[JML]

RE: headband sliders & screws (lessons from pocket clips on folding pocket knives)

Metal screws inserted into plastic are not an ideal long-term fixing solution for anything, especially if the screws and threads are extremely tiny. If the sliders into which the screws go aren't metal, then one solution - at production or afterwards - would be to use threaded metal inserts into which the screws go (or an internal metal plate inside or behind the plastic, into which the screws attach). These are possible solutions for iBasso to implement at production, with upgraded replacement parts available..

Threaded metal inserts are usually brass or steel, with internal machine threads to receive the screw and external coarse threads to go into the substrate (mechanically attached and/or secured with adhesive to extra strength). If the screws threaded into plastic loosen repeatedly, that's because the screw threads are cutting away the plastic, increasing the diameter of the hole and removing the plastic that the threads "grasp." Larger diameter screws used as a substitute for smaller ones can cause other problems because the increased diameter stresses the plastic, especially if the hole in the plastic was smaller than the unthreaded shank of the new screw. Overtorquing screws at the production end, or afterwards, is probably the cause of the loosening parts. It would not take much force to start to degrade the plastic into which the threads cut.

So a possible solution for users - apart from replacing the assembly - would be to fill the old holes and then drill/tap them for threads that match the screw shank and threads. Thick gap-filling cyanoacrylate glue might work, but it has to be the non-fogging type, compatible with the plastic substrate, and mixed with finely-ground pieces of plastic that match the substrate. A better solution might be to use high-quality metal-filled epoxy to fill the hole, and then drill and tap for the fixing screw, or to fill the hole with epoxy and use an oiled screw so the epoxy doesn't adhere to the screw, with a clamp to hold the parts together until the epoxy sets.

But the cost of repair (tools and materials), plus time and risk of making things worse probably exceeds the cost of replacement parts!

 

[Shane D]

So a couple of weeks later here is my update:
I got my headband today. It took a while to peel off the pads and change cups. I always find putting these pads back on a PITA.
Anyway, the headphones seem to back in business. I sent pic's of the hardware and my receipts to Shenzhen Audio. A few hours later they PayPal'd me the full amount, which was $60.00 for the headband and $10.00 shipping.
I have to say that I was pretty nervous about setting these headphones up knowing how fragile everything is. But I pulled out my T5 torx wrench and set them up perfectly. Lots of trial and error and I was very careful to just tighten everything finger tight.

I just got a new cable for my Bee planar's and this headband today. Tomorrow they will both be fighting for ear time.

I was thinking hard about selling these, but I am SO tired of selling stuff at a loss. And I do like the sound.

My final thoughts on the SR2's are two fold:

1) They have a great sound and fill a niche in my collection nicely.

And

2) I would never recommend these headphones to anyone. The headband is cheap and flimsy. They are the opposite of sturdy.
And you should NEVER have to buy special tools just to adjust a headband. I am an old guy who sold most of his tools when we went back to apartment living. This is the ONLY time I have needed torx wrenches since I closed my business, eleven years ago.

 

[Mhog55]

So a couple of weeks later here is my update:
I got my headband today. It took a while to peel off the pads and change cups. I always find putting these pads back on a PITA.
Anyway, the headphones seem to back in business. I sent pic's of the hardware and my receipts to Shenzhen Audio. A few hours later they PayPal'd me the full amount, which was $60.00 for the headband and $10.00 shipping.
I have to say that I was pretty nervous about setting these headphones up knowing how fragile everything is. But I pulled out my T5 torx wrench and set them up perfectly. Lots of trial and error and I was very careful to just tighten everything finger tight.

I just got a new cable for my Bee planar's and this headband today. Tomorrow they will both be fighting for ear time.

I was thinking hard about selling these, but I am SO tired of selling stuff at a loss. And I do like the sound.

My final thoughts on the SR2's are two fold:

1) They have a great sound and fill a niche in my collection nicely.

And

2) I would never recommend these headphones to anyone. The headband is cheap and flimsy. They are the opposite of sturdy.
And you should NEVER have to buy special tools just to adjust a headband. I am an old guy who sold most of his tools when we went back to apartment living. This is the ONLY time I have needed torx wrenches since I closed my business, eleven years ago.

Should mine fall apart again, the drivers will be going in a different platform.

 

[Mr Trev]

So a couple of weeks later here is my update:
I got my headband today. It took a while to peel off the pads and change cups. I always find putting these pads back on a PITA.
Anyway, the headphones seem to back in business. I sent pic's of the hardware and my receipts to Shenzhen Audio. A few hours later they PayPal'd me the full amount, which was $60.00 for the headband and $10.00 shipping.
I have to say that I was pretty nervous about setting these headphones up knowing how fragile everything is. But I pulled out my T5 torx wrench and set them up perfectly. Lots of trial and error and I was very careful to just tighten everything finger tight.

I just got a new cable for my Bee planar's and this headband today. Tomorrow they will both be fighting for ear time.

I was thinking hard about selling these, but I am SO tired of selling stuff at a loss. And I do like the sound.

My final thoughts on the SR2's are two fold:

1) They have a great sound and fill a niche in my collection nicely.

And

2) I would never recommend these headphones to anyone. The headband is cheap and flimsy. They are the opposite of sturdy.
And you should NEVER have to buy special tools just to adjust a headband. I am an old guy who sold most of his tools when we went back to apartment living. This is the ONLY time I have needed torx wrenches since I closed my business, eleven years ago.

Good to hear you got reimbursed the cost of the headband. Could you tell if the part that broke on the old band is now metal on the new one?

 

[Shane D]

Good to hear you got reimbursed the cost of the headband. Could you tell if the part that broke on the old band is now metal on the new one?

Without looking I would guess that the headstrap part is still plastic. They were going to change the stops to metal. The new ones might be. I was being SO careful with everything, I can't really say. I was afraid to push, pull or tighten anything too hard. It took some pressure to move the stops and there was rubber left on the rails when I finally did get them moved to the correct place, for me. And that was after loosening the screws a couple of turns.

Hopefully nothing has to be moved, adjusted or tightened for a few years.

 

[jamato8]

Without looking I would guess that the headstrap part is still plastic. They were going to change the stops to metal. The new ones might be. I was being SO careful with everything, I can't really say. I was afraid to push, pull or tighten anything too hard. It took some pressure to move the stops and there was rubber left on the rails when I finally did get them moved to the correct place, for me. And that was after loosening the screws a couple of turns.

Hopefully nothing has to be moved, adjusted or tightened for a few years.

I have the SR2 and the SR3 (the SR3 is superb) and both are all metal for the sliders and other parts. Both the SR2 and SR3 get a lot of use and not gentle in any way and they are hold up great, better than some of my much more expensive headphones like the Pioneer Se-Master1 and a few other name brand phones.

 

[Mhog55]

That's interesting. Mine are undoubtedly plastic. Perhaps they revised the SR2 at some point?

 

[JML]

What might be the best solution if your headband slider is broken is to replace the leather headband assembly with the one from the SR3, which might have metal sliders instead of plastic. The sliders on my SR2 and SR3 are not magnetic, but short of disassembly or an iBasso response, I can't tell for sure if they're metal or not. And I have no problem with my headphones! But I was looking for something else and found that there are several entire replacement headband assemblies on AliExpress, with different designs and pads, which are supposed to fit the SR2 (and other headphones). But all of them involve replacing the yokes, which do not have external screw recesses...

 

[PROblemdetected]

Coming back to my SR2...

Exquisite warm presentation, fantastic for gaming and movies.

 

[TWerk]

Getting pair on wed, will be comparing against my gauntlet of headphones.

 

[paulybatz]

Getting pair on wed, will be comparing against my gauntlet of headphones.

Sweet…do you have cables you can use?
I was surprised at how much better after upgrading to silver they got…but the stick are decent SPC

 

[TWerk]

Sweet…do you have cables you can use?
I was surprised at how much better after upgrading to silver they got…but the stick are decent SPC

Thanks for the comment - looking forward to trying these, I only use stock cables, I hardly ever purchase a separate one.

 

[jamato8]

Sweet…do you have cables you can use?
I was surprised at how much better after upgrading to silver they got…but the stick are decent SPC

I use TWau Whiplash cable, which sadly is no longer available, and with that, they are one of the best headphones I own.

 

[TWerk]

I use TWau Whiplash cable, which sadly is no longer available, and with that, they are one of the best headphones I own.

Seriously? With Utopia, Abyss 1266, HE6, HE90?

Wow, that is some REALLY high praise.

 

[jamato8]

Seriously? With Utopia, Abyss 1266, HE6, HE90?

Wow, that is some REALLY high praise.

The sad thing, myself included, is all too often we equate price with quality and quality of sound. And then manufacturers almost always, seek to give people what they want,, less money less performance. Thankfully iBasso didn't do this.