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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-17 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
These two products sound like they belong in the same category — headphone comfort upgrades — but they solve completely different problems on completely different headphones. One replaces a worn part. The other protects a part that isn't worn yet. Once you see that split, the choice becomes obvious.
• SOULWIT Replacement Ear Pads — biggest strength: direct replacement earpads in softer protein leather with high-density foam, built for JBL E65BTNC, Live 650BTNC, Live 770NC, Live 660NC and Duet NC — designed to restore comfort and noise isolation, not just cover it up.
• SOULWIT Replacement Ear Pads — biggest trade-off: it only fits those specific JBL models, and it does nothing for your headband; model confirmation before buying is essential.
• YUELER Headband Sleeve — biggest strength: a breathable fabric sleeve with a smooth zipper that wraps the Focal Bathys headband, adding cushioning and shielding the headband from scratches and friction.
• YUELER Headband Sleeve — biggest trade-off: it is a protective cover, not a replacement part — it doesn't touch the earpads or the sound, and it is made specifically for the Focal Bathys.
• Buy SOULWIT if your JBL earpads are flaking, flattening or uncomfortable.
• Buy YUELER if your Bathys headband digs in or you want to keep it scratch-free from day one.
The SOULWIT earpads are a repair-and-upgrade part. They're built for a specific family of JBL over-ear headphones: the E65 (E65BTNC), Live 650 (650NC / 650BTNC), Live 770NC, Live 660NC and Duet NC. If you own one of those and the original pads have gone flat, cracked or started shedding material, this is the direct fix. SOULWIT uses softer protein leather over high-density foam, and the stated goal is that the pads hold their shape instead of collapsing over time — which is exactly the failure mode that makes old earpads uncomfortable in the first place.
Who should skip it? Anyone whose headphones aren't on that compatibility list. This is not a universal pad. If you own a Focal Bathys — the headphone the YUELER sleeve is made for — this product is simply not for you, and forcing a pad that doesn't match the mount will hurt both fit and sound. Also skip it if your only complaint is headband pressure; earpads won't fix that. And confirm your exact model before ordering, because the list is specific.
YUELER Headband Sleeve: Who It's For
The YUELER Headband Sleeve is a different kind of product entirely. It's a soft fabric wrap — roughly 22.5 x 10.5 cm flat — that zips around the headband of the Focal Bathys. That's the whole job, and it does it in a few useful ways. The fabric is breathable, which matters because a headband pressing directly on your hair and scalp gets hot and uncomfortable over a long session. The sleeve adds a layer of softness between the headband and your head, and the description specifically calls out reducing discomfort during extended wear.
The second job is protection. A headband is the most exposed part of a headphone — it rubs against desk edges, bags, and stands. The YUELER sleeve wraps that headband and reduces friction, wear and scratches on the headband itself. If you baby a pair of premium headphones, that's a real benefit, and it's the kind of thing you wish you'd done before the first scuff appeared rather than after. The zippered opening is also a genuinely practical detail: it's smooth, and it makes the sleeve easy to put on, take off, or replace. It comes in black or gray, so you can match or subtly contrast the Bathys.
What it does not do is change your sound or replace any worn part. It's not an earpad, it's not a cushion rebuild — it's a comfort and protection layer for the headband only. Skip it if you don't own a Focal Bathys, since the fit is made for that headphone, and skip it if your actual problem is flattened earpads. A sleeve won't touch that.
• Best for fixing worn, flaking or flat earpads → SOULWIT Replacement Ear Pads.
• Best for protecting a headband from scratches and friction → YUELER Headband Sleeve.
• Best for restoring sound and noise isolation on aging headphones → SOULWIT Replacement Ear Pads (the seal around your ear is what those pads rebuild; a sleeve can't).
• Best for long-session head-top comfort → YUELER Headband Sleeve, thanks to the breathable fabric layer.
• Best for a quick, tool-free install → both. SOULWIT describes a few-minute pad swap; YUELER uses a smooth zipper that goes on and comes off easily.
• Best for durability of the part itself → SOULWIT Replacement Ear Pads, which adds stitched and glued inside seams specifically to resist splitting.
• Best for owners of JBL E65BTNC / Live 650BTNC / Live 770NC / Live 660NC / Duet NC → SOULWIT Replacement Ear Pads.
• Best for owners of the Focal Bathys → YUELER Headband Sleeve.
• Best if you want to keep a new headphone looking new → YUELER Headband Sleeve — protection is cheapest before damage happens.
• Best if your headphone is already old and uncomfortable → SOULWIT Replacement Ear Pads, because replacement beats covering up a worn part.
In my opinion, most people searching this comparison own a JBL headphone whose earpads have seen better days, and for them SOULWIT Replacement Ear Pads is the clear pick — it addresses the part that actually fails, restores the ear seal, and is built with stitched seams to last. I'd choose it without hesitating for that scenario. YUELER Headband Sleeve is the right buy only if you own the Focal Bathys and want to protect and soften its headband from day one. Two different headphones, two different problems — match the product to your actual complaint and you can't go wrong.
FAQ
Only if you happen to own both headphones — the JBL for new earpads, the Bathys for headband protection. On a single pair, they don't overlap at all; one replaces earpads, the other wraps a headband.
They're designed to restore it. Old, flattened earpads break the seal around your ear, which weakens bass and noise isolation. Fresh high-density foam and softer leather rebuild that seal — the point is getting back to how the headphones should sound.
No. It uses a smooth zippered opening, so it wraps on and off easily. That also means you can remove it for cleaning or swap it out later.
Ask what's bothering you. Flattened, peeling earpads → SOULWIT. Headband pressure or scuffs on a Bathys → YUELER. For current pricing, check the latest price on Amazon using the button on this page.
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