There is a huge difference. I have a pair of Grados with hard, open foam pads. They came with soft, closed foam. The closed foam covers the speaker and you get

There is a huge difference. I have a pair of Grados with hard, open foam pads. They came with soft, closed foam. The closed foam covers the speaker and you get muffled sound. I am not an avid audiophile but I have mixed music for my church some years in the past.