My headset is getting a bit worn and I need to replace therarpads. Over here in Norway, original Bose ear pads are getting difficult to find. But there is a lot of third party alternatives out there. From Oregon Aero to super cheaå chinese ones. Has anyone tried any of these and could make a recommendation?

With ANR stuff I like OEM, I also replace them (pad, ears and muff) yearly

It’s not like passive DCs, when the seals get bad the ANR attributes really start of fall off

I also assume that OEM`s are have better all round «tuning». That’s why I am wondering if anyone has positive experiences with third party stuff.

I can get Bose originals, but I have to pay quite a bit more for international shipping. Some of the others are avaliable through Amazon and will total a lot less.

Thinking big picture, maybe some tens USD extra is worth the security of knowing they work. They are quite essential after all :/

I replaced mine with Oregon Aero this summer. Hard to install but once I got them on they worked well. They're a bit larger than OEM so my entire ear fits inside the cup better. The foam is a little stiffer so they didn't seal as well over the hat band from the ball cap I was wearing. However, once I pulled the edges of the hat up, out from under the ear pad, the seal was great and it worked even against an R-985 at takeoff power.

My understanding is the theory with ANR is you need a good seal around the ear for the ANR to do its thing

I highly recommend the Oregon Aero ear pads and the headset cushion. I have always found the OEM ear pads and headset cushion to be quite uncomfortable, particularly the headset cushion, and the Oregon Aero products are a huge improvement in comfort.

Doing some research on the OAs I found someone saying the ANR didn’t work quite as well as with the OEMs. You haven’t noticed anything like that?