How to Determine Which Earpad or Cushion to Order

How to Determine Which Earpad or Cushion to Order

Posted by Barry Leeper on 24th Nov 2020

How to Determine Which Earpad or Cushion to Order

The best way to find out which of our foam earpads and cushions will fit your headphones would be to make a measurement of your earpiece. When making your measurements, please keep in mind that it is best to measure the physical size of your headphone’s earpiece, not your old earpads or cushions. We have geared all our recommendations on the earpiece size.

There are literally thousands of different makes and models of headphones and headsets. Customers will frequently contact us and ask what cushions are required for their specific headphones. Most of the time we have absolutely no idea, because the headphone manufacturers don’t supply the required details about their product models, sizes and shapes. Each year, new headphones are released with new features that they hope will encourage new buyers. None of the manufacturers provide any details of their replacement parts because they want to make it easier to buy a whole new headphone, rather than worry about supplying replacement parts.

We have started a database showing many of the models of headphones and the known earpads that fit, based on customer feedback. If you tell us which earpads or cushions wound up fitting on your headphone, we well will be happy to post the information online showing which earpads and cushions fit particular models of headphones. Hopefully this database will grow and make it a little easier for customers to find their appropriate earpad or cushion. You will find the database online at the following URL:

https://scansound.com/headphones/headphone-and-headset-size-database/

HIL53 Cushions Installed onto Logitech Premium Notebook Headset

ruler-w-inch-metric

We do know from experience that many people have long sought out replacement cushions for the Logitech Premium Notebook Headphones, including the Logitech Model A-0445A or Logitech H555 headsets.  Our 50mm

size foam earpads and leatherette cushions will be perfect for those headsets (shown in the picture on the right). For most others, you will have to make measurements.

Many people are perplexed when they have to compare inches and millimeters, but it is really quite simple. As you can see, we did a measurement with the ruler here, and it shows a size of 1 11/16 is the equivalent to 40mm.We suggest that you take the time to measure your headphone using a ruler. Most rulers have both the inch and metric sizes, as you can see from the ruler shown here.

Fitting round cushions to oval-shaped or egg-shaped earpieces

Some earpieces are round and others are oval shaped. Our replacement cushions and earpads all start out round. The round ones can stretch to fit onto oval shaped headphone earpieces.

pink-ruler-with-earpieceAs they stretch in length, they will reduce some in width. We just need to know the proper variation for your headphone so we can determine what circular size will fit on your oval headphones.

In order to determine the proper size replacement earpad or cushion for your oval shaped headphone, you will need to know the average size of the earpiece.

As it stretches to adjust in length, it will correspondingly get smaller in the width.



How to average the width and length of an oval-shaped earpiece

oval-measurement

  1. Measure the length
  2. Measure the width
  3. Add the length and width
  4. Divide by 2 to get the Average
  5. Convert inches to millimeters
  6. Match the closest earpad Size

This example shown is an earpiece that is 3 ¼” long by 2 ¼” wide. That is same as 3.25 inches x 2.25 inches.

(length + width) ÷ 2 = average size

(3.25 + 2.25) ÷ 2 = 2.75

So the average would be 2.75 inches. 2.75 inches is the equivalent of 70mm.

How to determine the circumference and diameter

circumference-measurementAlternatively, for oval- or egg-shaped earpieces you might find it better to first determine the circumference of your earpiece in either inches or millimeters.

You can use a string, dental floss or just cut a thin strip of paper. Tightly wrap this around the outer edge of the earpiece. Once you know the distance around the earpiece, write down that value as your circumference. If your value is something like 3 ¼ inches, you will want to convert that to decimal format, such as 3.75 inches. Then, divide the circumference by 3.14 (pi) and that will give you the earpiece diameter.  Once you have the earpiece diameter, compare that with the tables showing the foam and leatherette replacement earpads and cushions to see what range of sizes point to the appropriate replacement item.

We offer various sizes of foam earpads and leatherette style cushions. The foam earpads can stretch a bit more than the leatherette cushions. So if your measurement is very close to the top end of the size range, you probably won't have any problem stretching the foam earpads a little more. If you are just near the top end of a range of sizes for the leatherette cushions, it will be better to move up to the next size cushion so you won't have to struggle to get the cushion onto your headphone earpiece.

Don't assume that a 60mm measurement will mean that you need the 60mm earpad or cushion. You will need to look up the earpad or cushion that is going to fit, based on the range of sizes in the tables. If you look at the table of foam earpads, for example, you will see that a 78mm foam earpad or 70mm leatherette cushion would be the best one to fit onto a 64mm earpiece.

How to convert inches to millimeters

If you want to convert inches to millimeters, you might find it easy to get help from Google. If you do a search and enter in the phrase “2.75 inches in mm” and hit return. You will get something like this:

Measuring circle-shaped headphone earpieces

 

Measuring circular headphone earpieces is fairly easy. You just remove the existing foam or leatherette style cushion from the headphone.  Measure the diameter of the earpiece. The diameter is the distance from the left edge to the right edge.

Don’t worry about the hole size in the center of the cushion because that is going to stretch and conform to the earpiece. You only want to know the outside “edge-to-edge” diameter of the earpiece.

That will enable you to select the proper earpad or cushion for your headphone or headset.




Normally the material is not glued in place. It is only stretched over the outer edges. In some cases, the cushion will actually go around the outer edges and fit into a thin groove type opening around the face of the headphone earpiece.

Let's say that you have a circular shaped earpiece. You will want to measure across the earpiece from edge to edge. Once you know the diameter, you can easily look to see which earpads or cushions are available.

Replacement of square-shaped foam earpads

replacing-earpads.jpg


Removing square earpad from headphone earpiece

There are some very popular headphones that have square-shaped foam earpads. Our square-shaped foam earpad is typically compatible with them all, because they all seem to have the same style of earpiece. Therefore you will find that our SQ50 square shaped foam earpad will generally fit all those headphones.

If you were to look at the outside of the foam pad, it would certainly appear to be square shaped, however when you look at the opposite side, you will see that the inside opening is usually circular. These earpads actually fit around an earpiece that is usually round or it may be square with rounded edges. The earpiece is typically about 50mm in diameter.

The above picture shows how you would remove the old square shaped earpad from the headphone earpiece.

rear-of-sq-50-close-up-900.jpg


Square earpad on headphone

sq-50-inside-view-900.jpg

Square-shaped foam earpads have a 50mm circular opening

These square shaped foam earpads are found on many Bang and Olefson headphones, such as the B&O Play. These are also found on many of the following headphones:

  • Subjekt Pulse Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
  • Jaybird Sportsband Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
  • GOgroove AirBand Bluetooth Stereo Headphones


How to remove the old earpad

Most earpads and cushions are only held in place by pressure. Usually, you can remove the foam by just pulling it off from the outside edges of the Earpiece.  In most instances, you can stretch it around the outer edges to put it right back on again.

If the material is crumbling and falling apart, you may not be able to get it back on the headphone.  This is not all that uncommon.

Why old headphone cushions fall apart

Some people want to know why the foam crumbles and turns to dust. Your original foam earpads and Leatherette Cushions were made of a low-grade type of plastic that contains petroleum distillates. As the material ages, the petroleum dries up and the plastic actually breaks into little bits and pieces.

Our replacement ear cushions and earpads will hold up for a much longer period of time, because they are made from higher-grade materials. Unfortunately, the headphone manufacturers planned the obsolescence of the headphones, and hoped that they would only last 2-years at the most. That way they could count on your going out to buy the newest model when your old one began to wear out.

Upgrading headphones by replacing foam earpads with leatherette

Replacement headphone cushions

Many individuals prefer to order the leatherette style headphone cushions because they feel that the cushion material is softer against their ears. This is all a personal decision that you make on your own.

Many people may find that their older headphones were just fine the way they were. Some may actually choose to upgrade them by installing the leatherette cushions.

Keep in mind that the leatherette cushions are actually a bit thicker, so if your headphones must fit into a charging stand, then the cushion thickness might become a problem.

Available sizes of foam earpads and leatherette cushions

At the present time, we offer the following foam earpads and leatherette Cushions:

SIZE FOAM EARPAD LEATHERETTE CUSHION
40mm E-20  
50mm F-30 HIL53-PRO
55mm round earpiece (square outside) SQ50  
55mm   EMT56-PRO
60mm D-60 LEC62 &
LEC62-PRO
70mm L-70 LEC70
78mm FEP78  
80mm   LEC80
80mm teardrop shape 80MM 80LEA
90mm   LEC90
100mm   LEC100
105mm   LEC105
115mm   LEC115

Replacement Earpads & Cushions for Teardrop-Shaped Headphones

The 80mm size teardrop-shaped earpads and cushions most frequently fit onto the wireless infrared headphones. Many of these headphones are frequently used on with many vehicle entertainment systems, DVD players and home TV stereo systems.

So if you are looking for an egg-shaped or teardrop-shaped earpad or cushion for an infrared wireless headphone, you may find that the 80mm earpads and cushions are ideally suited for your headphone.  The names may be different, however these headphones are all roughly identical in terms of the earpads and cushions. Many of these headphones are branded under the following names:

Types of IR Headphones
Clarion Power Acoustik
Audiovox Able Planet
Advent Alpine
Recotron  

   

Many of the vehicle entertainment system headphones look similar to the models above. These types of infrared wireless headphone are frequently used with many of the following vehicle and airplane entertainment systems:

Lexus Ford GMC Toyota
Mercedes Nissan Honda Chrysler
Gulfstream Air Chevrolet Cadillac Oldsmobile
Dodge Buick Kia Lincoln

Foam
 Earpads and Corresponding Earpiece Dimensions
Foam earpad Part No. Metric Decimal Inches Inches Using Ruler
40mm foam earpad E-20 and
E-20-4
24mm to 35mm 0.945 to 1.38 in 15/16 to
1 3/8 in
50mm foam earpad F-30 and F-30-4 35mm to 44mm 1.38 to 1.73 in 1 3/8 to 1 3/4 in
Square foam earpad SQ50 35mm to 44mm 1.38 to 1.73 in 1 3/8 to 1 3/4 in
60mm foam earpad D-60 and
T-60
44.5mm to 56mm 1.75 to 2.20 in 1 3/4 to 2 3/16 in
70mm foam earpad L-70 and
L-70-4
55mm to 63mm 2.19 to 2.50 in 2 3/16 to 2 1/2 in
78mm circular foam FEP78 58mm to 70mm 2.28 to 2.78 in 2 9/32 to
2 13/16 in
80mm teardrop shape 80MM 80mm to 87.3mm 3.19 in to 3.44 in 3 3/16 to
3 7/16 in
80mm teardrop shape 80mm Typically 65mm wide by 80mm tall 2.5 to 2.75 wide x 3.25 x 3.88 tall 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 wide x 3 1/4 to
3 7/8 inches tall
Leatherette Earpads and Corresponding Earpiece Dimensions
Leatherette Cushion Part No. Metric Earpiece Diameters Inch Earpiece Diameters
50mm leatherette HIL53-PRO 39mm to 48mm 1 9/16 to 1 7/8 inches
55mm leatherette EMT56-PRO 35mm to 52mm 1 3/4 to 2 1/16 inches
60mm leatherette LEC62-PRO 53mm to 59mm 2 to 2 5/16 inches
70mm leatherette LEC70 61mm to 68mm 2 1/2 to 2 11/16 inches
80mm leatherette LEC80 70mm to 79mm 2 3/4 to 3 1/8 inches
80mm teardrop Shape 80LEA 67mm wide x 80mm tall 2 1/2 wide x 3 1/4 inches
90mm leatherette LEC90 80mm to 88mm 3 1/8 to 3 7/16 inches
100mm leatherette LEC100 84mm to 98mm 3 1/4 to 3 7/8 inches
105mm leatherette LEC105 93mm to 104mm 3 5/8 to 4 1/16 inches
115mm leatherette LEC115 105mm to 113mm 4 1/4 to 4 7/16 inches