Best replacement ear pads for the Sony MDR-7506 and Senal SMH-1000 Studio Headphones

Today, I am going to share with you the best replacement ear pads for the Sony MDR-7506 and the Senal SMH-1000.

But first a few caveats.

The Sony MDR-7506 and the Senal SMH-1000 have the same sized (100mm by 80mm) ear pads – they are interchangeable. So, ear pads that fit well on the SMH-1000 will fit the 7506.

Now, I am not a typical headphone user. I’d say I use my headphone substantially more than the normal user.  I use my headphones for work – transcribing. So, durability and comfort are key features I look out for in transcription gear.

Having said that, I have been trying to write this review since 2020. We bought 4 replacement pads and it has taken us 3 years of use to come to a conclusion that I can share. If you use your headphone for less than 10 hours a week, any of the replacement pads we tested will last a few years.  

And finally, when I test out products, I normally share products that I like – that pass the bar. And I don’t bother to mention products that were disappointing. But for this review, half of the replacement pads I tested were disappointing.

So, I am going to share with you a couple of replacements pads that I would not recommend. My intention is not to trash them. But, I do want to contextualize your expectation when you are looking for replacement pads for the Sony 7506 or the Senal SMH-1000 headphones.

And offer you some advice, from my experience, on what to look for when choosing a replacement ear pads for the Sony MDR-7506 or the Senal SMH-1000 headphones.

The Bad

Wicked Cushions Replacement Ear Pads for Sony MDR-7506

These were a real disappointment. They looked good. Fitted well with the Sony MDR 7506 and Senal SMH-1000 headphones. Comfort fit.

However, this didn’t last more than 6 months before they started to flake. You end up with specks all over your face! And the way they peel is worse than the original OEM pads.

With the original Sony and Senal pads, when they start to flake and peel off, you can easily peel of the top layer and continue using the pads. The Senal are easier to peel off than the Sony, but the peel does come off.

With these wicked cushions replacement pads, it is very hard to peel off the offending plastic layer, which is supposed to mimic real leather, and reveal the underlying material – usually polyester.

So, not only do they start falling apart within 6 months of heavy use, but unlike the original pads, you can’t continue to use them – unless you are happy with black specks all over you face.

That’s my main gripe with replacement pads that are made with PU/vegan/faux/synthetic leather. The top plastic layer will come off with time. If you are looking for “buy-it-for-life” replacement pads, look elsewhere.

The Wicked Cushions Replacement Ear Pads are a good example of synthetic leather pads and their main limitation – durability. I wouldn’t recommend them and similar replacement pads. 

Shure HPAEC440 Replacement Ear Cushions

As far as I can tell, the Shure HPAEC440 Replacement Ear Cushions are made with vinyl.  Couldn’t confirm this with the manufacture, but after 2 years of use they started to crack. They do not peel, they crack.

Also, with time, they are not as soft as the other pads I tested.

Personally, I found the inner cushion is to be thin. So they don’t feel as comfortable when worn, and I found that they also sounded “transparent.”  And the sound isolation was not great.

They fit well. A lot roomier than the original pads, and the cheapest replacement pads that I could find for the Sony MDR-7506 and the Senal SMH-1000 headphones.

These are definitely better than the pseudo-leather pads that quickly deteriorate. But, the vinyl does dry out, harden, and crack with time.

If they came with thicker inner cushions, I’d recommend the Shure HPAEC440 Replacement Ear Cushions. Sadly, I couldn’t find other vinyl replacement pads for the SMH-1000 or the MDR 7506 on Amazon.

The Good

Here are the replacement ear pads I recommend for the Sony MDR 7506 or the Senal SMH-1000.

Auray Deluxe Velour Replacement Earpads

The Auray earpads are made with velour – a fabric similar to velvet. And that makes these ear pads very comfortable. They are really soft. The pads are also thick – which makes them feel plush.

The main drawback of these and other velour earpads is they have poor sound isolation, and a lot of sound leakage. So, if you transcribe in a noisy environment or want to spare your colleagues listening to the interview you are transcribing, you will be disappointed. The sound isolation and leakage is not terrible, but worse than all other earpads we tested.  

What I really like about these is how durable they are. Velour won’t flake or crack. The edge that hold the pads in place is made of pseudo leather material, so it does wear out and flake. Doesn’t look great, but functionally you can continue to use the pads.

We’ve been using these for about a year now and they are holding up very well.

I really like these and definitely recommend. Definitely a better choice than the pseudo leather or the vinyl replacement pads.

There are lots of velour replacement ear pads options, on Amazon, for Sony MDR-7506 or the Senal SMH-1000 headphones.

Beyerdynamics make high quality velour headphone replacement pads for the Beyerdynamic EDT250V that will fit the Sony MDR-7506 and the Senal SMH-1000 headphones. They are a tad expensive, but if you are looking for great build, and better sound isolation and leakage, these are the perfect replacement pads for you.

For the price, I really like the Auray Deluxe Velour Replacement Earpads and recommend them.

BRAINWAVZ Sheepskin Leather Replacement Ear Pads

Been using these on my Senal SMH-1000 headphones for over a couple of years and I really like them.

The surface that comes into contact with your skin is made with genuine sheepskin leather. I know this because the inner and outer layer are made of the pseudo leather that has started to peel off. So, they are not 100% leather, but the important part is leather.

They have good sound isolation and minimal leakage. Less sound leakage than the velour and pseudo leather pads. Very comfortable. I mean. It’s leather!

I have found a couple of similar sheepskin replacement pads for the Sony MDR-7506 and the Senal SMH-1000 headphones on Amazon.

Auray make a sheepskin leather earpads for Audio-Technica M-Series headphones that are compatible with the Sony MDR-7506 and the Senal SMH-1000 headphones.  They seem to be very similar to the BRAINWAVZ.

Dekoni manufacture 100% sheepskin replacement ear pads for the Audio Technica ATH-M50X that will fit the Sony MDR-7506 and the Senal SMH-1000 headphones. But they are double the price of the BRAINWAVZ! A little too expensive for me.

But thinking about it. The cheap pseudo leather pads last about a year before they need replacement. And you can get them for about $10. If you use your Senal SMH-1000 headphones every day for 10 years, that’s $100 in replacement pads. So forking out $60 to get genuine 100% leather replacement pads that will last 10 years is a sound investment.

So, I’ll probably bite the bullet and buy the Dekoni replacement ear pads in the near future.

In the meantime, the BRAINWAVZ sheepskin replacement will serve me well.

That’s it for this post. If you are looking for a replacement ear pad for your Sony MDR-7506 or the Senal SMH-1000 headphones, I hope you have found it useful.

And as always if you have any questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments section below. Happy transcribing.