We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want fresh, water-resistant protein-leather pads that wipe clean and snap on magnetically in seconds, choose Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions; if you need breathable mesh pads built specifically for the Philips SHP9500 with a mounting-ring install, choose TRANSTEK SHP9500.
• Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions — biggest strength: Protein leather over acoustic memory foam with an inner magnet, so the pads attach automatically and the surface is water-resistant and easy to wipe down.
• Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions — biggest trade-off: It's a protein-leather pad, not the mesh fabric of the original AirPods Max cushion, so the texture and feel differ from stock. Earrock itself points you to a mesh version if you want the original look and feel.
• TRANSTEK SHP9500 — biggest strength: Breathable mesh over softer memory foam with a mounting-ring design, purpose-built for one headphone and nothing else.
• TRANSTEK SHP9500 — biggest trade-off: It only fits the SHP9500. It will not work on any other headset, so there's zero cross-compatibility.
• Pick Earrock if you own AirPods Max and want a wipeable, magnet-on leather pad in pink.
• Pick TRANSTEK if you own the Philips SHP9500 and want a breathable mesh pad that keeps the stock mounting system.
The Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions are a single-purpose product: they exist to refresh an Apple AirPods Max. That's it. The pads combine three materials — protein leather on the outside, acoustic memory foam inside, and a magnet ring that lets the cushions attach to the headphones automatically. There's no fiddling with adhesives or stretching a pad over a plastic lip. You set them in place and the magnet does the work.
What that material mix buys you in daily use is a surface that shrugs off sweat, skin oil and the occasional splash. Protein leather is water-resistant, hard to tear, and stains wipe off with a cloth. The memory foam has a slow rebound, which means it compresses under pressure and then eases back into shape rather than staying flattened — the kind of thing that matters on long listening sessions or if you wear glasses and the arms press into the pad. The foam is also doing the acoustic work: it dulls external noise so more of what you're listening to reaches your ears. That's the design intent, and it lines up with what a sealed leather pad does versus an open mesh one.
Who should buy it? AirPods Max owners whose original cushions have gone flat, shiny or grimy, and who want a wipe-clean leather feel back on their head. The pink finish is a deliberate style choice — it's not a subtle color, so buy it because you want it. Each pad measures 3.8 x 3.1 x 1.3 inches and weighs 0.75 oz, so the pair is light on the head. A 12-month warranty backs it.
Who should skip it? Anyone chasing the exact look and texture of the stock AirPods Max mesh. Earrock is upfront that the protein leather has a similar pattern but a different feel, and it steers you toward its mesh options instead. If matching the original is your whole reason for buying, this isn't the pad. And if you don't own AirPods Max, there's nothing here for you.
The TRANSTEK SHP9500 pads are the opposite kind of product: narrow compatibility, but a very specific job done properly. They're made for the Philips SHP9500 over-ear headphone and, per the listing, they will not fit anything else. That's a limitation, not a flaw — it means the shape, the mounting ring and the hole alignment were designed around one chassis instead of being squeezed to fit many.
Installation is the part TRANSTEK actually explains in detail: pull off the stock pads, line up the holes on the headphone, press firmly, and mind your left and right. The back of each pad uses a mounting-ring design, so it seats onto the existing structure rather than relying on glue or elastic. That's the same approach the factory pads use, which is why the swap is quick.
The material story is breathable mesh over softer memory foam. Mesh matters here. It lets air move, so heat and moisture don't pool against your ears the way they can under a sealed leather pad. The foam is tuned for a balance of comfort and durability rather than maximum plushness, which is a sensible target for a pad that has to survive being pressed on and pulled off. TRANSTEK also claims the pads preserve sound quality, which is the minimum you'd expect from a pad shaped for the exact headphone it's going on. A 365-day warranty covers the pair.
Who should buy it? SHP9500 owners whose stock pads are worn, compressed or flaking, and who want to keep the open, airy feel the headphone is known for. If you run long sessions and your ears get warm under closed pads, mesh is the fix. Who should skip it? Everyone else. If your headphone isn't an SHP9500, this pad does nothing for you, and TRANSTEK says so plainly.
• Best for AirPods Max owners → Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions. It's the only one of the two designed for that headphone.
• Best for Philips SHP9500 owners → TRANSTEK SHP9500. Same logic in reverse, and the mounting-ring install matches the stock system.
• Best for easy, tool-free installation → Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions. The inner magnet attaches the pads automatically.
• Best for breathability and cooler ears → TRANSTEK SHP9500. Mesh lets air through; leather seals it off.
• Best for wiping clean and resisting stains → Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions. Water-resistant protein leather wipes off; mesh is a fabric surface.
• Best noise isolation → Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions. The sealed leather-and-foam build is designed to dull outside noise.
• Best for a specific color choice → Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions. It comes in pink; the TRANSTEK pad is black.
• Longest stated warranty → TRANSTEK SHP9500 at 365 days, versus 12 months for Earrock.
• Best if you want the original AirPods Max texture → neither; Earrock's own mesh version. The protein leather here feels different from stock by design.
In my opinion, the right buy comes down to one question: which headphone do you actually own? These two pads don't compete for the same buyer. If you have AirPods Max and want a wipeable, magnet-on leather pad that seals out noise and survives daily grime, I'd take the Earrock Replacement Ear Cushions — just go in knowing the texture differs from the original mesh. If you have an SHP9500, the TRANSTEK SHP9500 is the sensible pick: breathable mesh, a mounting ring that matches the stock install, and the longest warranty of the two. Buy for your headphone, not for the spec sheet.
No. The Earrock pads are made for Apple AirPods Max only, with a magnet ring shaped for that headphone. For the SHP9500, you want the TRANSTEK pads instead.
Different for each. The Earrock pads are protein leather over memory foam. The TRANSTEK pads are breathable mesh over softer memory foam, which is why they run cooler.
Take off the stock pads, align the holes on the headphone, press firmly, and check left and right. The TRANSTEK pads use a mounting ring on the back that seats the same way.
They serve different headphones, so value depends on what you own rather than on the pads themselves. Check the current price on Amazon for each before deciding — the comparison here is about fit, materials and features, not cost.
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