I swapped the ear cushions on my headphones for better sound — here's what happened

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In the deepest darkest depths of New Jersey, some wizardry is happening. A company called Dekoni Audio crafts premium accessories for your favorite headphones and earbuds, including fancy custom cables and special foam eartips that seal in your ears better than the silicone options that come in the box.

But it's neither of those I'm interested in right now. It's the firm's range of replacement headphone earpads — apparently they're not just about keeping older headphones on the go, but improving the cans you've got in some subtle ways. That could be to make them more comfortable, to improve the noise canceling, or even to make them sound better.

So I got some Dekoni earpads for one of my favorite pairs of ANC headphones, the Noble Fokus Apollo, to see just what happens.

Getting them on

There was a little bit of work involved in taking the earpads off my Noble Fokus Apollo, bit it wasn't as much as some of the other headphones out there. I had to use a knife to get between the earpad and the earcup, and then gently pry the clips out of place to dislodge everything.

I had kept one installed while I replaced the other to make it easier to differentiate between the right and left. In my case, I'd have thought that the R and L labels on the inside would have remained the same way up. Weirdly, they're now very much upside down. I checked — they're on the right way round. Strange, but not off-putting.

Clipping the pads back into place was relatively straight forward as well, although they did require a bit more force than I was perhaps comfortable with. Once they're on, though, they're on — and they're not going anywhere without my say so. Or a knife.

Your mileage may vary with this one, of course. If you've got some Noble Fokus Apollo you'll find it as simple as I did, but the process could be more or less complex depending on your specific model of headphones.

Either way, you'll soon find that the Dekoni pads are even better quality than the pads you've taken off, with premium leather and suede that makes them feel worth their fairly high prices.

What's the point?

So there are some fairly obvious plus-sides to swapping out your earpads. For one, they're the part of your headphones that tend to go south quick, so having the option to find spares of any quality is always a bonus — for you, your cans, and the environment.

Then there are the gains to ANC. Thanks to more premium foam in the earpads and softer materials, they're able to create a better seal around your ear, allowing for greater passive noise cancellation, which in turn makes overall ANC even better.

The final point is one that many will argue about for many, many years and continue to debate for centuries. Different materials can change the way that your headphones sound on top of the improvements to bass that a better seal brings. That means they could even make your headphones sound better — something I was curious to inspect.

The results

So the Noble Fokus Apollo are already a comfortable pair of headphones. Their leather earpads are soft and forgiving, and the foam inside has plenty of give to make a decent seal. Adding the new suede earpads made them even more comfortable though.

The suede is more breathable than the leather options, which means they stay cooler on my ears when I wear them. It's gentler on my skin as well, and I don't find massive sweat circles around my ears when I take them off. They do pick up fibres easily, however, so those who suffer from dandruff should probably think about the perforated leather options.

But what did it do for the noise canceling? There was a noticeable increase in the amount of noise they blocked, which surprised me. There was an element of me that thought it would be snake oil, but that wasn't the case.

Low noises are now more muffled thanks to the improved seal around my ears, and even some high-range sounds are now more easily blocked out. The noise canceling, then, is better than it was before.

What about the sound? It actually didn't really change all that much. There's perhaps an increase in the bass and its impact, but there's nothing new here. Which is actually a good thing — there was part of me that was concerned that the new material would change the way my headphones sounded for the worse, but the sound I love so much was thankfully still right where I left it.

Should you upgrade?

If you're looking to make your headphones potentially more comfortable, Dekoni's earpads are a worthy upgrade. Even for headphones that are already comfortable, the new earpads are so premium that they can bring a whole new element of "oh, I can wear these forever." They're pricy, but they're worth it for the comfort.

For the ANC and sound gains, I'm going to say probably not. There is an increase in noise canceling, but it's not enough to make you want to spend upwards of fifty bucks.

If your earpads are on their last legs, then a set from Dekoni are a no brainer in my eyes. They're premium replacements, and they'll save you hundreds. You'd be surprised the headphones that have replacement options as well — it's well worth having a browse of the Dekoni site to see what you pick up.

More from Tom's Guide

Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

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