[Aastii]

I have a pair of Creative Aurvana Live headphones which, two years on, have died. The right headphone no longer works because the wire has gone. They are the second set I have had in 4 four years that have done this.

So now I am after another pair of headphones that aren't another set of Aurvana Live's. I adore the sound quality but don't want to be replacing them every couple of years.

Could anyone suggest another set, primarily for games and music, around the £120 or less mark. Comfort is fairly important since they will be used for long periods, the rest doesn't matter, sound quality (and of course build quality!!) is king

 

[howdy]

VSONIC GR07 bass edition are comfortable and sound amazing! You can get these for 120 US which would be around 100 £ or so.

 

[Aastii]

Thank you, but I would much rather have full size headphones than earphones. I don't particularly like in-ear earphones at the best of times, never mind using them for potentially hours at a time!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

The best you can do at that price point is to just get any other decent headphone or another CAL, then just mod it for removable cables. Note though that adding a socket/jack can mean 1) making the headphone feel heavy if the plug you use on the cable is heavy enough, and that it doesn't make it invulnerable - stepping on and pulling those plugs off abruptly, powerfully, and at a wrong angle will just damage the jacks.

 

[Aastii]

thank you for the reply.

How do the CAL!2's stack up against the CAL!? I took a look through the master thread and there is a lot of talk about them having a similar sound to the CAL but with more bass. This I don't see as much of a problem, I can use the EQ to try and get a more neutral sound if I find them to have too much of a punch.

The appeal with them is they already have the removable cable, though how sturdy is it? I wouldn't mind the cable going since another can be picked up easily enough, but I mean the headphones themselves.

I can get a set for around £75. Are there any others to consider around this mark?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

thank you for the reply.

How do the CAL!2's stack up against the CAL!? I took a look through the master thread and there is a lot of talk about them having a similar sound to the CAL but with more bass. This I don't see as much of a problem, I can use the EQ to try and get a more neutral sound if I find them to have too much of a punch.

The appeal with them is they already have the removable cable, though how sturdy is it? I wouldn't mind the cable going since another can be picked up easily enough, but I mean the headphones themselves.

I can get a set for around £75. Are there any others to consider around this mark?

 

If your problem was mostly just the cable breaking (and no other way to confirm other than to at least repair the cables on the broken set), and you're sure it wasn't from perpetual hard tugging, then the removable cable should be safe for your use. Unfortunately I don't know any other headphones with removable cables at that price range.

 

[Aastii]

It is just from wear and tear, like everything else I own I looked after my headphones. The furthest they would travel is from my head to my desk . I never wrapped them up or pulled on them or anything like that.
 
It isn't so much the cable that is my problem, I have had el cheapo headphones in the past that have lasted me for years, despite the poor sound and build quality, it is the build quality of the CAL's. They feel sturdy enough, but to have two pairs go with the same issue at more or less the same time without any sort of "rough" usage puts me off that particular model, even though like I say I love the sound it puts out and how comfortable they are.
 
I would happily have another pair with fixed cables, but for the CAL's, I wouldn't get another because I would sooner drop £100 on a set now that will last me for years, rather than £50-60 every 2 years (until they stop making em). If the CAL 2's have the same sound (albeit bassier) and comfort but with only the aesthetics and the removable cable being the major difference, well that fixes the issue that I have with the CAL's while keeping all that I love about em.

 

[cel4145]

Sony MDR V6 and MDR 7506 are built like tanks. The pads can wear out, but they are replaceable. These headphones were popular for a long time in video studios for monitoring where professionals would have to wear them all day long and needed something durable.

 

[kramer5150]

If all you've burned through is 2 headphones in 4 years in a portable (commuting + active) environment, I think you are coming out ahead of the game.  Most headphones wont last a year in that scenario.
 
If you already like the sound of the CAL, I say stick with that.  My Bose AE2 are darn near bomb proof and have a detachable, replaceable cable.  I have rolled around them at night and fallen asleep on them countless times.  They are my go-to portable / isolation headphone.  Not all together bad sounding IMHO, although sonically they are not as cleanly-accurate as the CAL.  The AE2 is more of a "fun" signature, with a nice smiley EQ curve.