HD 600, HD 650, and HD 6XX Share an Oval. The Foam Does Not
HD 600 ear pads and HD 650 ear pads look like the same black oval. In the US the Drop HD 6XX uses that oval too. The velour goes flat, the foam packs down, and the headphone starts to sound smaller than you remember.
Size is not the only match. Foam density and the cloth on the face change how open these cups stay. A thick protein leather pad can clip on and still turn an open headphone into something stuffier.
When the pair on the desk is a 600, a 650, or a 6XX, start in Sennheiser ear pads and stay with a listing that names that oval, not a round studio cushion and not an HD 660 S pad.
One family, three names, one pad to leave out
HD 600 replacement ear pads, HD 650 ear pad replacements, and HD 6XX replacement pads are sold against the same cup lip. Sennheiser's own HD 600 velour and the slightly different HD 650 foam are both in that family. Owners swap them. The sound shifts a little with density, not because the oval failed to clip.
The HD 660 S is the one people keep mixing in. Its pad is a different part. A listing that says "HD 600 series" and then only shows a 660 S photo has not finished the job.
| What you own | Pad that belongs there | Leave these alone |
|---|---|---|
| HD 600 | Oval velour for the HD 600 / HD 650 family | HD 660 S pads, round closed-back pads |
| HD 650 | The same oval. Stock 650 foam is a bit different in density from stock 600 | Leather sold only as a "bass kit" |
| HD 6XX (Drop, US) | HD 650 replacement pads. Same mount | HD 58X-only listings that do not name 650 or 6XX |
| Older HD 580 | Often the same oval. The listing still has to say so | A pad shaped for the HD 800 |
Velour ear pads for the HD 650 with dense foam are the closest return to what the headphone shipped with. Soft black velour ear pads for the HD 600, as a pair, are the same shopping job if the inner hole and the clip match.
What one owner ran into
On r/headphones in late 2018, someone deciding whether to pad an older HD 650 or replace the headphone got a clear report from another owner. That person had tried a cheap third-party set. It sounded nothing like the original velour. OEM pads from a normal retailer brought the headphone back. They called the price annoying and still said it was worth it.
A related complaint shows up whenever HD 6XX pads go flat. In a 2020 thread the stock velour had packed down, and the replies kept steering people away from fenestrated leather if they wanted the open sound they bought. Leather can be more comfortable for some ears. It also closes the cup.
Pick the pad for the mix you already like
- Ear pads for a specific HD 600, HD 650, or HD 6XX version means the oval and the lip, then the foam. Do not buy by color alone.
- Velour HD 600 ear pads with dense foam keep the headphone open. Thin, packed foam is what you are replacing.
- Thick velour versus thin protein leather pads for the HD 600 is a real fork. Velour stays closer to stock. Protein leather HD 600 pads for a more closed sound will add isolation and usually pull the tone darker.
- Protein leather HD 650 pads thicker than stock are a comfort experiment, not a restoration. If the mix is what you mix on, stay with velour.
- HD 650 ear pads with the mount for your cup still have to name 600, 650, or 6XX. A generic "Sennheiser velour" oval from another series will not seat.
The old pads pull off the lip. The new ones press on until the ring is even all the way around. If one side pops back off, the pad is for a different cup, and stretching it harder just tears the velour.
