3x0

No crease marks; they're in decent shape besides being stiff. Going for a beeswax-based leather cream to try to make them more supple and improve the sealing since I like to wear them slightly forward on my head for soundstage. Even as-is they slam low and hard out of the BHSE though. Carbon is on my shortlist to try with them. I might also do something about the creaky headband hinges but I think I'm going to leave the earcup screws alone. Since reading posts by Birgir and others about SR-Omega fragility I treat them like precious artifacts and knowing me I'd probably overtighten them and crack the underlying plastic or worse...

I can't find myself having said something like that, but it sounds like some stupid shit I would say so I'll accept the attribution. Off-memory I think it was a KGSSHV (forget the config) that I found hot in the upper mids/treble vis-a-vis the 323S in a meet, and given the conditions I couldn't pay attention to much besides the tonal balance. The BHSE doesn't sound bright but one of these days I'll fire up the 323S betwixt sessions and hear what's what. UK Stax distributors still have the original Omega earpads (not the bunk oversized ones)? I missed out on at least one pair of "NOS" non-oversized ones from eBay for ~$300US, so I guess proactive care from this point makes the most sense.

Any recommendations on a particular leather cleaner/conditioner for older earpads? Now that I (finally) have a BHSE I'm going to use my SR-Omegas more often, but the pads are a bit hard. I'd rather take care of them now than have to replace them later on for cracks and whatnot...