AKG Q701 - These headphones just won't die

Plot twist: they listen exclusively to Russian shortwave numbers stations.

I have a set of nearly-10 year old Q701s (same headphones, just lime green and branded Quincy Jones)

Other than the elastic suspenders weakening (looks like yours did the same; they all do!) and the plastic sliders cracking, they've been great. I replaced the elastics and the pads, but I wish the sliders were easy to do.

AKG K702, $600 Canadian. Too bad. 🤷‍♂️

TIL that you can replace the pads. My AKG headphones pads are worn out and I thought I must buy new ones. Where is the best place to do it?

Wow, that's a lot of time listening. Some headphones can be fatiguing, but these must not be!

Do you listen to music mostly?

I've got some Audio-Technica ATX-M50 headphones that are probably about that old. I've replaced the pads a couple times and the cable once but they're still going strong.

I got my wife a pair of the newer ATX-M50x about a month ago because she got tired of her cheap sets dying all the time. We'll see if the quality is still there on current models.

It's crazy how good headphones can be when you just buy a good set from a good audio brand. I am ashamed of how much money I spent on "gaming" headsets that wouldn't even make it a year and had shit microphones and audio quality in general. About 10 years ago I bought a pair of AudioTechnica open air headphones and I love them so much, and they still work exactly like the day I got them. Comfortable to wear all day too.

AKG 553 MKii checking in. I've had mine for years. Just replaced the pads and they're good as new

I recently treated myself to these Hifiman Arya Organic headphones along with a balanced cable and a proper audiophile DAC. Really hoping they last as long as yours, because I'm so extremely happy with them.

They are gorgeous too

Impressive

I have a set of K553 PROs that don't die. I've had to epoxy the audio cable back into the can and replace the foam twice, but they're still going after 10 years. Love these things.

The faux leather on my Beyerdynamic DT770 started chipping off the moment the Chinese bought Beyerdynamic. Go figure

Any headphones without a replaceable cable is just trash.

Usually the phones last forever. Its the cable that's the weak point

ATH-AD700 from 2009.

Still using it when playing FPS games. Still with original pads since using generic pads will change the sound. Can't find pads replacement with original shape. Never have problem with cable and driver.

I found some K501s on the side of the road a few years ago. The only thing that needed to be fixed was the rubber band in the head band which was easy to replace. Apart from that these things are still perfect and I can see them working for another few decades. Truly great headphones.

My modded Fostex T50RPs are ancient too!

I have zero intention of replacing them.

I'd had a pair of K702s, and yes, the whole family is more or less just slight tweaks (K701, K701, K712, K7XX, Q701). I did have a part that kept wearing out though, the little elastic bands that let it auto adjust. They sell the part cheap, but since you need to order them from AKG, the shipping was killing me. I ended up modding them to not longer auto adjust but just fit my head specifically.

Edit: I'd like to shout out to Beyerdynamic for also being on this "headphones that just won't die" train. My DT-770s are easily as old as OPs.

I have the Chinese clone version of these, Superlux HD681-AIR. They're only $25-30 but have flat mids, deep (but not overwhelming) bass that extends below 20Hz, and slightly siblant highs that can be fixed in EQ—but what really sells them for me is the perfect soundstage and imaging. You get amazing 3D audio from two drivers with no fancy software gimmicks required. In games you can pinpoint sounds with millimeter precision. And naturally this (along with the excellent bass response) makes them ideal for music and movies as well. It's A near perfect headphone for the gaming/entertainment PC.

No joke, I've bought and returned $500 planar magnetic headphones that didn't sound as good as these. That said, I'd recommend getting a good pair of velour earpads because the ones in the box are flimsy and cause ear pain. But for the price it is impossible to do better.

https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brand-superlux/hd681-air/

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/superlux/hd-681 (this review is for the older, non AIR model but the two headphones are identical, other than a resistor added to the drivers in the AIR version to help address the siblance issue.)

Waow ! Only 4 times in 14 Yr life span ‽

That’s awesome. I’ve had my AKG K371s for about 5 years now. I replaced the ear cups once because they were in such bad condition. Otherwise, they’ve been the best headphones I’ve ever owned.

I replaced the pads on my akg k371. I don't listen much anymore but they're still ok

I have Beyerdynamic DT990 Pros because they're so repairable. Changed the pads a few times and recently, after over a decade, I modded it to have a removable cable as the old cable's connector started to misbehave.

I used to use steelseries headsets but they kept breaking in similar ways and just wanted some decent quality, repairable headphones.

Can definitely recommend. Sound is amazing.

Thanks for this. I bought a secondhand set of AKG K702 headphones. The difference is they have a unplug-able cable.

With use and age membranes change and the sound changes with it. Unfortunately you'd still need to change the driver / membrane combo on a regular basis if you want to keep the sound quality of these cans.

This is true for any cans, and AKG are on the long-life side of headphones.