Sennheiser Replacement Cushions

[ZeroG]

Just acquired a pair of Sennheiser HD540 reference and also a pair of HD 340.

The HD540's sound great - I'm really impressed with them, but the cushions are toast and Sennheiser no longer sells them.

Been searching online with, so far, no success. They're a 10 cm OD round pad. Gotta be available somewhere.

Anyone have a source for these?

Thanks for any help!

 

[mrarroyo]

Have you tried Sennheiser USA? As an alternative contact HeadRoom.

 

[ZeroG]

Have you tried Sennheiser USA? As an alternative contact HeadRoom.

Sennheiser no longer manufactures them, so it would have to be found as an aftermarket item, or perhaps there is another headphone out there that takes similar, or perhaps some AK'er has found another resource.

Headroom doesn't have it, either. But there must be some source out there for bulk etymotic foam - at this point, if I could find a sheet of it, I might just punch out some donuts, glue them on and call it good.

 

[ZeroG]

**bump**

Surely someone has had to replace unobtainium earpads......Anyone got a source, please?

Thanks!

 

[Arkay]

Find some acoustically-transparent/open cell foam, and DIY some. I had a pair of Sennheisers with the same problem, and had to not only find some foam, but also rig up a connector to attach it - ugh! Mine used a flat disk of foam mounted at the center, though, rather than a doughnut. Doughnuts are easier; you can just stick them on. Alternatively, you might look for ones for in-production Senn models that are the same diameter, and see if you can get them to attach.

 

[OvenMaster]

Just acquired a pair of Sennheiser HD540 reference and also a pair of HD 340.

The HD540's sound great - I'm really impressed with them, but the cushions are toast and Sennheiser no longer sells them.

Been searching online with, so far, no success. They're a 10 cm OD round pad. Gotta be available somewhere.

Anyone have a source for these?

Thanks for any help!

Item Name Article No.
Ear cushions 041299
Replacement ear cushions
Only $31.74

These are for the HD 540-Gold. If there's any difference between Golds and the standard model, perhaps they could be adapted to fit.


Sennheiser Electronic Corporation
1 Enterprise Drive
Old Lyme, CT 06371

Phone: (860) 434-9190
Fax: (860) 434-1759
Hours: 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM (EST)
Service Hours: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (EST)
Monday - Friday

I'd give 'em a jingle and ask anyway. Sometimes they've been known to have parts available that aren't listed on the website.

Tom

 

[ZeroG]

Item Name Article No.
Ear cushions 041299
Replacement ear cushions
Only $31.74

These are for the HD 540-Gold. If there's any difference between Golds and the standard model, perhaps they could be adapted to fit.


Sennheiser Electronic Corporation
1 Enterprise Drive
Old Lyme, CT 06371

Phone: (860) 434-9190
Fax: (860) 434-1759
Hours: 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM (EST)
Service Hours: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (EST)
Monday - Friday

I'd give 'em a jingle and ask anyway. Sometimes they've been known to have parts available that aren't listed on the website.

Tom

Tom,

Thanks for checking and for the research. I've been that route, however, and the part number (and the link, if you follow it) then jumps to the HD 560 model, which will not fit unless they are glued on. The HD-540 Gold pads would indeed fit but Sennheiser confirmed to me when I spoke to them originally that they are no longer made or in stock.

Sennheiser claims that most people simply buy new headphones when pads become unobtainium. As a confirmed DIY person I find that hard to believe.

In that case I would rather save the $$ and retrofit with the open cell foam, as Arkay has suggested.

I was hoping there was an aftermarket company that made them. I've emailed several with no reply for over a week now.

The responses are appreciated, nonetheless.

 

[Old_Crow]

Possible solution :- HD250 parts...

This may be a bit late, but I'm also looking for replacement ear pads and inner disks for my HD540 Reference Golds. You could try:
http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/headphone-spares/sennheiser-en/earpads/page-2/#8 parts code: 034183 and 037601.
They claim that the parts for the HD250 headphones will fit the HD540s.

Also try:
http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/headphone-spares/sennheiser-en/earpads/page-3/#10 parts code: 032950 for the original HD540 inner disks.

I've just ordered HD250 ear pads and HD540 inner disks for my HD540s, so I guess I'll know if they fit soon enough...
:scratch2:

 

[Old_Crow]

Sennheiser HD 250 ear pads really do fit HD 540 'phones

Problem solved - the HD 250 ear pads arrived today and are a perfect fit for the HD 540s, so I'm pretty sure that the HD 250 inner disks would also work if you can't get HD 540 originals.

The HD 250 ear pads are not identical to the original HD 540 pads, so they may affect the sound slightly - the HD 250 pads have a continuous soft leatherette covering whereas the HD 540 originals had loose weave cloth sides over open cell foam, so sound absorption might be different. However, I doubt Old_Crow's old ears can tell the difference any more...

 

[ZeroG]

Thanks for the info

Old Crow,

Thanks for the research and the links. The pads cost about 40L British Sterling, so plus inner disks and shipping - I think I'll stick to some home made foam donuts, as soon as I figure out how to cut or punch out a smoothly cut 5" donut. (anyone got any ideas? Must be a 5" can or tube I can sharpen and use as a die.)

But the pics do help, and thanks for the PM. Did Sennheiser send instructions on how to remove the old pads and install the new ones?

 

[Old_Crow]

The pads cost about £40 British Sterling, so plus inner disks and shipping - I think I'll stick to some home made foam donuts...

I assume the HD 250 pads will be available locally worldwide and may well be cheaper than from the UK. In their day the 'phones cost ~£250 at current values so the pad prices are sort of equivalent...

Did Sennheiser send instructions on how to remove the old pads and install the new ones?

No, but it's very simple. Carefully hook a couple of fingers under the inside edge of the existing pad (without pressing on the centre of the unit). You'll feel that there's a soft plastic ring under the cushion to hook under. Pull that outwards gently but firmly and the pad will release and come free - it's only held in place by ridges moulded around a locating ring underneath. The pads themselves appear to be glued onto the plastic ring...

To replace the pads you simply align the locking ring on the pads with a ring moulded in the 'phones and push down firmly and they snap back into place. If you're replacing the centre disk (a thin disk of very open foam which protects the innards from muck), you need to have that in place before snapping the pads back since they hold it down.

Good luck with your enterprise...

 

[ZeroG]

I assume the HD 250 pads will be available locally worldwide and may well be cheaper than from the UK. In their day the 'phones cost ~£250 at current values so the pad prices are sort of equivalent...



Wow, didn't know the 540s were so pricey. That does put it into a different perspective, though I just saw a pair of used 570s for $45.

 

[Old_Crow]

Wow, didn't know the 540s were so pricey. That does put it into a different perspective, though I just saw a pair of used 570s for $45.

Just dug out the nice wooden box from mine - and tracked down the receipt, dated 22 May 1992, for £159.92, so definitely in the right price region. They're obviously quite venerable now (first produced circa 1989 I think) and the technology (particularly magnet technology) has moved on so you don't need to pay so much for the same performance any more. I suspect that £160 would buy something pretty comparable now... (I'm not sure whether the prices would translate directly into $$ as the UK tends to be quite high priced. Say $200 plus anyway... )

Incidentally, here's a link to a review of the HD 540 reference golds from February 1988: http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/February%201988/116/779289/Page&nbsp%3B116%20-...

 

[ZeroG]

They do sound quite good, never an argument there. Since I don't use them often, I'm going to see what kind of DIY I can get myself into, with the HD 250 in reserve.