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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• GZCRDZ Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest strength: sound travels through bone to the inner ear, so your ear canal stays completely open to the outside world — ideal for running, cycling or driving where you need to hear a car horn or a bell.
• GZCRDZ Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest trade-off: it is a wired 3.5 mm jack model that is not compatible with game consoles or computers, so it is a phone-and-outdoors product, not a desk or console product.
• Xinyuekj Replacement Ear Pads — biggest strength: protein leather over memory foam with a sealed-back design that adds passive noise isolation and richer bass to Audio-Technica open back monitor headphones.
• Xinyuekj Replacement Ear Pads — biggest trade-off: it does nothing on its own — it only fits specific Audio-Technica models, and it deliberately trades some of the open, airy character of velour pads for isolation.
• Who each pick is for: the GZCRDZ for a runner, cyclist or driver who wants music without blocking the world out; the Xinyuekj pads for an Audio-Technica owner whose originals are worn flat, flaking or uncomfortable.
The GZCRDZ unit is built around a single idea: you hear your audio through your bones rather than through a vibrating driver pushed against your ear canal. In practice that means the eardrum is not being driven the way it is with traditional in-ears or over-ears, and your ear stays open. For anyone who has ever pulled an earbud out at a crosswalk just to check whether something was coming, that design choice is the whole point. You get your music, and you also get the car horn, the doorbell and the person talking to you.
Buy it if you are a runner, cyclist or driver on a 3.5 mm phone who wants audio plus situational awareness, or if you simply dislike things sitting inside your ears. Skip it if you want Bluetooth freedom — the sheet lists a wired 3.5 mm jack as the connectivity and notes a Bluetooth value of 5, but the product is described throughout as a wired earphone, so treat the cable as the reality — and skip it outright if you want to use it with a console or a computer, because the manufacturer explicitly says it is not compatible with either. It is also not a hearing aid, and it is not trying to be one.
Xinyuekj Replacement Ear Pads: Who It's For
This is not a headphone. It is a set of replacement cushions for Audio-Technica open back monitor headphones — specifically the ATH-AD900X, AD1000X, AD2000X, AD700X, A500, AD500X, A500X, A700 and A900X. If your model number is not on that list, stop here, because the fit is the entire product. The compatible-models field repeats the same family, so the fit claim is narrow and specific by design.
What you get is protein leather over a high-density memory foam core. The leather is skin-friendly, more durable than velour and far easier to clean — a damp cloth handles it, and the surface resists moisture and sweat buildup. The memory foam is slow-rebound and contoured, spreading pressure instead of concentrating it, which is the difference between a two-hour session and a five-hour one. The description frames this around marathon gaming sessions, critical mixing and long listening, and the ear-fatigue angle is the honest pitch here.
The interesting part is the acoustics. These pads are sealed-back, and the sheet is upfront that this creates a stronger acoustic seal than the original open-air velour design. The result is less sound leakage, less ambient noise getting in, and noticeably more bass presence and clarity. That is a real, deliberate change to the character of an open back monitor headphone — you are not restoring the original sound, you are shifting it. Installation is tool-free and takes minutes: pull the old pads, snap the new ones on. A 90-day warranty is listed.
Buy them if you own one of the listed Audio-Technica models and your originals are worn, flaking, uncomfortable or unhygienic. Skip them if your headphones are a different brand or model, or if you specifically love the airy, leaky, bass-light signature of the stock velour pads — because these will change it.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for reviving headphones you already own → Xinyuekj Replacement Ear Pads. A direct-fit refresh for a specific Audio-Technica family.
• Best for long-session comfort → Xinyuekj Replacement Ear Pads. Memory foam plus protein leather is explicitly aimed at reducing ear fatigue over long listening.
• Best for sweaty, rainy exercise → GZCRDZ Bone Conduction Headphones. The sheet calls out water resistance against rain and sweat, plus a cable clip for movement.
• Best for more bass and less leakage → Xinyuekj Replacement Ear Pads. The sealed-back protein leather design is described as improving bass response and cutting sound leakage.
• Best for hands-free calls → GZCRDZ Bone Conduction Headphones. Built-in noise reduction microphone with a mute button for answering or rejecting calls.
• Best for console or PC use → neither. The GZCRDZ is explicitly not compatible with game consoles or computers, and the Xinyuekj pads are a fitment part, not a device.
• Best for a fixed desk setup on a phone → either, depending on goal. GZCRDZ if you want open-ear audio; Xinyuekj if your Audio-Technica pads are the weak link.
In my opinion, the answer is driven entirely by what is already on your desk or your head. If you are starting from nothing and want one product that lets you run, ride or drive with music while still hearing the world, I would buy the GZCRDZ Bone Conduction Headphones — the open-ear design, 20 g body, cable clip and rain/sweat resistance are all pointed at exactly that job. If you already own one of the listed Audio-Technica open back monitor headphones and the pads are the problem, I would buy the Xinyuekj Replacement Ear Pads instead; nothing about the GZCRDZ fixes worn cushions, and nothing about the pads gives you a headphone. Before either, check the current price on Amazon — the button on this page will take you there.
how to open back headphones work
Open back headphones have vented or fully open outer cups, so sound escapes outward and outside noise comes in. That is why the Audio-Technica models these Xinyuekj pads fit are called open back monitor headphones — the airy, wide presentation comes from that open design. The Xinyuekj pads are sealed-back, so they deliberately tighten that up.
what is open back studio headphones
They are headphones built for monitoring and mixing where the cups are open rather than sealed, giving a more spacious, less boxed-in sound and less internal pressure on your ears. The trade-off is leakage and almost no isolation. The listed Audio-Technica ATH-AD and A-series models fall into this category, and pads like the Xinyuekj set change how open they feel.
are open back headphones better
Not universally — it depends on the job. They are generally preferred for critical listening and mixing because of the open, room-like presentation, and disliked for commuting or noisy environments because they isolate poorly. If you want isolation and more bass from an existing open back pair, sealed protein leather pads like the Xinyuekj set shift it in that direction.
what are the best open back headphones
I cannot rank specific models from specs alone, and it depends on your source gear and use case. What I can say is that the Xinyuekj pads are made to fit a defined family of Audio-Technica open back monitor headphones, so check your model number against that list before buying. If open-ear awareness outdoors matters more than open back sound, the GZCRDZ bone conduction headphone is the more relevant pick.
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