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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

#221

Post by wkat4242 »

userbinator wrote: post #148
ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone wants to go jogging or working out with wired headphones. They always rub on your skin or on your clothes (especially in winter with may thick layers) with the rubbing sound transferring in your ears as you move around, or worse, snag on something and keep tugging down on my head giving me a bad neck posture (when the cable is routed under my shirt/jaket). The freedom of TWS earbuds can spoil you for lif…

I'm not sure TWS buds with the shape of an AirTag would work, but I do think they could make them with something like an easily removable cap on the stem that holds the cell in place.

Microsoft was planning earbuds with a big round shape. I don't think they actually ever materialized though.

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

#222

Post by aziaziazi »

rpgbr wrote: post #171

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). [1] https://kuba.audio/

Also with mechanical bass equalizer ! Thanks for sharing.

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

#223

Post by aziaziazi »

smoldesu wrote: post #119
hyperhopper wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are on a site called Hacker News

We're on the site that mocks the guy who suggested a homemade alternative to Dropbox. People here are more product-focused than tech focused, generally.

We’re on a site where people suggest homemade alternative to dropbox…

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

#224

Post by alexvoda »

mh- wrote: post #58
CameronNemo wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fairphones would have been too confusing :p

Faircans, perhaps. I also expected them to be in-ear when I clicked.

Also, maybe the company should rename from FairPhone to Fair or FairTech.

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

#225

Post by npteljes »

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…

Planned obsolescence isn't a good thing, it means that the thing will fall apart far sooner than it should. What you mean is simple engineering: the product's lifespan is not being artificially, consciously limited. They might think that you won't need it long, and plan for that, by choosing materials, construction methods etc accordingly, but this is not planned obsolescence.

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

#226

Post by npteljes »

artogahr wrote: post #3

They look cool and I would love to be able to buy one but the sustainability tax seems too high to be a successful product to me.

I agree, and this is why I believe that issues like this can only be fixed with regulation. Markets not only can't solve them, they actually reward exploitation. It's way more efficient from a product standpoint, and the only thing that's needed to quell the public response is just to remove the abuse far enough from them, so that no real feedback loop can form.

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

#227

Post by npteljes »

uxcolumbo wrote: post #89
GiorgioG wrote: post #62

I stopped reading at “Vegan Leather”. Can we call it what it is? Plastic.

Because it wouldn't be very descriptive of the material texture & feel. Vegan leather is basically trying to explain to the customer that it is like leather but not made from animal skin. In the car industry they don't say seats covered in plastic - they say PU leather. Vegan leather is 100% PU leather.

That's not why. It's just a marketing spin on synthetic leather, and the marketing choice is both because veganism got popular and seen as a positive thing, and because PU leather, faux leather etc has established connotations as inferior substitutes to leather. They don't want you to feel that they cheap you out on the good thing.

And the car industry totally does the same. Look, for example, here: https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2022/vegan-interior...

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

#228

Post by fgeiger »

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.

The headphones also work over a USB-C cable.

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

#229

Post by hummer_embark »

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #132
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.…

Not everyone wants to go jogging or working out with wired headphones. They always rub on your skin or on your clothes (especially in winter with may thick layers) with the rubbing sound transferring in your ears as you move around, or worse, snag on something and keep tugging down on my head giving me a bad neck posture (when the cable is routed under my shirt/jaket). The freedom of TWS earbuds can spoil you for lif…

[dead]

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

#230

Post by Takennickname »

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #134
v3x3366 wrote: post #52

I 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.

You're gonna be waiting for a while my mdr zx770 is still functioning perfectly
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