[Orange1]

Full size headphones can last/sound great for a verrrrry long time.

How many years, if you use only one pair of IEM's, will it still sound really good? Is there a general guideline about this? Or is there no answer here because all of you change IEM's so often! LOL

 

[odigg]

I don't know about IEMs for music but in ear hearing aids are generally stated to last 3-5 years. They typically use BAs like IEMs. However, hearings aids are probably used a lot more (in terms of hours per day) and in far worse conditions (e.g. in the rain) in comparison to IEMs. Like hearing aids, the drivers in IEMs are also subject to the various shocks of daily use and will fail from this.

IEMs also have their own set of issues such as the various forces on the cable since people use them while moving. Cables seem to be a common failure point in IEMs and you can easily find reports of cables that have failed in less than 2 years.

There is also this point. I imagine that most expensive full sized headphones are subject to very little stress since most people probably just use them at home. Compare this to an expensive IEM - people probably use them a lot inside and outside the house because they want to get their moneys worth.

So IEMs probably get a lot more stress than full sized headphones.

 

[a.dickens]

I had a set of Westone UM1's that I used regularly for 4 years. I rarely put them in a case. They usually went in the front pocket of my bag and sometimes in my pocket. They died when they weren't dried properly after using them at the gym. I figure 4 years for a $100 set of IEMs is a pretty good value. However when I sent them to westone to be checked they told me both drivers were warped even though I only noticed a problem with one earpiece when I sent them in. So, both may have been warped for a long time and I never noticed an issue.

 

[Modifiedz]

Well what is the life-span of a Armature or Dynamic driver? The cable you can make last decades by taking care of the rubber with conditioners, and by not wrapping them up everyday. Is it possible to last a lifetime? Are they anything like fullsize speakers when it comes to life? Full-size speakers can last decades of daily use.
Balanced Armature taken care of I would imagine would last longer than dynamic driver, because of the moving parts and weak spots involved.
Everything else would fail and need repair before the actual driver would. The body, case, cable, jack would fail first if not taken care of. I believe an IEM or headphone with a replaceable cable bought today (along with extra cables) and listened to for 4Hrs a day would still be good in 2030.

 

[odigg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Modifiedz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well what is the life-span of a Armature or Dynamic driver?

BAs can fail from shock. Considering that IEMs are typically for portable use they get repeated shocks and will fail over time from this. I believe this is even part of their tested and reported specifications. You'd have to ask somebody who actually designs devices with BAs.

Both manufacturers of BAs and IEMs are aware of this and I imagine they are creating designs that are more resistant to shock damage.

I'm not sure about dynamic drivers.

I don't think IEMs are a lifetime proposition but perhaps well built ones with user replaceable cables will last enough that you won't care since newer models will offer similar sound for far less cost.

Quote:

However when I sent them to westone to be checked they told me both drivers were warped even though I only noticed a problem with one earpiece when I sent them in.

Perhaps the sound changed slowly over time and so you never noticed. I had this happen to me. I had a pair of headphones for 10 years. It was only after I started trying new pairs again did I realize how much the sound had changed over time (e.g. deteriorating pads) and just how bad my pair sounded in comparison.

 

[GrindedDown]

My new TF-10s only need to last long enough for me to get a nice set of JH13Pros....

 

[rawrster]

i know some people in here have had er4's for like 10 years

but i think its hard to compare headphones with iems. typically most people dont carry headphones..well there are portable ones like es7 but the majority use iem as their portable solution. as a portable they are exposed to a lot more than than a headphone sitting at home. theres temperature, accidental snags, wrapping it poorly like around an ipod, etc. that being said i would expect headphones to last longer than even the best iem's because of that but i treat my iem's fairly well so they *should* last me a long time.

 

[vulkarie]

How's everyone IEM now? its already 11 years passed, give update please?