Introduction

Having by now hopefully read several of our headphone and earphone reviews, you know that the sound signature and listening experience is contingent on getting a good fit and seal over your ears. The drivers are tuned with this assumption in mind, which comes through courtesy the ear pads with headphones and ear tips with IEMs. Replacement ear tips are the norm in the IEM world, with manufacturers often providing several options of different sizes and material composition in the product box itself. However, it's not as simple with headphones, with far more thought needed to get these going without messing up the headphone experience itself. There are very few companies who have dedicated themselves to providing replacement ear pads for headphones thus, and Dekoni Audio happens to be one of them.


Dekoni Audio is a US-based outfit that has one of the most legendary frequency response measurement rigs ever—the Head Acoustics HMS II.3 from Tyll of Innerfidelity fame. It's clearly being put to good use with factory measurements being compared to various different ear pads made with the sole purpose of replacing them. The primary reason for ear-pad replacement tends to be when the currently used ones wear out and don't provide a good seal anymore, or simply get too filthy for various reasons. Other reasons could be comfort-related, which is why you would see a variety of ear-pad options with different materials for more breathability for the same headphones. With the Meze 99 series, which we first examined last year courtesy the Meze 99 Neo, Dekoni Audio has a single option that is also an official collaboration with Meze. As such, it meets the company's approval in terms of sound signature—it is also the only such aftermarket option to hit that mark. Those are high set expectations to meet thus, so let's thank Dekoni Audio for providing a sample to help us test these claims for ourselves.

Packaging and Accessories

Dekoni has several different product lines for its replacement ear pads, with the Elite line the most premium. Each of these are then split into different material options as applicable, so you can see how it can be somewhat confusing for a newcomer despite the handy guides the company publishes. For the Meze 99 series (99 Neo, Classic, and Noir), things are simple with a single option, and it happens to be of the Elite Sheepskin variety. A set of two ships inside a fancy Dekoni-branded box with a glossy pastel green finish, with the company logo and Elite marking on the front and the product sticker alongside a hang tag on the back. A longer, more easily understood sticker greets us on the side, and this is where we see a seal that keeps the contents in place in transit.


I quite like the color scheme for the box, and opening it reveals a welcome note that has been printed on the inside of the lid. There is otherwise not much to see here, with the two ear pads stacked on top on each other and a small card underneath acting as a support, contact, and social media pamphlet all in one. The box is large enough to store the stock ear pads if needed for any warranty claims, so it isn't wasted in that regard.

Closer Look

Lustrous was the first word that came to my mind when I took out these Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads, with a glisten from the sheepskin leather that is treated for durability but remains supple. Medium density memory foam is the actual filling, and the provided dimensions confirm that these are over-ear pads that follow the shape of human ears by being oval with soft, rounded surfaces inside and out. The pads are stitched together at the top and bottom, and the lining slips into the ear cup crevices of the Meze 99 Neo that is the actual installation mechanism.


Compared to the stock Meze 99 Neo ear pads, there is a tangible physical difference, with the stock pad on the left (or top) and Dekoni pad on the right (or bottom) above. The Dekoni pads are clearly smaller in all three dimensions, especially length. I had apprehensions about whether these would even fit over ears as well as the stock pads, but the majority of the size trimmings are in the ear-pad filling itself, so the opening is mostly the same. Also notice how the stock pads are angled outward slightly and use faux leather, with the Dekoni pads more uniformly packed.


That said, the actual installation process was slightly harder with the Dekoni than stock ear pads, mostly because of the physical size, but also since the Dekoni pads are denser and not as likely to wear out over time—great news once they are actually installed, but not so much for the effort it takes to get there. It takes a few minutes if you follow the Dekoni guide, and having experience with ear pads of this nature will certainly help. Just be patient if you fail the first time, or second or third even. Seen above is the Meze 99 Neo first with a single Dekoni pad on the left and then both pads replaced, which should give you a good visual idea of how the two types of pads look installed. You can refer to my Meze 99 Neo review for more photos with the stock pads, of course. The Dekoni pads seem to match the ear cups better in terms of naturally extending from the plastic brace, and having them on the head also feels quite different. Initially, it may at times feel cooler, but warmer at other times. Then the increased seal from the memory foam and tighter sheepskin enter the picture, which will mold to your ears better and make for a more comfortable experience.


Do read my Meze 99 Neo review first for a better understanding of what is going on here, although measuring the frequency response of the headphones using my updated headphones measurement setup is currently not reflected in that review. It's done in a similar way as described in the relevant section here, and you can head over to my personal measurement database that has the Meze 99 Neo with the stock pads and the Dekoni pads for an easier comparison. My biggest issue with the Meze 99 Neo was its highly elevated bass shelf that made for a bloated, distorted mess in the low frequencies without much preserved detail for the asking price. Other closed-back headphones that cost less fared much better, including the recently reviewed Sivga Robin (SV021). The bass shelf also made the pinna gain compensation, or lack thereof with the stock pads, all the worse to where it was a one-note set that didn't even do that very well. Seen above is the effect of the Dekoni pads on the frequency response of the Meze 99 Neo, first compared against the stock pads and the combined Harman over-ear target and then compensated directly against the response of the stock pads to exactly show where the changes are. We see that the Dekoni pads make the Meze 99 Neo a far more balanced set that is still bassy but not as bloated, preserving more detail without distorting, and the pads even add some upper mids presence with pinna gain compensation in the 2–5 kHz region. The treble section is slightly boosted as a result, effectively tilting the frequency response from left to right with the Dekoni pads, which all comes together to make for a better listening experience in my books, albeit one Meze 99 fans may not like.

So if these pads help address the biggest complaints I had about the Meze 99 Neo, how come they are not the stock pads? Well, the two Dekoni Audio Elite Sheepskin replacement pads for the Meze 99 series cost $79.99 from the Dekoni Audio store, and the Meze 99 Neo costs $199. These pads are hard to justify with the 99 Neo thus, especially with the first-party options coming in at all of $20 a pair. The Meze 99 Classics at $309 makes these Dekoni pads more compelling, but I have no personal experience with that headphone. The sound signature will likely be similar given the drivers and acoustic chambers are the same, just with wood instead of plastic there. Dekoni could theoretically reduce costs further by making a Choice series option, but it perhaps thought this single SKU makes more sense. Regardless, I am happy to say that these pads are an improvement over the stock pads in every single way other than being slightly smaller and harder to install. They should last for a while, which could amortize the cost over time, too. Nicely done, Dekoni!