Wanted: A Good Pair of Headphones
by E. Christopher Clark | Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Yesterday, aside from getting drenched in an afternoon rainstorm that washed through Boston completely unannounced, I managed to break the fifth or sixth set of headphones I’ve had since buying my iPod four years ago. It isn’t enough that my iPod only works when it feels like working. (Is it July 11 yet?) No, no, no. Now, I have to deal with replacing yet another set of broken cans. Sure, I have a spare pair sitting at home, but they’re old, and they’re quiet, and they sound like I’m listening to my music through a pair of literal tin cans. And it’s not like I can afford to plunk down $10 to $20 on a new set when I’m saving every penny I can in order to afford an iPhone.
But, hey, eventually I will have some dough, and I’m wondering if any of you out there have any recommendations on relatively affordable but relatively high quality headphones. Also, how do you keep these things from breaking so frequently? Maybe I just don’t know how to take care of them. I’m not sure. It’s always the wiring by the headphone jack that seems to crap out on me. I’ve tried a bunch of different brands (all earbuds, because they’re more comfortable for me than the behind-the-ear kind, and because the really big over-the-head kind always seem excessive for walking around) but none has lasted longer than six months since the original pair that came with the iPod. Is it just that I’ve been buying cheap, or is it that the cables are prone to failure no matter what? Let me know.
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Comments
ChrisClark says:
Thanks, Garen. Those look cool. I have very narrow ear canals (or so I’m told by the doc), so I wonder if these will work.
Awesome that yours are still kicking after 3 years. My initial set of ‘phones, the ones that came with the iPod, lasted two years. It’s only since those ones broke and I started buying cheapo pairs that I’ve had bad luck, I guess. I probably should just plop down $25 and buy a decent pair like the ones you mention on Amazon.
beth says:
no, no, no. bose is the only way to go. http://www.bose.com/controller?event=view_product_page_event&product=qc2_headphones_index
not all that affordable, but you get what you pay for.
bose also has the most fantastic earbuds you’ll ever own for a more modest $89.95.
http://www.bose.com/controller?event=view_product_page_event&product=triport_ie_headphones_index
ChrisClark says:
I don’t know that I could ever bring myself to spend $299 on a pair of headphones with the way that I consistently have trouble with headphone wires breaking on me, but those things look SWEET!
Do you know if they get loud enough that people around you can hear them? That’s a major concern of mine, since I’m using them on the bus and there is always the person who asks you to turn things down. While I try to avoid that person in general—you can usually spot them without really trying—I have occasionally sat down next to people who are really obnoxious about it.
Garen Boghosian says:
Chris, I’ve had good luck with Sony MDR-EX71SL. had em about 3 years, no problems. Had a pair of them for about 2.5 years before that, but one side crapped out. They are kinda expensive (50 bucks or so), but amazon has em on sale for 25 now. Best part is they are the kind that fit snugly into your ears, so they kind of act like they are noise canceling.