[peterboi]

I recently bought an ATH-m50s on ebay and they offered me a 3 year warranty for 20 dollars. The company is Squaretrade and I've read reviews on how it is reliable and will replace if the headphones get damaged.
 
Are the M50 durable and last beyond the warranty? or should I get the warranty anyways.

 

[jerg]

They are extremely durable AFAIK (my M50s are in my hands right now); headband is superb and extremely flexible and elastic, no large flat brittle single molded piece of plastic in the structure - everything is thick plastic/metal joints interlocked tightly like a watch. Even the most prone-to-snapping parts - the adjustable bands on the two sides - are two thick strips of steel backed up by two thicker strips of plastic, so those will never snap.
 
It'll break if you throw it against concrete, but will probably last you many years with everyday handling and occasional mishandling.

 

[peterboi]

So there is no reason to buy the third party warranty. Thanks for telling me theyre extremely durable. I don't mishandle much haha.

 

[iceshark]

I wouldn't think so, but it depends on how you define "durable." I think any headphone has the potential to be damaged if someone crushes them underneath a massive textbook in their backpack (this happened to a pair of Skullcandy's I had, and I won't ever put my headphones in that situation again). Yes, the Ath's look durable to me, my headphones seem to have a relatively similar construction to the M50's. But don't purposely bash them around, and avoid dropping them, and they'll be just fine. Headphones can last a very long time if you treat them properly and with care.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

I wouldn't think so, but it depends on how you define "durable." I think any headphone has the potential to be damaged if someone crushes them underneath a massive textbook in their backpack (this happened to a pair of Skullcandy's I had, and I won't ever put my headphones in that situation again). Yes, the Ath's look durable to me, my headphones seem to have a relatively similar construction to the M50's. But don't purposely bash them around, and avoid dropping them, and they'll be just fine. Headphones can last a very long time if you treat them properly and with care.

Some headphones have immediately noticeable low durability upon handling, others have design flaws that cause breakage even WITHOUT mishandling.
 
E.g. 1:
 
Shure SRH750dj uses some very creaky and brittle white plastic, even for its extender belts. (my roommate has one and shows me about it and complains all the time) Several occasions here on head-fi have 750dj owners had their extender belts snapping clean apart, which doesn't happen with most headphones. Just shows the general quality of material used.
 
E.g. 2:
 
Senn HD598 (among a few other HD5xx series) has a very high-grade finish (looks and feels possibly better than M50 even). However it has a design flaw that causes the center of the plastic section between the extender belt and the headphone drivers to crack.
 
 

 

[BrucYSN]

The M50's bridge between head band and driver is not that tough, it's made with rather cheap plastic and has the moving parts for the DJ to turn the ear pad out side, so I would be careful not twitching it too hard.  

 

[roma101]

Short answer: No.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

Some headphones have immediately noticeable low durability upon handling, others have design flaws that cause breakage even WITHOUT mishandling.
 
E.g. 1:
 
Shure SRH750dj uses some very creaky and brittle white plastic, even for its extender belts. (my roommate has one and shows me about it and complains all the time) Several occasions here on head-fi have 750dj owners had their extender belts snapping clean apart, which doesn't happen with most headphones. Just shows the general quality of material used.
 
E.g. 2:
 
Senn HD598 (among a few other HD5xx series) has a very high-grade finish (looks and feels possibly better than M50 even). However it has a design flaw that causes the center of the plastic section between the extender belt and the headphone drivers to crack.
 
 

that was why i returned mine. i could tell just by looking at them they would break with fairly moderate use. the shure srh840 also looks cheap to me but i have decided that if those break i will use the warranty.
 
 

 

[jerg]

Quote:

that was why i returned mine. i could tell just by looking at them they would break with fairly moderate use. the shure srh840 also looks cheap to me but i have decided that if those break i will use the warranty.
 
 

I heard the new SRH940 is built like a tank. Maybe Shure noticed this major flaw in their headphone products finally.

 

[ACDOAN]

Quote:

that was why i returned mine. i could tell just by looking at them they would break with fairly moderate use. the shure srh840 also looks cheap to me but i have decided that if those break i will use the warranty.
 
 

Doesn't  Shure  fix or replace the 750 DJ during the warranty period as they will with the SRH 840 ? 
 

 

[Rawrbington]

Quote:

that was why i returned mine. i could tell just by looking at them they would break with fairly moderate use. the shure srh840 also looks cheap to me but i have decided that if those break i will use the warranty.
 
 

the 840s and m50s are tough.  ive slept on top of them countless times with absolutely no issue.    i tend to put on a pair to go to sleep and pass out awaking to strange music coming from ???  then when i regain my senses i realize i slept on my cans again.  once i actually thought i may have broken the m50s, was really really drunk the previous night and woke up with them in a wadded up mess but i untangled and they were fine!

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

Doesn't  Shure  fix or replace the 750 DJ during the warranty period as they will with the SRH 840 ? 
 

yes they do and i am shure (pun intended) they have excellent warranty support. but regardless i try to avoid needing to use a warranty on any thing i buy. thats why durability is important to me. but it shure is nice knowing i'm covered.
 
LoL at puns

 

 

[crinacle]

The M50s are built like a tank. Dropped mine off the second storey, no scratches or damages whatsoever... 0.0

 

[jerg]

Quote:

The M50s are built like a tank. Dropped mine off the second storey, no scratches or damages whatsoever... 0.0

Care to elaborate on exactly what happened there? Lol I'm quite interested in hearing the story and context.

 

[crinacle]

Pretty short story actually. Was carrying then to my classroom when some idiot bumped into me... dropped my headphones off the ledge and saw it spiraling down to the ground...

When I got to the ground floor, all I saw were stunned schoolmates staring my headphones, which were fine even though there was a massive thud. So, I put them on and walked away like nothing happened...

DAYUM M50 YOU SCARY