Has Anyone Blown Up Their AT Headphones?

[cgarges]

Just a quick question for you guys who like and own the Audio Technica heaphones. How are they holding up? How long have you had them, how much use do they get (just you, other people, daily or weekly session use, live remote use, i-Pod only, etc?), how many pairs do you have, and are you generally happy with their durability?

Thanks.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[CedarSound]

Hey there,

I have a pair of the ATH-M50 headphones. I have had them for about 6 months and use them almost every day. Mine still sound great and they have been dropped probably three or four times. It scared me each time they have hit the ground, as they don't feel as heavy-duty as my Senn H280s, but they have held up each time..no problems.

I haven't had them a year yet, but I dig them. If something happened to them I would definitely buy another pair.

[cgarges]

I've been through about eight pair of HD280s in the last five or six years. I love them, but I'm just kind of fed up with them blowing up as soon as the warranty expires and I'd love to have some nice headphones for studio clients without spending a few hundred dollars a year on them. I'm curious to see if the AT cans hold up any better. I know a lot of people like them. I love the way the 280s sound, as they pretty much sound like control room speakers that I like (there's very little difference between the control room and the 280s if I'm checking a mix on them), they're not too bright or peaky in the midrange, which makes them less fatiguing, they'll get loud when you need them to, and they're comfortable enough to wear all day. Ideally, I'd like something that fits that bill but won't suddenly fail on one side after a year of normal, day-to-day studio use.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[Mudcloth]

I've owned a pair of ATH-M40 headphones for about 6 years and they are really comfortable and still sound great. My only complaint was that after a while the thin coating of material on the earpieces would flake off and stick to my ears. The ATM-M50's don't have that material, as far as I know.
I'm just a guy recording in a home studio so they don't get used or abused nearly as much as in a pro studio, but I have dropped them on my hardwood floor about 20 times.
My next pair will most likely be the ATH-M50.

[davepinkham]

I've also had the ATH-M40's for about 6 years and they still work well. Ditto what Mudcloth said about the stuff flaking off. It was really annoying for a while, though is pretty much all gone now. Same deal, home studio, intermittent use, though I've also taken them out tour for months and they survived riding around in my backpack. They're definitely a little light in the bass compared to the ATH-50's which I've had for about 2 years and love. I use the 50's to help with mixing, checking bass, and doing shit late at night. The 40's have withstood lots of abuse from musicians and still sound pretty good thought they're less comfortable now because the earpads have decayed.

[vxboogie]

ATH-M50s are my current favorite, as well. I've only had them 6 months so I can't attest to the durability. Since recording and live sound isn't my day job, I'm pretty easy on my equipment. I've had my 7506s for about 8 years and they still are good except having to change the ear pads. My HD280s are about 4 years old and in great shape. Love the sound of the ATH-M50s best though.

[Gregg Juke]

I never had a set of their phones, Chris, but I blew-out 2 (TWO) AT headset microphones back in the day... Also, the dad-gum thing used to give me electro-shock therapy whenever I'd work-up a sweat playing live (a healthy dos right in the left temple)...

Some of the AT stuff is outstanding. Other items don't seem to be built to last.

GJ

[ChrisNW]

I was the studio coordinator at Fairhaven College, WWU for three years. Went through many pairs of 7506's and HD280's before I tried the ATH-M40fs. I found the AT headphones were the most durable by far. Plus their cable's can be neatly wrapped around the headset (a surprisingly significant feature).

A step above, the ATH-M50's are my favorite tracking headphones but they are a bit pricier.

[Chris_Avakian]

ive had a cheaper pair, i forget what model, but they have held up for about 9 years now. only thing wrong was a few years ago i had to replace the plug.