What about hotspots and sweating? These do not have the waxed-like fabric on the face, they are perforated pleather all around.
Also, any sound difference?
lol calm down. Iâve had em for all of five minutes. I need some timeâŠ
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Hey, I didnât know you had them for 5 minutes 
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Well�??
Lol
As someone who just got these new pads a few days ago, Let me go off a little. Apologies for anyone bored by just incoherent murmurs. First off, understanding where DMS is coming from, these pads to me take away the mid bass bloat he had a problem with, BUT, it does add in some unevenness in the upper-midrange. These new pads have really shown me these headphones are not perfect. I do, however, LOVE these new pads. The âspaciousnessâ is larger, again donât take as gospel, I rarely have the best opinions or views. The soundstage is not necessarily wider, but I feel less compression with the new set. I find with the new pads, I get more well-rounded, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type experience. Also comfort is improved, but this is someone who found a way, with much effort, to make these headphones comfortable. And being that I also the Aeolus, I love that. I am done now, back to your more interesting takes from others more qualified than myself.
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Canât have that now⊠Theyâve got to master something or else the Tygrs would be the better buy⊠Still waiting on my BW round pads. Apparently theyâre out of stock with leather and perforated pleather but Iâll be receiving the regular pleather and velour and see how those affects the sound.
Which pads have people successfully used on this headset? Looking to pick these up but want a much larger pad than stock.
Hot spots and sweating⊠nope. No heat buildup or sweat here. Though Iâm sure YMMV. That being said I did like the feel of the fabric on the original pads a bit better but thatâs nitpicking. Definite comfort improvement. @voja
I didnât have much time to test yesterday. All I can say is the new pads donât sound that much different from the old pads overall. That being said here are my thoughts after⊠idk an hour?:
The bass sounds less veiled than it did before, which makes little sense to my brain because I found it pretty detailed before anyway.
Thereâs more impact in various instruments.
Better instrument separation.
Timbre seems slightly less natural.
Reduced sibilance completely, but also reduced treble overall.
I agree with @Matthew_Cuarenta . Upper mids is strange.
Lower mids got a slight bump? Like I was tempted to even say it sounds warm nowâŠ
My thoughts will probably change in the future.
Here is the link @Shortstack31489 . Also itâs a headphone, not a headset (thereâs no microphone).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LD85VV4/
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Did you not try some different pads at one point as well?
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I did. Didnât like their sound and the work involved is dumb because of the adapter plate mount system.
Examples:
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I totally agree with your assessment @kcrack, Iâve just received the pads and I am trying them out as we speak.
Comfortwise they are definitely more comfortable with more depth whereas compared with the stock pads the ears were pushed much closer to the driver. Tbh I do not find the stock pads too uncomfortable but its definitely a noticeable different.
Sound wise the treble and highs have definitely lost a bit of sparkle and definition whereas sub bass and lower mids have got more impact and definition. Sound reminds me a bit of the Meze 99 Classics but a little less muddy and boomy in the mids.
Its hard to say at this stage which pads I prefer, I need more time with the new pads to see whether the sound changes once theyâve been broken in a bit, I just hope the highs and treble retain some of the sparkle from the stock pads.
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It would be nice if SIVGA had some mounting plates by themselves, similar to the HiFiMan pad rings so that you could roll pads easier.
It would be nice. The adapter plate thing is like this with the SHP9500 as well. But I know there are places to buy or 3D print aftermarket adapter plates for the SHP9500.
If I take the time to learn how to 3D model, I would try to make an adapter plate for this headphone. Canât hurt to try.
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Thanks for the quick and dirty write up of your initial impressions.
The more I listen the more I am hearing something strange too in the uppers. Not sure it is just brain effect as a result of reading reviews or what⊠I have even gone so far as trying different combinations of dac and amps - but it seems to follow the headphone vs. source. Also, after comparing against the Elegia, it definitely seems as though the Phoenix mids are recessed a bit. However, all in all the Phoenix is still fun and enjoyable to me for music listening sessions - especially when just bouncing though Spotify, Amazon and Youtube for discovery.
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Most round pads should be able to have their lip wrapped around the cup and tucked under the hinges. This worked for BW round pads and Dekoni Beyerdynamic pads.
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I think there is some truth in what you say in terms of brain effect and reading other peopleâs views and comments.
Itâs kind of ironic because some of the early reviews i read suggested the treble and upper mids were too much but I didnât find this to be the case.
Pads do need a breaking-in period so I will certainly persevere and see if my initial assessment changes in any way.
I am all for an aftermarket template, I would be interested to see how my BW microsuede, velour and hybrids would fare.
Whatever I decide these are still a wonderful headphone and I would wholeheartedly recommend them regardless of what pads are used.
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Yeah the pads breaking in may change things. I can already tell here when I press the cups a bit closer to my ears.
Also my buddy who also has these headphones removed the stock pads from the adapter plate (this is likely irreversible, you have to separate the glue). He was able to put Dekoni pads meant for the DT880 on there:
And speaking of, this headphone reminds me a lot of the DT880. Not in frequency response obviously but in other waysâŠ
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So after many hours of critical listening of comparing the new pads versus stock pads I feel I can make a measured and honest assessment.
The new pads are more comfortable from a size perspective although I personally prefer the feel and material of the stock pads, expecially after wearing the headphones for long listening periods.
In terms of sound, the new pads definitely increases the presence of bass to the point it is more forward. Also, vocals are more forward whereas they are slightly recessed with the stock and overall the sound is warmer and more bassy.
I found the upper mids and highs to be better with the stock pads whereas they sound rolled off and erratic with the new pads, it just doesnât sound right to me to the point that it aggravates me!
The musicality and timbre is what appeals to me most about these headphones. Unfortunately, this is the main area i find where the new pads actually degrade the sound.
This situation reminds me of the comfort issues with the Meze 99 Classics when they were first launched where users complained about the size of the pads, the manufacturer responded by issuing new, larger pads which degraded the sound signature by making them more boomy.
I donât understand why Sivga didnât bring out a larger set of earpads using the same materials they used for the stock pads because by using a different pad material will impact the sound signature.
So my advice is that if you like the sound signature of the Phoenix and can cope with the fitment of the stock pads then DONâT buy the new pads. However, if you prefer more bass and require greater comfort then go for the new pads.
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