Why don't more headphones have replaceable cables?

Because it's worthless

It's not like we all detach the cables to put our headphones away. Or the locking mechs don't break them in the end.

The only use is if you snap the cable, but most cable including detachable break where they meet the headphone. This defeats the purpose because you would have to replace the entire headphone in the end.

There are some cans that have the cable slide out without locking, I likes these. But they are few and far between.

Can't say why the more expensive headphones don't have this (e.g. Beyer), but for the cheaper models it might be more profitable to get people to buy new sets.

Hardly cost effective on entry level and even mid-tier headphones.

But on a flagship it's almost mandatory. Cable wear and occasional snags should make it easy for

the user to replace the cable without a re-soldering job and like so many on here - a lot of people

like to experiment with different cables.

The Beyers probably don't have them because they're basically the same headphone from the 80's (DTXXX) models. Even the T1 and T5p are basically shelled in DTXXX bodies. Their studio monitors DO have replaceable cables though.

As for stuff like Denon, Audio Technica - well its probably difficult to design a slot without breaking the continuity of the sleek wooden designs. Same goes for the ED models of Ultrasone. its more of aesthetic reasons IMO.

As for Grado, well it's Grado. They're not exactly known for cutting edge designs.

Most other  brands do have detachable cables (Sennheiser, AKG, Ultrasone non-ED, Audeze, Hifiman, Shure). Also almost all DJ headphones have detachable cables as well.

I'd like my portables with detachable cables, is much useful to carry or if the cable screws.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BotByte 

Because it's worthless

 

It's not like we all detach the cables to put our headphones away. Or the locking mechs don't break them in the end.

 

I always detach my cables when I put my headphones in my bag. When they get jostled around and squished in there, the cable joint is where the most stress is applied. I also enjoy the ability to switch out a short cable for a longer one or a coiled one as the situation calls for (such as home listening vs portable vs DJ'ing, etc). Cables can also break at the jack end, in which case being able to replace in that case is much simpler.

True there maybe be a lot of people who don't ever need a detachable cable, but there are plenty of us who do. On a mid/high priced headphone, it is a worthwhile feature and selling point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armaegis 

I always detach my cables when I put my headphones in my bag. When they get jostled around and squished in there, the cable joint is where the most stress is applied. I also enjoy the ability to switch out a short cable for a longer one or a coiled one as the situation calls for (such as home listening vs portable vs DJ'ing, etc). Cables can also break at the jack end, in which case being able to replace in that case is much simpler.

 

True there maybe be a lot of people who don't ever need a detachable cable, but there are plenty of us who do. On a mid/high priced headphone, it is a worthwhile feature and selling point.

 

See I would like them on my Grado, just because. My T50RP, HD598 have them, but I never use them. The only time I might, is to remove the cable from my T50RP when I mod them. Otherwise, I just deal with it.

Now I see higher ends, to swap cables and such. But then why don't companies include the best cable possible in the original design? Why do companies have to dull down everything so we need to rely on third parties to give us better sound?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik 

Because mechanical connections are completely inferior to physical connections. If you want the best, remove the jacks and hardwire the cable. No matter how miraculous the connector, whether it was dipped in liquid nitrogen, a quick solder with 3¢ of ordinary 60/40 will be better.

The jacks are mostly there so people can play Barbie dress-up with their headphones. Manufacturers know this is a selling point for consumers, so they spend a few cents more per unit and add them as a selling point.

Dem Silver cables man... They be all like, Silver and shiny and stuff.

I mostly like the idea of replaceable cables in the sense that the cable tends to be a point of failure.

However, now that I've gone the Stax route, I won't ever get replaceable cables (without breaking out the soldering iron)...but I can understand why. These things run on high voltage, so I'd expect solid connections throughout. Can't get more solid than solder, as long as the rest of the cable holds together.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BotByte 

Dem Silver cables man... They be all like, Silver and shiny and stuff.

x2 on this, a cable can make a world of a difference IMO aesthetically and sound wize. Its like jeans, better buttons,etc; will have more people flocking to them.

In general, for high-end phones I want the cables detachable. It would suck to have to ship the whole headphone back to Germany/Austria/Japan/China just because I accidentally rolled my chair over the cable.

For certain other kinds of headphones, it provides other benefits. Detaching the Shure SRH-840 cable helps the whole thing fold up more compactly. It also allows the user to use a coiled cable or straight cable, each being a better configuration in certain circumstances. IEMs tend to fail in the cable first, so making them detachable helps save the user money.

Designing and manufacturing socketed cables is more expensive, though. For cheaper headphones, it doesn't make a lot of sense. A friend was just telling me today about his wife's headphones, for which the 1/4" plug broke. The manufacturer will replace the cable for $30, but the headphones themselves are available on Amazon for $25.

I'm disappointed the T1s don't have a detachable cable. Should be mandatory for $1k headphones.