We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-05 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a drop-in restoration for a SteelSeries Arctis headset — the kind of pad that keeps your sound and noise isolation exactly as they were on day one — choose Fadmew Arctis 7/5/3/1; if you need thicker, softer protein-leather cushions for a JBL Live 500BT and you wear glasses, choose Hmoke Replacement Ear Pads.
• Fadmew's biggest strength: It's built to be indistinguishable from the OEM pad — same construction, size and color — so nothing about your Arctis sound signature changes.
• Fadmew's biggest trade-off: It's a faithful copy, not an upgrade. If you were hoping for a plusher, thicker feel than stock, this isn't that.
• Hmoke's biggest strength: High-density memory foam wrapped in soft protein leather, and it's explicitly pitched as an extra-thick cushion that shapes to your ears.
• Hmoke's biggest trade-off: It fits JBL Live 500BT and nothing else — confirm your model before buying, because there's no crossover here.
• Buy Fadmew if you own a SteelSeries Arctis 1/3/5/7/7+/7P/7P+/7X/7X+/9/9X/Pro/Prime and want the original feel back.
• Buy Hmoke if you own a JBL Live 500BT and want thicker, softer pads that sit gently around glasses.
This is a restoration part, and it's honest about that. Fadmew states plainly that these Arctis 7 ear cushions share the same construction, size and color as the stock pads, to the point where you can't tell them apart side by side. That matters more than it sounds. When you swap pads on a gaming headset, you're usually rolling the dice on your sound. A thicker pad changes the distance between driver and ear, which shifts the tuning and can soften the bass or dull the treble. Fadmew sidesteps that entirely by copying the original geometry. The slow-rebound memory foam seals around the ear the same way, so the sheet's claim that sound quality and noise isolation are "unchanged" follows logically from the design rather than from marketing.
The comfort story is the heat-conduction fiber on the outside. That's the part of a gaming pad that fails first — foam compresses, fabric mats down, your ears cook during hour four of a session. A breathable outer layer that dissipates heat and lets sweat evaporate is the right fix for that specific problem. Inside, the memory foam is described as soft and slow-rebound, which is what you want for a pad that has to hold a seal without pressing hard.
Buy it if you own any of the listed Arctis models and your stock pads are flat, flaking or shiny. The compatibility list is genuinely broad — Arctis 1, 3, 5, 7, 7+, 7P, 7P+, 7X, 7X+, 9, 9X, Pro and Prime, wired and wireless. Skip it if you want a comfort upgrade rather than a replacement, or if your headset isn't on that list. Installation is a peel-and-tuck job: pull the old pad, seat the rubber lip in the top groove, then work the rest of the lip around with your fingers. Fadmew's own instructions make it sound almost trivially easy, and the lip-and-groove design is genuinely forgiving.
Hmoke is doing something different. This is a comfort upgrade aimed at one specific headphone: the JBL Live 500BT. The sheet is blunt about it — confirm your model before purchase. There's no pretending this fits a family of headsets. The description does mention other JBL models in passing, but the product title and compatibility field both say Live 500BT / Live 500 BT, so treat that as the supported target.
What you're buying is material quality. High-density slow-rebound memory foam under premium soft protein leather, described as gently shaping to your ears for a custom fit and staying comfortable through long wear without swelling or pain. The "extra thick" framing in the title is the giveaway: this pad is deliberately plusher than whatever came on the headphones. For glasses wearers, that extra thickness and the leather's slick surface are the whole point. Thinner pads press the frame arm into the side of your head and you feel it within twenty minutes. A thicker, softer cushion gives the temple arm somewhere to sit instead of a hard edge to fight.
The other angle here is cosmetic and economic. Hmoke pitches this as a way to give tired headphones a fresh look without buying new ones — same fit as the originals, new appearance. A plastic removal tool ships in the box, so you're not prying at glued pads with a fingernail. There's a stated one-year manufacturer warranty and a support promise of a reply within 24 hours, which is a reasonable signal for a small accessory brand. Buy it if you have a JBL Live 500BT and the stock pads have gone flat, or if you wear glasses and want more clearance around the arms. Skip it if you own anything else — this simply won't fit.
• Best for preserving original sound → Fadmew Arctis 7/5/3/1. Same construction and size as stock means the tuning and isolation stay put.
• Best for a comfort upgrade → Hmoke Replacement Ear Pads. Extra-thick memory foam and protein leather are a step up, not a match.
• Best for glasses wearers → Hmoke Replacement Ear Pads. The thicker, softer cushion gives frame arms room instead of pressure.
• Best for long gaming sessions → Fadmew Arctis 7/5/3/1. The heat-conduction outer fiber targets sweat and heat buildup specifically.
• Best for SteelSeries Arctis owners → Fadmew Arctis 7/5/3/1. It's the only one of the two that lists Arctis compatibility at all.
• Best for JBL Live 500BT owners → Hmoke Replacement Ear Pads. The reverse is also true — Fadmew won't fit a JBL.
• Easiest install → Hmoke Replacement Ear Pads. A removal tool is included; Fadmew relies on the pad's rubber lip and your fingers.
• Best if you want the safest, least-surprising result → Fadmew Arctis 7/5/3/1. A like-for-like swap has no unknowns.
For a SteelSeries Arctis owner, I'd buy the Fadmew Arctis 7/5/3/1. It does the one job that matters — it gives you back the pad your headset was tuned for, with breathable fabric to fight heat on long sessions — and it covers an unusually wide spread of Arctis models. For glasses wearers on a JBL Live 500BT, I'd go the other way and pick Hmoke. The extra thickness and soft protein leather are exactly what you want pressing against a frame arm for hours. Just check your model against the compatibility list first, and check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
FAQ
No. Hmoke designs these for the JBL Live 500BT / Live 500 BT specifically, and asks buyers to confirm their model before ordering. If you have an Arctis, you want the Fadmew pads instead.
Both listings are replacement ear pads, not headphones — they're accessories for headsets you already own. That said, the fit question matters most for glasses wearers, since a thicker, softer cushion like Hmoke's reduces the pressure a frame arm puts on the side of your head.
They can. A thicker cushion increases the distance between driver and ear, which can shift tuning and isolation. Fadmew avoids that by matching the original construction and size; Hmoke is explicitly a thicker pad, so expect a slightly different feel and seal than stock.
Neither requires special skills. Fadmew uses a rubber lip that tucks into the headphone's groove — peel the old pad, seat the lip at the top, then work around with your fingers. Hmoke includes a plastic tool to lift the old pads out, and the job takes a few minutes.
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