I have just picked up a Bose X headset (which I kept as a 4th headset for a rare 4th person) and found the ear cushions disintegrated into a glue-like mess.
It must have happened within the last couple of years.
IPA dissolves it ok and it cleaned up but the cushions obviously had to be binned. Good job I found this; they would have stuck to somebody’s ears and made a big black mess on them 
What is IPA?
Isopropyl Alcohol.
A solvent but not particularly nasty. Also useful for absorbing water in avgas, though you need quite a lot of it – about 1% (much more than PRIST/EDME).
It is also a type of British beer
Got 2 sets from the Bose website. Came in 2 days, 33 EUR each set, free shipping to Germany.
Indeed; this seems to be the way to go: Bose UK
I managed to salvage the inner parts which I had earlier discarded. It doesn’t look like Bose sell them retail. They would not normally get damaged, but – like the earcups – they will disintegrate eventually, as all foam seems to.
Just to update this, I got replacement seals for mine and it was £30 and now free delivery.
Nice easy fix.
I must say, I got very lucky.
I bought 2 pairs on ebay for £4.99 ea and they came with all the inserts too.
I didn’t fit them right away but they looked nice.
I was expecting a struggle, but fitted one set the other day and they’re great. They are for a pax set but I may not now buy genuine ones when my A20’s need doing.
