Cleaning headset ear cuffs

[Stg-Flame]

Just curious if I'm missing something obvious for cleaning and maintaining the condition of the cuffs on headsets. Mine are almost 10 years old now and showing signs of wear (the outer later has been peeling off slowly in small pieces), but I've been fairly vigilant about cleaning them after use to try and keep them new. I know a lot of normal household cleaners are damaging to the material so I've mostly stuck to wiping them down with a wet cloth after extended use. Is there something better to use or are these just wearing down after 10 years of heavy use? My next build I plan on using the same headset until they completely break down but if I get a new one I'd like to know how to better take care of them.

 

[Thump553]

You might be able to get replacements. I have a pair of classic Senneiser HD600's that I could buy replacement the ear cuffs-Senn sold them directly (I haven't checked in a couple of years if still available).

I used to clean mine with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol. Maybe not the best stuff but I think it is better than water. Water, to me, would promote mildew. Good luck.

 

[fluffmonster]

Cloth cuff socks for this do exist, but I don't know what search algorithms call them.

 

[Stg-Flame]

You might be able to get replacements. I have a pair of classic Senneiser HD600's that I could buy replacement the ear cuffs-Senn sold them directly (I haven't checked in a couple of years if still available).

I used to clean mine with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol. Maybe not the best stuff but I think it is better than water. Water, to me, would promote mildew. Good luck.

I've looked online and the only replacements I could readily find were being shipped from China and I've had really bad experiences in the past when ordering through Chinese markets. I'll keep looking around and see if I can find some made by the manufacturer of the headset.

Cloth cuff socks for this do exist, but I don't know what search algorithms call them.

I have a lot of those already because I work in the oilfield and we use headsets to communicate (due to how loud it is and how many people are on location) but I hate how they smash my ears down and after a few hours it begins to cause a lot of discomfort. These are already breaking down so it would be somewhat fruitless to start using them now but that is an idea I hadn't thought of. I can easily cut the cloth ones to fit this headset and help protect it if I can find replacement cuffs.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Have you tried drop.com? I'm sure they get most of their stuff from China, but they are really fast and if you have a problem with what you get shipped then they replace or refund with no problem. I got some replacement cuffs for my HD650s, didn't like the way one them was sewn together on one edge, one cuff had the stitching a bit crooked. They refunded me 50% with the option to send them back for a new pair if I wanted. Decided to keep them since they fit perfectly and its only aesthetics or the look that bothered me on one cuff (perforated sheep skin). Of course, I kept them since they work great. YMMV..

 

[MrSquished]

your best bet is to find replacement pads and if they are from China so be it. most are. I got third party brainwavz replacement pads for my Beyer T90's just because they changed the sound signature a little bit, not even cause I needed them. They came recommended by the head-fi online community. Maybe post on head-fi.org and see if anyone has experiences with what you are looking for. That's where I heard of the brainwavz. Brainwavz warehouse is in Hong Kong and my earpads are phenomenal. Have lasted years.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I'll check into both of those places. Thanks.

I've only ordered from China three times in the past and all three items were defective upon arrival. Two of the companies gave a full refund when I contacted them but the third simply refused to reply. I had to go through a lengthy process with Newegg to get a refund and that seller has since been banned from selling on both Newegg and Amazon (there's been a lot of issues with them in the past but that's on me for not doing my research before ordering from them).