# Recommend me some sub £45 in ear headphones



## sim667 (Jun 7, 2012)

I've had a couple of pairs of skull candy FMJ's but both have messed up at the connection from the wire to the mini jack, so it's probably a bit of a design fault......

Can anyone recommended me some very good robust ones, I probably use them 2-3 hours a day.

And no I don't want over ear ones, and no I don't want fucking dr dre beats


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## gentlegreen (Jun 7, 2012)

sim667 said:


> I've had a couple of pairs of skull candy FMJ's but both have messed up at the connection from the wire to the mini jack, so it's probably a bit of a design fault......


Why not fix them ?

Buy a stereo jack to jack, chop it in half, shorten it if necessary, bare ends, twist and solder - total cost including soldering iron and tape - a fiver.


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## sim667 (Jun 7, 2012)

gentlegreen said:


> Why not fix them ?
> 
> Buy a stereo jack to jack, chop it in half, shorten it if necessary, bare ends, twist and solder - total cost including soldering iron and tape - a fiver.


 
Because the repair will last 5 minutes.


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## sim667 (Jun 7, 2012)

Plus id have to buy a soldering iron to do it.


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## gentlegreen (Jun 7, 2012)

sim667 said:


> Because the repair will last 5 minutes.


Ballcocks it will.


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## gentlegreen (Jun 7, 2012)

sim667 said:


> Plus id have to buy a soldering iron to do it.


Every home should have one - very cheap. In fact you could quite likely get away without using one.


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## sim667 (Jun 7, 2012)

I am intending on getting one, just never got round to it.

I hate things held together with sticky tape, and If these ones are knackered i might aswell replace them with ones with an in-line mic for my iphone


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## sim667 (Jun 7, 2012)

which i totally forgot to put in the OP


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## QueenOfGoths (Jun 7, 2012)

I've always found Sennheiser ones to be very good - something like these maybe

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-...EU/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1339059361&sr=8-15


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## colacubes (Jun 7, 2012)

I usually get Sennheiser ones. I can't remember the model but I usually spend about £20 on them. I find them comfortable, clear and hard-wearing. I've never yet broken a pair (although I have lost loads ), which is why I don't spend over £20!

ETA - Great minds Quoggy


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## gentlegreen (Jun 7, 2012)

Earphone cables will always fail at the plug. It's only because the Sennheisers I have used recently have an even worse design fault that the plugs didn't have additional strain relief in the form of self-amalgamating rubber tape - another must-have.


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## editor (Jun 7, 2012)

Some earphones use weird metal/fabric cables that are nigh on impossible to solder.


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## sim667 (Jun 7, 2012)

yeah these are a fabric cable.

Turns out there's a 24 month warranty on them, so ill send them back i think


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## gentlegreen (Jun 7, 2012)

This reminds me I need to add a three-pronged jack to the adaptor I made with the crap earphones that came with my old phone to suit the new one ...


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## gentlegreen (Jun 7, 2012)

editor said:


> Some earphones use weird metal/fabric cables that are nigh on impossible to solder.


Without using non-corrosive plumber's flux, or the little pots of bit tinner you can get from Maplins.


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## editor (Jun 7, 2012)

gentlegreen said:


> Without using non-corrosive plumber's flux, or the little pots of bit tinner you can get from Maplins.


My flat is just packed full of  non-corrosive plumber's flux, you know.


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## gentlegreen (Jun 7, 2012)

Actually I can't say I've ever had very much trouble soldering tinsel wires - I've almost certainly done it using only solder.


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## editor (Jun 7, 2012)

gentlegreen said:


> Actually I can't say I've ever had very much trouble soldering tinsel wires - I've almost certainly done it using only solder.


I can tell you categorically that my Sony headphone lead was ruddy unsolderable using a regular soldering iron! And I've soldered lots of things.


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## pesh (Jun 7, 2012)

you need to burn that weird covering off with a naked flame before you try to solder it...


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## grit (Jun 7, 2012)

editor said:


> I can tell you categorically that my Sony headphone lead was ruddy unsolderable using a regular soldering iron! And I've soldered lots of things.


 
Indeed, life is too fucking short, just buy a new pair.


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## gentlegreen (Jun 7, 2012)

That's bonkers - paying that much for phones and not fixing them for nothing.
I wear mine on the bike so they take a real bashing so I've always had to repair my phones a lot in an attempt to get 5 years out of a pair.

I used to like Sennheiser PMX60s - about £20 a pair. Great sound, but but the neckbands fail in sod all time. I was about to buy a third pair, but reinforce them *before* they failed .. but then I heard about these :-

Koss KSC75s at the moment - £13 a pair


They sound very good - titanium coated diaphragms - they have a cult following -  and are even more open than the Sennheisers - to the extent that I'm having to come up with flaps to keep the rain out ... also may need to reinforce the ear clips.

Total opposite of in-ear phones though ..


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## stuff_it (Jun 7, 2012)

Handily enough I noticed this Cnet review earlier today: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57448551-1/best-headphones-for-under-$50/?tag=epicStories

Which also links to their under $100 headphones article: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57410580-1/best-headphones-for-under-$100/


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## baldrick (Jun 7, 2012)

I've got the klipsch image s4 ones from that review. might be slightly out of your budget but i've seen them on sale for £60 occasionally. can't fault them, i've had them for 3 years and still going strong. the case is dented but its held up well.


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## Ted Striker (Jun 8, 2012)

This thread was made for the Klipsch X1's. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002EL3P...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B002EL3P5U

Under £20, the most bulletproof, best sounding headphones I've ever owned, and I've owned lots (up to £150). I've always said if thy ever break it'll be worth it as I've had them 3 years but they show no sign of wear and tear.

I team them with these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Klipsch-Ova...AJTK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1339153816&sr=8-6 as I'm great at losing the tips and the double thingy really locks the tips in and noisey tubes out.

They're also very light, which I instantly notice if I have to put any other earphones in.


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## porno thieving gypsy (Jun 11, 2012)

*Creative EP-630 Noise Isolating Earphones*






Currently just £8 from amazon I can not recommend these highly enough.  Juding by the 1300+ reviews I am not the only one who thinks that either!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-EP...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339413199&sr=1-1


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## gentlegreen (Jun 11, 2012)

Creative stuff is surprisingly good. I always carry a set that came with an MP3 player to use in my tent when I don't want to disturb people.


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## sim667 (Jun 11, 2012)

Well ive returned mine, now to see whether they send me a new pair


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## gentlegreen (Jun 11, 2012)

I realised over the weekend while I was camping next to a stream, that I missed my open-back phones - which are out of the question when there are nearby campers, so I'm now thinking I need a headphone amp with a second input with an electret mic so I can mix in mother nature.


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## sim667 (Jun 12, 2012)

gentlegreen said:


> I realised over the weekend while I was camping next to a stream, that I missed my open-back phones - which are out of the question when there are nearby campers, so I'm now thinking I need a headphone amp with a second input with an electret mic so I can mix in mother nature.


 
Maybe you could design headphones that gently play whale noises over your music whilst your at it.


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## gentlegreen (Jun 12, 2012)

sim667 said:


> Maybe you could design headphones that gently play whale noises over your music whilst your at it.


I do that at home a lot.


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## sim667 (Jun 12, 2012)

I can think of nothing worse.


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## gentlegreen (Jun 12, 2012)

sim667 said:


> I can think of nothing worse.


I don't actually use whale noises, but I have over the years mixed in all sorts of things - including birdsong.
I listen for an hour on my bike with open-back phones and it's sometimes difficult to know if what I'm hearing is the music or outside sounds..


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