Can anyone recommend quality, durable headphones ?

[Microcosmia]

I've lost count of the amount of headphones my 16 year old gets through and it doesn't seem to matter what we pay for them they last about 3 months on average before one earphone splits off. We've had Sennheiser, Triton, Turtle Beach, Skullcandy, and Beats, to name but some, end up on the bin. He's not using them roughly, they just snap. So of course a replacement is on the Christmas list again and I'm wary of buying again.
The latest ones were PS4 compatible too so if anyone knows of a durable brand that could be used for PS4/ phone/ ipod all tips would be appreciated.

[robertzombie]

What's your budget?

Does ps4 compatible mean wireless?

[Microcosmia]

@ Robertzombie I would go up to 200 euros if I thought they would be worth it but would rather not have to, of course. Wireless is definitely preferable for gaming too.

[robertzombie]

Wireless will degrade sound quality so it depends where your priorities lie. You might consider a pair with a detachable cable so a longer one can be used when gaming?

What HiFi is a really good resource, as is Head Fi. Check out these articles and go from there. I highly recommend testing headphones in store prior to purchase as they all have different sonic signatures and you'll want a pair that matches your sonic preference.

http://www.whathifi.com/products/headph ... ting_l%3A5

The Audio Technica ATH-M50X and Brainwavz HM5 are extremely popular and built well.

[Drsisters]

For gaming I can recommend, Razer Blackshark. They are built like Peltor headgear and durable, I havn't managed to break mine yet. The dog even managed to get stuck in the cord and run away with them, still works flawless.

F
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-blackshark

[Pista]

On a side note. Don't the headphones have a guarantee?
They shouldn't just fall to bits after 3 months normal use.
You really have to go some to snap headphones these days.
Have a gander at Sony's MDR V6 headphones. Yes, they're old, but they are widely used by radio engineers, broadcasters & DJs (so "pro-quality") & they are cheap. No wireless, but at that price, you can get a few kilometres of extension cables & still be in budget

[robertzombie]

Yes the V6 is a spectacular headphone. I use them in my office rig

[EvilBastard]

He's not using them roughly, they just snap. So of course a replacement is on the Christmas list again and I'm wary of buying again.

At the risk of sounding like my dad, it sounds like maybe your 16-year old is a little rougher on them than they were designed for. My approach would be to buy a pair of middle-of-the-road in-ear buds you can find, shouldn't run you more than $50-70 or so if you need i-phone compatibility, and tell him that when he breaks those he can buy the next pair himself. Could be that headphones that he has to replace will last a lot longer than ones that someone else pays for...

[Microcosmia]

@ evilbastard He actually bought the last ones, the turtle beach ones, himself on Sept 9 th with money he got for his exam results. They were 180. He was aching to get them and I don't think he abused them to be honest. They fell apart yesterday while he was making rice krispie buns in the kitchen so not even strenous activity and not even 3 months this time! They are taped together now and still working for the moment. I don't know what the story is with guarantees to be honest I'll hunt around to see if there are any receipts here.
Some great tips here, he says his priority is gaming so we need to figure if we go with combined headphones for music/games or separate ones

[million voices]

I have Sennheiser HD-580 which I bought when The Sisters were still making records.

They must have been replaced by a newer model but what is good about them, apart from the sound and the long lastingness, is that they fit over the whole ear - enclosed. Also you can fit them in little holes and big holes

I don't know how much abuse they take - I have never tried all head and no phone!

[Microcosmia]

My husband is busy googling all the suggestions right now, He said he thought the V6 was a rocket ! The Razorshark looks promising too. Quite a few I'd never heard of mentioned here thanks everyone.

[robertzombie]

I defy anyone to break the V6.

[eastmidswhizzkid]

in my humble opinion, outside of studio quality gear, skull candy are head and shoulders (well they are headphones) above their competitors, for both ear and headphones. light but much sturdier than beats and heartbeats (dr dre/lady gaga) but half the price and far, far superior clarity and volume. still not cheap mind.

i bought some "syllable" blue-tooth ones with detachable cable. had to buy a blutooth transmitter (£7) as well but both brand new for £20 from ebay. cabled sound better than beats for definite. bluetoothed not much difference. ebay. shop around.

[Pista]

Apologies for the necro but I just bought myself a pair of these


One of the cats ate my last nice ones so I finally decided to ditch the ageing sennheisers for these & have to say I have never heard such deep & detailed bass from a pair of headphones. Let alone something this small.
I did faff about with the different silicon tips to get the best result & wow! I am really happy.
& they will get shut away in a safe place when not in use so as to avoid any feline interventions.

[eastmidswhizzkid]

i've binned off Skull Candy earphones. not because of any decrease in sound quality but because of the very breakable built-in design fault they have of inadequate cable support at the mini-jack. almost all other makes of earphones -JVC, Goodmans, Philips, have a sturdy right-angled protector at the mini-jack which doesnt last as long as it takes to pplug in. in the UK the high-street store B&M has revitalied Goodmans exponentially for not too dear prices. there headphones are around £15-25 depending on whether wired or bluetooth or both. as good quality as Skull Candy for the latter and half the price

[Pista]

These magicsounds have a 60º jack housing for some reason.
But it looks a bit like a pistol, so it's not going to break when being plugged in (I hope)

[Quiff Boy]

I've had these for a couple of years and have no complaints (apart from the noise cancelling unit on the cable that can be a bit clunky)

https://www.whathifi.com/bo/beoplay-h3-anc/review

with some Comply "Isolation" foam plugs.

[mh]

I'm currently using a pair of el-cheapo in-ear JVCs I bought going through an airport a few years back. It was for a walking holiday and I just wanted something that was low enough priced that it wouldn't matter much if I wrecked them.

They'll never pass for hi-fi but the sound is surprisingly cheerful, robust, solid and clear. Far better than they have any right to be considering how little I paid for them. For day-to-day "working" earphones I definitely would shy away from paying much.

[markfiend]

I got myself a nice pair of AKG bluetooth headphones from Richer Snouds just after Christmas https://www.richersounds.com/headphones ... t-blk.html They have a cable for non-bluetooth equipment too.

I've been ver happy with them.

[Quiff Boy]

nice.

i can't wear headphones because the thing that goes over the head fucks my quiff up!

i have to wear earphones.

also, i used to do a lot of travelling for work so noise reduction/cancelling was a must for plains and trains... (less so now, obvs! )

[Pista]

nice.

i can't wear headphones because the thing that goes over the head fucks my quiff up!

i have to wear earphones.

Snap. I can't have my spikes squashed. In-ears all the way here

[Izzy HaveMercy]

https://www.thomann.de/nl/beyerdynamic_ ... 80_ohm.htm

Fantastic studio gear, but the 80 Ohm version is also very suitable to plug in your phone to listen to some Spotify.
Use this for years in the studio, VERY comfy, very good sound, and never had any issues, breakage, whatsoever!

IZ.

[DJElectricDaddy]

I got myself a nice pair of AKG bluetooth headphones from Richer Snouds just after Christmas https://www.richersounds.com/headphones ... t-blk.html

Oh that’s nice to hear Richer Sounds is still in business. Bought all my hifi from them back in ‘the day’. Loved that store.

I have a set f not too spendy around-the-ear Sennheisers in the studio and a set of off-brand Bluetooth earbuds from amazon. The earbuds while not hifi sound amazing deep and present. I think because they fill the ear canal the audio is undiluted they are naturally noise canceling to a degree. At least I can’t hear the wife and kid blathering when I have them in

[DJElectricDaddy]

nice.

i can't wear headphones because the thing that goes over the head fucks my quiff up!

i have to wear earphones.

Snap. I can't have my spikes squashed. In-ears all the way here

Damn gentlemen, wish I still had that problem. Old bald git nowadays.

[markfiend]

I can't be doing with the in-ear ones. They hurt.