In-Ear Headphones - Lifetime

In-Ear Headphones - Lifetime

Author
Discussion

Greenish

Original Poster:

209 posts

118 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
Morning; I have a question for regular users of in ear headphones.

I have always used these, and over the last few years I decided I wanted a decent set so I bought a pair of £80 Beats by Dre in ear phones. Prior to that I had usually used Sony. The Sony ones would normally perish after a year so it made sense to spend a bit more for better quality sound and lifetime.

Since that purchase in 2012, I have had a new set of earphones under warranty pretty much every 4 months because whatever set I buy work fanatstically, then simply die. They all die of the same thing, partial or full sound loss in one ear and a general muting or volume and degeneration of sound quality. I have gone from Beats to Seinnheiser and mixed and matched, but they all, without fail, so the same thing at the same time. I am now at the point where I just remove the new product from the box, leave the receipt in the box partially open so when then the time comes I can simply put them back in and pop to the shop to get my new pair without much hassle.

Is this normal? I use them around 10 to 12 hours a week, in a variety of situations, but I am always careful and respectful towards them.

sparkyhx

4,145 posts

204 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
do you do what my son does and pull them out of your ear by pulling the wire? or then role them up into a ball.

I don't like in ear phones, they hurt, which is just as well cos I've long questioned their longevity.

One option would be to get the liquid rubber/plastic and coat the wire where it joins the jack/earpiece This is the usual place they go.

ManFromDelmonte

2,742 posts

180 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
My advice is to buy a pair of SoundMagic E10. They are by far the best built and best sounding earphones for under £50 and can be picked up for around £30. I even put mine through the wash by mistake the other day and they came out still working great and smelling lovely.

At £30 a go (some of the uglier colours are even cheaper) they are an absolute bargain.

I think they do a version with a microphone too if you want that but haven't tried those ones.

stuno1

1,318 posts

195 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
The general consensus is that all beats headphones are pap when compared to equivalent priced rivals.

I had the Bose ie2 headphones and used them A LOT over 2 years for travel in to work and for the gym. They still work now but the rubber cable has come away from the jack and once of the headphones where the cable joins the mould. They were good but let in sound a lot as had no noise isolation. these were £80 ish.

I replaced them with Sony XBA-2 headphones and they are far superior but not cheap. I got them as a mate works for Sony and got me discount. They are exceptionally light and sound quality is superior to the BOSE and also the have noise isolation which works a treat. theses cost me £130 ish.

I also have overhead Sennheiser momentum headphones which are epic! Incredible sound quality, VERY well made and offer the best sound of all 3 I have owned as stated in this e-mail. I cant use these for the gym though. These were £250 ish.

This is my boring and long winded way of saying that if you only use them to commute invest in some top end over ears headphones. If you use them for the gym and don’t want to spent a wedge then buy some cheaper options920-30 quid) as it looks as though all in ears that get used a lot will die in one way or another eventually weather its the tech in the earphones or the manufacturing. Also, don’t buy beats. You are paying for the4 name tend the quality is not up there with the competition at the same piece point on a like for like comparison.

-crookedtail-

1,562 posts

190 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
Greenish said:
Morning; I have a question for regular users of in ear headphones.

I have always used these, and over the last few years I decided I wanted a decent set so I bought a pair of £80 Beats by Dre in ear phones. Prior to that I had usually used Sony. The Sony ones would normally perish after a year so it made sense to spend a bit more for better quality sound and lifetime.

Since that purchase in 2012, I have had a new set of earphones under warranty pretty much every 4 months because whatever set I buy work fanatstically, then simply die. They all die of the same thing, partial or full sound loss in one ear and a general muting or volume and degeneration of sound quality. I have gone from Beats to Seinnheiser and mixed and matched, but they all, without fail, so the same thing at the same time. I am now at the point where I just remove the new product from the box, leave the receipt in the box partially open so when then the time comes I can simply put them back in and pop to the shop to get my new pair without much hassle.

Is this normal? I use them around 10 to 12 hours a week, in a variety of situations, but I am always careful and respectful towards them.
I'm like this usually, go through ear phones all of the time. To be fair I've been good so far this year with only having two, although I broke my Seinnheiser by falling asleep and rolling on them before trying to pull them out from under me in my sleep.

I've since had some sound magic E10 which are amazing, only?!? around 30 quid too. I use them a lot, on the tube, at the gym, walking around etc. Only had them 3 months but hopefully these will last a bit longer.

ascayman

12,746 posts

216 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
I have a set of Seinnheiser in ear ones that cost about £130 or so and they have lasted me around four years and I've used them for absolutely everything commuting, running, gym. so I can vouch for them, the equivalent now days seems to be these http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/noise-isolating-earpho...

Whilst they still work fine they are starting to look a bit tatty now and they don't have a microphone which I require.

I've been looking to replace them with these ones http://www.johnlewis.com/bose-sie2i-in-ear-sport-h...

without meaning to Hijack the thread any other recommendations?

stuno1

1,318 posts

195 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
ascayman said:
I have a set of Seinnheiser in ear ones that cost about £130 or so and they have lasted me around four years and I've used them for absolutely everything commuting, running, gym. so I can vouch for them, the equivalent now days seems to be these http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/noise-isolating-earpho...

Whilst they still work fine they are starting to look a bit tatty now and they don't have a microphone which I require.

I've been looking to replace them with these ones http://www.johnlewis.com/bose-sie2i-in-ear-sport-h...

without meaning to Hijack the thread any other recommendations?
If you them for activity, running, gym etc i would steer clear of the Bose ones as per my post above. My IE2's lasted only 2 years and the rubber is coming away from the moulds. I find the Sony XBA-2ip replacements i bought superior in terms of build quality, weight and sound quality but it is early days with the Sony’s.

Link to Sony in ears:
http://www.whathifi.com/sony/xba-2ip/review

http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-10327-sony-xba2ip-earph...

littleguy

190 posts

121 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
another vote here for the soundmagic E10.

Shaoxter

4,069 posts

124 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
Don't buy Beats/Bose crap, half the price you pay is the marketing cost.

Assuming it's the cable that keeps breaking, invest in a high quality pair with a detachable cable. There's an additional upshot of far better sound quality.

I'm using Earsonics SM64 at the moment, very much recommended.

Finlandia

7,803 posts

231 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
My Audio Technica ATH CK10 still sound as good as the day I received them, five years ago. I have plenty of different sorts of earphones, none of them have failed.

ascayman

12,746 posts

216 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
stuno1 said:
If you them for activity, running, gym etc i would steer clear of the Bose ones as per my post above. My IE2's lasted only 2 years and the rubber is coming away from the moulds. I find the Sony XBA-2ip replacements i bought superior in terms of build quality, weight and sound quality but it is early days with the Sony’s.

Link to Sony in ears:
http://www.whathifi.com/sony/xba-2ip/review

http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-10327-sony-xba2ip-earph...
Cheers ill have a look at them! you tend to find them ok for running? ie not falling out?

E.T.A do they still make them/ they are not mentioned on the website http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/headphones/t/in-...

Edited by ascayman on Wednesday 22 October 12:50

stuno1

1,318 posts

195 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
ascayman said:
Cheers ill have a look at them! you tend to find them ok for running? ie not falling out?

E.T.A do they still make them/ they are not mentioned on the website http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/headphones/t/in-...

Edited by ascayman on Wednesday 22 October 12:50
I bought mine 2 months ago so you can still buy them. I use mine for running and in the gym. I usually don't like buds but they are spot on. Largest ones fit fine. Also, they are very light and comfortable.

Stu

probedb

824 posts

219 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
I've used Westone for many years, my current UM3x have been going for several years and they get used to/from work every day, at work and also at the gym. Had some UM-2s before that and they were the same except I ended up having a broken cable at one ear.

Beats are marketing hype and have a large boost in the bass region if you really want that kind of thing.

DoctorX

7,266 posts

167 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
littleguy said:
another vote here for the soundmagic E10.
+1 Sound good and coating on the wires which stops them getting tangled up is great.

ladderino

727 posts

139 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
DoctorX said:
littleguy said:
another vote here for the soundmagic E10.
+1 Sound good and coating on the wires which stops them getting tangled up is great.
One more recommendation for the E10s.

I use my headphones for around 2.5 - 3 hrs each day as commute into London - they then get wound up and shoved in a coat pocket. Lifespan is somewhere around 12-18 months, so have never bothered spending a lot of money on headphones.

For £30, they are fantastic - especially with Comply foam tips added in as well.


ascayman

12,746 posts

216 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
stuno1 said:
ascayman said:
Cheers ill have a look at them! you tend to find them ok for running? ie not falling out?

E.T.A do they still make them/ they are not mentioned on the website http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/headphones/t/in-...

Edited by ascayman on Wednesday 22 October 12:50
I bought mine 2 months ago so you can still buy them. I use mine for running and in the gym. I usually don't like buds but they are spot on. Largest ones fit fine. Also, they are very light and comfortable.

Stu
Thanks stu

Andehh

7,108 posts

206 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
Greenish said:
wanted a decent set so I bought a pair of £80 Beats by Dre in ear phones.
Wait, what!? You spent £60 on a fiddled equaliser....

aquarianone

498 posts

177 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
DoctorX said:
littleguy said:
another vote here for the soundmagic E10.
+1 Sound good and coating on the wires which stops them getting tangled up is great.
And yet another thumbs up for the E10's, used daily for the last few years (in the office) and still sounding great...still not sure about the comply tips, I like them, I just don't like that they fall apart so easily!

ManFromDelmonte

2,742 posts

180 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
aquarianone said:
DoctorX said:
littleguy said:
another vote here for the soundmagic E10.
+1 Sound good and coating on the wires which stops them getting tangled up is great.
And yet another thumbs up for the E10's, used daily for the last few years (in the office) and still sounding great...still not sure about the comply tips, I like them, I just don't like that they fall apart so easily!
I too read the reviews saying that the comply foam tips are the way forward but I tend to treat mine fairly badly and couldn't be bothered with changing the tips all the time. The mediumish silicone tips fit me very well anyway.

OP, get a pair of E10 and don't worry about them.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SoundMAGIC-E10-Earphones-S...

EggsBenedict

1,770 posts

174 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
Beyerdynamic MMX 101ie for me. use them on my commute. use them in the office while I'm working. Good sound and the sound doesn't leak out like those stupid white efforts that you get with Apple stuff.