How to craft a headphone frame?

[Vilx-]

I'm a menace to all headphones I wear. My latest ones are cracked in 4 places already. And that's because I've been stubbornly fixing them with duct tape. I've had probably half a dozen pairs before that. On the average, I kill a pair of headphones per year.

The problem is that their frames crack. Predictably this is always the first place that cracks, and then whatever is the next weakest place. I've no idea why - I don't think I treat them roughly (though I guess the evidence does point the other way).

I could fix this with earphones, but I find them annoying to use. I also need good sound insulation because they are for the office, which can get somewhat noisy, and my work (computer programming) requires concentration (hence full-size closed headphones). Also I do pay a bit of attention to the quality of sound, so $20 pair of headphones will not be pleasant for me (I typically go for $60-$80).

I've seen old headphones with frames of metal. Unfortunately I cannot find any headphones with metal frames today (except for Grados, but they don't insulate sound).

So now I'd like to try and do the Mustachian thing and fix them once and for all. After all - the speakers themselves are perfectly fine, it's just the frame that's cracking. Would it be possible for me to make a metal frame on my own? Possibliy even badass-looking? I've never done anything like that at all, I don't know where to start. I could hunt down where I can purchase the tools & materials I need, but I don't even know what I need. Googling does not show anything either. Most headphone mods replace the speakers, not the frames.

Does anyone have any advice they could share?

[Greg]

You could try some construction-style earmuffs and repurpose them a bit.  They're generally pretty affordable.

[Frankies Girl]

I've seen the type that snug over the ears, but I would find that annoying myself. Have you seen these:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/electronics-computers/headphone-reviews/best-over-ear-headphones#slide-1

With the metal headband, I'd think that would reduce the likelyhood of breaking them. It doesn't really help with fixing the existing ones you already have, but might give you some ideas of crafting a wire headband style version to use with your current set.

[the fixer]

If you don't care about cost and just wanted to buy something, look into aviation headsets.

You can get ones that are listen-only (for passengers in small aircraft) so you don't have a dorky mic boom on the front. Some models may have a detachable boom, so that's another option.

They insulate sound EXTREMELY well. Not all of them have stereo sound, so you'd need to shop around, and audio quality is also not the most important factor on these except the higher-end models. The jack that's used in small airplanes is a 1/4" phono, so you'd need a cheap adapter to 1/8".

The above is a lot of caveats for a recommendation, but I know for sure that companies like David Clark make these with metal frames, and they stand behind their products to fix anything that breaks from wear & tear. If you managed to break one I'd be amazed.

As with any purchase, headsets can be found on the used market through places like ebay. There are also dedicated ecommerce sites for aviation gear like sportys.com that sell new models.

[Vilx-]

Thank you for your advice! Construction headphones sounds like an idea worth looking into. As for aviation headphones - the idea is awesome of course (I especially like the huge helicopter pilot headphones), but unfortunately my finances are quite limited. Otherwise I'd just have gotten the next $60 pair and be done with it.

[Cinder]

Thank you for your advice! Construction headphones sounds like an idea worth looking into. As for aviation headphones - the idea is awesome of course (I especially like the huge helicopter pilot headphones), but unfortunately my finances are quite limited. Otherwise I'd just have gotten the next $60 pair and be done with it.

I almost bought a Vietnam era helicopter pilot helmet from a Marine Specialty store in Provincetown a few years ago.. I had intended to replace the internals and turn it into 'hands free' setup for topless/door-less driving in my Jeep Wrangler.  It looked something like this

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/Boonierat1972/Vietnam%20Combat%20Operations/HelicopterFlightHelmet.jpg

I just settled on my (still working) Shure e2 based noise isolating headset with boom mic.  I could cup my hand around the mic and still talk, and with the 'ear plug' like design of the Shure e2 style earpiece, I could hear over all of the wind noise no problem.  That is no my go-to bike riding accessory.  People didn't even realise I was riding my bike when I took calls from them.  I don't have any easy way to answer the phone, so I have to stop, take out my phone, answer it, and resume riding, but it is a really solid design.  I can't find any anywhere on the internet.  I'd like to have a spare or to for when it finally bites the dust! 

This one only shows the foam and the hard plastic ear pieces, but they have a soft rubber version that is amazing.
http://images.doba.com/products/1/qsh-b3.jpg

[PS241]

Why not get the $20 ear buds that fit into your ears like earplugs? Mine shut out nearly all noise and sound fine to me.. although I am not an audiophile.

[wizlem]

The headphones I have are the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700. They feel light like they are plastic but I believe they are made of magnesium. I've had them for a few years now and they haven't had any problems. The only problem is they are open air headphones so someone else can easily hear whats playing on them when you are wearing them. You could probably cover them with tape or something. I'd say find something of a similar construction where there is no plastic taking any of the bending stress.

[ritchie70]

The ones you have look really cheaply made.

I'm a "Programmer/Analyst" and perfectly happy with earbuds of one sort or another for myself at work - my current pair were $12 on Amazon and are marked to look vaguely like baseballs.

I have an 80's pair of Panasonic full-ear headphones that I'd give you if you were local but I think the foam is dried out and I don't have anything with a 1/4" phono jack to check if they work. Don't think I'm up for mailing them to Latvia.

[sulaco]

If you haven't looked there yet, check out head-fi.org which will give you plenty of reviews and a good idea about the durability of a set of cans. If you are breaking them quickly, you should look at getting some professional studio headphones, which are generally built to withstand years of daily use (with consistent sound over years of use).

I currently use Sony MDR-V6s (almost identical to MDR-7506). They sound good, and have been known to last decades (they are largely unchanged since the 80s). You can find similar Shures or Sennheisers. Unfortunately, you just missed one of the best times of the year to buy headphones, but slickdeals can help find a good deal.