Durable Earbuds?

[Rachael]

I go through earbuds like crazy. I don't know what I do wrong, but the plastic coating on the wires always breaks, especially around the point where the wires connect to the hard plastic of the earphone. I don't think that I am particularly rough on them. I like having a good sound, so I tend to purchase some nicer models- my most recent pair are the Shure SE210. But now, much to my sadness, these are starting to break too! So I guess my question is kind of a two part-er... what do you guys do to keep your earphones in tip-top shape, and do you have any particular models to recommend that tend to be a bit more durable and might last longer in the hands of someone who seems to have a bit of bad luck, earphone-wise?

 

[Baked]

Sounds like you're pulling the headphone outta your ear all the time, which puts stress on the wire near the ear piece, causing it to fall out. If you do that to your earbuds, it doesn't really matter what you get, they'll all break with enough abuse. Try to take them off by the earpiece, not tucking on the wires.

 

[Rachael]

I'm trying not to do that, but thanks for the advice. Anyone have any suggestions of particularly durable products though?

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: Rachael
I'm trying not to do that, but thanks for the advice. Anyone have any suggestions of particularly durable products though?

Dunno, those Shures you shredded have pretty thick wiring. Dont know of earbuds that are thicker that wont cost a fortune. I know of some that are made of braided cabling but they cost 500 and up.

 

[potato28]

Get a pair of earbuds that has replaceable cables. I think some of the UE's have this, you would have to check though.

 

[vi edit]

http://www.amazon.com/Maximo-i...arphones/dp/B000LFZ6OE

iMetals - I picked these up for $15 on w00t! a week ago. Pretty nice headphones for the money. They are metal and have a metal post where the wires connect to the earbud. Also has a metal reinforced post that plugs into the MP3 player.

They sound fairly decent and are incredibly comfortable.

And to top it off- lifetime warranty.

 

[Rachael]

Originally posted by: potato28
Get a pair of earbuds that has replaceable cables. I think some of the UE's have this, you would have to check though.

Replaceable cables definitely sound like something that would be useful for me, thanks! I'll check that out!

 

[Muse]

I've been using Etymotics ER4S earbuds exclusively since 1999. I have two pairs now. They aren't cheap (they were almost $300), but they are tough. I used to go through earphones, portable earphones I mean, constantly, and have repaired them many many times, buying plugs, using my solder iron, etc. etc. These Etymotics have never failed me. I anticipated that one day there would be a discontinuity in the wiring, like always happens with my headphones but it's yet to happen. One time one of the drivers failed, and IIRC, Etymotics replaced it for free. I use at least one pair of these a few times a week at my workouts, so they have definitely proved dependable. They came with replacement buds, which I have to switch out occasionally because they get loose eventually and stay in your ear when you pull out the buds!

I bought mine at headphones.com, which at the time was the best price I could find. There's other cheaper models of Etymotics earbuds now, and I don't know how they match up. These sound really really good.

 

[KeithTalent]

If you know anybody with a Zune, they come with phones that seem to be extremely durable. The cord is threaded somehow and I find them much more durable than my CX300s. I've actually put my 300s aside since I purchased my Zune and have just been using the included Zune headphones instead, I quite like them.

Not sure if you can buy them anywehre separately, but maybe some Zune owner will be willing to part with theirs.

KT