[UtzY]

[size=medium]Built/design quality![/size]

I’ve decided to make this thread for all the people like me…who thinks that the built quality of a headphone have a very large percentage in overall quality!

For example I have currently own a Sennheiser HD595 and I was very happy with the sound until the headband started to crack! Then I started to realize that for me…a perfect headphone must be first o all STRONG…and must have little or no weak points!
This is not the case of HD595, now after all of this happened, I think these headphones are the weakest headphone in production... Looking from quality of materials used in production…the can looks like cheap plastic.

What I intent to do (and find out) with this thread?

Everybody knows that every headphone has a weak point in built quality or design (many have 2 or more). But many of these weak points can somehow be avoided.
Example of what I heard from this thread:

HD595’s -headband eventually it will crack (it feels it’s made from cheap plastic but the cans are not so cheap) I felt this on my skin… a cold shower (not all the expensive headphones last…and I think that HD595 is expensive…I just don’t have the money

)
Ultrasone headband had (have) the same problem (some people said that they had fixed this problem)…
HD650 have a problem with the connection (don’t plug in and out very often)…
Grado’s have a problem with the cable…the cable can rotate inside of the driver enclosure “Hair on drivers” is another problem in Grado’s land!...
Beyerdynamic are built like tanks (DT880 DT990…)

but even tanks have weak points ( the gas tank )  I’m sure you guys will find at least one weak point

Not to mention all the IEMs…

The aim of this thread is to prevent all of these things from happening! Because loving a headphone is first of all accommodate with his sound and to accommodate with the sound she must resist in perfect shape (usually like brand new)…of course am aware of the existence of the love at the first “sight”

but many don’t have this luck (not at headphones maybe)

I’ll start with the headband of the HD595…I have this headphone for 2+ years. The headband maintained the shape approximately 3-4 months after that the first cracks started to show. The main reason for this is the tension of the headband and the not so good design (Red Dot award). My friend has the same headphone and the same head size like mine (medium or medium to big) but he bought the headphone after a year. From the moment he bought it we unscrew a bit the screws visible at the headband and started to make making her wider. Don’t begin stretching from the caps… stretch her from where the model is written. (I’ll elaborate if you didn’t understand …me and my poor English

)

Image

I hope this post is helpful for the HD595 owners…Just be “careful” with the headband!

Just think at a headphone that had give up and what you should do to prevent this…or if you don’t know just name the weak spots of the headphone and maybe another member has already the answer (I’m sure they have it)

Now guys is after you…find the illness of a headphone and cure it!

 

[nfsu]

Quote:

I think these headphones are the weakest headphone in production

I think they are quite well made.

E500:
In some part of E500s rubber thingy attached to earphone slipped out of its position (in happened in my first E500s)

Also nozle on which we put on sleeves is too long and it may broke if we don't pay attention while putting on sleeves

 

[Albatross05]

I agree that a set of headphones that expensive should be nearly unbreakable. Especially the parts that will get the most stress and wear (like the headband).

It will also depend on how you use them, how often you use them and how you treat them when you do. Some people put a lot of stress on a set of headphones because they wear them whilst in constant motion. I sit nearly the whole time I'm wearing mine. Usually, the drivers wear out in mine long before the rest of them have any significant problems.

Nevertheless, there is much better material available than the stuff Sennheiser builds even their top of the lone headphones out of. Plain old plastic is not only boring and generic looking - more solid materials would probably have better acoustic properties as well.

 

[UtzY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albatross05 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It will also depend on how you use them, how often you use them and how you treat them when you do. Some people put a lot of stress on a set of headphones because they wear them whilst in constant motion. I sit nearly the whole time I'm wearing mine. Usually, the drivers wear out in mine long before the rest of them have any significant problems.

Yes..i agree but when all headphones of one kind "wears out" in the same spot ..there's a design problem...or materials used are not so good!

 

[porschemad911]

If you want great build quality, K-501 are excellent. My Alessandro MS-1 feel *incredibly* flimsy in comparison.

 

[jonnywolfet]

i beat off a would be mugger and a pack of wild dogs with my dt770 yesterday, i think the b*stards scratched a bit of the paint off...

 

[BushGuy]

I have no problems at all............I'm a confirmed Beyerhead

............................................and a confirmed Xinhead.

 

[LawnGnome]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnywolfet /img/forum/go_quote.gif i beat off a would be mugger and a pack of wild dogs with my dt770 yesterday, i think the b*stards scratched a bit of the paint off...

Yeah, these things are tanks. Really rugged phones.

 

[DJShadow]

My HD 595 also have a mean crack in the same spot. The internal wiring comes apart too easily for my liking...

The SA5000 is very strong - as soon as you replace the stock cable that is.

 

[kontai69]

The paint on my Senn HD650s cracked and flaked off at the top of the curve on the headband. I have a small head and never really "stretched" it that much.

With Grados, the durability/QC issues are plentiful. Here are some that have been reported...
-the height adjuster rods pullling out of the plastic C-shaped cup holders
-black end caps on height adjuster rods falls off
-cracks in C-shaped cup holders
-metal headband separates from plastic "L" and "R" blocks
-silver lettering flaking off
-stitching on older RS series leather headbands coming loose
-molding blemishes on plastic pieces on SR series and splintered wood/poor lacquering on the wood-cupped models (even the flagship GS1000

)

Most of these Grado issues can be fixed yourself. With the last issue, you are pretty much SOL.

The only headphones which I own(ed) that didn't not have ANY issues are the AKG k701 and the Koss KSC-75. These were both perfect cosmetically and build wise.

 

[thrillmetoo]

In the past I dared to mention the flimsy construction of several Senns a.o. I was ignored. I must have stepped on several toes, I guess. Yet, I confirm your findings. As much as I like the Senn sound sig, some things can certainly be improved in the general built quality department. My DT880's are much sturdier (even if I'm not in love with their sound sig and would prefer HD595's)

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by porschemad911 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you want great build quality, K-501 are excellent. My Alessandro MS-1 feel *incredibly* flimsy in comparison.

Don't let their feel give the wrong impression! The MS-1 are surprisingly tough!

True story:

I had bought MS-1 a year ago last March and had gotten MS2i last September. After getting the MS2i, the MS-1 just kinda sat there and our four Grandkids aged 5 through 12 sorta took them over. They basically had them all to themselves since Santa had promised them all new cans to replace their old ones which had already managed to die a cruel death.

....*that should have told me something*!

But the kids had the MS-1 all to themselves for about four full months and on the very, very very last day before Santas' visit, one of them managed to drop the phones down into the base of their computer chair, and another of them gave the chair a spin!

A few good sized chunks of the outer insulation was ripped from the cable between the "V" block and the housings, but otherwise the cans still play beautifully!

Really tough little buggers!

I do note two things about them though:

The plastic covering over the headband is slowly shrinking, allowing more of the metal band inside to be visible. And the "R" and "L" markings are showing some wear. The Grado and Alessandro stuff on the front of the housings still looks like new though.....go figure. Otherwise none of the other standard Grado problems seem to be afflicting these cans as yet. And they've had some pretty accelerated wear/stress testing administered by those four little kids!

My MS2i which have been living here for about 10 months have yet to exhibit any of the standard Grado problems. May well be luck of the draw or timing of purchase.

 

[rhythmicmoose]

Ah, I like this thread. Here's the summary of stuff I've owned.

Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro/80
On my first pair, within a week something came loose and was rattling inside one of the earcups. Guitar Center replaced it, no questions asked. It was probably just defective out of the factory. My current pair has never had a problem, aside from a hair that got through the foam and was touching the driver, but that was an easy fix. Like people have said, they're tanks.

Sony Eggos
At different times I've owned the D66SL and the D77. Both are prone, over time, to develop a creakiness in the cups and headband connections, which can be very distracting if you move your head around at all when listening. The pleather earpads on the D77 also fall apart over time. I would not rate the Eggo series highly in terms of durability.

Sony MDR-V6
My brother has a pair that gets a lot of abuse. These are VERY solid headphones, but over time the earpads will slacken a bit and the headband will lose a lot of its strength and tension, so you'll lose some isolation. Thankfully the earpads are replaceable. Despite these issues, the MDR-V6 is well above average in durability.

AKG K81DJ
This hasn't happened to me personally, but I've heard of people snapping the silver plastic cup swivel arms while bending out the headband. I thought they were extremely solid, and the headband at least can take a lot of stress, just be sure to bend from lower on the headband rather than by pushing the earcups.

UE Super.Fi 5 Pro
I had a pair of the first generation black pair. Some people experience case cracking with this version, but mine was fine. I also briefly owned an Earphone Solutions red pair. When removing the cable from one of the earphones, the connection came apart at the soldering points inside the earphone itself rather than at the normal connection. Clearly, this was the end of that pair, which then had to be returned to UE for replacement.

Westone UM2
I do everything you're not supposed to do to a pair of IEMs to my UM2. I wrap the cable around my iPod to store them. I throw them in my pocket with everything else when I'm walking around. I leave them loose in my backpack with notebooks and frisbees. I've had the cord snag on doorknobs while I'm wearing them. I've worn them in the rain and while running. You name it, it's probably happened to my UM2, and yet I still have had absolutely no problems with them, ever. The cable may look thin (and it is), but it's incredibly solid, and the earphone casing itself feels very durable. I give them an A+ for durability.

 

[UtzY]

Perfect nfsu and rhythmicmoose this is how the thread should look like...

The headphones that you own and the problems regard the materials/build/design quality!

 

[technetium]

I think some of those headphones I have owned with the best quality is by far the B&O a8. - Metal is just better than plastic, although my rheology (plastic logi) professor disagrees

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/page.asp?id=46&bhcp=1