There's a brand in Brazil, called Kuba[1], selling a self-repairable, upgradable headphones called Disco for a while now. Originally wired, they're releasing a Bluetooth version and old models are upgradable to the new wireless protocol (owners just need to buy the new Bluetooth arc).
Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
171–180 of 239 posts
Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#172I stopped reading at “Vegan Leather”. Can we call it what it is? Plastic.
Why dont we call leather what it is - chemically treated skin Because we're allowed to put words to new uses Language is open-source
>Why dont we call leather what it is - chemically treated skin
Because that's literally the definition of leather: "a material made from the skin of an animal by tanning or a similar process."
You may as well argue we should call headphones "a pair of earphones joined by a band placed over the head, for listening to audio signals such as music or speech."
Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#173Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#174A lot of wired headphones are built well, sound phenomenal, and have easily serviceable parts. Eg Sennheiser HD650/HD6XX, HD660, HD58X.
The 650s are nearly 20 years old and can blow all your modern bluetooth headphones out of the water for sound quality.
So what I do is just buy a bluetooth receiver (eg fiiO BRT3k, BRT5, etc) and clip them onto the side of my headphones. Voila! Bluetooth headphones that sound great and don't need to be thrown away in 5 years.
Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#175What are the best noise cancelling headphones to work in cafes? Im using Bose Quiet Comfort II and I always wish they would cancel better.
Noise cancelling only really works for constant sounds (like airplane engines), not for background music/chatter.
The way I experience it, noise cancelling works best on low frequencies of whatever you are listening. It complements passive noise isolation, which work best for high frequencies. Voice is usually in the middle, and it tends to be less attenuated, often that's a feature: you don't want do hear background noise, but you want to hear when people talk to you.
Noise cancelling headphones are never just about cancellation, they are always a combination of both cancellation and isolation working together, and it involves a lot of tradeoffs.
Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#176The "sustainable" and "environment friendly" choice for headphones are wired headphones that are built like a brick. A good pair will last basically forever. Of course that isn't the market these headphones are in, but that's also the problem. New bluetooth standard? New advances in noise-cancellation? You won't get them. Even if these headphones are great (which I doubt) they're still destined for the garbage heap.…
My phone doesn’t have a port for your 20 year old headphones
Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#177The "sustainable" and "environment friendly" choice for headphones are wired headphones that are built like a brick. A good pair will last basically forever. Of course that isn't the market these headphones are in, but that's also the problem. New bluetooth standard? New advances in noise-cancellation? You won't get them. Even if these headphones are great (which I doubt) they're still destined for the garbage heap.…
i've never had a pair of wired headphones last more than ~2 years i usually buy cheap wired ear buds that i can listen to while i walk to work
If you only ever buy cheap disposable earbuds, they’ll never last very long.
Nice headphones can last a decade or more, and be made of entirely user-serviceable parts.
Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#178I certainly appreciate this idea. My WH-1000XM4s developed an issue where the NC has a feedback loop that sends a deafening shriek as soon as you place them on your ears and it lasts until you turn off the NC. I have to go through this (quite embarrassing in public) ordeal every time I turn them on. I'd just upgrade if they weren't so absurdly expensive in the first place.
Do you think this is a hardware or a software problem? I have these headphones myself, and I really like them. This sounds awful. I had to do a factory reset on them recently because they stopped connecting to one of my devices.
Definitely hardware, initially the problem was occasional but now happens every time. There are microphones inside the earcup (near the driver) that I believe are the issue
Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#179I certainly appreciate this idea. My WH-1000XM4s developed an issue where the NC has a feedback loop that sends a deafening shriek as soon as you place them on your ears and it lasts until you turn off the NC. I have to go through this (quite embarrassing in public) ordeal every time I turn them on. I'd just upgrade if they weren't so absurdly expensive in the first place.
>WH-1000XM4s developed an issue where the NC has a feedback loop that sends a deafening shriek Interesting. I have the original first gen WH-1000XM1s from 2006 and keep wanting to upgrade them to get the more advance NC and USB-C but they haven't broken down yet and they have no issues whatsoever, even the battery lasts long enough, while the modern ones seem plagued with various issues so I'm hesitant to upgrade.
I had XM2s that still work technically but have been quite abused so the hardware is falling apart. The bump in NC quality between XM2 and XM4 was pretty astounding
Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix
#180The "sustainable" and "environment friendly" choice for headphones are wired headphones that are built like a brick. A good pair will last basically forever. Of course that isn't the market these headphones are in, but that's also the problem. New bluetooth standard? New advances in noise-cancellation? You won't get them. Even if these headphones are great (which I doubt) they're still destined for the garbage heap.…
Eh. I've had to do more fiddling with my wired headphones (Sennheiser 380's) and replace the jack and wire more than once. I have had them for over a decade. My wireless set is a pair of quietcomfort 35's I got in 2026.. They've aged remarkably well, but I did have to replace the ear foam for both sets these years.
So, I have been served wel by both.