Headphone woes, Sennheiser PC350 wearing out

[lehtv]

My head has been happily married to the Sennheiser PC350 gaming headset for the past 3 years. The only issue with them is that the cushions are wearing out. They also get greasy quite easily given that I use them for several hours every day, and trying to clean them only accelerates the decay.

Ew, right? About a year and a half ago they were in the same state, and I had the cushions replaced at Sennheiser (not free), but I'm kind of wondering if it's worth doing that again when I could just buy headphones that don't have this issue.

So what I'm really looking for is advice on what to buy. I'd like:

- decent integrated mic, does not need to be detachable
- at least average sound; the quality of the current headphones is quite good on its own, but vastly improved in combination with my sound card and its Dolby Headphone
- most importantly, cushions that are easy to clean and don't crap out like this - personal experiences?

I don't really have a set budget, but paying for excess features or audiophile sound quality isn't my plan either.

My sound card is incidentally also crapping out but not dead just yet. I may have to either replace it or go USB, so both 3.5mm and USB recommendations are welcome.

I've also been pondering about using in-ear headphones (with a separate microphone), but based on past experience, in-ear headphones aren't the most hygienic and comfortable solution... they get all grimy very easily and never quite seem to fit right, either falling off too easily or causing ear aching in prolonged use.

What do you think?

 

[moonbogg]

I can only talk about what I've used. I had a Logitech G35 headset for about 3 years and it still works, but the ear pads finally started to crumble. I now use a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770's with a mod mic 3.0. I use a sound card with surround and it works really good. You can get replacement ear pads for the Beyers. Check out Head-Fi also for answers.

 

[videogames101]

can you complain to sennheiser about having this recurring issue? seems silly to have to replace them twice in 3 years

also, you can get the official pads on amazon for like $35, if thats a break from senn's pricing

 

[lehtv]

I know that if I have them replaced, I'm going to have to do the same thing all over again. It's not really the cost of the service that matters, it's the inconvenience of having to do that in the first place.

Those Beyerdynamic's look quite nice, and the ear pad material might be the sort that doesn't tear apart like the thin plastic of the PC350. But it will probably still get greasy in prolonged use and it looks even more difficult to clean. Also, no microphone.

Does anyone know of headphones that have both a decent integrated mic and sturdy ear pads that are easy to clean?

 

[moonbogg]

http://www.head-fi.org/products/bey...aming-premium-digital-headset-with-microphone

Something like that would be good, but you can get the same by grabbing some DT770's with a "mod mic" and it will be a lot cheaper.

 

[lehtv]

I ended up buying Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Gaming headset, on sale for only 69 euros. I'm currently unpacking it and so far I'm thoroughly impressed. The packaging is fantastic. Accessories:
* extra ear cushions that have a different texture
* detachable microphone
* cord extension with volume control
* another cord extension without volume control
* cushioned carrying bag

The headset itself is quite heavy and feels well built. All the cables are braided. First impression is they are very comfortable to wear, although the cups are smaller than on my Sennheisers. I'll probably get a better idea of comfort once I've used them for a while. I'll post back later with an update as well as thoughts on sound quality (if I remember).

 

[It's Not Lupus]

That's why I hate pleather and prefer velour or real leather.

 

[dma0991]

That's the issue with synthetic materials used on such ear pads. I have my first pair of headphones, Sennheiser HD201 that uses the same material as the Sennheiser PC350. I remedied the problem by removing the plastic layer slowly, using sticky tape, like doing a Brazilian wax . Its tedious to remove but you're left with a softer, cloth material that is more durable but slightly less soundproof.

Good leatherette won't degrade that quick. My Audio Technica M50 has leatherette ear pads and hasn't shown any sign of degrading, except for under the headband.