I tried moving my wireless router and see if that made it better and no. Buying on-line is not always that much easier, but I have been lucky first time with many pair. Its not padded, and its just a flex strap like the original. Just make sure you hear the "snaps" so you know that the new pieces are locked onto the headphones. Azla is a very respected company in the IEM community. I was really disappointed because the sandals are adorable and he loves pikachu. The strap has double velcro which is great, so I add a little extra piece when I remember and it works fine, but I was a little bummed. *Disclaimer- This case like most, is only available as a 2-part case. On a side note, I will have to issue caution on having long walks with these shoes if you have high arches as it can cause issues with Plantar fasciitis. First, these shoes are ADORABLE!