I love them. I actually ordered them at the same time I ordered the 6XX’s from Drop and attached the pads to the order for a small discount.
I love the fenestrated sheepskin pads and I never looked back. In fact, I can’t even really give you a comparison because I only listened to the stock pads for a minute before switching them out. They are so cool and comfortable (my ears tend to get hot when wearing “plush” type pads) and I can wear them all day with no problems.
Listened to my 58x’s with stock pads for a week before getting the fenestrated, so glad I purchased these. When I saw that I could get them for $30 off the $60 normally I had to (+$5 two day shipping… I couldn’t wait.)
I have the Utopia pads and tried them on the elegia just for fun. Nope! It’s awful haha. Sounds like an old shitty radio.
You should just try the stock pads for a few days. Then go back to the current set you have on. There should be a difference. Not many people switch out the stock pads on the sennheisers.
There’s a little bit of a sound change but the sheepskin pads are so much more comfortable and cooler. My ears are already feeling hot on the stock pads. They’re not bad but yeah.
The sound signature will probably be more noticeable the longer you use the stock pads. Once you go back after a while it should be noticeable. But if you don’t mind and like the cooler pads then keep them like you have them. It’s all preference.
Got the Elegia the other day, and have to say that I feel this pair is much better than the ones I tried out a year or so ago during a “tour” that I only had like a week to listen to them. I was switching back and forth a bunch and didn’t just listen to the cans. I may have also swapped pads then too. I did notice as I wear glasses, that there is a huge change in the bass if you don’t have a good seal with the stock pads. The eyeglasses I have now are thinner as they go over my ears, so I seem to be getting close to normal amounts of bass, and the do sound amazing. Enjoying them immensely this time around. I’ll switch the pads in a few weeks after getting really used to them, but I do think that only having a few days with them before left me with the wrong impression. Could not resist the price on these! Makes them far and away the best pair I have in that price range for sure! Also trying out a new SMSL DAC the M200 and loving it as well. Tried to capture some shots of it in with the Focal Elegia’s. Thanks for the feedback on the pads!
Jason-
CapistranoCables
And I thought my desk was crammed with good stuff!!
Very cool set up sir. 
Amazing desk!
awesome setup! I think about the only pad swap that would work well would be the Stellia pads or something very close. The Stellia pads on them make it a little warmer from what I’ve heard. You would think brighter but it seems thats not the case.
Tried to make my own for the first time today. Only got one channel working though :’(. The one channel sounds fine. Not sure where the problem on the other channel is.
Need to buy bigger paracord / bigger y-splits / connector housings. Biggest problem was getting the wires to fit through the housings.
Lesson learned, buy bigger parts or get smaller wires so you don’t break shit trying to pull the wires covered by paracord through >.>. Also get paracord that is less fray prone.
Don’t by Hicon connectors, they are a pain in the back to solder 
Yeah… I fell for that before. Now I have some cables that will break the rollers on my office chair instead of the other way round.
After cutting them, touch them very briefly to the flame of a lighter.
So the soldering actually went really well. Where I’m pretty certain I broke it is when I threw the housings onto the connectors. Because the wires + paracord were too thick I prolly broke a solder point while pushing them on way too hard (cause I had to).
Not sure if I should go with a thinner wire / paracord, stay the same thickness and buy bigger hardware, or say fuck braiding and do what Hart Audio does.
Where do you buy parts? How do you determine sizing for stuff?
Yea I didn’t have one in the house though :/. Lesson learned. And I always bring one when sailing too… RIP
Mind you, I am in Germany.
Thomann.de (Audio/Studio/PA retailer), Reichelt.de (Electronics/Automation retailer), Conrad.de (similar to Reichelt), Digikey (electronics retailer)
Specsheets or manufacturers website.
One one hand, good try!
On the other… Im sorry, but my first thought was… AH! Ketchup and mustard!!!
Lol yea. Went for rasta colors, didn’t work out so well lol. Camera doesn’t do it any favors either.
Hot dog cable also works lol. If I replaced the second red with a tan it’d be perfect 
Well. Attempt number two has ended in semi success?
However, for some reason I’m picking up a pretty bad hiss from my balanced amps. Dunno what’s causing it (prolly shitty soldering). Anyone have any ideas? Also, if I turn the volume up too much on high gain on the erish it cuts out and stops playing? Maybe two wires are touching in one of the jacks? Sound quality is meh. Sounds kind of compressed / veiled.
Used neutrik 4 pin connector, canare balanced wire, and two random 2.5mm TRRS connectors I was able to get a hold of.
So I had to end up using the TRRS connectors I bought, instead of the TRS that Hifiman used for the 2.5mm jacks. I soldered the + to the Tip and the - to the Sleeve on both, leaving the rings unconnected. Not sure if that’s correct or not.
