Headphones

[Equilibrium]

So, I'm just a little curious. How many of you have replaced your headphones within this year? I seem to lose my iPhone headphones, Beats Audio headphones, and so much more. I can honestly say I have spent over 100$ dollars replacing headphones, within this year alone. Am I the only one? Maybe I'm just not responsible with headphones. Lucky enough I haven't lost or misplaced my Astro A40s' yet! <3

[animeyay]

I don't often lose my earphones. I use them until they break or when their sound quality has gotten very bad.

This year, so far I haven't had the need to replace my earphones yet. (I have a spare pair anyway lol.)

[blueangel06661]

Maybe your parents should stop spoiling you and quit buying you expensive headphones that you are incapable of taking care of/keeping track of.

You need to just use some cheap $10 headphones and get over it...

Because I have spent 0 dollars on my headphones in the past three to four years. I still use my ipod headphones from my ipod that I got years ago. I've bought a cheap $10 pair to keep in my boyfriends car just in case I leave my headphones in my car or at home when I go on trips in his car. But I haven't spent any money "replacing" my headphones.

[Token Black Guy]

I only bought a pair of Skullcandy earbuds with a mic on sale for $15 this year. Other than that i haven't bought many in the recent years. Most of mine last around six months to a year, except for a cheap pair of Skullcandy earbuds that blew out in 2 months. I have a pair of Sony Studio Monitor headphones that have been working since around '07.

[Rozenberg]

I don't lose my earphone nor headphone
I just bought another. The first one is Razer Carcharias headset for gaming purpose
and then a Razer Moray earphone for my iPod and finally a Razer Electra headphone for my laptop and also it makes portability easier than the Carcharias.
and I've not lost even one of them.

[Equilibrium]

Maybe your parents should stop spoiling you and quit buying you expensive headphones that you are incapable of taking care of/keeping track of.

Rofl. I love people who just assume things. I'm a 22 year old Marine, with 2 deployments under my belt. I think I'm pretty 'capable' of taking care of things. It just so happens my earphones break and or get misplaced a lot. Maybe you should watch what you say before you make stupid, ignorant comments like that.

[blueangel06661]

Rofl. I love people who just assume things. I'm a 22 year old Marine, with 2 deployments under my belt. I think I'm pretty 'capable' of taking care of things. It just so happens my earphones break and or get misplaced a lot. Maybe you should watch what you say before you make stupid, ignorant comments like that.

Your earphones break because you don't take care of them. If you did they wouldn't break now wouldn't they?
And you should really keep track of expensive things and not "misplace them" There is no excuse in this world to keep having to replace over priced headphones with more overpriced headphones

that itself is stupidity at it's finest. 22 year old marine or not.

[Munchman]

I go trough different headphones around every month. Maybe that's the reason why i only buy the cheap crappy ones. Or maybe that's the reason they break a lot.

[Rozenberg]

I go trough different headphones around every month. Maybe that's the reason why i only buy the cheap crappy ones. Or maybe that's the reason they break a lot.

most likely that's the reason
but for me, when I buy expensive earphone or headphone, it tends to last longer since I really treasure it when it comes to high-priced things *lol

[Souhi]

Spend a little extra on headphones (look up some great bang for buck options) and they'll last a lifetime. The only pair I've damaged so far have been my Shures and that was just the earpads cracking after 2 years. Easy enough to replace.

My little collection goes like this...

ATH-M50s are my favourite everyday use pair. They're the most "fun" of my set. Great highs, crystal clear lows. After burning them in for 250ish hours even the mids warmed up. I wish I had been able to snag a special edition set but they still look great.

http://www.audiotechnicam50.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/audio-technica-ath-m502.jpg

Shure 840s (got a crazy good deal on these on Kijiji. 70 bucks for normally 200ish cans. Amazing). Good bass response. I love these for electronica/tech/dance type music. Switched out foam earpads to improve the bass response and now they're near skull thumping good.

http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/images/products/SHURE_SRH840/SHURE_SRH840_medium.jpg

And Grado SR80is. These are my home set. They're completely open back (i.e they leak noise like absolute heck) but they're the most -accurate- of the bunch. They don't distort my music much giving everything a crystal clear response. I love em. They're like high quality speakers condensed into a retro headset.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/MD1032/Xmas%202009/IMG_1919.jpg

If you're looking for some nice budget earbuds I'd take a look at this (http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-102-portable-headphones-reviewed-panasonic-rp-htf600-added-04-29-12) guide. Covers every budget available from 5 bucks to 1000. My personal pick when it comes to 'buds are the Koss KSC75s. They sound ridiculously good for under 20 dollars. If you're willing to spend 10 bucks on earbuds you'll throw in the wash and break every month, drop 100ish bucks into a nice durable brand name pair that'll last a year instead.

[Meenah]

Mine only break if I am too nice and let someone borrow it. >_> They'd only break from a freak accident and I have to replace them if they get so worn out or the sound quality gets really crappy. So far this year, I changed only once. It has Hello Kitty. :3

[Eris]

Your earphones break because you don't take care of them. If you did they wouldn't break now wouldn't they?
And you should really keep track of expensive things and not "misplace them" There is no excuse in this world to keep having to replace over priced headphones with more overpriced headphones

that itself is stupidity at it's finest. 22 year old marine or not.

Tbh, headphones do break pretty easily.

And as for misplacing expensive things, ain't no thang if you're loaded.

[TheThunderBringer]

I don't quite trust myself to spend a decent amount of money buying headphones that will last long, so I just buy Skullcandy ones every 6 months or so. They last significantly longer than those stupid Apple earphones and are much more comfortable, imo.

[Princess Cupcake]

Ear phones don't last forever that's for sure. I've blown out the speakers in mine before listening to my music too loud. I only buy the cheaper headphones because as long as they serve their purpose I don't care if they're brand name or have a fancy design. I recently replaced my old ones that I used for quite sometime. I bought a pair from Best Buy since I had a gift card.

[Acnologia]

Mine usually just wear out xD But so far I haven't this year, I still have the same ones I bought back in 2010 and they still work fine :>

[Hanamaru Kunikida]

You're kinda stupid if you buy Beats by Dre or Skullcandy. There's clearly superior headphones out there and they are cheaper as well. They are only use for social standing, just like people carrying empty Starbucks cup.

Anyways...I got myself a HifiMAN HE-300.

And what Eris said.

[Gjallarhorn]

I have a pair of Sony XB500s that I've had for 2 years, before that I had a pair of Bose studio headphones for 3 years, but I forget the model.

The solution to them breaking or blowing out is this: don't buy cheap headphones. This doesn't just mean the cost is cheap, but that the materials are cheap. Skullcandy, for example, sound pretty good, but the materials are cheap. The plastic between the headphones, with all the joints, is notorious for breaking; the 1/8 male audio jack is also known to break very often due to poor wiring and cheap plastic used to hold things in place. Earbuds are a dime-a-dozen, but they can be pretty pricy. Poor quality audio with no noise canceling ability that you're likely to replace every 6 months because they broke or you lost them.

Skip all the bullcrap and just spent the $75-$150 to get a decent pair of over-ear headphones. You're doing yourself a disservice otherwise.

[ButzYung]

I buy a new one every year or so. This kind of device can't last long (at least to me).

[.:neuko:.]

I haven't replaced my headphones since around a decade. I guess this is because I prefer open back, hi-fi headphones (as opposed to portable earphones), which aren't really suitable for outdoor use, are typically large (i.e hard to lose), and not exactly cheap. I currently own a pair of Sennheiser HD650s, and at £350 per pair (UK price) you could say they are rather pricey - but imo they're a bargain when you consider how much a loudspeaker sound system can cost for the same quality of sound.

http://cdn-static.cnet.co.uk/i/c/rv/e/accessories/sennheiser/hd_650/440x330_1.jpg

^ These would be the Sennheiser 650 headphones - 8 years since I bought them. As you'd expect at the price, they are typically well built and hard to lose, especially since they come with a box to store them after use. The cables are also replaceable, which is neat option for when they get old and break (not that they have yet), or for audio upgrade potential.

As I mentioned before, these headphones are designed for hi-fi use, so I avoid running them through portable stereos, as with them their amps are typically tiny and simply aren't up to the task of driving a pair of power-hungry cans. Instead I run my headphones through my Audiolab M-DAC (http://www.audiolab.co.uk/images/MDAC/AH_MDAC5.jpg), which also doubles as a headphone amp, and (with a well shielded USB interconnect) allows for hi-fi quality, jitter-free sound even from my humble laptop.

Sennheiser headphones at this price are often compared to Grado headphones (which I also rate rather highly) as they are both aimed at high-end hi-fi sound. Which pair sounds better depends on the preferences of the listener. Those who like rock and jazz might prefer the soundstage of Grado headphones, which are very special in the midrange and have a slight edge in terms of outright detail. On the other hand the soundstage of Sennhieser headphones is typically warm-bassed, open, dynamic, yet smooth enough to permit fatigue-free listening over long periods of time, which is more to my liking.

[CrimsonMoon]

My earphones always break if I lend it to anyone else, I don't know why. :/ It seems that people just use it and then never took really good care of it. The last one broke when my brother used it, and he didn't even tell me he broke it, the irresponsible jerk. -_- So I just bought a new, cheap one, $5, and it's blue (one of my fave colour). Still use it now.

[Alua]

I usually don't have a problem with my headset, but I have had to replace mine within the last year. Some dogs I was looking after for someone chewed my old headset up and had to buy some new ones, in a way I'm a bit thankful for that because my old ones were really, really old so it gave me a chance to go out and buy some new ones lol . :D
Ended up buying the Razer Carcharias

[T-Stew]

I just used to use the free earbuds that came with like everything. I dont think I ever broke or lost any, I probably have 6 or 8 sets around but I stopped using them around 4 years ago when I bought my bluetooth set. They arent audiophile quality but they are good enough for me. Anymore I just listen to music when I am biking or running and I like not having wires. Comfort isnt great but they work, and I havent lost or broke em yet in 4 years so still using them.

[Equilibrium]

22 year old marine or not.

By the way, the 'm' in Marine is always capitalized. A Marine and marine are two different things. Ignorance is such bliss.

[Gjallarhorn]

Well, if you can't shrug off criticism, warranted or not, you can always just call out someone's grammar and insult them personally.

[Hanamaru Kunikida]

Well, if you can't shrug off criticism, warranted or not, you can always just call out someone's grammar and insult them personally.

I know, right? http://i48.tinypic.com/ksq4m.jpg

They feel like the lost the argument so they try to correct the grammar or the spelling of whoever they are arguing against with.

Hilarious.

[blueangel06661]

By the way, the 'm' in Marine is always capitalized. A Marine and marine are two different things. Ignorance is such bliss.

You don't amuse me. I'm not going to automatically excuse your negligence just because you were a marine for at most 7 years (assuming you joined when you were 18) and with two deployments (no telling what they were, could range from a deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq where your life is in danger 24/7 to just cruising along in some other country with no immediate danger with other jobs to do. When people hear deployment they think of Iraq or War but that's not always the case.

I have a brother who was a Sergent in the Air Force and was deployed to Pakistan, Iraq, and Afganistan. He was also one of the first to be deployed after 9/11. I've never heard him use the fact that he was a "___" year old veteran so he could lose things and not take care of things as he pleased and that because he was a veteran that it ment he was the most perfect human being that doesn't make mistakes. No that's wrong. I'm not amused by your care-free and "I'm a Marine so I'm better" attitude.

You are an irresponsible Marine who can't even take care of headphones and some how manages to justify spending $$$$ on something you're going to lose or break in a few weeks anyways. (don't worry, this isn't a personal insult since you mentioned it yourself in your OP) You may be loaded now, but money doesn't last forever. Spend it on unnecessary things all you want, but don't be shocked when you have a big emergency and no funds to pay later on down the road since you spent $100+ a year on headphone replacements. No telling what else you blindly throw your money at.

Just a thought from a girl with military family history & just being loaded herself in general.

[Ranshiin]

I haven't bought a new pair of headphones in like ... five years lol. I've had a pair of ambience-cancelling headphones that have lasted me since college.


ambience cancelling = you put them in and they're a bit like ear-plugs.

[Equilibrium]

You don't amuse me. I'm not going to automatically excuse your negligence just because you were a marine for at most 7 years (assuming you joined when you were 18) and with two deployments (no telling what they were, could range from a deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq where your life is in danger 24/7 to just cruising along in some other country with no immediate danger with other jobs to do. When people hear deployment they think of Iraq or War but that's not always the case.

How did you get 7 years? I'm 22 years old. Let's do some quick math... 22-18=4.. I got something different. :P


I have a brother who was a Sergent in the Air Force and was deployed to Pakistan, Iraq, and Afganistan. He was also one of the first to be deployed after 9/11. I've never heard him use the fact that he was a "___" year old veteran so he could lose things and not take care of things as he pleased and that because he was a veteran that it ment he was the most perfect human being that doesn't make mistakes. No that's wrong. I'm not amused by your care-free and "I'm a Marine so I'm better" attitude.

Let's clarify some inaccurate statements you just said. 1) I wasn't using the fact that, me being a Marine means I could lose things, lol. I simply stated that to let you know, that I pay for my own things and take care of myself. Since for some reason your first assumption was it came from my parents and I'm spoiled. On a side note... Superiority lies with he who was raised in the severest school, and Marines are generally raised in the severest school. Just saying :)


You are an irresponsible Marine who can't even take care of headphones and some how manages to justify spending $$$$ on something you're going to lose or break in a few weeks anyways. (don't worry, this isn't a personal insult since you mentioned it yourself in your OP) You may be loaded now, but money doesn't last forever. Spend it on unnecessary things all you want, but don't be shocked when you have a big emergency and no funds to pay later on down the road since you spent $100+ a year on headphone replacements. No telling what else you blindly throw your money at.

Just a thought from a girl with military family history & just being loaded herself in general.

Lol, I'm not justifying anything. My earphones do break a lot(I'm quite unlucky). I also do lose them or misplace them before a deployment. Things like that happen. It's funny really how a small comment can turn into this -_- .. No money may not last forever, but I just gotta spend it safely until retirement(Lol). :p

Loaded... Did you have to put that out there? ROFL.

[BoldMushroom]

Everybody buys "unnecessary things" at some point. Anyone who buys video games, movie tickets, manga, anime DVDs, music CDs, books, etc., is making an "unnecessary" purchase. No one "needs" those things. But there's not necessarily anything wrong with buying things you want but don't need, as long as you're responsible and don't spend outside your means, and you have a little bit stored away in case of emergency.

Spending $100+ on headphones can be a responsible financial purchase, even if it sounds frivolous. A person's financial situation may allow for it, depending on how much they make, how many expenses they have, and how much they spend. It's a bit presumptuous to automatically assume that someone is throwing their money away; maybe that's their only "luxury" purchase this year.

I agree with the overall sentiment of not spending too wildly. Someone I used to know spent a lot of money on irresponsible vanity purchases during a time in my life when we really needed to be frugal, and it screwed my family over a lot. But that doesn't mean everybody is in a similar situation.

On topic... I used to buy $10-$20 earbuds every three months or so, because they kept breaking. The cord would get snagged on something and snap, or the audio would just fizzle out in one ear for some reason. Then I got a pair of $200 Sennheiser headphones for $100, and a pair of $50 Sony earbuds for $15. They haven't broken in the last three years.

[Meenah]

In regards of this thread: I'm getting a new one. Why?
Irresponsible people "borrowed" mine and they were chewed up. I'm not happy at all. Best of all, no sorries. Nahh...

[vrarsenal]

I keep good care over my headphones, earphones e.t.c....
I've had these for quite some time nowxD
Here:http://www.247deals.com.au/uploads/products/330/MDR100.jpg
Also I've had my apple earphones. I've also had them for quite some time. They're pretty durable.