Plastic hinges on modern headphones

Comments

• lichtmetzger@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  This is the second time these broke on my WH1000-XM5’s. At least they’re easily replacable by just removing a few screws and dropping in a new one.

  Compared to that, this bad boy is over 30 years old and never broke once - thanks to a headband which is made out of metal. Despite that, it’s even more comfortable than Sony’s modern one:

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  • whaleross@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

    I have a pair of AKG 240 of the same age if not a bit older that have seen plenty of other headphones come and go. Not the best headphones in any other categories but damn the most reliable and durable of studio cans ever built.

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  • TheReanuKeeves@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

    Those are over 30 years old???

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    • prettybunnys@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

      Yeah dude if they’re 30 years old I feel like 2 “easy” replacements is … good.

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  • tal@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

    The older headphones there don’t look like you can rotate the pads, yeah? I mean, it’s that rotating hinge which failed here.

    I guess one could say “well, I don’t want headphones with rotating pads”, but it’s that rotation that lets the XM5 headphones fit into a fairly-flat carrying case.

    I will say, though, that the XM5s probably weren’t going to last over 30 years, if for no other reason than because they use an internal battery…

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• UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

  Built to Fail: The story of 21st century consumer technology.

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• EpicFailGuy@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

  Just had the same problem with my LucidSound LS45 … the headband is metal, I saw the recommendation to get them in one of those “buy it for life” threads so I did …

  Turns out that the end caps of the headband are plastic and prone to breaking … I was able to save them by buying a non working “parts only” set on eBay and replacing the parts

  This thing has been with me for 8 years and counting … they’ve been along for 3 motherboards, 2 cars and 6 girlfriends LOL

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• CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

  That just looks like a terrible design. The background joint looks as if all the pressure of the ear cup is pressing outward on that exact spot where the foreground joint broke since it’s at that weird angle with no other support.

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• Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  My XM4s are still holding up after 3 years and are definitely beefier than this.

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  • zakobjoa@lemmy.world ⁨13⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago

    XM2 going on 6 years and multiple hours every day. Ear pads replaced like twice.

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• foodandart@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

  Steel stick. Set with krazy glue first, so it’s aligned then get the steel stick and mix up a marble-sized ball and mold it around the break. Leave to harden for 24 hours. Shit’s amazing.

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• Fermion@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Sony parts prices are insane. The urethane pleather on my headband started cracking on my xm4’s. A replacement headband was half the price of a new unit. So I ended up getting a silicone cover that will hopefully keep the pieces from flaking off into my hair.

  I hate having something designed to be somewhat repairable but practically speaking it isn’t due to pricing.

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  • foodandart@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

    I have found that the backing cloth under the pleather is durable as hell. Take some masking tape and do a wrap around your fingers - sticky side out like you’re gonna de-lint a shirt - and use it to pull off the peeling pleather. Took me all of 20 minutes to get my ancient Denons free of the peeling pleather…

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    • Fermion@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

      I already bought 3rd party replacement pads, but I’ll keep that trick in mind for the future.

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• Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

  I’m pretty sure I almost bought those years ago. Instead I bought the Seinheiser PXC 550. This was 2018. I’ve had to replace the ear padding once. Which was super easy. They just unclip, and the new ones clip right in.

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  • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

    I have a pair of PXC 550 as well from 2017 and they’re still going strong too though I don’t use them every day.

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• Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago

  I have a set of Soundcore Q20i that I use anything rough (travel and such) and they’ve held up like champs.

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