Audio Technica ES Series Over Ear Earpad Adapter (ES10, ES7, ES9, ES700, ES500 etc)

thingiverse

The Audio Technica ES series of headphones is truly exceptional but comes at a price: comfort suffers greatly after just a few hours of use. The inevitable result is sore ears that cry out for relief. Fortunately, this adapter offers a solution by enabling the use of over-ear style earpads. By using these pads, listeners can enjoy much better comfort during extended listening sessions, improved noise isolation in noisy environments, and sound quality that surpasses the stock pads after some fine-tuning. This adapter has been thoroughly tested to ensure 100% compatibility with the ES10's, but it should also work seamlessly with other headphones in the ES series. Its design is centered around AH-MSR7 earpads, although it should also accommodate Sennheiser momentum over-ear pads and Audio Technica M40/M50 Series pads. The non-authentic clones I used are available at a low cost on eBay and aliexpress, but they may sound different from genuine MSR7 pads. The sound signature undergoes a significant transformation when using MSR7 Pads without any alterations on the ES10. This results in a larger soundstage, sharper treble, and very slightly recessed mids. The ideal combination is achieved by placing a sheet of 3-ply toilet paper between the driver and the earpad. This tames the treble peak, restores the midrange, while retaining the bass impact and soundstage. In my opinion, it sounds better than the stock ES10 and possibly even the ES10 with ESW11 sheepskin earpads. When combined with increased comfort, this mod is well worth considering. Thinner pads will likely alter the sound signature the least as they position the head close to the original earpads. Thicker and angled pads, on the other hand, create a bigger soundstage but can cause changes to treble. This issue can be surprisingly well managed with toilet paper.