Recurring theme with all headphones dying - audio cuts out of one earcup

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Jellylesg

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So I'm on what must be my sixth pair of circumaurals and am starting to get bothered by a trend in all my headphones - every one of them has died by having the audio gradually cut in and out of an earcup until it eventually stops working altogether.

I'm pretty sure it's a connection/wiring issue as they've all had a single connection point to the left earcup, but I don't know how to stop it happening. Some last for years before it sets in, like my ATH A-700s, but some last only 6 months or so, like my JVC HRX500s or whatever they were called.

I think it's an issue with the cord becoming twisted over time, but I am usually pretty vigilant about letting them hang every so often and spin until they reach their untwisted state. Every one of them has come out of my tower around to the left (on the floor) and up over my left shoulder.

Starting to piss me off and looking for a solution that doesn't involve re-cabling with a coiled cord - these Medusas just aren't worth it. It's got to the point where I'm reluctant to splash out on any good ones as I'm afraid of this happening for the fifth or sixth time. Having to jiggle the cable or hold my head a certain way to get the audio to come back in is getting fairly tedious.
 
I've had my HD650's and Beyerdynamic DT 880's for years and years and no problems to speak of.

I will say that gamer headphones and other garbage like that probably aren't made for durability. I've seen these kinds of headphones (Turtle Beach for instance) die for the most innate reasons while a good pair of high quality headphones can really last you a lifetime with proper care and management.
 
Godmachine said:
I've had my HD650's and Beyerdynamic DT 880's for years and years and no problems to speak of.

I will say that gamer headphones and other garbage like that probably aren't made for durability. I've seen these kinds of headphones (Turtle Beach for instance) die for the most innate reasons while a good pair of high quality headphones can really last you a lifetime with proper care and management.
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I've not had the budget to get a new set of comparable quality to the ATH A-700s for a while, but this issue has happened across both expensive and cheap headsets - the ATs, Sennheiser HD270s, the aforementioned JVCs and this pair of Speedlink Medusa NX shits. The longest-lasting beside the ATs were actually my oldest pair, original Icemat Siberias, so I do think it's in the nature of headphones with a single hard-wired cable line rather than being subject to build quality.

Really just looking for a brand that isn't susceptible to this (like ones that are detachable from the cups rather than being hardwired, or have a swivelling attachment) or any solutions anyone else has come up with in terms of customisation, if they've encountered the same thing.
 
Jellylesg said:
I've not had the budget to get a new set of comparable quality to the ATH A-700s for a while, but this issue has happened across both expensive and cheap headsets - the ATs, Sennheiser HD270s, the aforementioned JVCs and this pair of Speedlink Medusa NX shits. The longest-lasting beside the ATs were actually my oldest pair, original Icemat Siberias, so I do think it's in the nature of headphones with a single hard-wired cable line rather than being subject to build quality.

Really just looking for a brand that isn't susceptible to this (like ones that are detachable from the cups rather than being hardwired, or have a swivelling attachment) or any solutions anyone else has come up with in terms of customisation, if they've encountered the same thing.
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Do you coil up your headphone cables when not in use? If so, I'd bet you're coiling audio cable like most people "coil" Edison 120V extension cords. Am I right?
 
This is a common problem with headphones. Specific to the cheaper variety however.

I have had Stax ear speakers that were over 30 years old working fine.
 
If you can solder it's a really easy and cheap fix or you can do what you mentioned and make the cable detachable for a few dollars.
 
I don't recall this ever happening to any of my headphones. That includes me snagging the cord with my foot and launching the headphones across the room, having them slam into the opposite wall. Also standing on the cord as I sit up in my chair and having them ripped off my head.

If you're looking for something on the cheaper end of things, check out the Sony XB700 or XB500.
 
GotNoRice said:
I don't recall this ever happening to any of my headphones. That includes me snagging the cord with my foot and launching the headphones across the room, having them slam into the opposite wall. Also standing on the cord as I sit up in my chair and having them ripped off my head.

If you're looking for something on the cheaper end of things, check out the Sony XB700 or XB500.
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I've seen cable-rot from both headphones and cables from the old "pull/wrap around your hand/arm method". The wiring metal fatigues out from repeated bending rather than coiling. You can wreck the nicest of cables from wrapping/bending than coiling....hence why I ask.
 
A few Sennheiser models have easily replaceable cables, it isn't instantly evident since you have to remove the cup to see it but it's not a big chore and the cables are readily available. I'm sure there's quite a few other brands with even easier to replace cables.
 
Skripka said:
Do you coil up your headphone cables when not in use? If so, I'd bet you're coiling audio cable like most people "coil" Edison 120V extension cords. Am I right?
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I don't, no - I leave them hanging from a hook (really an angle-poise lamp in a horseshoe shape) with the cable left loose and with lots of play hanging below it.
 
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