Full headband replacement for WH-1000XM4?
I've had and loved my XM4's since 2022, and sound-wise they've always worked perfectly. But, about a year and a half ago I accidentally pulled on the right side too hard and the right joint connection broke. Since then, I have been using painter's and duct tape to keep the headphone together and usable. As you can see, I also had a tear in the headband cushion that I covered with duct tape as well. Again, no issues with the sound or noise-cancelling.
So I've been looking into maybe just replacing the entire headband in one, but I'm not sure where to start. I've seen a lot of unofficial sites selling replacements like AliExpress and EBay. Apparently, the official replacement parts website is Encompass, but that says that they no longer stock the original replacement part and instead have the "A-5018-265-B Headband Assy B Sv-blk" as an equivalent, which turns out to be almost $80 in total with shipping fees. It looks similar, but is it? Should I buy a replacement from a different site, which range from $40-$70?
And does anyone know how I would go about replacing it? Would I need any special tools I can't fashion from household items? Are there any videos on it that I can follow (every time I look it up I only find videos about replacing the headband cushion part, not the whole thing)? Or should I not bother and just send it to a professional? Any recommendations on that front?
Any advice would be appreciated! I love these headphones so much and I know how reliable they are; I just want to be able to use them for many more years.
Also, I know the earpads are kinda messed up, but it doesn't bother me, so no need to replace.