Sennheiser HD26-25 etc intermittent on one side.

[TobiasHaynes]

Hi All, 

 

I own several pairs of Sennheiser HD25's and 26. 

They all end up having one side cut out eventually, I have tried getting new cables to replace them but it seems to go downhill pretty fast after the replacements.

Is there another way to repair them? 

Are they just too delicate for everyday use?

 

I have Sony MDR-7506's but it was similar. (I also find them a little loose and big even though the folding is nice)

 

Anyone have recommendations for something in the MD26 size range that they like and lasts a little longer?

 

Thanks

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

I've gone through three pairs, same issue.  The socket makes electrical contact with a spring in the socket, and I believe the issue is that the spring gets fatigue and stops making good contact after a while.  Replacing the cable doesn't help.  Replacing the earpiece probably would, but it's not very cost-effective.

 

After the third pair I've been on the hunt for a better monitoring headphone.  I've been through Sony MDR-7506s (gives me listening fatigue, and the cable drives me nuts), Audio Technical ATH-M70x (breaks at the earpiece), and I'm now using very expensive Beyerdynamic 1770s, which seem to be durable enough for regular use, but which I hope I won't have to replace every three years.

 

I suspect AT ATH-M50x may be a decent choice; it has a more robust earpiece swivel than the M70x, but I didn't like the bass bump compared the higher end model.  It's probably pretty comparable to the bass on the HD-25 though.  I suspect the AKG 371 could be a good choice, but I haven't found them to be readily available, and I didn't want to buy them sight unseen.

 

Long story short, I'm also curious if anyone has fixed the HD-25 issue permanently, or, failing that, if there's a reasonably priced alternative that is durable, reasonably flat, blocks noise, and doesn't break the bank.

[Lloyd Carrick]

I have found over the years that a slight bend to one of the pins on the lead to the earpiece

on the HD25 makes a good connection again.

[Conor]

You can fix this by pulling the cable connectors out of the headphone and lightly tinning the male connectors with a little bit of solder, and reinserting.

[Derek H]

I use HD25s on set daily and used to deal with the same issue but a friend told me a great fix… take some of the silver paste that Lectrosonics provides to treat SM battery doors and give those prongs on the HD25 cable a little coating. Has completely solved the problem for me. 

[Fred Salles]

I own 5, some for very long time, they all end up with the same problem. It drives me mad wondering why the hell Sennheiser has not find better way to connect their cable. It is the same from the beginning and along the re-issues. 
it definitely looks like they have find a market niche with their replacement cables even though, as said above, it does not last long because of these damn spring getting loose. 
Long ago I find once the time and patience to dismantle my very first one and solder the connector to the spring (it was not easy) but the spring does not retain the solder. So the fix did not last a year.

I did try tinning the connector alone to make it thicker, it did not work for me.  
I have not try bending the pins (how can you push them back in?) nor this silver paste. What is it exactly Derek? 

 

[Derek H]

Try the silver paste. It’s a high purity conductive silver paste that Lectrosonics provides, free of charge usually, to put on the screw that connects the battery door to the case to lower resistance and improve battery life. 

[Lloyd Carrick]

You only have to bend one pin very slightly.