Headcase Audio Combo Pack - One Replacement Headband Cushion and One Pair of Ear Cushions for Bose QC2 and QC15 Headphones

Today Oct 3,2020. I got around to installing the ear foam pads. (Back in 2018, before buying this kit, I had ordered the Bose Ear Foam pads through Amazon and it lasted 2.5 years and finally the vinyl covering split and the foam started coming out. So now I get to install the ear foam pads from this kit).Right away the first thing I notice is these ear foam pads are not as thick (so less cushiony).And they provided two sets of scrims (the inside screen that separates the electronics/mechanics from direct visibility). I found it cool they provided two sets of two different colors and it has their logo (a smiley emoticon with a "+" for one eye and a "-" for the other. You can see from the pictures of how the new ear cushions aren't as thick. And a year later, you can see the headband is holding up very well. Like the day I installed it. Great product, I would definitely recommend it. That plus the Bluetooth aftermarket dongle (AirMod) I found online, and my Bose QC15 will stay with me for a long time. I love how it's light. The newer ones (eg Q35 may have more features but I find them bulky and heavy).Originally posted August 6, 2019:==========================This kit comes with the headband as well as the ear foam replacement. This review is only about the headband, as I had already purchased (a while back) ear foam replacements elsewhere (not knowing this option of 'both' was available). I searched, but couldn't find, if there was a headband only. This is for my QC-15.Pros:- Right away, I felt the material is of very good quality. The material is very soft and cushion-y.- Installation instructions are very clear, and the video links reinforce the written instructions with good video instructions.Cons:- The plastic cover/clip/clamp that holds down the headband cushion, is a little 'thicker' than the original. This makes sense because of the construction of the headband requires you to cover the zipper ends. The headband unzips, and re-zips the new cushion over the metal headband of the headset.- There is a little 'too much' foam padding at the ends of the headband, this makes it a challenge to easily secure the 'clamps/clips'. A design improvement would be to lessen the foam thickness as you get to the 'end' where the clamps/clips have to be secured. One of the videos did talk about 'cutting' off some excess material to make it fit easier, but I felt uneasy about doing such an 'irreversible' step.- At first, when you screw in the two screws, unless you fully tighten it, you feel like the top part is slightly 'open' because the screws secure at the bottom. A design improvement might be to have 'four' screws to secure not just the bottom of the clamp, but the top part as well. Another design improvement might be to have 'metal' receivers of the screws, to lessen the changes of stripping the plastic from over tightening, or mis-aligned forced screws. Luckily, I think, I felt when I installed it. It was fine.Tips:1. Do NOT use a knife to cut-off the old foam headband. Use sharp scissors, and carefully cut along the edge (as depicted by the instructions, to avoid cutting the 'wire' to the headset) making shallow and short cuts, slowly, carefully, patiently.2. Pre-screw in the little screws to the point it is 'just' about to extend out to meet the other half of the clip. This will help you not have to fumble around trying to pick up the screws and screw them in with one hand, while the other hand is trying to desperately hold down the other half against the foam headband, pressed against the metal band of the headset.3. Focus on getting one edge of the headband foam underneath the clip first, then screw in the screw on that side just a few turns. Then focus on shoving the headband foam on the other side (with the screw driver) until you can press down enough on the clip so that the foam is covered by the clip, and then screw this side's screw a few turns. Do NOT fully secure either side all at once. Instead, do a few turns on each side until you eventually fully tighten the screws. Note, do NOT force the screws, they are screwed into 'plastic', so you don't want to strip them. I suggest that after the first few turns on each side, look at the top side (where the zipper opens) to ensure the material is 'nicely' feathered into the clip. The first time I did it, there was a big 'gap' showing more of the zipper than needed. I would also suggest do the same where the zipper finishes (not where it starts) versus. It is bulkier and harder to secure.4. Press firmly with the thumb such that the two bottom screws are at the bottom and the top of your thumb is pushing firmly at the top part to secure the foam (tough, because you need to get access to the bottom screws to tighten, but yet you need to apply firm pressure to ensure the foam stays in/under the clamp/clip.5. Start on the side of where the zipper finishes it's closing motion (the thicker part).6. take it easy when screwing the screws as you don't want to strip the plastic from overly aggressive screwing. This also allows you to unscrew a little so you can shove more of the excess foam back in, and re-screw, and then check the other side so that it looks 'nice' the way the foam has gathered and not clumped'.

I previously purchased a cheap headband cushion from eBay for my older Bose QC15 headphones, and when I tried to install it, I realized the ends of the new cushion wouldn't fit under the original Bose clips. I searched for another option and found the Headcase Audio kit. Right away, I saw that they have their own clip design that would accommodate the ends of the headband material and the zipper ends, and knew that their kit would be the only viable option. The cheap headband from eBay was useless since it is impossible to get the ends into the original clips! How could they possibly think that was going to be acceptable?I read some of the product reviews written by others who had bought a similar cushion, and some of them wrote in their reviews they had used black electrical tape or black zip ties to secure the ends of the cushion to the headband. That solution would never have worked for me, so I decided to contact the seller of the Headcase Audio kit asking him if he could only sell me the end clips that I needed to make the cheap cushion work. Ron of Ron's Electronic Sales explained to me he couldn't do that because his kit was sold only as a package. He assured me the Headcase Audio cushion was constructed of much better materials ( protein leather and memory foam) than the much cheaper eBay cushion. After I had purchased and received the Headcase Audio cushion I could see what Ron told me was the truth. The Headcase Audio cushion was indeed a much better product, so my advice to anyone reading this review is to not take a shortcut when doing this repair job.What makes sense is to buy a quality kit to begin with that is made of good quality materials, and that will provide service for many more years. Ron told me whenever his cushion wears-out, I would be able to contact him to order only the cushion for a much lower price. He included a magnetic business card with the kit to make it easier to contact him, and I've stuck that card onto my file cabinet if I ever need to order a replacement. I much like this kit and highly recommend it to others, especially since Bose does not sell a replacement headband cushion. My only advice to the manufacturer would be to taper the ends more to make it much easier to fit them into the clips. Ron told me that he always passes advice like that from his customers on to his suppliers. The installation is not difficult for anyone who carefully reads the instructions and watches the YouTube video that he made to guide you through the process. A warranty card was provided with the kit, and on that card, Ron offers to install the cushion for free for those who feel they can't do it for themselves. Anyone who has a problem installing this part should take him up on his offer.I have only good things to say about my experience with the kit from Ron’s electronic Sales. I wish there were more more thoughtful sellers/manufacturers like this.