[DeadByDawn]

So the part they call the head band snapped (dont ask) and i need to get it replaced.
It a very simple plastic piece. The phones, head padding, and another piece of plastic just slide and snap in.

I called Sennheiser, and the piece costs 95 dollars (not including shipping)!!!!!
I cant imagine it costs more than 10 cents to manufacturer. Thats almost 1/3 of what i paid for them when you add shipping.

I cant bring myself to do it, but i dont know if have a choice.
Its either 95 or 325 for a new pair.
I feel kinda burned and disapointed in Sennheiser. Am i wrong?
What should i do?

 

[Gbjerke]

haha thats a rediculous price, is there even any electronics going through the headband? the have a Y cable dont they?

 

[Rock n Rolla]

is there any chance you could post some pictures?

maybe we can solve it right here

btw did it break from a factory defect... just yes or no

 

[DeadByDawn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gbjerke /img/forum/go_quote.gif haha thats a rediculous price, is there even any electronics going through the headband? the have a Y cable dont they?

Nothing electronic. Its a piece of plastic with the foam, then another plastic strip. The second plastic strip covers the adjustable metal parts that slide into it. Those metal parts are attached to the headphones.

I could probably fix them with some good ducttape and some hangar wire to slide inside to give it a firm form. But this is bullsh**. I spend 320+ on some high end cans and they cant take care of me? Its not the money for me, its the principal of it all. If it was 30 dollars plus shipping i could swallow that. But 95 + shipping? Lets say 20 dollars for shipping with insurance both ways (115 dollars for a cheap peace of plastic!!!!
I've owned sennheiser products for as long as i remember and have been a brand loyalist. This is just a slap in the face.

 

[Rock n Rolla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadByDawn /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nothing electronic. Its a piece of plastic with the foam, then another plastic strip. The second plastic strip covers the adjustable metal parts that slide into it. Those metal parts are attached to the headphones. I could probably fix them with some good ducttape and some hangar wire to slide inside to give it a firm form. But this is bullsh**. I spend 320+ on some high end cans and they cant take care of me? Its not the money for me, its the principal of it all. If it was 30 dollars plus shipping i could swallow that. But 95 + shipping? Lets say 20 dollars for shipping with insurance both ways (115 dollars for a cheap peace of plastic!!!! I've owned sennheiser products for as long as i remember and have been a brand loyalist. This is just a slap in the face.

you should call and explain this to them

 

[DeadByDawn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock n Rolla /img/forum/go_quote.gif is there any chance you could post some pictures? maybe we can solve it right here btw did it break from a factory defect... just yes or no

It wasn't a factory defect. it literally snapped right in the middle in two. I am not sure we can really solve other than some McGyver fixit tips. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Post some pics and see if anyone has a DIY solution. I doubt you can get perfect cosmetics DIY, but there ought to be a way to get them functional again.

Also, I wouldn't fault Sennheiser for the cost. The part - considering manufacturing and overhead - is not free. Further, they have to pay a tech to disassemble the good parts and reassemble rhe headphones. Considering labor, parts, payroll tax, a place to perform the repair, taxes, etc. there is a cost of performing the work. You don't mention the price outside of shipping, but I doubt they make that much money from it.

Except for the auto industry, most companies don't count on repair as a profit center. They probably charge enough to break even plus a small amount of profit.

Another option is to put your HD-650 up for sale here. Someone will buy it for the drivers and grilles. Or someone might be happy with a DIY repair if you aren't. You could deduct that from the cost of a new one.

 

[1Time]

There is a proper way to adjust your HD650, HD600, and HD580.

If under warranty, Sennheiser should repair your HD650 for free.

 

[DeadByDawn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Post some pics and see if anyone has a DIY solution. I doubt you can get perfect cosmetics DIY, but there ought to be a way to get them functional again. Also, I wouldn't fault Sennheiser for the cost. The part - considering manufacturing and overhead - is not free. Further, they have to pay a tech to disassemble the good parts and reassemble rhe headphones. Considering labor, parts, payroll tax, a place to perform the repair, taxes, etc. there is a cost of performing the work. You don't mention the price outside of shipping, but I doubt they make that much money from it. Except for the auto industry, most companies don't count on repair as a profit center. They probably charge enough to break even plus a small amount of profit. Another option is to put your HD-650 up for sale here. Someone will buy it for the drivers and grilles. Or someone might be happy with a DIY repair if you aren't. You could deduct that from the cost of a new one.

I get the overhead of doing this kind of business, but Sennheiser does enough volume that it shouldn't be that high to the consumer. If it was 30 dollars it would be tolerable. You cant just look at the repair business, cause it probably operates at a loss. You have to look at the company as a whole if you want to get into touch costs, inventory, etc.

 

[DeadByDawn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is a proper way to adjust your HD650, HD600, and HD580. If under warranty, Sennheiser should repair your HD650 for free.

Yeah... I am a year over the warranty.

 

[UglyJoe]

Wait, so you got a price quote on a repair? Just get a price quote on the new part and have them ship that to you. Fix it yourself... Should be a lot cheaper, I'd think.

 

[RockCity]

One reason Sennheiser overcharges individual parts is they do not want people to assemble full headphones from OEM. Sennheiser headphones are fully modular meaning almost all the parts are user replaceable. Going with their catalog, you can buy two HD650 drivers for under a benjamin; if you have a headband and a pair of pads then you'd already have the full headphone. Consequently, this would defeat the $499 MSRP tag. The labor/opportunity cost argument is moot for Sennheiser because one time I asked for a pair of HD650 grills for my HD600. They wanted $44 a piece, meaning each grill costs the same as a driver.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

I guess I got incredibly lucky then. I bought a Sennhesier HD 600 from a Head-Fi member in the Philippines a few months ago, and I noticed upon its arrival that it had two minuscule cracks on the edge of the headband.

I emailed Sennheiser and told them everything (I'm not sure if I showed them the pics of it), including the fact that I bought them from somebody else. I did state however that the warranty was probably still valid, because the original owner got them not-so-long ago.

A few weeks later, once they got the headband in stock, they shipped a new one out to me, free of charge and everything. I didn't have to provide any evidence or documentation.

Maybe try again, and this time be more assertive with them? Or maybe hopefully you'll get a different person to take care of it for you.

 

[dcpoor]

i heard they charge a flat rate of $65 for repairs.

 

[charliex]

Not much different than an automobile repairshop. $15.00 part + flat rate of $85.00 hour labour = $100.00 best to get the part and repair it yourself.