a nice DAC would do the same, many recommend them over internal sound cards like I purchased.

try replacing the pads. These are the ones I got www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Z9JWZS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fucking love my Shure-440's.
$90 right now

Also, get these if you can as they are way more comfortable

Yes but M50x is the top of the line that you should get. It's also the most stable and popular one out of all, the others are kinda the "little brothers" of M50x.

I have had my pair for 7 years now, not even the x version but the older one and they are superb.

Few things I'll say off the bat though: Buying SRH840 EARPADS and replace the default m50x's ones is going to change your life. They fit perfectly and the comfort is so much better.

I had to take off the m50x after an hour or so as my ears starts to hurt. Once I bought the 840 earpads I could have it on literally all day without even noticing it's there. Such a massive difference.

That being said, despite M50x being incredible and fucking amazing for the price you're paying, it's also designed for mixing use, so it might not have the biggest soundstage or listening experience. It's amazing for hearing details, and has a nice bass. But I think there could be, not sure, something out there that is more based around soundstage and a wider listening experience, maybe lacks more in details but gives you a better party going in your ears.

But at the very least I can confirm that M50X is better than any other MX with a lower number. My brother has a M30X and the 50 completely blows it out both in sound quality + comfort.

Changes:

-Pads to Shure 840

-Headband to Sennheiser HD600 using Velcro

-Cable to Audio Technica Short Black Cable for M series

Shure HPAEC840 replacement ear pads Can work... little loose, less base with tingier treble but It does the job. You can also get the some of the brainwavez ear pads but it does kinda make the sound less enjoyable. To fix this you’ll have to get some kind of low density foam that fits the earcups... I can’t provide link since it’s unknown to me where to get it. But both options are ok. But better with the foam padding in the ear cup

One main issue is that most headphones/earphones have loud spikes along the frequency response. The ear and brain has a curve called the equal-loudness contour that defines how loud sound has to be to be perceived at an equal level. The problem is 99% of headphones don't follow this, and have certain frequencies at which they are upwards of 30db louder than at others.

This causes a big problem where at even a normal volume level, that one area is super loud, and most people don't notice because across the whole spectrum, the average loudness level seems normal. That is why you can ear the snare hits or clicks across the bus, but not the other frequencies. Unfortunately it is also at high frequencies that hearing damage happens more readily.

A pair of affordable headphones that most accurately matches the ear's equal loudness contour is the Superlux HD 681. You can buy them from ebay or amazon for $50 or under:

Superlux HD 681 on Amazon

Make sure you get the HD 681 and not the 681 EVO. This company is little known because they mostly make recording microphones. Coincidentally these cheap headphones are preferred by artists and recording mixers/engineers over thousand dollar headphones because of the clarity/quality due to this reason. Their sound signature matches the ears equal-loudness contour. THEY SOUND AMAZING because superlux actually knows how to design headphones for quality rather than looks. This is not a subjective claim - this is the objective reason behind why they sound good. You might want to also get the ear cushions called HPAEC840 for best comfort.

In theory headphones designed like these sound objectively perfect and will not create holes in your ear's hearing response because they won't damage small areas without you realizing. You can have the volume higher without unnoticeably feeding your ears sounds that are 30db higher.

Still, listen to music quieter and discover that the level you listen to is actually creating distortion. At a level most people deem normal, it is actually loud enough to cause your ears to engage mechanisms to dampen sound to protect themselves. Most people don't feel the mild ear pain and significant distortion that comes when you have sound over 90db, because they're just used to it.

Some people haven't damaged their ears and have also psychologically preserved their sound sensitivity by not raping it with distorted noise, and will continue to be able to hear as well as notice a pin drop until they're 100 years old.

If you want to give the m50s another chance you can replace the ear cushions for $14 with these

Here's the ones I have

I've used headsets for years, and have a blue yeti mic from 5 years ago. I went through 5 headsets... On the other hand my White Audio-Technica ath-m50 which I used daily with a amp for about 2 1/2 years and going. Right now the max you would be spending on this combo would be $250.

I didn't use my headphones for gaming because at first, I didn't think my Ath-m50s would sound as good as 7.1 virtual surround sound software for headsets. I thought since they were for gaming they would sound better than using headphones. After my gamecom 780 broke, I just started using my ath-m50 and it blew headsets out the water. Headsets have an irritating constant buzzing noise from their virtual surround sound. I noticed it mostly in logitech g930s and dampened in gamecom 780. Don't get headsets ever, I have spent about $450 on headsets...

As far as headphones I have right now (used with music and amp):

Sennheiser HD 598

2x White Audio-Technica ath-m50

I would go with what will last long and Sennheiser HD 598 or Audio-Technica ath-m50 headphones would be my choice.

Headsets that have broke:

Turtle Beaches x31(1 year use)

Tritton surround sound headset(6 months)

2 Logitech g930(1 year use each, but a lot of problems kept happening)

gamecom 780(1 1/2 year use with epoxy on the hinge cracks)


Also a $12 upgrade for people not saying ath-m50s are comfortable, Shure HPAEC840 Replacement Ear Cushions

I have the original M50 (same as M50X, without the detachable cable), and while they're great, they get uncomfortable after a while, as the earpads are a little too small, and tend to get warm very quickly.

I grabbed the Shure SRH-840 Replacement Earpads and swapped out the original earpads from the ATH-M50 with these, amazing world of difference. I can now wear the M50 for more than 2 hours without any ear fatigue. Highly recommend. There's a velour option too for the earpads if that's your thing. Sound signature between these and original M50 earpads is nearly the same, maybe 1-5% sound leakage, but leads to a more open sound.

I had the ATH-M50's before as well, and I would hold on to them actually, just read this if you would like some more comfort: http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/changed-the-ear-pads-on-my-audio-technica-ath-m50-highly-recommended-pics.454402957/

TLDR version: Replace the M50 pads with these

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Replacement-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWZS

Here is the amazon link for the Shure pads:

https://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Replacement-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWZS

In terms of taking off the ear pads and putting on new ones, it is very simple and takes a minute or two. The hard part is finding replacement pads that are comfortable and don't change the sound too much. I had to return the Brainwavz sheepskin because they changed the sound of all my headphones. They turned the ATH-M50x into bass cannons so I don't recommend them.

I bought these: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002Z9JWZS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

they are day and night

Awesome rig. I noticed the earpads on your ATH-M50s are pretty flat. Mine lost all its original soft cushioning and became unbearable to wear. If you're feeling the same thing, I suggest using these Shure 840 earpads to replace the crappy stock ones. The memory foam feels soooo good.

Not gonna lie, the original pleather pads are quite shitty. So I switched to Shure pads. Here's a link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Z9JWZS/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ah understandable. If you do find the pads unconfortable like I did, I recommend you get Shure HPAEC840 pads for it. They fit perfectly, are larger so your ear fits in a lot better, and are a lot less stiff. people also recommend the HM5 pads, but I found the larger distance from the ear and driver changed the audio too much in a negative way.

Considering the 6400 pads lasted me about a year and the 8400 pads have lasted a year and still look great, I would say that it's worth it because if you plan to use the headphones for a while, you (hopefully) won't need to replace them once a year for £19 a pop. Of course, I suppose that all depends on how much you baby them, vs how much they get tossed into a bag or if you wear them while the pads rub against a hat, or if you just toss them around, etc. Mine pretty much just sit on top of my desk 100% of the time that they aren't on my head. Also, I find the 8400 pads more comfortable, as I mentioned before.

I actually don't need to check, regarding the M50 pads! In short: no, they won't fit on the 6400/8400s. Full explanation: I received my M50s used, and the pads were squished down flat, so I bought some new ones (although I actually bought these compatible Shure pads). If you look at the 3rd photo shown on this product page for them, you can see the back side of the pads:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SRH840Earpad

These pads (and I believe all M50-compatible pads) have the material on the back form a smaller circle that fits in a groove along the edge of the M50 cups and is just held in by that material wrapping around that edge.

The 6400/8400 pads come with a hard plastic ring glued to the fake leather material and that ring snaps into the headphone cups. If you look at the product page images for the 6400/8400 pads, you can see that plastic ring at the bottom. So the M50 and 6400/8400 pads attach differently, and won't work "cross-platform".

Side note: I remember replacing the pads on my 6400s being kind of annoying. I think you have to just pry off that plastic ring for them to snap off, but it requires a fair amount of force, and I was scared of breaking something. I don't think there's an "unlock" mechanism to make it easier. But it's been a while, and I don't really have a screwdriver or tool handy at my office desk to snap them off to take a look right now. But besides the fear/stress of that, they replaced fine with no issue!

You can replace them with the leather pads from the Shure 840's.
Shure 840 Pads

They're taller than the stock pads, and considerably more comfortable in my opinion. Isolation is still good, and there was no decline in sound quality for me at all. They are a touch too big to fit on the M50's perfectly, but they're pretty easy to pop back on if they fall off now and again, it happens fairly rarely to me though.

Kingston HyperX Cloud pads fit them, but aren't as deep nor do they have as much cushion.

Shure 840 pads fit a little bit loosely but will work. You can put a black, elastic hairband into the slot to help hold them in place.

Alright, I can work with that.

To preface this, I recommend pairing one of the following headphones with a clip-on microphone - either a cheaper model like a [Zalman ZM-Mic1] (http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ) or a more expensive model like [Antlion's Modmic] (http://www.modmic.com/collections/frontpage) - rather than getting a headset with an integrated mic. From a price/performance standpoint, headsets almost never stack up. The headsets made by the real headphone brands are exceedingly expensive, and with a very small body of exceptions the cheaper headsets sound terrible.

Now, onward to the headphones. When I hear "isolation", "comfort", and "neutral/warm sound signature", the first thing that comes to my mind is [NVX's] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/624729/review-nvx-xpt100-a-direct-brainwavz-hm5-competitor) [XPT100] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2G9qk7IOEA) ([$99 via Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/NVX-Over-Ear-Headphones-ComfortMax-Cushions/dp/B0093PVTPS)). I actually own a pair of these myself for use as moderate isolation movie/podcast headphones for when my house is too loud for me to use my open headphones, and they're among the most comfortable headphones I've had. While they don't take the top spot - no headphones without an AKG-style suspension strap will ever do that - they're definitely in the top five or so. Their sound isn't the most detailed out there, but they're fairly neutral, solidly built, and very comfortable, particularly given their price.

A more expensive step up would be [Shure's] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-srh840/reviews/5056) SRH[840] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-srh840/reviews/3768) ([$199 via Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH840-Professional-Monitoring-Headphones/dp/B002DP8IEK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426324378&sr=1-1&keywords=shure+srh84)). While I sadly haven't had a chance to try these out myself, I've heard little but good things about them. Formerly on Innerfidelity's wall of fame, and with consistently good reviews for their sound, comfort, and overall quality, they're definitely a solid choice if you're looking for a neutralish sound with some bass.

A third option would be the [Focal Spirit One] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/focal-spirit-one-page-3) ([$175] (http://www.amazon.com/Focal-529102-SPOH-Spirit-One-Headphones/dp/B007AH7YFU) or [$179] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008R9QRIU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687702&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B007AH7YFU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0HS51KQ3XCE0J5B14R27) via Amazon for the black and white models, respectively). Focal has a quite a solid reputation in audio, but the Spirit One had some serious issues on its release due to manufacturing defects, and it suffered a rather bad reception as a result. These issues are said to have been since resolved, however, and the Spirit One is a very solid headphone at that price. The sound is a bit on the bassy side, but not extremely so, and is quite good for this price. Comfort may be an issue, however, as the One was quite clearly designed more for portability than comfort. While no review characterizes it as uncomfortable, it's a safe bet that it doesn't measure up to the other two in this regard.

Another rather unique option, albeit one with some inherent drawbacks, would be [Fostex's] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/570138/review-fostex-t50rp-my-intro-to-the-world-of-orthos) [T50RP] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/559233/review-fostex-t50rp-its-been-needing-a-review) ([$127 via Amazon] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/559233/review-fostex-t50rp-its-been-needing-a-review)). Now, the T50RP is, at stock, not the best-liked headphone. Though it is one of the (if not the) cheapest orthodynamic headphones in the world, its very poor comfort and [rolled-off sound] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RP2011B.pdf) have attracted a lot of criticism. Having a pair myself, I wholeheartedly agree with criticism of its comfort, but think its stock sound is better than people give it credit for. What the T50RP has going for it, however, is an [exceptionally dedicated modding community] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/618659/fostex-t50rp-incremental-mods-and-measurements), and some very high-profile modified variants. Modded T50RPs under the branding of MrSpeakers and ZMF can sell for $300, $600, or even $1,000, and experienced reviewers and audiophiles alike have claimed that they measure up to headphones in those price ranges. If you happen to feel a DIYish inclination, a T50RP can be quite a solid project to work on, and, in theory, it can get you $300-600 sound quality for a little sound of $200 accounting for the various materials it takes to mod them.

Now, there are, as said, quite a few drawbacks to the T50RP: the stock sound isn't for everyone, it requires more power to drive than the other mentioned headphones (not enough to cause issues at stock, in my opinion, but when modded it can be quite intensive to drive, almost assuredly moreso than your integrated audio can support), and it's absolutely terrible in comfort (if you do go for them, [a headband cover like this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00862522A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and a pair of [Shure] (http://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Replacement-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWZS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426325351&sr=1-1&keywords=shure+pads) or [Brainwavz] (http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426325358&sr=1-1&keywords=brainwavz+pads) pads were what I used to take them from "terrible" to "pretty darn solid" comfort), and modding isn't for the faint of heart. After quite a while of tinkering, I've yet to get my own T50RP mod working properly. It's amazing value if you can make it work for you, but it's quite a significant amount of effort to achieve that.

I bought these. They are 100x better than the stock pads. The only thing is they're a bit looser around the headphones. But I will recommend these any day.

the shure 840 pads fit loosely but is probably the best alternative for them: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Z9JWZS

I know this gets mentioned a lot, but the SR840 pad mod really improves comfort. You should try it. The pads aren't expensive.

Shure 840 or 940 pads for Phillips SHP9500?

I noticed that both the [Shure 840 pads](https://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Replacement-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWZS/ref=sr_1_1? ie=UTF8&qid=1520819045&sr=8-1&keywords=shure+840+pads) and Shure 940 pads will fit on the SHP9500's.

The difference is in the pad material. 940's are a velour material while 840's are leather. Which would you guys recommend?

What pads should I get for my M40x that will increase comfort without changing the sound?

I saw a thread where they said these would work but are a little loose. Is there anything with a better fit?

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The M50's are a lot better with the Shure HPAEC840 Replacement Ear Cushions. A serious upgrade in comfort and soundstage IMO.

I got these for mine and it made them so much more comfortable... They're just about the same thickness but much softer and squishier so while they're more comfortable, there's little (if any) noticeable change in sound. They are bigger than the stock pads though so they are a bit loose on the headphones but they stay on.

I'd recommend them.

> Also I plan on streaming on PS4 through a PC with OBS so where should I plug in the Blue Yeti?

Plug microphone into PC as you normally would for PC games. OBS is what you need capturing the mic, not the PS4.

> Also would like to know for the headphones.

I use my Blue Yeti with ATH-m50x with Shure HPAEC840 Replacement Ear Cushions

Very comfortable and I think they sound pretty good. Though the headphones themselves won't have any impact on your microphone quality, only your personal listening.

I like my Shure SRH 440's with the SRH840 earpads. :) Sub-$150 Excellent.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DP1FTU/

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Z9JWZS/

These for sure. Way better then the HM5's for M50's

Shure HPAEC840 Replacement Ear Cushions For SRH840 Headphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Z9JWZS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_AeZFxbFA9WVBH

Sure srh840 earpads will fix that. They are softer too.

I bought the shure hpaec840 pads, those were much more comfortable. After a while I actually replaced the foam in the original pads with memory foam, that was the most comfortable for me. When I bought the headphones I used to leave them stretched over my computer to break-in the headband as well, the clamping often gave me headaches.

I have ATH-M50s and they are fantastic, but I recommend buying these pads along with them. The stock pads are extremely uncomfortable, but with the Shure's I can easily listen to an entire album without adjusting them at all.

Recently got the m40x's and they feel quite uncomfortable and was looking them up and saw people recommending new pads and whatnot, should I return the headset and get a different pair or get one of these pads?

https://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Replacement-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWZS

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Memory-Replacements-Earpads-Headphones/dp/B00MFDX4YO

Notice any major impact on audio quality with those replacement pads?

e:I've heard the Shure HPAEC840 replacement pads work well, and are fairly affordable at ~$15. https://smile.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Replacement-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWZS

Tough for me to justify $40-50 replacement pads on $80 headphones!