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Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

theguardian.com

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Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#181

Post by Jarwain »

gizmo wrote: post #123

The "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 have these Shure SE215 in-ear monitors that detach from the cable using the MMCX standard. If a wire breaks, it's cheap to swap out, I can swap from a 3.5mm to a usbc to Bluetooth. There are probably other earbuds that use the standard too (I think there are a few standards?)

But ultimately this means, as long as I don't lose them I can repair/replace the wire as needed.

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#182

Post by calvinmorrison »

kubectl_h wrote: post #64
Arch-TK wrote: post #50

I have to ask, as I have never bought active headphones, all my headphones are user servicable already. I've even had to repair the soldering joints on my M40x once. The cables are all removable. The pads are easily replacable. Are active headphones really that much harder to service? There's no space constraints to warrant glue, clips and ultrasonic welding instead of screws.

I have replaced the pads on my Bose QuietComfort 35s 3 times in the last 6 years of wearing them almost daily. It's pretty easy to do. Beyond that they've just worked, even though I've dropped them a bunch of times. Still have excellent battery life. One of the best products I've purchased in last decade.

also hve quiet comforts. battery is still great, did replace the pads again recently. Only downsite is I broke the hinge so the ear was not connected to the loop and the parts didn't seem available. I used some small rivets and a piece of copper... back in action.

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#183

Post by tylerritchie »

FeistySkink wrote: post #164
fgeiger wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work at Fairphone but am not at all involved with the headphones. Still, I know that this is an issue that we thought about and address. Headphones should keep working even if the manufacturer goes bust and stops providing software support. And even if your battery dies and spare parts are unavailable. That is precisely the reason why we also sell a cable with a 3.5mm jack for these cans. That way, this product is…

Fairphone 4 doesn't have a 3.5 mm jack beacuse reasons. So much for sustainability.

what's the issue here? if you buy large headphones from the same company you buy the your phone from, in a future where fairphone no longer exists (which playing the odds, is likely) at some point your also no-longer-supported phone (which functionally becomes slower every year because mobile application hardware requirements appear to double every year) might advance to support new fancy bluetooth things your headphones don't support?

I honestly (not hyperbolicly) don't see how a phone not having a 3.5mm jack is relevant to the headphones _having_ a 3.5mm jack

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#184

Post by dghlsakjg »

jasonlotito wrote: post #60
dghlsakjg wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bose has repair service. It isn't self-service, so it depends if your goal is throwing less shit away, or being able to service your own devices.

I'm familiar with Bose's repair service. This is not the same as Fairbuds, and does not meet the minimum requirements stipulated.

If you're going to be picky, you have to be specific.

Do you mean self-serviceable rather than just serviceable?

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#185

Post by roughly »

willcipriano wrote: post #12
ealhad wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a "sustainability tax", it's "acknowledging people are not slaves nor are resources infinite"

"Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent” It may not make sense to repair for many consumers. In a few years we might have better codecs or similar and you'll want to upgrade your crusty headphones anyway.

> "Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent”

I notice every time the cost of a properly sustainable product comes up, the conversation always turns to what a short-sighted bastard everyone else is, and I can only assume the people who make that argument are already making moral choices themselves, which is honestly just heartwarming to see.

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#186

Post by steve_adams_86 »

Jarwain wrote: post #181
gizmo wrote: post #123

The "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 have these Shure SE215 in-ear monitors that detach from the cable using the MMCX standard. If a wire breaks, it's cheap to swap out, I can swap from a 3.5mm to a usbc to Bluetooth. There are probably other earbuds that use the standard too (I think there are a few standards?) But ultimately this means, as long as I don't lose them I can repair/replace the wire as needed.

I have a similar model and the wire swapping capability has saved them from the trash a couple times. The first time, they got sucked into a vacuum cleaner after only having them for two years or so. The second time, a dog chewed them severely. The in-ear monitor parts still have dog bite marks, but they work just fine. I guess I’ve had them about 15 years now, and they still sound excellent.

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#187

Post by astrange »

ip26 wrote: post #137
gizmo wrote: post #123

The "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.…

Planned obsolescence can be a good thing. Cans from the fifties and sixties still work. Nobody wants to use them; they are heavy, uncomfortable, have poor performance, need an amp to drive, and use huge old school connectors. They are from a time when music was enjoyed seated in one place. Products that fail prematurely or wear out while the owner still wants them are poorly designed. The pinnacle of design is a prod…

> Nobody wants to use them; they are heavy, uncomfortable, have poor performance, need an amp to drive, and use huge old school connectors.

Are you thinking of Stax electrostatic headphones? That describes them, but they can sound amazing and people definitely still use them.

60s headphones used the same jacks we have now, but they don't last forever and the plastics then weren't as comfortable as the ones now.

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#188

Post by astrange »

tastysandwich wrote: post #174

A 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 a…

None of those have noise cancelling. Which mean they only sound good in situations where you don't need it.

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#189

Post by astrange »

vegabook wrote: post #82

You've been able to fix Beyerdynamic DT770s forever, which is one reason why they're so popular with studios.

Unfortunately Beyerdynamics don't sound flat (they have a big treble peak which leads to a "sibilence" effect) so you'd want to EQ that out for them to be suitable studio monitors.

Re: Fairbuds XL review: noise-cancelling headphones you can fix

#190

Post by astrange »

jasonlotito wrote: post #18
Throw73849 wrote: post #7

>Weight: 330g That is like Apple AirPods, those are very heavy and extended wear gets you tired. And most over-ear headphones are already pretty fixable. Most brands provide spare parts for like 20 years.

> And most over-ear headphones are already pretty fixable. Most brands provide spare parts for like 20 years. Please, point me to the bluetooth/wireless noise-cancelling over-ear headphones that are pretty fixable at a level comparable to that of the Fairbuds here? Note, it must meat ALL the criteria I listed. Missing anything makes answer worthless. e.g. If it offers everything except for bluetooth or noise-cancelli…

AirPods Max are actually pretty repairable and the battery can be replaced.
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