Gear Reviews

Dekoni Midnight Earpads for the HD 598 Series: A Quick Upgrade Worth Knowing About

Slapped Dekoni's Midnight earpads on a Sennheiser HD 550—here's what actually changed in comfort, sound, and whether the ~$30 price tag makes sense for your HD 598 series cans.

by The Metalverse

Updated June 08, 2026

Who Is Dekoni Audio?

If you've been in the headphone hobby long enough, you've probably stumbled across Dekoni Audio at some point. They're a U.S.-based company that carved out a very specific niche: high-quality replacement earpads for popular headphones at every price tier. From budget-friendly Earpads all the way up to their Elite Sheepskin series for flagships like the HD 800, Dekoni has become the go-to name when your original pads start looking rough.

What makes them stand out is that they actually tune their pads to specific headphone models rather than making one-size-fits-all cushions and calling it a day. That headphone-specific tuning philosophy is exactly what drew me toward their Midnight series for my HD 550.

What Are the Dekoni Midnight Earpads?

Dekoni Earpads close up — Credit - Dekoni

The Midnight series sits in Dekoni's budget-friendly "Earpadz" line—designed to be an honest, accessible upgrade over OEM replacement pads without breaking the bank. These aren't Dekoni's top-shelf material; that spot belongs to the Elite and Choice series. But the Midnight pads bring something important to the table: eggshell-based protein leather and medium-density memory foam at a price that won't sting.

The specific pair I'm looking at here is the Earpadz Midnight Series made for the Sennheiser HD 598/599/HD 560S family, and I'm running them on my HD 550. The snap-in mounting system is identical across the HD 598 line, so these clip right in with zero fuss.

Price lands around $35, depending on where you buy, which is a reasonable ask for what you get.

Build Quality & Materials

Let's talk about what the Midnight pad actually is physically. The outer material uses what Dekoni calls "eggshell-based protein leather"—a formulation that uses protein powder derived from eggshells to create something that feels thinner, lighter, and softer than standard vinyl or synthetic leather. It's a matte finish, not shiny, and it feels better against your skin than the typical cheap plastic-leather you find on budget OEM pads.

The foam inside is medium-density memory foam, described by Dekoni as more "forgiving" than the ultra-slow rebound foam in their Elite or Choice series. What that means in practice: it contours comfortably to your head but compresses a bit quicker under extended pressure. It's not the same as what you'd get in their higher-tier pads, but it's a real step up from collapsed, crusty stock foam.

Construction feels solid for the price. The stitching is clean, the fit around the headphone cups is snug, and nothing feels cheap or flimsy.

Sound Quality: What Actually Changes

Does Dekoni Earpads change your sound quality?

This is the part that matters most to most of you reading, so let's be straight about it: swapping earpads on an open-back headphone can actually change your sound. Doesn't matter the brand. Pad material, depth, and how they seal against your head all affect the acoustic chamber in front of the driver. The Midnight pads are no different.

Overall Sound Character

On the HD 550, the Midnight pads shift the signature slightly warmer and more intimate compared to fresh stock velour. It's not a dramatic transformation — your HD 550 doesn't suddenly become like a different headphone— but there's a slight change in how the sound lands, particularly in the low end. If your original pads are beat up and collapsed, these will likely sound like a straight-up improvement right out of the gate.

With a proper seal, bass can potentially be improved slightly, making low end response a little more thumpy. Mids will stay largely the same, there is no recession or clarity loss from these earpads compared to the stock ones. Treble can also be slightly less sharp with leather earpads, though I did not notice much change at all here and didn't find the HD550 to have harsh upper registers with the stock of replacement pads.

Something intersting to note, is that worn in earpads have been shown to have a potentially wider "soundstage" or sense of space when listening to music. While speaker burn in is mostly ineffective, ear pad burn in can actually make a difference in your music listening. So if they sound intimate at first, the Dekoni earpads may widen up with time.

Comfort

Close up shot of Dekoni Earpads from above

This might actually be where the Midnight pads shine most clearly. The eggshell protein leather is remarkably soft against the skin. They are noticeably more comfortable than the typical plastic leather on older OEM-style pads. The medium-density memory foam does a solid job of spreading clamp pressure across the full ear cup instead of creating hot spots. If you've been dealing with the "your ear is touching the driver grille" problem from compressed stock pads, these give you back that depth and relief.

Overall, I found the Dekoni earpads to be very comfortable and prefour them to the stock velour pads.

Final Thoughts

Rear view of Sennheiser HD550 with replacement dekoni earpads

The Dekoni Midnight Earpads for the HD 598 series are a solid, no-nonsense upgrade for anyone whose stock pads have seen better days. They're a well-made, budget-friendly replacement that brings genuine comfort improvements and a possibly slightly warmer, bassier sound without wrecking what made your headphones good in the first place.

On my HD 550, they do exactly what I needed: comfortable daily driver pads that make long sessions enjoyable, with a sound that's pleasant and capable. For $35, that's a deal I'm happy with.

If your stock pads are blown out and you want the easiest, most affordable Dekoni upgrade for your HD 598, HD 599, or HD 560S, the Midnight series gets the job done.

Thanks for reading!