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MaximumEffort433 t1_j4m6pao wrote

Reply to comment by No_Analysis6187 in First Hifiman Starter Pack by Orangutan_Ulti

Seriously. I loved my HE-4XX (before it completely fell apart on me) but the first thing I had to do was buy a new cable because the factory one was cutting out, then the ear cups broke off. On the bright side I haven't had any such problems with my Sundara, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.

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amiga1 t1_j4mle21 wrote

I didn't have issues with the cable, but it is the cheapest I've ever felt and very short, so I bought some long and braided fancy ones.

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ryukin631 t1_j4mnuv9 wrote

I'm waiting for when my HE-4XX start to fall apart. I got them November 2021, but they are still going good. I bought a new cable shortly after getting them because of how bad it was and recently replaced the pads because the old ones flattened agar a year of use. I love how they sound so much.

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MaximumEffort433 t1_j4mrlne wrote

From what I understand they fixed the HE-4XX's design flaws after 2018... ...but you might want to add zip ties anyway.

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ryukin631 t1_j4nkn75 wrote

Will do. Thanks for the tip!

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MaximumEffort433 t1_j4nnd4j wrote

The point of failure on the older models is pretty uniform: The ear cups are held to the headband by eyeglass screws threaded into a plastic retainer, eventually the plastic thread gives way and the ear cup comes off. Here's what mine looked like, and another redditor's, and a third for good measure.

I'm not trying to belabor the point, it's just that the HE-4XX is my favorite headphone so far and I wish I'd put zip ties on them, so I'm trying to show you very specifically where the problem is, I guess. Sorry, I'll go.

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ryukin631 t1_j4nr446 wrote

It's all good. They are my favorite as well lol

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[deleted] t1_j5627kl wrote

[deleted]

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MaximumEffort433 t1_j597lam wrote

I honestly don't know, I just know that folks who got the post-2018 model haven't seemed to report the same problems, even though the mounting hardware appears to be identical. Sorry that I don't know more. Like I said, I believe they fixed the problem, but five cents worth of zipties can do the same thing, and the headphones are absolutely worth five cents of zipties.

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