WC StealthZ and FreeZe pads are here! Here are the measurements and EQ Profiles
Hi everyone,
GadgetryTech (Joe) here. I'll admit this pad launch came quicker than I was ready for, and some of you are already receiving pads prior to my video coming out sharing the measurements. I'd had some health issues making it difficult to film at the fast pace I wish I could, so in the meantime, I wanted to provide my measurements, some graphics, and my EQ settings for each pad.
I will also try to get my hands on both Dekoni pads too, so more to come on that later. For those unaware, I helped design the StealthZ pad, which uses velour and a lightweight memory foam. I ended up using a leatherette liner on the inside edge of the pad to maintain some of the bass and dynamics the stock headset had. Velour is very breathable but also leaky, and expect a bass drop because of it.
The FreeZe pad is actually their V2 FreeZe technology. It still uses a hybrid memory foam + cooling gel, but the surface material is different and does a better job of keeping temps down compared to their older pads.
I have no affiliation with Wicked Cushions outside of the StealthZ pad development, but I do appreciate their support in trusting me with my own pad process and for helping to co-fund the B&K 5128 measurement rig, which is being used to provide a lot of this data!
Here is a quick info graphic on pad dimensions of my samples, the impact on total headset weight, and clamp force. My graphics design skills suck, so full disclosure in that I used my Claude subscription to help make this data look nicer and easier to read. Feedback is welcome on this.
Here are the frequency response measurements of all three pads compared, using the B&K 5128 Measurement rig (this info is on my new website, https://headphonedatabase.com). These were measured on the latest firmware.
Of course I had to make EQ profiles! If you want your new pad to sound like how the stock pad sounds, the following settings are the closest I could provide to get there.
If you do not want to copy these numbers directly, you can directly import EQ settings now as well. Here are the import links:
FreeZe EQ Profile - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mm-CQ870TCmM1gIkHArZamfae5xkN_eG/view?usp=sharing
StealthZ EQ Profile - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EtidzDk03ESf4OZp4ikc03Ktamp0O9NT/view?usp=sharing
I measured the Maxwell 2 with both pads after I applied my EQ, and confirmed close to the same general sound profile as the stock Audeze preset. Here is a post-EQ measurement of the FreeZe pad again, compared to the stock pad.
I hope this helps cover some basics in the meantime. I'll provide more closeups of the pads and explain some other characteristics in my upcoming video. I will say that the padding is larger on both aftermarket pads, but slightly more firm. This was to improve long term durability so they don't collapse in an unreasonable amount of time.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and I hope you find it helpful! I'll do my best to answer questions when I can. I also take no offense in some people not liking the StealthZ pad, or even things I say, so don't feel like you can't express or share your opinions. Thanks everyone.