Another set of headphones!

SCOOP 64

What is it with inear headphones these days, dont last more then 3/4 months and then only plays out of one ear piece,seems to be always the same problem ,stoppeds playing in one ear,my nieces/nephews parents all complain about the same thing, i have a box of full earphones which will only play out of on ear, i know you get what you pay for,but i wont spend €50/60 ona set of inear headphones, but i shouldnt have too, but i have tried sony,phillips, etc all with the same fault, only plays out of one ear after a while why not the both not working would make a refreshing change!

sullivlo

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

What is it with inear headphones these days, dont last more then 3/4 months and then only plays out of one ear piece,seems to be always the same problem ,stoppeds playing in one ear,my nieces/nephews parents all complain about the same thing, i have a box of full earphones which will only play out of on ear, i know you get what you pay for,but i wont spend €50/60 ona set of inear headphones, but i shouldnt have too, but i have tried sony,phillips, etc all with the same fault, only plays out of one ear after a while why not the both not working would make a refreshing change!

You've answered your own question there. I paid €150 for a pair of Bose in ear headphones 8 years ago and have had zero issues with them. Daily use.

I use cheap ones for working out though. But I expect them to break because they're cheap.

Tombi!

Do you mean the earbuds that come with most new phones?
I don't think I'd ever bought a pair that was more than a fiver. I remember I lost a mate's pair from her ipad and found out they were 30 quid.

SlipperyPeople

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

, i know you get what you pay for,but i wont spend €50/60 ona set of inear headphones

spent around 120 euro on a pair of professional quality shure headphones 5 years ago haven't run into the problems you've encountered yet. Maybe you should think about spending a little bit more to get quality that will last?

K.Flyer

Its usually down to the ultra thin and flimsy cable from the jack breaking. At low prices they are not designed or manufactured for longevity.

One eyed Jack

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

What is it with inear headphones these days, dont last more then 3/4 months and then only plays out of one ear piece,seems to be always the same problem ,stoppeds playing in one ear,my nieces/nephews parents all complain about the same thing, i have a box of full earphones which will only play out of on ear, i know you get what you pay for,but i wont spend €50/60 ona set of inear headphones, but i shouldnt have too, but i have tried sony,phillips, etc all with the same fault, only plays out of one ear after a while why not the both not working would make a refreshing change!

You answered your own question there OP. You aren't willing to pay for one set of quality earphones, but you'll go and buy what, €15 set of earphones four times in a year? I understand even with the €60 earphones the same thing happens, but I've had mine for well over a year now, and the pair before that for about two years. I'm all the time stressing the cable though so naturally over time the wear and tear takes it's toll and one or other earbud gives in.

Sir Osis of Liver.

Cut off one of your ears.

Problem solved and you already have a lifetime supply of headphone.

cantdecide

Paid €80 for some Phillips ones 5 years ago and still work perfectly.

Mint Sauce

Why don't you spend €50/60 and they might last a bit longer. Have SkullCandy ear buds the last year. Wear them few times a week, and still working like the first day I wore them.

Riesen_Meal

I can't abide by cheap headphones, as you say - they don't last...

I have a pair of Sony in ear ones that have lasted about 8 years I reckon as they are in one of them plastic boxes, and not loose and wrapped stuff...

At the moment I am rocking the AiAiAi TMAs, nice cans but not as nice as a pair of Seinheiser IMO...

LDN_Irish

I've had various sets between 30 and 60 and the same thing has happened to all of them. How much should I be spending to "guarantee" a set that'll last?

SCOOP 64

sullivlo wrote: »

You've answered your own question there. I paid €150 for a pair of Bose in ear headphones 8 years ago and have had zero issues with them. Daily use.

I use cheap ones for working out though. But I expect them to break because they're cheap.

This is exactly my point you shoudnt have to spend €150 for set of heaphones for them to work for a few years , €150 for headphones seems madness to me, Dad can i have these headphone bargain at €150 and will last a long time! , O, lost them Dad can you get me another set?"
i not expecting sony phillips to last for years, but 3/4 months!

AlmightyCushion

LDN_Irish wrote: »

I've had various sets between 30 and 60 and the same thing has happened to all of them. How much should I be spending to "guarantee" a set that'll last?

What brand are they? I find Sony and Sennheiser to be very good. I have a pair of Sony earphones and two pairs of Sennheisers and they have lasted years and all are still working perfectly. They cost about 40 or 50 euro each.

SCOOP 64

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

What brand are they? I find Sony and Sennheiser to be very good. I have a pair of Sony earphones and two pairs of Sennheisers and they have lasted years and all are still working perfectly. They cost about 40 or 50 euro each.

Ive tryed sony /philips but not at €50/60 ago .now if your a adult and only buying one pair for yourself ok but you have 2/3 teenagers with the phones you have to look at price , but my point is same fault acurs in most makes (€10/25 price) in a short period of time ,sound lost out of one ear.

Mr_Muffin

I used to buy cheap headphones and the cable would always break. Decided to purchase a cheapish wireless paid (45 euro) and they are brilliant.

I have seen some companies make the cables detachable thus allowing for just a new cable to be used if need be which is a great idea.

I've gone through a lot of headphones over the last few years, pretty much all Sennheiser too. On my third pair of PX100s, had two MM30i fail, and one CX2.00i. A mixture of driver failure or cable breakage.

The third pair of PX100s never leaves the house now and have been perfect for years, with the exception of one of the ear pads tearing, which was easily replaced. So I think it must be down to how I handle them when on the move.

kneemos

I've had cheap pairs for a fiver or so that I've worn for cycling and working with.Been battered, pulled,covered in paint and thrown around,the only issue I've had is having to stick one of the rubber ends back on.

biko

Did you try asking for recommendations in the Headphones forum?

kneemos

biko wrote: »

Did you try asking for recommendations in the Headphones forum?

There's no such thing as the headphones forum.

Fool me once fool on you.

pickarooney

I don't know that the price matters all that much. The size of the cable and the constant use will eventually cause them to break whether they're no brand fiver earphones or 100 euro Sennheisers. I've had the latter break in the exact same way after six months.

The Raptor

Had the best pair ever from a chinese phone repair shop. They were cheap knock offs of the ipod earphones for eight euro. It lasted 5 years until the cat ate them.

I got another pair of skullcaddy or something and they broke. Went back to the cheap chinese pair.

kneemos

You could try glueing the ends so the delicate soldering doesn't get pulled out.

biko

kneemos wrote: »

There's no such thing as the headphones forum.

Fool me once fool on you.

Headphones & Portable Audio Devices
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=624

sullivlo

Karsini wrote: »

I've gone through a lot of headphones over the last few years, pretty much all Sennheiser too. On my third pair of PX100s, had two MM30i fail, and one CX2.00i. A mixture of driver failure or cable breakage.

The third pair of PX100s never leaves the house now and have been perfect for years, with the exception of one of the ear pads tearing, which was easily replaced. So I think it must be down to how I handle them when on the move.

Yes, that's also a factor. Pulling the headphones / wrapping them around the phone will put pressure on the cables. If you're careful with how you handle them, they should last.

LDN_Irish

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

What brand are they? I find Sony and Sennheiser to be very good. I have a pair of Sony earphones and two pairs of Sennheisers and they have lasted years and all are still working perfectly. They cost about 40 or 50 euro each.

Various brands. I've had Sony noise reduction ones that the same happened to. Philips, erm, some others I can't remember. I've never had Sennheiser or Bose so I might give them a try. Thanks.

Hunchback

I have a gorgeous pair of DENON in - ear earphones that cost €130. I used to always factor in (when I was younger) that I would have to replace my earphones every six months, no matter how cheap or expensive they were - they would just stop working in one ear because of use and wear and tear.

Now I religiously put them into their protective case that they come with when they are not in use. I used to just have them sort in a crumpled mess in the pockets of whatever jeans I was last wearing. Unsurprisingly, my earphones started lasting me a few years at a time when I started ensuring they were stored correctly when not in use. When you get years of daily use out of your earphones, €130 starts to look quite cheap. And the sound from a decent quality pair of earphones does not compare in any way to the quality of sound from a cheap pair.

I would always say - spend the money, keep them in their protective case always, when not in use and then you should have a top quality pair for years and years

Mister Vain

I bought a new pair yesterday for 20 quid and they're great. My previous pair cost about the same but I got a couple of years out of them before one of the ear pieces became loose. I don't like those ones with the little rubber ear pieces, they keep falling out of my ears. I must have very big ears. I prefer the plastic ones that say in my fecking ears.

Sciprio

The reason they break so easily is because they're cheap. Buy a decent pair for €50 and upwards and now only will they last longer but you'll never go back to cheap earphones/headphones as the sounds quality and music sounds way better and not tinny like cheap earphones.

I have a wireless Sony bluetooh set, a pair of sennheiser and a pair of Audio Technica.(Best headphones ever) Buy cheap you get cheap.

mad muffin

Bought a pair of Ultimate Ears superfi.5 Extended Bass in 2007 for €150. Still going strong.

Badly Drunk Boy

kneemos wrote: »

I've had cheap pairs for a fiver or so that I've worn for cycling and working with.Been battered, pulled,covered in paint and thrown around,the only issue I've had is having to stick one of the rubber ends back on.

I use that sort too. When I get a new pair, I usually use insulating tape around the wire near where they plug into the music player, to protect them from the rough treatment that they're bound to get from me. It probably makes them look a bit scruffier but it prolongs their life (and I don't see them as a fashion accessory, the way some people would).

Here's what I know about headphones. Cheap ones break, and even more importantly they sound cheap.

Buy the most expensive Sennhiesers you can afford, you will be unlikely to go wrong and you'll hear so much more definition and clarity in what you're listening to, it's a completely different experience. If you can afford to go Bose, then go Bose, it's not something you'll regret and they'll likely last for years if you're careful how you handle them.

For a cheaper set that sounds more high end, I got some Xaomi Piston 3's a few months ago, and for about $18 they sound pretty good and the build seems good too, time will tell. I still prefer my Sennheiser M2IE's, but they make a great back-up pair.

If you spend as little as possible on headphones, they won't last well or sound too great, and once you go better quality, you never go back.