Wicked Cushions vs. Dekoni - Maxwell 2 - Initial Impressions / Review
Top: Wicked Cushions Freeze
Bottom: Dekoni Sheepskin
I received the WC pads yesterday, and the Dekoni this morning, and figured I would give my impressions for anyone on the fence about either. I’ve used both (as well as the stock pads) for gaming and for music; the same game and the same three songs several times using each in an effort towards fairness.
I’ll break down my impressions into categories: form factor, comfort, and sound profile
For context, I have a larger than average head; most sunglasses are too small and a baseball cap would have to be fitted were I to wear one. My ears aren’t particularly large but they are proportional. So my experience may differ from yours. I decided to try replacement pads as my ears sometimes touch the inner mesh on the stock pads.
Without further ado,
Form Factor:
The Wicked Cushion pads maintain the slant design and “square” ear opening on the stock pads. I don’t have the official measurements for the stock pads, but the opening looks and feels to be about the same size. Per WC that’s approx 68mm x 62mm. The main difference is that the WC pads are deeper, and the padded areas wider than the stock pads.
By comparison the Dekoni pads ditch the slant design, and the ear opening is a circle, and smaller, 60mm x 60mm. Both pads are noticeably deeper than the stock pads, with or without the slant. They’re both about 30mm thick, with the WC pads slanting down to about 25mm.
The WC pads are textured while the Dekoni pads are not. The Dekoni magnets are stronger, but neither pad seem likely to come off the headset unless you mean them to.
Comfort:
The WC pads fit nicely and the additional depth is definitely felt (or not felt, depending on how you look at it). However I did not have any experience with freeze gel pads beforehand, and I find it gimmicky, unnecessary, and honestly a little unpleasant. That said the effect largely goes away within 10 minutes or so. The textured pads are soft, but can occasionally feel slightly scratchy compared to both the stock and Dekoni pads. I would prefer these pads ditch the texture as well as the gel.
The Dekoni Sheepskin pads are significantly softer, to no one’s surprise. Like the WC pads, the additional depth is noticeable. Unfortunately the smaller ear openings are a downside, as my lower ears now touch the pads, when they didn’t before. The lack of a slant does create a bit more clamp pressure, though a longer period of use is needed before I can determine if it’s excessive or not.
Sound Profile:
Much to my surprise, the Dekoni pads do a significantly better job of preserving the sound quality of the M2s, despite deviating from the stock pad design, though the middle does drop out a bit. That said the difference can probably be mitigated without excessive EQ. The additional depth/distance between the ear and the driver does also make the headset feel slightly more open.
The WC pads really suffer by comparison. The bass felt weaker with less punch compared to both the stock and Dekoni pads. The mids and highs likewise lost clarity and separation. The difference was especially pronounced listening to music, and I was eager to put the stock pads back on by the time I was done. I suspect the material used makes for a worse seal despite the pads being thicker overall. Compared to the Dekoni, heavy EQ would be required, which I personally don’t like to rely on.
The difference in sound quality was less pronounced when gaming (Baldur’s Gate 3) or watching TV, but still very noticeable.
Verdict:
Overall the Dekoni pads win out on sound quality alone, though I do wish the ear openings were larger, and that the pads themselves preserved the slant.
I can understand if the price difference is too much, but I would still consider the velour Dekoni (which are about the same price) before I would the WC.
Even so I may ultimately prefer the stock pads, time will tell.
Hope this helps, happy to answer any questions.