The SA6 '09 cable makes everything worse
Mar 23, 2010 at 7:47 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 9

lampee

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Hi eeverybody!

I'm here because I want everybody to know that the cable does not perform very well. I bought a second hand SA6, and I was really impressed with the sound quality of this little piece of gear. After a week or so, the cable of the left earplug started cracking, and after a while no sound came out. I repaired it with some soldering and hot glue. Everything was great again, except the look, but who cares if it sounds so great. After another week, the right cable cracked. I have to add to the story, that I always kept the earphones in the case, not a single time in pocket so no chance of cracking. Now I knew the process how to repair it. Soldering + hot glue. Everything was back to normal. The repair process was on Friday, now another part of the cable is cracked (it's tuesday). The sound comes back once in a while, but it's really annoying, that an earphone with such great sound quality has such a bad cable.
I don't think I made anything good, or started a move towards a better cable, but I hope somebody will think about it.
BTW I have a fake ipod in-ear earplug, and I have been using it for over a year now, and still no cable issue.
I hope you don't suffer as much as I do with it.

Good listening,

Lampee
 
Apr 25, 2010 at 1:16 AM Post #2 of 9
The cable on my 09 model just broke today. It's nice to have removable cables, so a break in the cable isn't catastrophically expensive, but having cables that break this easily and often really defeats the purpose. I like the way the SA6 is so small, has adjustable sound, and sounds great for the price. But with the poor build quality, I'll probably look elsewhere when I eventually have to replace these completely.
 
Apr 30, 2010 at 11:00 PM Post #3 of 9
Does anyone know if Sleek Audio changed their cables again? I got my replacement cable today from Sound Earphones, and it isn't the same as the one I had before. The cable for the 09 model I had before had a straight plastic piece on the plug and one on the Y separator. The one I just got has rubbery material on the jack, Y connector, and plugs. Is this an updated version? The area where the last one broke certainly seems more robust...
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 12:33 AM Post #6 of 9
Not sure if the claim cables are being replaced despite out of warranty are valid anymore.
 
Called SA support number this week and was told the cable has 90 day warranty and will have to buy one, it will not be replaced under warranty. My SA6 has still 2 months warranty left on it from two years.
 
The people have expressed already enough about the cable issue in this forum and I don't wand to add more
 
Have seen similar feedback on Amazon.com.
 
Jun 12, 2010 at 12:53 AM Post #7 of 9
Not sure if the claim cables are being replaced despite out of warranty are valid anymore.
 
Called SA support number this week and was told the cable has 90 day warranty and will have to buy one, it will not be replaced under warranty. My SA6 has still 2 months warranty left on it from two years.
 
The people have expressed already enough about the cable issue in this forum and I don't wand to add more
 
Have seen similar feedback on Amazon.com.
 
Sep 23, 2010 at 9:39 PM Post #8 of 9
Yes, these headphone cables are, in fact, hot garbage. Sleek replacing them out of warranty, is noble, but essentially an admission to the fact that the build is shoddy - in my opinion. And it's a shame at that, because the idea of detachable IEM's and individual replacement parts is brilliant - and really, I like the SA-1 - it has a nice soundscape and it's a deal for the money - except of course for the headphone cable, and that sort of defeats the purpose.  I'm admittedly rough on cables, but the first set that I went through lasted me all of 3 or so weeks, when the average $20 set will last me two to three months. Which brings me to my next point - I specifically found sleek-audio IEM's by Googling for alternatives and solutions to the $10 a month cable issue. I came up with the replaceable cable/W-1 solution. Awesome - kudos to me, hell kudos to Sleek for developing their otherwise excellent EIM's. When the package arrived in the mail for the low price of $180 bucks (plus $40 effing duty. Canada, yall - what a bitch) I was stoked. Much to my dismay, I dripped sweat in the W-1 headpiece and shorted that in a few weeks, then the headphone cable stopped responding in one ear within a few more weeks. What. A. Bummer. - My first impression of the headphones were that they in themselves looked like an impressive build and impressive sound, but having gone through 50 plus headsets in my life, I just knew the quality of that cable was supect. And I was right. Having said that, the W-1 is actually incredibly cheap and flimsy as well - I just know that the dongle is going to smash into a million pieces next time I drop my phone - it's inevitable. 
 
 Sleeks Customer Service was, um, okay. No one replied to my first request via the website, nor did they reply to my second email, however, I eventually got in touch and got replacements for both the W-1 and the cables. The replacement dongle I was sent was clearly refurbished, but that's protocal for most companies - and my stuff works. For now. 
 
 Message to Sleek: Um, what the hell man. Why put so much TLC into your IEM's and turn around and completely crap the bed on your build quality for everything they attach to? For what greater good? It doesn't benefit your customers. It doesn't help your reputation as a company. It almost feels like a ploy to sell replacement parts. 
  Would you like to make this customer happy? Get your product designers to make indestructable headphone cables - i'll give you $200 dollars for them. That's a bargain for me. Additionally, re-work the design of the W-1 - it's flimsy and reeks of cheapness. I'll be surprised if the replacement lasts me two months. 
 Just some advice - don't take it with a grain of salt - take it seriously. I can't recommend your product right now. I would like to in the future. And hey, every young company goes through growing pains, but when you start to develop a rep for having garbage cables, people will avoid your product.
 
Dec 5, 2010 at 9:18 AM Post #9 of 9
As the original poster notes...why it is that expensive earphones seems to have cable problems...I have a pair of blackberry easrphones that I use alot which I don't even give a second thought to..they're stuffed in my pocket every day and lasted almost a year, yet when I had a pair of sa6's the cable died within a week even though I handled them like the crown jewels
 

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