WHAT ARE THEY: The K371 are a Over-ear, closed-back, foldable studio headphones from AKG, and while we are used to AKG headphones being big, chunky and round, these are a little more subtle in their design, more akin to the Sony MDR7506 shape, which makes them perfect for our oval pads collection.
WHY CHANGE THE PADS?
There are several reason why you may want to replace your earpads, the obvious one is that the old ones are worn out, flaky and disgusting. Other reasons could be you don't like how the stock pads feel and want something comfier, or you may want to experiment with the sound and try thicker pads, larger pads or different materials - whatever the reason we have you covered and luckily the K371 (and K361) allows for quite a few options from our universal earpad collections.
Our small oval pads came about as a replacement cushions for the very popular Sony MDR7506 headphones and are smaller and thinner than our standard oval pads.
These pads have proved massively popular with the Sony crowd, and, as can be seen here, they also play well with many other brands too, including the star of this particular show, the AKG 371 (and K361 too)!
Image : AKG K371 with Brainwavz Small Oval PU Leather pads - Image is property of u/guitwo and used with permission.
As can be seen in the image above, our small oval earpads look like they were made to measure and fit the body of the K371 almost perfectly. These look a little thinner than the stock pads, and as the provider of this image, u/guitwo, so eloquently put it, they look "Sexy as f*uck" - don't think we have anything to add to that!!!
Here is what they had to say about our pads and ther K371:
"The pads for sony mdr-7506 from brainwavz are a bit hard to install on the akg 371 but with a bit of effort, after installed they fit perfectly. I feel they have considerably higher quality than the stock ones, even though these are smaller. Not much change on isolation (a little bit more if I would guess) but there's a noticeable difference in sound, where the highs seem to be tamed (better for my taste). Well, and they're so sexy now!"
On now to the other end of the scale. While our small oval pads are indeed a little smaller than the stock pads, our standard ovals go the other way and are larger for an even more more over-the-ear fitting.
Our ovals have long been popular with many headphone enthusiasts, especially the Audio Technica ATH M50 owners, plus many many more, which has lead to quite a wide variety of choices in materials, and colours.
Image : AKG K371 with Brainwavz Standard Oval Pads - Images is property of u/PhroggyChief via Reddit.
In the image above, provided by u/PhroggyChief, via Reddit, we can see that the ovals, even though bigger than std pads, fit remarkably well, and what can we say about the colour, the turquoise is one of our most popular shades across all our ranges, and it look amazing here.
u/PhroggyChief had this to say about the pads:
"You have to use a guitar pick to really feed the lip into the slot around the headphone...
They greatly improve fit of the AKG 371 / 361; Previously, with stock pads, my lower ears would touch the driver screen and create a hotspot.
Sound seems roughly the same, as long as headband is adjusted for good seal. Maybe a hair more soundstage and dissipation of super shrill treble... Was able to EQ them back to near stock sound.
Impressed, and I like the splash of color...
EDIT - Overall change after listening for a while, popping stocks back on, and then back to these: Wider soundstage, slightly warmer overall tone, but not far at all from stock. They're good and don't screw with the sound much."
At the end of the day you headphones, and how the look, sound and feel is a very personal thing, there is not one right solution for everyone, no matter what you may read or how insistent some folks can be, it's up to you, and that's why we have so many options for you.
Changing pads can either be out of necessity or the desire to explore and discover, either way we hope this little article, and the images and experiences provided by u/guitwo and u/PhroggyChief, go some way in helping you figure out your needs and desires to get your setup working the best for you.
Brainwavz pads are available from many locations and come in all manner of shapes, size and colours. We operate our own Amazon storefronts with Prime delivery, or you can order direct from our webstore for even bigger savings, check out the link below.
Check out our where-to-buy page for reseller in your local area
Have you got a set of AKG K371 with our pads, or any of our products at all? If so then why not try enter our monthly photo competition, all you need to do is take a photo of your gear, using our product, post it on the medias and you are entered.
Follow this link for all the details - its quick and easy to enter and you could win a $100 shopping spree in our store
Images used in this article are property of Brainwavz Audio - Images from u/guitwo and u/PhroggyChief used with permission and are the property of thier respective owners
Are you wanting to upgrade your earpads on your Corsair Virtuoso, if so we have created this adapter so you can take advantage of the wide range and superior pads offered by Brainwavz.
The Brainwavz all-metal range offers you plenty of super strong and secure storage solutions, while providing a stylish designs that will last you for years to come. Check out the full collection inside.
