How long usually a good pair of IEM going to last???

[Alec E]

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Originally Posted by ethan961 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never said I had one that lasted 5 years,

OK. I thought your number might be based on experience.

Quote:

I read that the armature itself has an approximate lifespan of 5 years from something quoting Jerry Harvey, so I do have a valid source.

I wonder if perhaps he has some incentive to make a very liberal estimate?

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It doesn't matter what's actually inside, your external parts are what you need to worried about.

You brought up the five year figure, for armature drivers.

I don't personally think any IEM receiving regular use is going to survive to anything like its fifth birthday. I've yet to have one last three months before it needed something replaced, and yes, I always use a case, I never toss it about, etc etc. Again, the warranty expiration date for a product is presumably a good indication of when the manufacturer expects it to begin falling apart. In the world of IEM's, I'm unaware of any warranty longer than two years, though someone may put me straight about that momentarily.

If anyone has actually had an IEM last five years, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[playingwithfire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stonyboys /img/forum/go_quote.gif Skullcandy/ random unknown chinese manufacturer - 2 weeks Anything else - a LONG time with good care

skullcandy=lifetime warranty on even their crappiest headphones...

 

[rawrster]

some people in here have had their ER4 for like 10+ years

 

[Alec E]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawrster /img/forum/go_quote.gif some people in here have had their ER4 for like 10+ years

But they never go outside. Special case.

 

[gav007]

If you baby iems like I do (clean them regularly, put them back into their case after every use, store in a moisture and dust free environment, not yank on the cable, etc) they can last longer than 5 years

 

[ethan961]

Yes, people have had their ER-4P for much longer than 5 years, so you shouldn't be attacking JH for no reason. It's not like he's going to lie about a well known fact, or at least well known to experienced head-fiers.

 

[Alec E]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethan961 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, people have had their ER-4P for much longer than 5 years, so you shouldn't be attacking JH for no reason. It's not like he's going to lie about a well known fact, or at least well known to experienced head-fiers.

"Attacking" him?

I just see no reason to be throwing around guestimates. If someone really has used an armature driver IEM for five years, I'd like to know about it. One model apparently has such a longevity. Any others?

 

[rawrster]

not that many iem's that are popular today have been around for 5 years

 

[Mochan]

Right now I don't have any IEMs that are older than a year.

But my Shure e2cs at least lasted for about 3 years. They were still fine when I sold them off.
I had a VModa Vibe which died in about 8 months.
It seems the problem with IEMs is more the cable than the actual drivers. My TF10, with replaceable cable, I expect will last longer but the cable will probably break in a year or two, after which I will need to replace it.

 

[FlyingInABlueDream]

IMO, 2-3 years is average. The average IEM is designed to be used in a more rugged environment as opposed to high end cans that are used as you sit next to a rig. My UE SuperFi 5 broke after 1.5 years, and were replaced with a pair that lasted the same time. Not that I didn't take care of them, but most IEM's have thin cables to reduce weight, so the potential for them breaking is a little higher than normal.

With that in mind, I find IEM's to have a fantastic cost to use ratio. I used my UE all the time. Grocery shopping, jogging, doing trivial chores, etc.. I used them far more than un-portable headphones.

 

[Alec E]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingInABlueDream /img/forum/go_quote.gif With that in mind, I find IEM's to have a fantastic cost to use ratio. I used my UE all the time. Grocery shopping, jogging, doing trivial chores, etc..

I agree with this; but I now take warranty length strongly into consideration when shopping. After my (full price) TF10 didn't even last a year--and UE didn't respond to my last emails requesting warranty service--I've become very wary of $300+ IEM's whose makers don't offer a two-year warranty. It's one reason why I cooled on the idea of buying the current Head-Fi flavor of the month, the Ortofon e-Q7.

 

[ethan961]

It's not a guestimate, it's coming from the pioneer of custom armature IEMs. You aren't getting my point. It's the *driver* itself that has that lifespan. Has anyone had an IEM that had the armature fail before another physical part? Likely not, unless it was defective. You're talking 5 years of real use, and in that case it is not going to be the armatures that fail, it's going to be something like the cord, housing cracking, etc.

 

[Alec E]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethan961 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's not a guestimate, it's coming from the pioneer of custom armature IEMs. You aren't getting my point. It's the *driver* itself that has that lifespan. Has anyone had an IEM that had the armature fail before another physical part? Likely not, unless it was defective. You're talking 5 years of real use, and in that case it is not going to be the armatures that fail, it's going to be something like the cord, housing cracking, etc.

No one has misunderstood anything you've said. No one would dispute that cords and so on are the first parts to develop problems. This thread is about the survival of the whole IEM--which makes it a bit of a mystery why you're so concerned about Jerry Harvey's number. You were vague in how, or rather why, you introduced the five year figure, which is no longer very meaningful since it's been established (not first hand, however) that the ER-4P can apparently last much longer. You should send Jerry Harvey an email about that.

 

[squall343]

My um2 only lasted slightly abit over 2 years

but that is not surprising considering i bring them out everyday

and the country i live in have very high humidity throughout the years (Singapore - very near the equator + island with water surrounding), therefore high chance for water damage for the drivers

 

[masamune9210]

My Turbines lasted around half a year, the left earpiece lost its sound, so I think I broke the cable. I put them back in the included case after every use, but they're hooked up to my S9 in my jeans pocket so i probably tugged at the cable pretty hard when I sprint to catch a bus. I'm in Toronto, so it was cold a couple weeks ago, and that might have made the cable a little more brittle.