Where do I get foam for my cans?

September 8, 2007 9:09 AM

I need to replace the approx 3" diameter foam discs on my Beyerdynamic headphones - the ones that sit between the baffle and the driver. There's no information on the Beyerdynamic site, and I had this problem with Sennheiser before - these things are damn hard to come by (I know that Sennheiser make spares, but finding the ones that fit your cans is another story). Can I just make my own? Where would I go to buy thin foam that would feel nice pressed against my ears on a daily basis? Any other suggestions?
posted by russmail to grab bag (3 comments total)

There's no reason not to make your own discs. It should be very easy assuming it's just a disc; I've seen a few headphones where the foam actually slipped over the speaker, but those were usually cheap models.

The easiest thing is going to be finding some replacements of a larger diameter and trimming them to fit. Only have to be a bit careful so the circles come out looking nice. Barring that, I'd try a fabric or crafts store or, possibly, an upholsterer. But I would guess any foam you find there will be white when you probably want black. I have no idea how easy it is to dye foam. You wouldn't want something that rubbed off on your ears, either.

A first step might be emailing, calling, or writing the company to see if they have replacements available, even if not listed on their site. Another possibility is a high end stereo store in your town. It seems unlikely they'd carry the foam but they might be able to refer you to someone who can help.
posted by 6550 at 10:23 AM on September 8, 2007

6550: white is fine. I'll try a craft store today.

I should have added - I use these headphones every day, so I need an immediate solution.
posted by russmail at 10:36 AM on September 8, 2007

Call them - when I needed work done on my DT-990s, I just called, asked for the service department, and they were super-nice. I'm sure they'd be willing to mail you a new pair for next to nothing.

I do remember it being hard to find Beyerdynamic USA's phone number, but once I got that, it was really simple.
posted by god hates math at 1:59 PM on September 8, 2007