What are some more rugged earbuds?

June 1, 2007 11:45 AM

Recommendations for earbuds that can take some abuse.

I seem to be horribly rough on earbuds. I've gone thru about 4 pairs of earbuds within the last couple of years. All of them suffered the fate of what is most likely a broken wire leading to the bud or the minijack. At first it will cut out intermittently and then it will die completely. I've checked the previous earbud posts but they are more focused on people with incompatiable ear canel geometries.

I know that these thing vary wildly in price (I've typically bought in the $8-$15 range). I'm hesistant to spending more if I am going to have to buy another pair in a few months.

posted by mmascolino to shopping (12 comments total)

I have mistreated my Sennheiser MX500's for 5-6 years now and they still work perfectly. $20. Of course, YMMV.
posted by j-dawg at 12:04 PM on June 1, 2007

Well, to a certain point you get what you pay for. I've always bought above the $20 point, and now that I've bought a pair of Shure e2c's for ~$90, I feel they'll last for quite a while. They're very solidly built; I've already dropped them, sat on them, and spilled coffee on them. The bass response isn't that good, but the definition is great. I recommend them. If not them, go for some ~$30 Sony MDR-somethings. These are in-ear types though so if that doesn't work for you.... oops!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 12:04 PM on June 1, 2007

I've been very happy with the Sony MDR-EX71SL/WK Fontopia earbuds. About $27.
posted by jaimev at 12:14 PM on June 1, 2007

Second the Sony Fontopias. I've had much success with them so far (and they sound pretty okay, too).
posted by boreddusty at 12:18 PM on June 1, 2007

Ditto the Fontopias. Older models had really shoddy construction on the wire casings, but the new ones seem more durable. For the price, the sound can't be beat.
posted by mkultra at 12:20 PM on June 1, 2007

I've had 2 pairs of the sony mdr-ex71sl's break on me and I have a pair of E3Cs that are currently in the mail to Shure for warranty repair after the left ear stopped working. I would love a good sounding pair of durable headphones too, but I haven't found them yet.
posted by brgale at 12:22 PM on June 1, 2007

I have a pair of Ultimate Ears (a couple pairs, actually). I've had this happen to mine, and luckily, you can just replace the cables. (Buy them on eBay -- much cheaper.)

Solution: Find a pair with replaceable cables.
posted by qvtqht at 1:32 PM on June 1, 2007

Sorry, I missed the price range at first. The "Solution" part of my comment still stands.
posted by qvtqht at 1:34 PM on June 1, 2007

Stop coiling or wrapping the earphone cable around the player when you store it. This is what generally causes the breakage at the minijack.

I've been using the Sony MDR-J10 earbuds that hook over the ear. They look a bit dorky but sound better than the other cheap earbuds I've used and stay on better when active.
posted by Manjusri at 1:42 PM on June 1, 2007

I love my Sony earbuds. They cost a bit more than the basic headphones (NZ$40 instead of NZ$25) but are worth it because they last.

The reasons they rule: the cord is kind of knitted cord rather than solid plastic so it bends a lot without stretching, the bits that attach the wires to the ears is flexible plastic rather than a solid join (preventing the cord breaks that ruin so many earbuds), and the sound is noticeably superior to the basic versions. I also like the slightly long cord (1.2 metres instead of the usual 1) and they fit my ears nicely. Oh and they're hella loud which is great for drowning out annoying people in the bus :D

Whatever kind you buy look for the flexible rubber join at the ears, that is what stopped me breaking my earphones every few months and is why I pay for these more expensive ones.
posted by shelleycat at 6:53 PM on June 1, 2007

Oh, mine have a bendy protectoring bit by the minijack too, so it's a lot harder to break the cord there. I've managed it once though when I caught the cord on a doorknob and yanked them out of my ears really hard, but that would probably break anything.
posted by shelleycat at 6:55 PM on June 1, 2007

Dittoing E2Cs. I was rough enough with mine that a 10$ pair would break within a few months, but I've had the E2Cs for over a year now, and I can't stand using any other type because the in-ear definition is just that amazing. Plus the wire is sturdy - noticeably less flimsy than the 10-20$ variety.

Although the iPod earphones are the first set that I haven't broken within half a year, and I was therefore suitably impressed by apple while I was still impressionable. Those are much cheaper, obviously, if sound quality isn't a big issue. They do have flexible protector bit at the minijack that shelleycat mentions, and they're a huge help.
posted by Phire at 7:32 PM on June 2, 2007