After using them for a bit.. anything to add as far as.. durability? Degradation of materials, or audio quality?
1021514
I've had mine for maybe 6 months or so and I like them. They are much more comfortable for me for extended listening periods. The stock pads start to get hard and brittle for me. These have stayed comfortable. They do change the sound of your headphones. They are not reflective to higher pitches like the stock ones are, and they don't seal around your ear as well, so pretty much the entire tonal range is affected. The lack of reflection changed the mids and highs for me to a degree - the sound feels slightly "thinner" to me. The fact that they don't seal around your ear as well affects the low bass response. There is noticeably less low bass. It is still good, but definitely different. With the changes in sound, I find that I turn the volume up one notch and turn up the bass one notch over what I did with the old ear pads. So, don't get me wrong, I like these ear pads, and I still like the sound of my headphones, but they do change the sound slightly. It's just something to be aware of. Otherwise, they are definitely more comfortable and have been holding up well for me.
1021515
I own a pair, and man, the bass resonates better than the leather pads, as if your head is actually vibrating. The clarity is great, the pads are extremely comfortable. About a year and not a single sign of wear and tear. They are also extremely warm and second as a good pair of winter earmuffs. The only problem is with hairs, they like to stick in the felt, but thats not a problem if you have a case or minimal pets.
1021516
I've used them for a couple of months, averaging about 4 days per week at say 5 hours per day (I listen at work). They've held up quite well - no noticeable wear and no sound degradation to my ears. They may have lost a little (emphasis on little) bit of loft, but that's probably to be expected. Still as comfortable as when I first purchased them though.
1021517
Everything is rock olid after 2 years use. However the earpads have cracked and worn down, which I replaced.
599857
Since mine have not broke I cannot be sure - but I can say, without hesitation that these earbuds far and away blow past anything I have owned or seen as far as construction - durable cloth cord, heavy-gauge zipper plus more, over-all thought to construction seem to have been a primary goal in production. I hope this helps but I don't have a direct confirmation on longevity.
748128
I've bought these in the past 6 months and to be honest I haven't had any problems. Sound great to me. Then again I am no audiophile. Just using them for a simple setup for my record player.
569657
They are amazingly effective. They will make your headphones sound better by sealing in base and locking out noise. I use them almost exclusively at the gym and sweat a lot. They have a limited lifespan though, and they will rip after a while. Buy a package of 3 and they will last about 3-4 months depending on how rough on them you are. Hope this helps.
1083827
I haven't really sweat a lot in them. The foam is pretty thin, so I'm a bit worried about how long they'll last in general, but they're replaceable, so probably not a big deal. Sound is good, unless you require monster bass.
292768
I had issues with their durability. They fell apart after 2 weeks. Hope that helps.
1111727
Are you listening to digital or analog recording? I have only listened to digital music with these, and they have had good response. Not having ever used say a $300 pair of headphones; I don't know how they would compare. They do beat the small earbuds by far; and are not too bad to sit for extended times on the head. You will have to sit up though, these are not that comfortable reclined or lying down.
258863
They are middle to low quality. They work great, and if you are just using it for fun and to mess around they are perfect. But honestly the quality compared to what you CAN get is very lackuluster, and would suggest some good quality studio pair instead.
1289299
I've had these headphones for a few months now and they appear to be fairly sturdy. I don't have any idea about the longevity of them, but it's worth the modest investment risk to take the chance.
850210
I've had mine for about a year and they were wonderful. Had a great sound and were comfortable for a few hours of use. They're great headphones and I still own them.
53491
The earbuds that came with my phone lasted about a year before the earpieces began to come apart. It was my own fault though. I carried them in my bag without a case or any other protection. So they were constantly being crushed against other things. I would say if you have or can get the originals, take good care of them. It really is hard to replace that quality without spending too much money.
391360
The sound quality of these headphones is not the greatest. I would imagine excessive use will destroy them in due time. I would go with a more reputable brand like Bose.
457069
I thought it was just me! I got my pair in summer '07, and they failed less than a year later. I had them replaced via Shure, and now the replacements have failed again. I don't use them excessively - they just seem to wear out. Other than the high probability of failure, these headphones are awesome.
354371
Overall sound is very good. Bass is a bit heavy but not over the top. They certainly feel solid and look well built. I haven't had them long enough to know if they will last a long time.My bet is they will last with some decent treatment/storage
1564902
You have to take a close look at them and feel if they're flimsy. Then the true test is listening. If any of those things are bad, send them back! Try nomoretack.com. They're from Beats and sell for 50-60 bucks.
332323
I don't use them because they don't sound good, so I don't know if they are durable. For noise-reducing earbuds, I would recommend buying Panasonic RP-HC55-S Noise-Cancelling Earbud Headphones instead.
1681797
They are somewhat sturdy, if that has any meaning at all. The speakers themselves are held onto the headband with plastic hinges, nothing about it is metal aside from the screws, so they may not survive more than a few falls. The mic boom's hinge will wear out easily. The headphone itself does have a fair amount of clamping force, however it should be comfortable for extended use IF you don't wear glasses