[adrusi]

I'm looking for a durable pair of on- or over-ear headphones. I currently listen to most of my music on my Grado s80i's, which I love, but aren't the most portable. I want a pair of headphones that will complement them for on-the-go use. They need to be something I can comfortably lug around in a full, heavy school bag.

One of the pairs at the top of my list are the ATH-M50 S. They look well built, and I've heard that the cord is quite strong (though I'd feel more comfortable if it detached). I'd like to hear from owners how safe you would feel treating them somewhat roughly on a daily basis (they'd be in the same bag I carry my laptop in everyday, so I'm not going to be too rough).

 

[viralcow]

They're built like tanks. You can treat them as roughly as you like and they'll hold up just fine.

 

[rooster7618]

I've had the M50 with the coiled cable for about 2 years. They've fallen, been stepped on, thrown, (all accidentally of course) and they almost look brand new, there's hardly a mark on them. The wire attachment to the headphones is very secure, I honestly can't ever see it breaking. They also fold up, so even better for portability. 

 

[opponentmule2]

Had them for 3 months, no problem even though i take them to school, enjoy music on the way to a soccer game.
 
Only thing you've to worry about is them getting dirty if you get the white ones. But of course, a wipe down will clean them again.

 

[lin0003]

The build quality was great when I tried it. 

 

[adrusi]

Alright, thanks. This helps a lot, these are definitely my top choice now.
 
Different question, but I'd rather not start a new topic unless I have to. Since I'd be using these for portable situations, rather than their intended use as monitor phones, the cable isn't the best fit. The straight version is 11' long and the coiled version weighs as much, but has a more manageable length at 4'.

Just how annoying is this for things like walking. I'm definitely not going to be exercising with these on, but I'll walk a lot. It would suck for everything to be great except the cord's length/weigth.

 

[lin0003]

You can get someone to do the removable cable mod for $10 or do it yourself. Alternatively, you can cut off the unneeded cable and solder on a new jack. 

 

[ApplesRevenge]

The ATH-M50's are tanks.
Seriously.
 
I've dragged mine across continents and without much consideration at points, yet they don't have any damage at all.
My m50's are daily dragged around in a bag with heavy books. I use the standard leather pouch for commutes, but you can get a hard case for extra protection if you want.
The coil cable is manageable. I use mine when walking constantly, there will be a bit of slack on the cable which can be wrapped around the source a few times to tighten if you want.

 

[rooster7618]

When walking I usually just stuff the little bit of excess coil cable in my pocket, so it doesn't bounce everywhere. Works fine for me, and I don't really notice the weight. 

 

[fujifjilm]

had these headphones over a year, put them in messenger bag take them back and forth to work still in excellent condition, high quality construction

 

[EnjoyedCaesar]

I've had the coiled model for about 4 months now with no problems. I've noticed that the earpieces swivel much more loosely than they did when I first started using. Also, the headphone jack was bent a bit from packing headphones without case in backpack.
 
If your audio device is pocket-sized, the coiled cable length shouldn't be a problem for walking purposes.