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How long do headphones usually last you before they break?

post #1 of 27
4/16/10 at 4:12am
Thread Starter 
Just out of curiosity. I had a set of sony mdr v150 last me about 5 years and they got really beat up. Actually i'm pretty sure I still have them somewhere haha.
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post #2 of 27
4/16/10 at 4:14am
Depends on the headphones,
5 years is probably the end-of-life for most of the headphones I've used.
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post #3 of 27
4/16/10 at 5:46am
My Gameboy (the original one) headphones are still working, and they are almost 20 year old.

And more seriously, my K701 are 3 year old and have no problems despite their daily use and having fallen on the ground repeatedly.
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post #4 of 27
4/16/10 at 5:46am
2190 hrs, that's how long I want my ESW10's to last, 4 years at 1.5hrs a day portable use on average.

headphones for home-use should last forever if you handle them properly (and you will if they are expensive enough).
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post #5 of 27
4/16/10 at 5:48am
stax last forever (so it seems)
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post #6 of 27
4/16/10 at 5:51am
Depends how well you upkeep them..

A good pair of headphones can last a lifetime.
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post #7 of 27
4/16/10 at 5:52am
I have a set of Senns that go back 30 years. However compared to modern 'phones the sound is grim !
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post #8 of 27
4/16/10 at 5:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by alex30 View Post
I have a set of Senns that go back 30 years. However compared to modern 'phones the sound is grim !
30 y.o. stax still sound fabulous
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post #9 of 27
4/16/10 at 6:19am
I have 20 year old working Sony Headphones that came with a walkman and 15 year old earbuds that came with a discman.

The only headphones I've ever broken were my Speedlink Medusa 5.1s (pin broke on the proprietary DIN cable killing off the '.1' channel). Was a blessing really as it prompted me to borrow my colleagues HD600s to see if it was worth getting more expensive headphones. That was my 'sorry about your wallet' moment really.
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post #10 of 27
4/16/10 at 10:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Souchirou View Post
Depends how well you upkeep them..

A good pair of headphones can last a lifetime.
Best answer.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjinh View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by alex30 View Post
I have a set of Senns that go back 30 years. However compared to modern 'phones the sound is grim !
30 y.o. stax still sound fabulous
Which sennheiser? Not everything made by the right headphone company sounds even close to decent, they make plenty of crap even today. OTOH, the HD414 still hold an edge.

How do the SR-40 or SR-80 hold up the illusion of STAX not making anything worth the garbage bin? You forgot the original Alpha (the dynamic) too. Not everything made by STAX sounds great. Stax managed to get out of "average or worse" grade headphones, but they dropped a few turds on the market just like everyone else.
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post #11 of 27
4/16/10 at 10:52am
I have 40-year-old cans working perfectly. Quality phones are built for eternity.
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post #12 of 27
4/16/10 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by schawo View Post
I have 40-year-old cans working perfectly. Quality phones are built for eternity.


eternity!

that IS a long time.
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post #13 of 27
4/16/10 at 11:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nikongod View Post
How do the SR-40 or SR-80 hold up the illusion of STAX not making anything worth the garbage bin? You forgot the original Alpha (the dynamic) too. Not everything made by STAX sounds great. Stax managed to get out of "average or worse" grade headphones, but they dropped a few turds on the market just like everyone else.
They were the BOTL headphones, and given what you say, 3 out of their entire range of headphones they've produced in the past 40-50 years isn't bad. But, just on a hunch, I'm pretty sure the SR-40 and SR-80 are definitely not worth the garbage bin, unless not functioning properly. The SR-50 might be, though, since it's closed.
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post #14 of 27
4/16/10 at 6:01pm
Usually - as in average? I would guess somewhere around 5-7 years.
Some last for decades (50+ years), while I am sure other break down in a year or two. It all depends on the headphone (build quality) and how you take care of them.

Edit:
Missed the "you" word. Besides a SR-X/MK3 that broke down when aged ~35 no headphone have broken down on me so far. Between my 4 full size headphones the average age is somewhere around 10 years, and they all go on strong.
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post #15 of 27
4/16/10 at 6:38pm
My headphones are 32 years old, look like new and sound fabulous!
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