The really, really annoying earpud problem.

[That One Damn Guy]

So...

 

I've been having a problem for years, all of my earbuds all of a sudden just break after 5-7 months. It's always one of two things:

a)sound is coming from one side

b)sound gets weirdly distorted - quit, echoing vocals, no bass

 

This always happens. One second I'm listening to music perfectly fine, the next second -BAM- broken, just like that. I know it's the earbuds, as they are broken in every device I plug them in.

 

My question is - is it normal? Is it just a normal thing that happens to all earbuds? Because I can't believe I have to buy new earbuds every half year. I buy 20-30$ earbuds, granted they aren't high end, but those can't be cheap and shity, right? I even once bought 70$ earbuds ... lasted a year.

Please hep, It's REALLY annoying and expensive.

[Mateyo]

Well, you see, some use it as a trick to make you buy more of their product and some are just thought out badly, for example the materials, if you want them to stay longer I'd use some sleeving and roll them up in a band around 10cm (3 inches for ya 'muricans) in diameter so they don't snap.

 

Those things are really fragile, and as you said, the more expencive ones lasted about 2 times as long. So I'd use those and use these tips

[mynameisjuan]

Well sound coming from one side indicates a damaged wire, either from being pulled or kinked too much. To be honest it sounds like you are too rough with them. I have had multiple pair for years with no problems.

[mynameisjuan]

1 minute ago, Mateyo said:

Well, you see, some use it as a trick to make you buy more of their product

No....wear and tear kills them. Im sick of everyone blaming everything on companies intentionally breaking their stuff. 

[Mateyo]

1 minute ago, mynameisjuan said:

No....wear and tear kills them. Im sick of everyone blaming everything on companies intentionally breaking their stuff. 

I said SOME, SOME companies, but this is just a matter of storing and wearing, like we both said.

[KenjiUmino]

i guess you and cables don't go well together

[mynameisjuan]

1 minute ago, Mateyo said:

I said SOME, SOME companies, but this is just a matter of storing and wearing, like we both said.

Still no. This is hardware with no electronics, just wiring. Either cheap with no braided wires or not with braided wires. One wears down faster. Nothing at all with intentionally breaking shit to force us to buy more. 

[That One Damn Guy]

5 minutes ago, mynameisjuan said:

To be honest it sounds like you are too rough with them.

Well... I use earbuds all the time, as I live in a loud house. I frequently switch one earbud between two laptops and my phone. Although I pull them out pretty gently.

The other thing is I put them in my school bag every day, I roll them up a bit and put them in a different segment of the bag from the books and other stuff.

I wouldn't say I use them too roughly, more like I use the A LOT.

[That One Damn Guy]

11 minutes ago, KenjiUmino said:

i guess you and cables don't go well together

It's a... one sided relationship

[michaelocarroll007]

44 minutes ago, That One Damn Guy said:

So...

 

 

What about Wireless like Airpods Sounds like most of yours are breaking due to wire Failure. There pice is not bad compared to the competetion but there are a few cheaper alternatives. but as someone looking to keep them for a few years id not buy cheap $50 knock offs either. Some Sort of wired wiresless headphones are much cheaper with good build also 

 

I Think most people Ruin them before they break due to the manuf.  so some of the cheaper ones build quality are not as great for the reason people wont keep them for 3 years. ( Average Person sounds like maybe not you.) 

 

I know so many people who leave them in pockets send them in the washer, lose them somewhere or often pull the wire too hard and or keep them in the pocket all tangled in general. where most break to the users fault and they just buy $10-30 pairs knowing they will do all these things.

 

 

Or go for Headphones for the house and Cheap $20 earphones on the go. The cheap ones should last longer due to less use and the Headphones shouldnt really ever break 

[kokakolia]

It's normal for earphones to break after several months! 

 

You have to use a pouch. And you have to gently roll up the cable, making sure you don't put strain on the wire. 

[AAJoe]

Buy a pair of earbuds/IEMs with a detachable cable. Then you just replace the cable as it breaks. Victory.

[aezakmi]

buy sony or sennheiser, avoid apple earbuds as those are made to last for a year so you get a new pair every year oh and don't tangle the cable too much

[KenjiUmino]

18 hours ago, kokakolia said:

It's normal for earphones to break after several months! 

really?

 

i had a lot of of headphones break on me in the past but my sennheiser CX are still alive - i bought them over 5 years ago

 

also my big headphones - all of them not particularly expensive - are still perfectly fine even after i ran over the wires with my desk chair a few times.

[AAJoe]

Headphones tend to last longer than earbuds/IEMs due to better construction. IEMs and the like have to focus on keeping things light, so the materials aren't as sturdy. Also, people really tend to go cheap on IEMs (20 dollar earbuds are even more common than 20 dollar headphones) so that compounds the issue.