💊Are Audio Products Made Broken?

[@Farpun]

You're the only reviewer that extensively discusses build quality and reliability. For instance, your HD25 vids. That's why I wouldn't get a Hitman product. I would still chose a HD600 over a Sundara just for build quality, an abundance of spare parts, and reliability.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Lol this dude said "Hitman product." lmao. I will say HIFIMAN builds have gotten better but they still have those stupid pads with the shoddy glue job on the back. One of the most maddening things on the planet. So I'm going to pay Dekoni $80 for the correct pads and the ones you could have easily manufactured? Yeah, no.

[@Farpun]

@@HomeStudioBasics yeah I wouldn't buy hitman or hifiman products haha

[@HomeStudioBasics]

If you're reading this and are the person who made the comment in the video, I couldn't find it but had copy/pasted it in my notes! Let me know and I will credit you. As always, pause the video to read the tidbits :) All graphics courtesy of HomeStudioBasics

[@ginom407]

Great food for thought!!! 👍

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks Gino! :)

[@prabinpaudel5572]

take care stu. Thoughful as always

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks Prabin!

[@sedraniM]

Got an HD 560S + a Zen DAC V2 for home and Moondrop Aria's for on the go. See you in years! The later the better! Hopefully they never break!

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Heh. Great choices!!!

[@sedraniM]

@@HomeStudioBasics You helped me with some of them! Thanks for that!

[@scottbaylor6215]

Good video and you make some good points. When I look at star ratings, I take them with a grain of salt. I go into the data and extrapolate what the causes are. Might be a shipping problem or a specific part. Being in the private sector, I will tell you that we don’t necessarily plan for obsolescence. Not saying others don’t. 😀. We simply have to do the best we can at a specific price and margin. At some point, it is good enough and you then improve the higher cost item if we can. In the end, you get what you pay for. 😉

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks man! And yes, this is why I didn't want to just trash everybody because there are certainly many factors at play. I don't think most hardworking folks are bad people or are trying to actively engage in this sort of thing - but it's probably prevalent in some sectors I guess. Most are just basically adhering to a system that they were raised on. So it's more the overarching structure of Capitalism that can pose a problem rather than a dishonest person at their core. The "you get what you pay for" is a phrase my Dad always used and certainly it is very true. However, I think with the influx of more and more garbage, those lines become blurred and people simply forget or they're ignorant. This is a problem with newer generations especially. I think advertising in general plays a huge role in this and almost systematically shuts people's brains off.

[@DANKKrish]

tbh the only below 2 star audio product that i own is the superlux hd681, but that costed like 20 bucks so I honestly can't even really be mad at it. also it's nice seeing some well deserved lefty content in the audio space

[@HomeStudioBasics]

A lot of people really like that one!

[@chungang7037]

In some ways it is our fault for buying any product with non-replaceable batteries. Most people throw out or retire devices now even before the batteries die; we basically told manufacturers they don't need to care about making devices last. At least my wired headphones have a chance to be used by me or someone until I sell them to, like buying an instrument.

[@OverHaze]

Can I ask if you where going to chose one option to hold on to for as long as possible would you go for a Zen Dac or an Atom with a separate Dac?

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Hey man, probably Zen as the ATOM was a downgrade in terms of build quality for sure. Very flimsy unit. I've never had issues with it but a guy who used to comment here quite a bit told me he did and he was done with JDS products. take that FWIW. The Zen is rock solid and I've had one since 2019 with absolutely no issues. homestudiobasics.com/ifi-zen-amp-dac-review/

[@OverHaze]

@@HomeStudioBasics Thanks for the info!

[@Graciashauf]

Looking at the lsa hp1 as my next move

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Nice!

[@antoinep9733]

“Easily” user-replaceable rechargeable batteries should be mandatory in consumer electronics, actually mandated by law. The amount of perfectly functional devices in landfills is shameful.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Yeah man I shudder to think how much crap fills those places up on a daily basis.

[@Sid1804.]

SONNY📺

[@maximianocoelho4496]

So you start the first video of the year talking about improvement while the overall video production have improved? Harsh... Rest in peace PB - 1000, you will be missed. The first thing I gave priority when I started reseaching for audio (Headphones) for my PC was actually the quality of the product (built), I owned some headphones in the past and I could tell how disposable they were after a year of use, the fact that something wasnt reliable and only played one side was really annoying, so I removed Beyerdynamics, AKG, Phillips and other companies that clearly didnt give a second thought in independent driver connection and removable cables. I know a lot of people will not have that thought before buying and will feel guilty for breaking something that wasnt meant to last in the first place. I dont think that they are experimenting and improving atleast in the sound department, improments in that area are far in between, they mostly sell features these days and that makes really hard to sell a simple wired headphone (example), and they need new stuff to keep themselfs aflout. In some companies make no sense to make headphones with built flaws, its like they are flaws made on porpuse to get you buying the new one, with review cycles that match exacly the moment when a part will break. F capitalism, I can probably expeculate that the research done on a product is just to get you buying. But they get really well with young people that buy thing just to show off without giving a second though, the industry always find a way to get us buying, even if it is through false advertisment or reiteration of the same thing, as they know that the consumer behavior changes, and now a days doesnt make much sense making small money and keeping the costumer happy.

[@maximianocoelho4496]

Sorry for the excellent english, I have no autocorrect this time.

[@peregrinus4760]

A thoughtful, articulate, and excellently edited video. I'll take this over any other audio infomercial that tries to pass itself off as a review. I could not agree more. I will say, however, that I do not think you can call plained obsolescence a product of capitalism. No, capitalism depends on capital -- something of solid value that can be exchanged for other things of solid value. If I purchase an amp for $300, let's say, I would be lucky to resell it a year later for $50. The only value I get is the service it renders me in the few years it will work. Then three years down the line I have to replace it with a $350 amp or more if I want to upgrade to something nicer. I do not know what to call it -- "metaism" maybe -- but this economy is certainly not capitalist. What matters most in this "meta" economy is the circulation of money and debt that only has value because we all say it does. I feel its like trading property in a meta universe and calling it "real" estate -- there is nothing "real" about it. If my dog can't take a crap on it, it ain't property, its a meta scam and the same pretty much goes for cheap audio equipment. Sorry, I ranted a bit. On a positive note: I am personally trying to get a more intimate feel for the mechanics of what it takes to get sound waves into my ears by dusting off my soldering iron and putting together a kit amplifier. It is great fun messing about with real copper, capacitors, resistors, and such -- a real embodied, hands on experience. If you don't hear from me again, well... I probably electrocuted myself. :-)

[@shaunpaulwallace]

Go for it Kid 👍🏻 🇬🇧

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks for the love man! It's much appreciated when people notice. I don't think I said it was a product of capitalism, but if that's what was inferred from the video, I'd argue it's more an unintended (or intentional, who knows) side effect of what happens when Capitalism runs amuck. That is, when people become greedy rather than simply try and create things that ultimately help others solve problems. We could really do deep about this "monetary compensation" vs. simply having compassion for our brothers and sisters. Someone recommended this video and there are some great examples in here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pn_LlX6miayZd7c As for your other comments, I wholeheartedly agree. We basically are forced into this debt-based system and there's little you can do unless you live off the grid or become completely self-sufficient - something I strive towards daily in learning how to grow food, etc. I don't think people realize how dependent they are on the current structure. Sounds like fun! I'd like to do the same with the Bottlehead Crack and get more hands-on with a lot of different things this year.

[@slinkybandinky2775]

My old GE refrigerator was made in 1983. In 2000 we got a new side by side and decided to put the old one downstairs in the pantry for beverages. That was 22 years ago and it’s still kicking. It was already 17 years old. Today we have two options: chump someone on ebay(not recommended) or throw it away. It used to be or fix it, but it’s cheaper to buy new on a lot of items

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Wow!! 39-year-old fridge has something to say about Planned Obsolescence. Wait, here he is now: "Yeah those other fridges are shit, man. I'm built to last like Duralast." xD

[@The_Monolith]

Great video. Planned obsolescence is definitely a widespread phenomenon and I feel like it's getting worse every year. Non-removable batteries, limited software updates, DRMs, weak plastic parts, soldered RAM, and the list goes on.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks man! Yeah, I think part of the problem is that all these new companies know they can copy-cat products and take advantage of the market. Most people who are unawares will buy this stuff up in a snap and not really think twice. I think in that sense, the star rating can be pretty misleading because it essentially says "well, most stuff is pretty good. So you should just buy it because, why not" I remember even back in 2014 I never had issues researching and buying things that I trusted to be well made (Scarlett 2i2, LSR305, etc.) I've also never had anything I've ever bought break down on me, but I think times have certainly changed. As you've pointed out, it seems like the last 7-8 years have seen an influx of more and more garbage, to the point where you almost just have to laugh. There are thousands and thousands of options to choose from and I think that's a huge part of the problem as well. It tends to just confuse people more than anything.

[@epicmike3915]

Lol you're basically describing z reviews. Is literally what that guy does. "Don't ask questions just consume product and be excited for next product" lol. Also shout out to No theme reviews on youtube who actually says no don't buy something he doesn't see the value in.

[@MrJabinho]

Draginfly products are just overpriced. You can get same value with half or less than half the price

[@Nordraw]

Pretty much all true. Can't really trust any review at this point.

[@mbahmarijan789]

Every God loves you 👍

[@kevinrams]

The observation of more a reviewer is testing the less recommendations they should be giving has given me some food for thought. Thanks for the vid and brain food.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks, Kevin! My role as a reviewer is to sift through everything and update my recommendations as needed. Sometimes, they may not be updated for a year or more! Sometimes it could be less. It just depends. The problem with reviewers is that they don't adhere to or embrace that vetting process. In other words, to them, every product is a potential purchase or sale, and that's something that is neither true nor honest.

[@JohnClarkW]

Granted it is the new hotness in the audio market right now, but I think there are a ton 1 or 2 star IEMs right now, and even a few reviewers that rate them that way. Tons of the chifi stuff is way to shouty and sibilant, this is so prevalent that some brands are almost known for it. I tend to agree that for the good open back headphones, you sort of know what a Sennheiser or Hifiman is going to sound like, and that is a sign of maturity of those products. Thankfully Sennheiser still makes pretty well made stuff. I would guess my HD58x will be working long after my HE400se has fallen apart. My old Pioneer Se-205 were still working 20 years after I got them, but they sounded pretty meh compared the budget closed backs of the 90s.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Ah, yeah I don't listen much to buds but that would make sense. I always think to myself why are there so many on the market. It seems even more ridiculous than headphones in some ways.

[@chefsteve8381]

If you want 1 star headphone enter the Blon BL30.....

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks Chef!

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

Yeah like it will be really interesting to see if in a year from now everyone is still recommending the timeless and the Aria. I suspect newer sets will come out and everyone will be told the newer sets are actually the ones you have to have.

[@johnellison3173]

Already happened. Moondrop released the more expensive KATO which sounds identical to the Aria so everyone rushed out to buy it just because its the new hotness lol

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Lol, but of course. That's how it works, right? 🤣 What's astounding to me is that more people can't or won't embrace that fact and stop supporting dishonest shills.

[@astorbeijer9424]

Last Christmas, I bought a pair CA Andromedas. This spring, I bought Ifi's xdsd and 2 B&O P6 for the office. Now, I have my portable set up and my office set up. Although, I know there are better iems now, and definitely better desktop speakers, I'm satisfied...and happy. I find no need to chase that dragon and end up in da po' house. Thanks for the video! Much better than just another review.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks man! Yeah, I just bought a pair of Presonus eris e3.5's for my own enjoyment/mixing but also to demo dacs with preamps, and they're awesome! They really pack a punch at $99, and this coming from a guy who had the LSR305's for many years. Love those, but honestly, do I miss them? Before I got the eris', yeah, but I'm completely satisfied with what I have and they sound great. There's about a $200 difference in price, but so far, I'm not hearing a $200 decrease in sound quality, which is pretty much a microcosm of this industry as a whole.

[@polarbear3427]

Cheap earbuds and headphones, HDMI cables, and speakers are always crappy in my experience. However, I don't bother to write a review then. So the 1-3 stars are in my case already filtered out. For the rest: audio equipment isn't that bad these days, esp. from the reknown brands.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Yeah man, I think that's my main point. It's not the products that are necessarily bad in the audio market, it's the fact that there are thousands of thousands of them because so many people are taking advantage of others' ignorance. Nothing more. So WE are the ones who perpetuate this absurdity by willingly forking over our money while the quality of the products themselves either stay about the same or get worse in cheaper markets like the Bluetooth headphone sect, etc.

[@ranelime]

Many industries engineer their products to be obsolete, or "break" after X amount of time. It's nothing new. The thing is that it depends on the industry. The car industry put a lot of time and money developing parts that will fail after a few years. But it works for them as they make a lot of money from replacement. In the software world, new releases demand more resources from your old hardware. It's also very common for software updates to deliberately slow down the operating system. The same might be happening in audio. But if its intentional, it can only be done by big companies as it requires more RnD and a huge customer pool. When audio gear breaks, it usually because if cost efficient engineering or (mainly) by using cheap components and materials. It's unlikely that a small audio brand will invest the time to do this, or believe that it will result in buying more of their stuff.

[@juanblanco7898]

+

[@desmasic]

I've had M40x to Samson Z55, all break in 7-12 months at the same place. The "foldable joints" these companies love to promote. I use headphones at home, static, no moving around. The fact that they broke in same area for different brands, is either magic or just planned obsolescence hitting me hard specifically over and over again. Even the ear-pads disintegrated in 2 months for my shitty Samson. It was really impressive experiencing quality Chinesium, tofu-dreg headphone (all of these are manufactured in China). Now I'm just shopping around for something like 560s without those extra joints at the ear-cups area because I know they are designed to break after certain amount of uses. Also, using my external speakers more often from now on to reduce the wear-and-tear on headphones from now on. BTW, my external speakers are from Creative (Inspire T6100) and I bought them back in 2013 for my PC and they're still going strong in 2024. Creative now makes shitty soundbars so I guess if these speakers break, I'll have to look for proper brand as replacement.

[@bennyride]

I haven't had any audio stuff break ,but the mmcx cables on 2 of my iems has a spot in them where audio just cuts in and out ,I'm blaming obsolescence on shitty mmcx 😂

[@HomeStudioBasics]

YOU BUY A MORE EXpENSIVE ONE!!!

[@bennyride]

@@HomeStudioBasics my more expensive one is 2pin

[@jownbey]

im still rocking my iphone 7 although every holiday season apple sends the death signals out to crash my apps... then a few weeks later it's fine... but i will say my fiio m11 has taken a daily lickin and keeps on tickin

[@HomeStudioBasics]

LIKE MICK FOLEY!!! LMAO. I hope you haven't gotten a weird computer voice like "This is Apple speaking. Upgrade or die." xD Lol talking apple.

[@jownbey]

@@HomeStudioBasics yeah i never use siri so when it accidentally comes up and talks it creeps me right out lol

[@gaarajeffri1512]

Love your work and animations stu, also totally agree with you especially on last part as for the 5 star system yeah it's generally bad :/

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Hey Thanks Gaara! Much appreciated :) I would say it's "okay" if you realize that products have to be evaluated as a whole rather than just for sound. When you take a look at the big picture, there are many good things about a product, and perhaps a few bad. That doesn't mean the product is horrible and deserves 1 or 2 stars. I kind of think the hate towards the star system is a bit unwarranted but certainly, we can all improve a lot on how we grade things. I also don't necessarily think the problem lies with poor products (in the audio niche anyway). The problem is that there's just too much shit and new people get confused because they have way too many options. Products themselves are mostly pretty good when taking a holistic approach to how we critique them. In reality, there are only a few that really deserve consideration while most everything else can be safely discarded without experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out). This doesn't mean they're bad, just not necessary.

[@chris08091]

Hifimans QC is 1 star, I regret sundaras so much. The next headphone I purchase will be my last

[@MahmoudGhazawi]

Great channel, really nice graphics and animations here. Is that a Metal Gear Solid reference on the TV at 2:32 onwards? Haha great stuff

[@shaunpaulwallace]

Yep. Totally agree 👍🏻

[@theonlyegg]

I'd just like to point something out. 90% of Android users believe Apple makes junk. I'm using a 2009 Mac Mini as a home server. My iPhone 6s+ lasted 5 years before I sold it. My 11 Pro lasted 4 years until I upgraded, but I put a new battery in that phone and it still works perfectly for my wife. I was an Android person for 8 years. They're practically disposable. After 2 years, the value of a used Android is maybe 15% of retail? Yet you can sell used Apple devices all day and they still work. So which company is making junk? 🤔

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Interesting! I just got an iPhone 11 in 2023 and already noticing the battery doesn't keep a charge all that long. To be expected but kind of annoying. Usually batteries hold for longer it feels like. Was Android since 2014 as well. I don't hate the iPhone but I don't know what the big deal is. I may get a light phone because I'm just so tired of it all. Have you ever heard of that? www.thelightphone.com/ I'm inclined to think Android makes junkier stuff. I actually sold my LG-X charge with a giant tumor last year on eBay. The heat got to it but I will say it lasted 5 years before bulging out.

[@chrisbarnhart7944]

you are a good man Lando Sturissian... NOBODY.. in audio talks this excellent advice.. they are AFRAID to... and THIS is the most important advice one can give in audio to continue enjoying the music. After all.. the money saved by not always buying the latest incarnation, allows money to be freed up for more MUSIC buying and enjoying.... good job my friend...

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks man! Hope you're well!

[@budthecyborg4575]

This is one of the reasons my two daily driver headphones are the Sony MDR-7506 and now the Beyerdynamic DT770. The DT 770 was released in 1985 and the MDR-7506 released 1991, and they did it right the first time, the drivers are highly capable and for most people either of these headphones will never break down.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

That's right! Love both. :)

[@jonathansmithsmithers5858]

while back i made a comment on this on one of your videos but dont see it , i am glad you made this video. been watching your videos for over a year, after having me he4xx for a couple of years i decided to save up for the sundaras, and your video on them helped seal the deal but in the back of my mind i was unsure. after having the he4xx for a couple of years i began to think claims of there poor qc was fixed but a few months ago the right gymbal broke then the left side, but i fixed them and still thought i would get the sundaras, then the heaband broke, so i replaced it , then a couple weeks later i was listening on a portable player and one side made a crackling noise and died.... so i asked around and after the headfi he4xx threads professional hifiman fans told me my 4xx were a freak occurrence , some suggested the hd600 instead, since they are not made using planned obsolescence i went to the store and was ready to buy, but then i listened and realized they are very dark and veiled (you were the first reviewer that i heard saying this, and they are veiled). so i didnt get them but the problem is people bought beats and apple products proving manufacturers that there model works, (high priced mid quality products with heavy marketing and extreme planned obsolescence) and reviewers making videos of crap or at the least not stating these issues are common, (almost bought the devas too, reviews are so good) after alot of searching i realized i would probably never find a good sounding, good quality headphone for less then 350 bucks that are not built to break (or for less then 500 really) then i was recommended some planars from ukraine, they were 350 bucks exactly and since i have been living in kiev for the last 5 years it seemed too good to be true, i made the order and talked to the maker, they sound like the illegitimate love child of sundars and audeze, (think sundaras with extra sub bass) the build is really really good, i wish i could send them to you for a review but i couldnt really afford to ship them back and fourth, and i would recomend them to you but if you get free stuff for doing reviews then theres no reason for you to bother, the thing is the only way to show the industrie that they have made a mistake is to support companies or small manufacturers that do not incorporate these dirty techniques . this isnt an ad and i dont get a dam thing for this but these are the best headphones i have heard for less then 500 and if you ever do decide to purchase a headphone or simply want to fight back against multinationals and maybe help a little guy then the headphones are called tres and company is sash the makers name is sasha , mind blowing what you get for 350. really look them up "sash tres" (tres like 3 in french) any way, thanks for having the balls to say the hd sic hunids was veiled trash, appreciate the videos keep up the good work homie

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks man and you're welcome! The 4xx breaking down is not a freak occurrence. Those are absolute trash and I wish more people would say it rather than lie and claim it's a one-off. So many people have had issues with them including myself. I jotted them down and will take a look! My top recommendation in mid-fi is the 400se. The price is insane for a planar at around $129.

[@CJDilag]

Great video as always. My NAD HP50 headphone has been with me since 2014 and still going strong 👌

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Thanks man!

[@TECHNICKER_Cz]

AKG K92 are like 2*, horrible headphone

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Lol def agree.

[@ydid687]

an easy way to check if 5 star system is flawed is by watching what shapes a tier list list, a bell curve is best and a skewed up curve is bad, skewed down is pedantic and best imo but people don't like to be offended and want to be made felt good & happy with their purchases..f those people but the industry relies on them so..whatever

[@titanspirit7238]

My Sennheiser HD598's basically spontaneously self destructed last year. They weren't mishandled. It's like they just lost the will to live. Bought HD58x's to replace them with, sounds about the same, maybe a tiny bit better. Hopefully they don't spontaneously combust or overdose on Ecstasy of Gold.

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Yeah, I always felt that flimsiness when I owned a 558 and demoed a 598. The 558 was so loosey-goosey that I remember thinking "One day this thing is going to completely fall apart." Luckily I sold it before that and it was still in fine shape. I will say I never had issues with it and it was used when I bought it, but I can totally see it kind of kicking the can as you mention.

[@adamwhitef7ck697]

I just figure people just want us to buy more and more shtuff b/c avarice, but I am clearly far from an expert. :P Also, love how densely poetic the intro of this vid is. :D

[@HomeStudioBasics]

Hello, Adamius Whiteus. Yup, it's all about avarice, sadly. Yes, poetry. Such words, many feeling. Funny we just talked about poetry yesterday !!! Thank you for the comment man!

[@adamwhitef7ck697]

@@HomeStudioBasics No problem, btw! :P