Question regarding headphones/headsets
By
all_hell,
Posted on: 2011-07-06 08:53 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
I have headsets that I've used for over 5 years that are still working fine. I have a few newer ones as well that still work just like they did when I bought them.
One of the few that I have that doesn't work fell out of the carry bag attached to the rear back rest on my motorcycle.
If the game spit out 20 dollar bills people would complain that they weren't sequentially numbered. If they were sequentially numbered people would complain that they weren't random enough.
Black Pebble is my new hero.
I have not noticed this.
I may soon though, because I listen more with my left ear, and I suspect that side is going to wear out sooner because of it.
This probably goes without saying, but it all depends on how well they're designed and built.
Often, a set of headphones that has the main input line going to one earpiece, will have the thinnest of wires carrying the signal over to the other earpiece, and that wire just comes loose or breaks internally after enough tugging/pulling/twisting.
A wire or solder point may break anywhere between the mini-plug and the terminals on the speaker driver. And the more stuff placed along that path (e.g. inline volume controls), the more chances for things to go wrong.
Personally, I've not seen a set of headphones in recent memory with wiring that was really robust enough to withstand the rigors of intense (or even not-so-intense) gaming sessions. Sure, some manufacturers may use things like fancy braided cord sheaths to reinforce the cable, but this is no real substitute for heavier-gauge wiring. But, if heavier wiring was used, no doubt some people would complain the cord was TOO thick! 
Frankly, most headsets nowadays are poorly constructed. It's not just the wiring that breaks too easily. They're often designed with swivel mechanisms made with cheap plastic axle pins, which break far too easily, or headbands also made of cheap plastic that can snap in two if bent too far. Heck, I hear stories of headphones that broke days after purchase, just by being dropped onto a carpeted floor.
I think the people who design these things REALLY need to take a step back and reevaluate their quality. The headphones need far more robust wiring, soldering, swivel and adjustment mechanisms, etc.
TargetOne
"If you two don't work this out RIGHT NOW, I'm turning this invasion around and going home!" - Emperor Cole
Do they all start going bad in one ear eventually? Because it seems like every set of headphones I've owned has done that and now my gaming headset is well on it's way to doing the same thing, even though it only has the single cord rather than two.