[trunolimit]

Ok so here is the deal I've been buying earbud headphones every couple of months since I was in high school. The thing that always happens is one side always stops working. so last year I got the brilliant idea of buying more expensive headphones because i figured higher price = better quality build. so I bought 50 dollar headphones thinking they where the last pair I'd have to buy but nope same story. so I bought 60 dollar headphones and to their credit they did last longer then most but the same one side stopped working thing happened.

Now I saw the beats by dre tour headphones and they look incredibly tough. they look tough and I heard they sound pretty good. now I don't want to sacrifice sound for durability but I don't want to pay 150 just to have them break.

So I'm asking with the higher price can I expect more durable headphones?

if the answer is yes I am considering these headphones

>q-Jays
>Etymotic hf5
>Etymotic ER4P
>Ultimate Ears super.fi 5

if no then I think the beats would be the best sounding, most durable in ear headphones.

 

[logwed]

Depends on how you're using/abusing them.

 

[trunolimit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by logwed /img/forum/go_quote.gif Depends on how you're using/abusing them.

I don't go to the gym or jog or anything I just walk to work stick the phones in my pockets and pull them back out at the end of the day. apparently my pockets are warzones i never knew about because my phones and ipods get really messed up in there. I don't know how but my iphone has huge chips on all four corners and I never dropped the thing, it just stays in my pocket all day. I'm wondering if a good solution would be to put the phones in like an Altoids can while in my pocket.

 

[earthpeople]

It's a much better idea to put the phones in an altoids tin or something similar if they don't come with a case themselves (or if the case is too big, whatever). A lot of the better and more popular IEMs discussed around here come with their own cases.

putting them in your pocket and pulling them out will cause a lot of stress on the cable, especially if you pull them out by the cable.

Now, most people around here will not recommend the beats unless you listen to only a small range of certain music styles (I think people say pop and RnB sound ok through the beats). List the type of music you enjoy and that will help us help you in picking the best set for your needs.
In fact, there are a whole bunch of sub-$100 IEMs that are highly regarded. I'm sure the more knowledgeable will be able to find you a set that's better and cheaper than the beats.

Good luck!

 

[Punnisher]

You need to rethink the way you're treating earphones. It's easy to forget that they're sensitive audio instruments and should be treated as such.

Never put them into your pocket without some kind of case.

Be extremely careful of the plug while it's in your player. There's more chance of damaging your player or earphone plug while it's plugged in. Don't bend the cord sharply at the strain relief.

While listening, do your best not to tug on the wire. Keep an eye out for furniture, arm movements, etc that could yank the cord.

As for your original question, no. Price does not equal durability. The minimum standard for earphone cables starts at about $10. Cables in this price range are equally as durable as ones in the $300 range.

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trunolimit /img/forum/go_quote.gif if no then I think the beats would be the best sounding, most durable in ear headphones.

What in the world led you to conclude that?

To answer your question no, price does not always equal quality. There are cheaper earphones that are notorious for durability and expensive ones that often fall apart. If you intend to keep mistreating your IEMs the way you do now, I recommend the Maximo Im-590. They have a metal shell, molded strain reliefs, and sturdy, nylon-wrapped cabling. The also come with a 2-year warranty, although I am not sure it covers the sort of pain you put on your earphones.

 

[trunolimit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif What in the world led you to conclude that?

Just look at them they look tough as nails. That thick tape like cord is what drew me to them and since I own the beats and I like how they sound I can only assume that the tours sound pretty good too.

The music I mainly listen to is hip hop, Kid-cudi, Wale, kanye ishh type music where bass drives the music. That is what drew me to the beats because the bass is really nice, doesn't fart like the Sennheiser at the apple store that I tried. I like how I felt the bass (if that makes any sense) I did find myself turning down the bass via the iphone eq during some songs. I also like pop rock, fall out boy, killers, the used. I recently found myself listening too a lot of queen (don't stop me, champions, bohemian rhapsody) so vocals are important. and last but not least I enjoy my electronic music, david guetta, LMAO, oakenfold, van dyke, and scooter.

so yeah rap, rock, and techno. I also like to listen to audio books and podcast and a problem I have with my beats is they hiss when there is no music being played. I attribute that to the active noise canceling so with in ear headphones this shouldn't be a problem.

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trunolimit /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just look at them they look tough as nails. That thick tape like cord is what drew me to them and since I own the beats and I like how they sound I can only assume that the tours sound pretty good too.

They may be tough as nails at first glance, but there are no strain reliefs on those cords, which means there's a good chance they will go out after the 10th time you shove them in your pockets. Then those tough as nails cables will make excellent shoelaces (and little else).

Regardless, I have tried the on-ear beats they left me extremely cold with their flabby bass and disregard for clarity and detail, especially at the high end. I have little reason to expect that the tour beats are engineered for better sound, but if bass is what you are looking for then perhaps they are right for you. I'd personally look into the JVC HA-FX500, Klipsch S4, or Denon C710/751 for bass. The Etymotics you listed up top will definitely not satisfy that craving.

 

[dnullify]

I'd agree with above. the price does not necessarily dictate the durability.
I'd say my $20 altec lansing uhp336 (rebranded UE super.fi 3) is more durable as my $80 ADDIEMs.

It also depends on how you use them.

I call it "IBUD behavior". - loosely bundling up earphones and jamming them in your pocket.

You can't expect a very long life out of anything while using them like that. sure, some IEMs will last longer than others, but you still end up with broken cables or loose connections much sooner than you'd like.

What i suggest you do, is find a case. with a case, you'll see an improvement in the life of your IEMs. for my ADDIEMs, (my prefered pocket use IEMs), i use a altoids gum tin.

I don't know if you can tell by the pictures, but the shape of the tin is slightly convex. I find this makes the tin incredibly strong, for what it is.
I say for $2, this is the best case you can get. and you get gum too

ALSO: i generally lean towards the models which have replaceable cables. For example, i'd suggest some altec lansing uhp336 which are basically rebranded UE super.fi 3's, but at less than 1/3 the price. They have user-replaceable cables.

 

[chesterqw]

any earphones with real warranty will be best.

 

[exe163]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesterqw /img/forum/go_quote.gif any earphones with real warranty will be best.

I believe most warranty do not cover physical abuse. Just treat your headphones like new born babies you should be fine.

 

[mythless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by exe163 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe most warranty do not cover physical abuse. Just treat your headphones like new born babies you should be fine.

lol I just remember a clip from family guy

. But, yes if you take care of your IEMs they can last.

 

[nycdoi]

it seems to me that the only factor that boost the durability of your headphones is the price tag. who knows if you unconsciously treated your 60dollars pair better than others because of the price.

 

[trunolimit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mythless /img/forum/go_quote.gif lol I just remember a clip from family guy . But, yes if you take care of your IEMs they can last.

what clip?

damn this is freakin hard. I wish I could just grab all these headphones and try them out but I'm stuck with opinions of the internet. It seems that there is a headphone for every type of person out there. there are so many out there this is hard. And then it's not like every other piece of electronic where if you see a name you know what to expect, if your buying a TV you know to expect a good product when buying sony or samsung no matter if it's a low end tv or a high end tv, but every sony headphone I've every had sounded horrible and then there are certain companies like sennheiser who have a great rep because i keep seeing in these forums that they makes great head phones but every pair I've tried sucked. what really sucks is that I can't even go out and check these out because most are only found online.

I guess I just need to step back and educate myself on what headphones can do and what I need out of them. I just whent around and grabbed the highest rated headphones on certain sites but now i see that was a bad approach because the headphones I ended up with seem to be bad for my type of listening.

 

[mythless]

the clip with Britney Spears and using her baby as an ash tray.

Well, sound signatures differ from each headphones and appeals to different people. Even if you had a high budget it wouldn't make the decision any easier. Maybe you should get headphones.