Submitted by skykyub t3_10o30h8 in BuyItForLife
What phones and headphones do you all use, given that you are of the BIFL mentality and electronics are not BIFL?
Submitted by skykyub t3_10o30h8 in BuyItForLife
What phones and headphones do you all use, given that you are of the BIFL mentality and electronics are not BIFL?
For headphones anything wired first and formost will be better than wireless since no batteries to worry about. There are a lot of different sound signatures but the common headphones recommended are the Senheiser HD 600, 6XX, 650, 660s. Other notable mentions are Beyerdynamic DT series headphones which are used in studios. Avoid HifiMan
Both lines are time tested being around for more than 20 years and new pads and parts are available from various sources. Note that pads can dramatically change the sound so you would have to search for reviews to be sure or just buy the exact same ones.
If you need to make them wireless you can use something like a FIIO BTR5 or Quedelix 5K which are wireless headphone amps that pair to your pc or phone through bluetooth.
Would say the wired audio-technica ath-m50x is a pair of headphones that would last you definitely a long time. They have decent comfort, good material quality and nice sound!
Came here to upvote this. ATH-M50x all the way.
Beyerdynamic mmx300 headphones and Nokia xr20 phone.
Most wired hifi headphones from the classic manufacturers in the higher price categories are pretty good and durable. Sound quality has been figured out a long time ago so theoretically many wired headphones can last maybe even decades if you take good care of them.
Perhaps the only problem are the earpads that may need to be replaced every few years if the headphones are in daily use.
It’s hard with electronics as they do get upgraded and older ones become obsolete. They can actually become security risks because the firmware won’t get updated anymore. That’s true even for smart TVs which are basically massive tablets. For electronics I recommend just not going for the latest version but one or two generations behind. It’ll still get firmware/software updates and is cheaper than the newest one. Changes these days are so incremental they barely make a difference unless you are super into getting the latest stuff (just look at the iPhone 12-14). Use it for a few years, then resell, get the next.
Grado, wired tho
I think my headphones are BIFL, I've ZMF Verité C & Auteur
A 1 yr old iphone last for quite a good while. About 4-5yrs later I sell it and buy another one. Hardly bifl but it keeps me in a functioning modern phone that just works.
Got no boasts to make about headphones, bought the Airpod Max when they came out. They are still 100% functional and have been brilliant but I doubt they’ll make it 10 years and certainly the battery will need replacing before then. They will become obsolete at some point.
Phone screens break and cost a lot to replace and batteries can no longer can easily be replaced either so it really isn't a BIFL thing but you can usually get at least 4yrs out of a flagship from the last year or two. Full MSRP of flagship phones are insanely high so you need to get a good sale/trade in to justify getting the best otherwise the current mid-end market has some great phones and https://swappa.com/ is great for used like new phones. You often find people selling their B1G1 phones or you can find someone who will throw in some accessories too plus it will show you recent sales and average prices over time for each model so you can see if you are actually getting a decent deal.
Like here is a good condition S21 Ultra 256GB for $454 with 2x cases and a basic 15w charger (better than the zero chargers the phone normally ships with). The back is scratched up a bit but will be hidden by the case and the screen looks like there aren't any issues. That is quite a bit cheaper than the $1250 day 1 MSRP for the 256GB model without a trade in.
https://swappa.com/listing/view/LXAY66893
Or a Mint Pixel 6 Pro for $358 which is less than what a new Pixel 6a costs at bestbuy ($399).
https://swappa.com/listing/view/LWHL37073
Mint S20FE for $176
https://swappa.com/listing/view/LXAW83431
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I currently use the 2020 Hifiman Sundra headphones + an amp since planar headphones are hard to drive properly. They respond very well to a proper EQ profile but Hifiman is know to have some subpar QC issues. Horrible travel headphones but amazing for desktop use.
For my friends I usually recommend the Sennheiser HD 6xx (if they have an amp) or the HD 58x (no amp). Both are pretty solid price/performance headphones but you missed the Black Friday sale when they were at $180 and $130 so current pricing doesn't feel great since they raised the default MSRP vs a year or two ago.
The Philips SHP9500 is a good budget open back headphone for $75 or less and the similar Philips SHP9600 was $51 just 2 weeks ago. The SHP9600 seems to have a tighter clamping force vs the SHP9500 which ran loose but some people prefer it that way and the sound profile is a bit different.
For closed back headphones the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is pretty nice but the cable cannot be removed which sucks. The Audio Technica ATH-M50x is another alternative but the pleather pads will break down and you will need to replace them with new ones ($15-25). My ATH-M50x had the plastic hinge tab break so the left cup no longer locks into place and will hyperextend away from my ear if I attempted to put it on now making them unusable. There is a free 3d printer fix file you can find by googling "m50x hinge 3d print" and the only reason I haven't done it is because it also needs a new set of pads and I don't want to invest $25 into it when my current headphones are way better. Still got a ton of hours of use out of them.
If you want a wireless noise canceling headphone then the refurbished Sony wh-1000XM4/XM5 from Secondipity on Ebay is amazing deal when they go on sale since they come like new, have a 2yr warranty, and generous return policy. Got a pair of the refurb XM5s as a gift for someone $220 and they were pretty great.
I've had a pair of 3M Worktunes bluetooth headphones or years. They are made for construction jobs, keep out harmful noise, sound great. I was thinking about posting about them as BIFL. Not that any electronics is going to last that long but they have outlasted several phones.
I've had my sennheiser HD600 for 4 years as my daily drivers and they're perfect.
Buy a used flagship phone. iPhone is good, Samsung is also decent, Google is also good (keep in mind they only update their software for 3 years). I’d actually recommend an iPhone because they get software updates forever. You will have to get the battery replaced every 2 years or so, especially if it feels slow.
AIAIAI is the best company I've come by so far. Highly, highly recommended. Had their headphones for 9 years now and they are the best quality, best sound, most indestructible headphones I ever had. And since they're modular, you can always replace just one element.
None are BIFL.
Or at the insanely high BIFL standards of anything here.
Do you care about sound quality? Or durability?
If durability the 7506, the DT770s
If sound quality, the HD6xx (but I wouldn't call them durable)
The only phone that comes to mind is the fairphone but if you're in the USA then you're screwed. Headphones you can get a ton of different options. At home I have beywrdynamic dt990s and on the go I have Shure sonic 4s because they're both easily repairable and sound good. Anything with a removable cable will work here but you might as well splurge on something hifi because good audio stays good
If you're into PC gaming, I've been rockin' the Steelseries Arctis 5 for years and it still works great. Easily serviceable/cleanable and relatively affordable. Good sound quality as well. I also use the Sennheiser PC38x. For music, I like using my Sennheiser HD6xx or HD58x for wired or my Bose QuietComfort 35ii or Sony WH-1000XM4 for wireless. I don't really expect wireless headphones to last for more than a few years, but you never know.
Running a Samsung S8 since it came out in like 2017
BiNARY9 t1_j6ciw0l wrote
headphones with removable cables are the way to go, since in most cases the cables are the first point of failure. most decent iems/headphones have them. check out r/headphoneadvice if you need more info