Earphones - how long do yours last?

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

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Relatively pointless Monday morning thread but a question I'd like to ask nonetheless.

If I buy a pair of earphones(mp3 player etc), regardless of sturdiness, sound quality or price range I generally only get around a month or two out of them before they break internally. I.e. only hearing sound out of one ear piece. I use them daily and I'm always pretty careful when handling. I buy a ridiculous amount per year.

Am I the only one with this issue? Are they just prone to breaking often?

:)
 
I've had the same problem, my Shure and Soundmagic earphones fell apart rapidly, ironically the free earphones I got with my phone have lasted ages.
 
siumatfung said:
yes you are how much are you spending ?
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Generally between £2-£25. The only varying factor is the sound quality, build quality is entirely the same across the brands.
Energize said:
I've had the same problem, my Shure and Soundmagic earphones fell apart rapidly, ironically the free earphones I got with my phone have lasted ages.
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Yeah, I've bought a good few pair of cheap ones from ebay for a couple of quid and they last just as long as more expensive ones.
 
My Denon ahc-751's lasted about 3 years (£120), I'm now using some cheaper ahc-551's (£50) which have been going strong for just under a year, they sound every bit as solid as they did when i got them.
edit: i used them for around an hour a day travelling, as i use headphones at home.

3 years of buying £20 earphones every 3 months = £240
Its certainly worth paying more in the long run!
 
Not earphones but, I've probably been through 7 - 10 Logitech headsets within the last 6 years, they either stop working in one ear, sound not working at all, mic stops working, wires breaks etc. Annoys the crap out of me when they break, but Logitech usually replaces them free of charge.
 
The longest lasting pair that I've had have been the crappy ones that were bundled with my iPod Nano. The shortest have been a really cheap pair of Panasonic earphones which packed in after about a week. I treat my stuff really well too.
 
I used to tolerate the attrition rate on Koss Plugs because they stay in your ears whatever you're up to (in my case working in a dull physical job) and lasted a few months of very regular use. But they changed the design and are now too fragile. My last pair lasted a week before one channel gave up the ghost, and as far as I was aware I hadn't abused them.

I'm now using Logitech "Ultimate Ears 200" earplugs and despite the daft name they have -- so far -- been great value for money. Two months of solid wear (~30 hours a week) so far, and they cost a fiver in a sale from a competitor. I've stocked up so it'll be a while before I have to go through another search. I've tried all sorts over the years and been disappointed regularly by either lousy fit or lifespan.

I haven't ever spent more than £15 on a set of earphones. I've spent a ridiculous amount on good headphones, but earphones have a much more accident-prone lifestyle, and spending more has always seemed like a massive risk. And no matter how good people might say the top notch products are, there's a limit to how strong you can make the cables and connections. So for me the trick is spending is finding the balance between cost and lifespan. At the moment the Logitechs are filling that niche nicely.

Of course my first set will no doubt die tomorrow now I've said this. :-)
 
My iphone headphones have lasted 2 years of quite heavy usage, aslong as you handle them carefully they seem to last, I can see how they could easily break though if you ripped, tugged them off when finished using them or just generally chucked them around the place.

The type of music you listen to makes a difference, if you're constantly playing annoying drivel then the headphones are probably commiting suicide! Mine seem to remain very happy and healthy on heavy doses of Rock and Metal.
 
How are you all storing your headphones when not in use?

I am of the opinion that I will not buy a pair of headphones over £30 now as headphones are very fragile.
I take excellent care of my headphones, but I find that the act of just putting them away causes them to break is some circumstances and then there is the odd occassion where you tug them by mistake.

Typically a pair of headphones for me last between 10 - 18 months, perhaps longer, but I do just find when they break they just break when I try to use them.
 
Mine last two months max :( I do tend to unintentionally abuse them though...mostly due to running and holding my ipod, so when I accidentally drop my ipod, the earphone cable snaps and gets pulled at. I need one of those arm holder things.
 
smit101 said:
I can see how they could easily break though if you ripped, tugged them off when finished using them or just generally chucked them around the place.
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I'm far from careless, and have tried really hard to maximise the lifespan of my earphones... I'm not rich enough to do anything else! :-) But ultimately, if you're active while wearing them you're moving the wires and soldered joints, and there's a limit to how long any wire or joint will tolerate that kind of thing.

FWIW the problem in my experience is nearly always the plug into your phone/mp3 player. I've tried reinforcing wires with tape to spread the bending load. I've tried relocating my phone on my body so the whole wire is more protected, but sooner or later you run out of luck, and it only takes one careless movement sometimes to undo weeks of careful use.
 
My Beyerdynamic DTX 60's are still good, much more durable than my Ultimate Ears, similar price IIRC?

I had a set of Sennhiesers that lasted 3 months for £30, little on the crap side I must say. I would try normal in-ear phones, but they won't fit my ears due to having my left tragus pierced...
 
I harp on about them loads and loads and loads but:

Sennheiser HD-25 1 II.

If you break these then you are clearly a a rough psychotic!

You need to take care of them a bit better or just buy a pair of the above and use them as you do for many years of happiness.
 
I'd generally expect my headphones to last several months at least, if not more, but then I do tend to use them mainly on commuting/other journeys. I've currently got a pair of £10 Sennheiser earphones which I've lost the foam covers for but are surprisingly comfortable without them.
 
I have UE Superfi 5s. I've had them for about 2 years, and used them an awful lot, including for cleaning the car where they often gey yanked out of my ears. Nothing wrong with them yet.

In fact the only earphones of mine that ever died were those which my cat tried to eat several years back.
 
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