# Slate VSX - BUYER BEWARE - Hardware issues.



## Daniel James

Hey all, 

I just uploaded a video documenting my experience with the poor build quality of the Slate VSX headset. Have any of you experienced anything similar? let me know!



-DJ


----------



## kgdrum

Daniel James said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I just uploaded a video documenting my experience with the poor build quality of the Slate VSX headset. Have any of you experienced anything similar? let me know!
> 
> 
> 
> -DJ



Hi Daniel,
I haven’t used the headphones & don’t have them but I’ve seen lots of people complaining online (it might have been @GS)
I am more than a bit ambivalent with anything Slate, I consider Slate a great salesman with highly skilled marketing abilities but I don’t totally trust his motives,judgment or QC skills.
With that being said I reluctantly bought the Mimic Pro drum module in July when my old Vdrum module finally bit the dust. The Mimic Pro is a joint venture between Slate and Pearl so I’m hoping Pearl is more thorough than Slate normally would be if this wasn’t a joint venture.
i‘m using it primarily to trigger pads on an eDrum kit and replacing the sounds with Toontracks SD3. I’m keeping my fingers 🤞 hoping this will at least be a good vehicle for midi triggering.
Slate from my perspective is ambitious with advancing technology and selling products but from my experience QC has never really been his strong suit or priority.


----------



## tebling

Thanks for the heads up. I literally received my 2300 series last night. Fingers crossed!


----------



## cqd

Pretty much every slate hardware product has had issues, have they not?..
And the way the plugins slowed down a lot and got more expensive after the subscription started soured me on them..


----------



## Drundfunk

tebling said:


> Thanks for the heads up. I literally received my 2300 series last night. Fingers crossed!


Would be cool of you to update us about your experience on this thread after, I don't know, a few months or so.


----------



## Daniel James

tebling said:


> Thanks for the heads up. I literally received my 2300 series last night. Fingers crossed!


Interesting that you are getting 23xxx and they only offered me 22xxx as replacements. I really hope they have it figured out for your version, they are great headphones when paired with the software. I just didn't want to keep acting as quality control I need a pair that will last me a while.

Do let us know how it goes though! Really interested to see how you get on!

-DJ


----------



## lucor

I've also had quite a bit of problems with them, I'm currently on my 3rd pair (2100). Apparently, they had issues with their Chinese manufacturer, who consistently screwed up the 'recipe' for the material of the headband. They say that it's now fixed with the latest version of the headphones (2300) as demonstrated here, but they said the same thing about previous versions so I'm still a bit skeptical...



I do really hope they are right though, because apart from this these headphones are just incredible. By far the best headphones I've ever had and worth every bit of hype they get.
Slate customer support is also really quite excellent. When my 2nd pair broke, I received my replacement pair only 4 days later here in Germany from the US.

I was also able to 'fix' my second pair with some tape and a piece of metal. It actually feels way more robust now than an unbroken VSX. Of course you can't adjust the headband any more, but since I'm the only one using them there isn't really a need for that anyway.
Still, it's a good feeling to have these as a temporary backup, in case my 3rd pair breaks and I have to wait for my 4th. At least I can continue working uninterrupted.


----------



## Daniel James

lucor said:


> I've also had quite a bit of problems with them, I'm currently on my 3rd pair (2100). Apparently, they had issues with their Chinese manufacturer, who consistently screwed up the 'recipe' for the material of the headband. They say that it's now fixed with the latest version of the headphones (2300) as demonstrated here, but they said the same thing about previous versions so I'm still a bit skeptical...
> 
> 
> 
> I do really hope they are right though, because apart from this these headphones are just incredible. By far the best headphones I've ever had and worth every bit of hype they get.
> Slate customer support is also really quite excellent. When my 2nd pair broke, I received my replacement pair only 4 days later here in Germany from the US.
> 
> I was also able to 'fix' my second pair with some tape and a piece of metal. It actually feels way more robust now than an unbroken VSX. Of course you can't adjust the headband any more, but since I'm the only one using them there isn't really a need for that anyway.
> Still, it's a good feeling to have these as a temporary backup, in case my 3rd pair breaks and I have to wait for my 4th. At least I can continue working uninterrupted.



They sent me the exact same video before they sent my 4th pair to assure me they had figured it out. Then seemingly decided to send me the faulty design twice more. That is entirely on them. If they figured out the formula, perhaps they should have sent a pair of those instead of dicking me around for 2 more units. Outrageous!

-DJ


----------



## lucor

Daniel James said:


> They sent me the exact same video before they sent my 4th pair to assure me they had figured it out. Then seemingly decided to send me the faulty design twice more. That is entirely on them. If they figured out the formula, perhaps they should have sent a pair of those instead of dicking me around for 2 more units. Outrageous!
> 
> -DJ


Yeah, I was also a bit annoyed to have received a 2100 unit again (2300 was apparently already available at that time). But at least I can count on them to send me a replacement ASAP if this one breaks (which then hopefully will be the 2300), and I have my taped up 2nd pair to bridge me over.

This whole ordeal is really unfortunate, but I like these headphones too much to give up on them...


----------



## Pixelpoet1985

Sorry for you guys, that’s curious! 

I have a version starting with 1900… Does this mean it’s an older model? At least I don’t have any issues. I‘m very happy.


----------



## Daniel James

Pixelpoet1985 said:


> Sorry for you guys, that’s curious!
> 
> I have a version starting with 1900… Does this mean it’s an older model? At least I don’t have any issues. I‘m very happy.


19xx seems to be going strong for some. I bought mine around launch and got the 20xx. Which makes me wonder if the 19xx were designed stronger, with more expensive materials, perhaps for pre-release review units to ensure no breakages? Then perhaps the 20xx units were cheaper to produce at a mass level? totally conjecture, but its odd that the 19xx seems to be fairing better than the launch 20xx and the redesigned 21xx versions.

Regardless this experience has completely decimated any trust I have in Slate hardware.

-DJ


----------



## GregStuckey

Daniel James said:


> 19xx seems to be going strong for some. I bought mine around launch and got the 20xx. Which makes me wonder if the 19xx were designed stronger, with more expensive materials, perhaps for pre-release review units to ensure no breakages? Then perhaps the 20xx units were cheaper to produce at a mass level? totally conjecture, but its odd that the 19xx seems to be fairing better than the launch 20xx and the redesigned 21xx versions.
> 
> Regardless this experience has completely decimated any trust I have in Slate hardware.
> 
> -DJ


In the UK mine finally arrived at the beginning of the week and they were 2200. So far so good but we'll see if that changes. I can't see myself going back after these headphones so I'll have to put up with whatever

btw because slate based these headphones off of an existing headphone design I assume they are limited to what changes they can make to the design without having to completely redesign them from scratch


----------



## Daniel James

GregStuckey said:


> In the UK mine finally arrived at the beginning of the week and they were 2200. So far so good but we'll see if that changes. I can't see myself going back after these headphones so I'll have to put up with whatever
> 
> btw because slate based these headphones off of an existing headphone design I assume they are limited to what changes they can make to the design without having to completely redesign them from scratch


Yeah if they figure out a build that works down the line I may jump back in, as I said in the video the concept and execution software side works great.. But for now I need something I can use for longer than a few weeks without having to wait for another replacement before I can work into the night.

-DJ


----------



## GregStuckey

Daniel James said:


> Yeah if they figure out a build that works down the line I may jump back in, as I said in the video the concept and execution software side works great.. But for now I need something I can use for longer than a few weeks without having to wait for another replacement before I can work into the night.
> 
> -DJ


absolutely, and I hope they continue to support once they are out of warranty


----------



## jcrosby

This is eerily similar to issues that have plagued a few Focal headphone models.. It's actually so reminiscent of it I kind of have to wonder if they outsourced the design of the cans to Focal (or whatever 3rd party was responsible for the shitshow that ensued) ... 

If you decide to go down the search rabbit hole linked below you'll see the Focal issue goes back about 4-5 years, but more interestingly it's uncomfortably similar; in that the the same defect constantly shows up - the headband snaps... 



focal spirit headband snap - Google Search


----------



## GregStuckey

jcrosby said:


> This is eerily similar to issues that have plagued a few Focal headphone models.. In fact it's so reminiscent of it I kind of have to wonder if they outsourced the design of the cans to Focal... If you decide to go down the search rabbit hole linked below you'll see the Focal issue goes back 4-5 years, but more interestingly it's uncomfortably similar, in that the headband snaps...
> 
> 
> 
> focal spirit headband snap - Google Search








RBH Sound HP-2 Ultralight Beryllium Headphones


RBH Sound HP-2 Ultralight Beryllium Headphones, Over ear headphones




rbhsound.com





this is the original design


----------



## M. vDiva Fabbiani

Daniel James said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I just uploaded a video documenting my experience with the poor build quality of the Slate VSX headset. Have any of you experienced anything similar? let me know!
> 
> 
> 
> -DJ



Same here, Daniel. My 3rd pair snapped after 1 month (just like the previous two) and it’s 2100. Waiting now for an answer from the support about it. 
I really love them and I hope they find a solution ASAP.


----------



## jcrosby

GregStuckey said:


> RBH Sound HP-2 Ultralight Beryllium Headphones
> 
> 
> RBH Sound HP-2 Ultralight Beryllium Headphones, Over ear headphones
> 
> 
> 
> 
> rbhsound.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> this is the original design


So were these prone to the headband snapping?


----------



## GregStuckey

jcrosby said:


> So were these prone to the headband snapping?


they were only around for a few years before being discontinued in 2018. Hard to find many reviews for them at all, and didn't see anything about snapping. But feedback all seems very positive


----------



## jcrosby

GregStuckey said:


> they were only around for a few years before being discontinued in 2018. Hard to find many reviews for them at all, and didn't see anything about snapping. But feedback all seems very positive


Thanks. Different design obviously... Unfortunately the problem appears to be the same, even if for totally unrelated reasons...


----------



## kgdrum

jcrosby said:


> Thanks. Different design obviously... Unfortunately the problem appears to be the same, even if for totally unrelated reasons...


It‘s possible even though the designs differ maybe Slate and Focal are outsourcing the manufacturing to the same factory and the manufacturing process shares substandard material or design and manufacturing flaws.


----------



## jcrosby

kgdrum said:


> It‘s possible even though the designs differ maybe Slate and Focal are outsourcing the manufacturing to the same factory and the manufacturing process shares substandard material or design and manufacturing flaws.


Quite possible, and actually kind of why I said what I did... It's such a unique and one-off issue when it comes to headphones that it's kind of hard not to wonder if they're not related in some way, even if it's only at the materials or manufacturing level...


----------



## kgdrum

@jcrosby
I‘ve heard too many horror stories from companies that get products manufactured in China having little to no control with the manufacturing process,counterfeiting etc…..unless the company is able to have someone in China 24/7 coordinating and overseeing the entire manufacturing process.
Companies obviously move the operations to China to save money but the inherent risks and associated problems often outweigh the anticipated savings and introduce all sorts of unanticipated issues unless they have someone on the ground watching like a hawk.


----------



## Audio Birdi

Thanks for the informative video Daniel, was hoping to jump-in and take the HD Linear setting and the VSX for a try-out but have been weary of potential issues with the hardware. I wear glasses too, so the hadphone seal may impact the bass too, which is always a pain with closed-backs. Funnily enough the ATH-M50 (before the x model) has had great clamping-force, resulting in a good seal.

If the QC issues are sorted out and they are on the 23xx model when it comes time to try these out. I'll be looking forward to it!


----------



## SupremeFist

Audio Birdi said:


> Thanks for the informative video Daniel, was hoping to jump-in and take the HD Linear setting and the VSX for a try-out but have been weary of potential issues with the hardware. I wear glasses too, so the hadphone seal may impact the bass too, which is always a pain with closed-backs. Funnily enough the ATH-M50 (before the x model) has had great clamping-force, resulting in a good seal.
> 
> If the QC issues are sorted out and they are on the 23xx model when it comes time to try these out. I'll be looking forward to it!


No issues with glasses here fwiw (mine are 1900s).


----------



## Daniel James

SupremeFist said:


> No issues with glasses here fwiw (mine are 1900s).


Man these 19xx sound like the ones to get. Wonder why they redesigned it twice after it was seemingly working better than the current design?


----------



## kgdrum

Daniel James said:


> Man these 19xx sound like the ones to get. Wonder why they redesigned it twice after it was seemingly working better than the current design?


Perhaps the cost of manufacturing? cutting corners etc……….


----------



## Daniel James

kgdrum said:


> Perhaps the cost of manufacturing? cutting corners etc……….


Yeah that was my conspiracy theory. Get the first batch made from premium material out to the reviewers and early adopters to sing its praises and get the early positive review numbers to pump those videos to the top of Youtube algorithms and search results. Drop production cost for the mass market release and placate breakages with equally cheap replacements, to keep people from making poor reviews, all the while the early premium model reviews are still circulating saying everything works great. Of course, this is just my suspicious mind running rampant, but most people who are commenting saying theirs is still in good shape are on the 19x model.

-DJ


----------



## Obi-Wan Spaghetti

Playing devil's advocate here but, did you consider that maybe there's something wrong with you head?


----------



## Daniel James

Obi-Wan Spaghetti said:


> Playing devil's advocate here but, did you consider that maybe there's something wrong with you head?


If it was exclusive to me I would, but based on the comments I am getting its quite a widespread issue.

-DJ


----------



## Obi-Wan Spaghetti

Daniel James said:


> If it was exclusive to me I would, but based on the comments I am getting its quite a widespread issue.
> 
> -DJ


I was kidding of course. There's no denying there's a problem with their headset now. Thanks for the heads up.


----------



## kgdrum

Obi-Wan Spaghetti said:


> I was kidding of course. There's no denying there's a problem with their headset now. Thanks for the heads up.



*“Thanks for the heads up.” 

😂*


----------



## Obi-Wan Spaghetti

kgdrum said:


> *“Thanks for the heads up.”
> 
> 😂*


That was an accidental joke so i can't get credit for that one. Not that clever!


----------



## kgdrum

Funny nevertheless 👍


----------



## SupremeFist

Daniel James said:


> Man these 19xx sound like the ones to get. Wonder why they redesigned it twice after it was seemingly working better than the current design?


I think Slate said on GearSlutz that something like 8% of the 1900 run broke because the wrong material was used in the headbands. Then they had issues sourcing the same components during the pandemic, like a lot of people. I honestly don't think there's anything nefarious going on!


----------



## Daniel James

SupremeFist said:


> I think Slate said on GearSlutz that something like 8% of the 1900 run broke because the wrong material was used in the headbands. Then they had issues sourcing the same components during the pandemic, like a lot of people. I honestly don't think there's anything nefarious going on!


Probably right. That's why I said its my conspiracy theory brain running rampant due to my extreme disappointment 😂

However I have seen some of the types of discussions marketing teams have in private, you would be surprised how common front-loading premium component versions to reviewers actually is. Not saying that's what happened in this situation. Just that it does happen, and it would fit this narrative considering the 19x seems to be holding better than the mass produced redesigns.

Also I don't believe a word they say when it comes to numbers. Particularly given how many people are sharing in the comments how they have received multiple replacements at this point yet I am hearing the number they gave is they only break 2% of the time... and of course mine breaking 5 times in a row.

-DJ


----------



## Akarin

I've had 1xxx and they broke. Now, 21xx broke as well and I'm waiting for a new pair. I don't know if it will be 22xx or 23xx.

It's a shame because my mixes improved drastically since using VSX and they translate much better. Yet, I can't be interupted in my work each time they break and I have to wait for a replacement.

But man... 5 pairs?!? You are a very patient man, DJ.


----------



## walkaschaos

Man, that would be frustrating. Almost worth having a backup pair? It seems like they are a massive hit and being supported well at least, so hopefully Slate can get this sorted for the next generation of hw. PS I'm still on my first pair (Founders) and no issues thus far thankfully.


----------



## onnomusic

frustrating stuff.... on my first pair (1900 serial) and everything smoothy operator here


----------



## SupremeFist

They need to design a successor model with the premium build of Austrian Audio's Hi-x55 or Neumann NDH-20 or something, would buy that like a shot. Happily my 1900s are still intact but they are plasticky for the price.


----------



## jonnybutter

cqd said:


> Pretty much every slate hardware product has had issues, have they not?..
> And the way the plugins slowed down a lot and got more expensive after the subscription started soured me on them..


I would be curious to know what other hardware issues they’ve had. Always good to know that stuff.

They actually have been adding product to the subscription - which model I know some people refuse out of hand - at a fast clip, including their own new plugs (EQs, Opto, autotuner just recently), third party plugs and soundware. It’s more than I really need! The subscription model gets expensive if you keep it for too long, but if you use the products a lot and are making good mixes+money, why not? The ‘problem’ is that there are so many great plugins nowadays that we are spoiled for choice. So then it gets down to whether a particular plugin is worth the full price. If it is, it is, if not then not. 🤷‍♂️

People bitch about Slate, but salesmanship aside, he does have some good products. VSX is going to solve some problems for me. I would never rent *those* btw. Hope the hardware issues get ironed out


----------



## Dex

I bought a pair shortly after they came out. They were a 20xx model. They broke after about six months. Slate sent me a replacement pair immediately, which turned out to be a 19xx model. I’ve had those for a little over six months now, and they seem fine, but the previous pair broke without warning, so who knows. I treat them very gently, even though I know that’s not enough to prevent breakage.


----------



## artomatic

So I bought one that arrived last week. Kinda' leary about this issue.
Besides, I got to test it for a week and I gotta say I prefer SoundID Reference better.
So I decided to return it. Quite expensive to have it fall apart that many times!


----------



## cedricm

jcrosby said:


> This is eerily similar to issues that have plagued a few Focal headphone models.. It's actually so reminiscent of it I kind of have to wonder if they outsourced the design of the cans to Focal (or whatever 3rd party was responsible for the shitshow that ensued) ...
> 
> If you decide to go down the search rabbit hole linked below you'll see the Focal issue goes back about 4-5 years, but more interestingly it's uncomfortably similar; in that the the same defect constantly shows up - the headband snaps...
> 
> 
> 
> focal spirit headband snap - Google Search


Yes that I can confirm.
I had the same issue with the Focal Spirit Pro, a very expensive Sennheiser Gaming headphone, as well as a Sony MDR-1000X.
The only headphone I can keep more than one year, with daily use, is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x.


----------



## Pier

I know it's a bit off topic... but has anyone here tried the new model of the HD280 Pro?

They seem pretty sturdy although I treat all my headphones with care.

They cost like $100 and are my go-to headphones now, even though I own more expensive ones like HD600 and DT990. My only complaint is that they lack a bit of low end which is easily solved with some EQ.


----------



## Akarin

So I've received my 3rd pair as a replacement from Slate. It is still a 22xx series though. I wonder when they'll break... ...because I'm sure that they will!


----------



## timbit2006

Just like their mics the Slate headset is probably just a rebranded item that you can buy off Aliexpress. Alctron-Ningbo might even make these, I managed to use some glitch to get into their commercial client area on the Chinese site and it was shocking to see the amount of typical items they produce that companies like Slate buy and rebrand.


----------



## TonalDynamics

kgdrum said:


> Hi Daniel,
> I haven’t used the headphones & don’t have them but I’ve seen lots of people complaining online (it might have been @GS)
> I am more than a bit ambivalent with anything Slate, I consider Slate a great salesman with highly skilled marketing abilities but I don’t totally trust his motives,judgment or QC skills.
> With that being said I reluctantly bought the Mimic Pro drum module in July when my old Vdrum module finally bit the dust. The Mimic Pro is a joint venture between Slate and Pearl so I’m hoping Pearl is more thorough than Slate normally would be if this wasn’t a joint venture.
> i‘m using it primarily to trigger pads on an eDrum kit and replacing the sounds with Toontracks SD3. I’m keeping my fingers 🤞 hoping this will at least be a good vehicle for midi triggering.
> Slate from my perspective is ambitious with advancing technology and selling products but from my experience QC has never really been his strong suit or priority.


Haven't bought a lot of his hardware, but used VMR for years.

I do have the virtual mic system, which is one of the coolest pieces of gear (and most practical) I have ever owned, for vocalists it's hands down the best value for mics out there IMO.

Won't get you 100% of the way to a $15,000 mic, but it will get you 80-90% of the way there, and many hit albums were made with less

Cheers


----------



## GNP

Am considering getting a VSX. Being able to mix and judge my low ends with headphones is a gigantic benefit. But I'm also worried about the build quality reading this thread.....


----------



## cedricm

You may want to give Waves Nx plugins a try if your headphones are supported, or Acustica Sienna.


----------



## GNP

Daniel James said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I just uploaded a video documenting my experience with the poor build quality of the Slate VSX headset. Have any of you experienced anything similar? let me know!
> 
> 
> 
> -DJ



Fair enough. At least you've given them the benefit of the doubt, which the same can hardly be said for many these days. 

I bought a Slate ML1 VMS from Sweetwater because I don't have a local dealer from where I'm at. *That voids any warranty benefits.* Now if the the VSX is going to snap and break in my case if I order it, I'll be shit out of luck getting a replacement because there are no local dealers in my country.

Thank you so much for your video, I think I have no choice but to give VSX a miss for now.


----------



## Badblocks

I had two sets of VSX headphones with major problems (cracked headband, faulty driver), the third pair has been working fine and I do think it's a very useful system for mixing when you can't use monitors for whatever reason.


----------



## tebling

Daniel James said:


> Interesting that you are getting 23xxx and they only offered me 22xxx as replacements. I really hope they have it figured out for your version, they are great headphones when paired with the software. I just didn't want to keep acting as quality control I need a pair that will last me a while.
> 
> Do let us know how it goes though! Really interested to see how you get on!
> 
> -DJ


...and BOOM. After about two months of moderate use, this just happened. 2300 series. And just a week or so before a live orchestra session... great timing!


----------



## Daniel James

tebling said:


> ...and BOOM. After about two months of moderate use, this just happened. 2300 series. And just a week or so before a live orchestra session... great timing!


But havnt you seen the video of them bending them? they are specifically designed not to snap /s 😂

I wonder how they will spin this. I imagine the result will be 'But we definitely fixed it this time'

You vindicated my decision not to carry on with replacements. Sorry that happened to you mate!

-DJ


----------



## MartinH.

tebling said:


> ...and BOOM. After about two months of moderate use, this just happened. 2300 series. And just a week or so before a live orchestra session... great timing!



Imho this part should be metal, I don't understand why they even bother with plastic. I think all my headphones that cost above 100,- Euro use metal for this part.
Also, having the grooves for the cable on the inside... doesn't that make it more likely to break because the side of the part that is being expanded is weakened? Wouldn't it be more stable to have those on the outside where the material is compressed when bent? Is there an engineer here who can answer that? 

I wonder if it's possible to replace the whole headstrap with a sturdier aftermarket solution in a reasonably painless way. Sounds like a niche waiting to be filled.


----------



## SupremeFist

tebling said:


> ...and BOOM. After about two months of moderate use, this just happened. 2300 series. And just a week or so before a live orchestra session... great timing!


That really sucks. But Slate should get you a replacement pretty damn quick? (I've gaffer taped my Founder's Editions to size on both sides to try to avoid stressing these parts.)


----------



## tebling

SupremeFist said:


> That really sucks. But Slate should get you a replacement pretty damn quick?


I got a reply a few minutes after submitting the ticket with support:

"Hi, sorry to hear! The newer headbands aren't supposed to break under normal use (as demonstrated in this stress-test video), so you might have gotten a defective pair."

Yes, clearly I am one of the chosen few! 

But a few minutes after that I had an order confirmation for a replacement pair, so at least they're quick to remedy the easy way, if not with a properly engineered solution.


----------



## jonnybutter

I just unboxed mine - have not even tried them on yet! Does this gap look normal to you all? I’m attaching a photo of one of the ear cups, but they both look like this. Also, where do you find the series number? Thanks all


----------



## SupremeFist

jonnybutter said:


> I just unboxed mine - have not even tried them on yet! Does this gap look normal to you all? I’m attaching a photo of one of the ear cups, but they both look like this. Also, where do you find the series number? Thanks all


That gap is part of the design (they do something clever with the air gap for bass response). Serial number should be on the box.


----------



## Daniel James

tebling said:


> "Hi, sorry to hear! The newer headbands aren't supposed to break under normal use (as demonstrated in this stress-test video), so you might have gotten a defective pair."


Literally utter bollocks. Almost verbatim what they messaged me after my 3rd 4th and 5th pairs. Make out like its rare and you were just unlucky. It wears thin a few pairs later.


tebling said:


> But a few minutes after that I had an order confirmation for a replacement pair, so at least they're quick to remedy the easy way, if not with a properly engineered solution.


They have had a lot of practice it seems.



jonnybutter said:


> Also, where do you find the series number?



Its that number printed on the inside of the headband above your right ear cup. the first two numbers it starts with will tell you which series you have. 19xx seems fine. 20xx, 21xx,22xx are known to be generally faulty. 23xxx was promised as different material blend that has proven not to break but we are now starting to see those fail too. I think there is a 24xxx series too but I haven't seen any yet.

-DJ


----------



## Tralen

tebling said:


> But a few minutes after that I had an order confirmation for a replacement pair, so at least they're quick to remedy the easy way, if not with a properly engineered solution.


It seems it is cheaper to send replacements than it is for them to fix the design. One must wonder how much do these headphones actually cost to produce.


----------



## tebling

Tralen said:


> It seems it is cheaper to send replacements than it is for them to fix the design. One must wonder how much do these headphones actually cost to produce.


----------



## Bakhtin

tebling said:


> I got a reply a few minutes after submitting the ticket with support:
> 
> "Hi, sorry to hear! The newer headbands aren't supposed to break under normal use


But the old ones were?!?!?!?


----------



## jonnybutter

Daniel James said:


> Literally utter bollocks. Almost verbatim what they messaged me after my 3rd 4th and 5th pairs. Make out like its rare and you were just unlucky. It wears thin a few pairs later.
> 
> They have had a lot of practice it seems.
> 
> 
> 
> Its that number printed on the inside of the headband above your right ear cup. the first two numbers it starts with will tell you which series you have. 19xx seems fine. 20xx, 21xx,22xx are known to be generally faulty. 23xxx was promised as different material blend that has proven not to break but we are now starting to see those fail too. I think there is a 24xxx series too but I haven't seen any yet.
> 
> -DJ


Thanks Daniel

EDIT: I sure as hell hope the headphones (23 series) hold up because they are absolutely fantastic to mix on. A couple hours in, and wow, already what a difference. I did listen to commercial releases I am very familiar with for a while as they suggested, then checked some mixes of my own. Pretty great


----------



## kag

Just broke my second pair of 2100, which are being replaced by Slate. I watched the video of the 2300 and have a comment for engineering geeks . My two cents. At the point of breakage of the plastic sheath (which is always the same location) the maximum shear stress is T=3V/2A, where V is the shear force caused by the user when they spread the ear cups to don the headphones and A is the cross-sectional area at that point. The demo is done with the headband fully extracted which increases A. A is in the denominator of the equation which means the max shear stress is reduced. Also, he is not fixing the much stiffer upper band. When you fix the stiffer upper band and have the headband fully retracted, the area A decreases and the shear stress increases to 3x the shear force. The rectangular plastic is also curved to provide a restoring force that is used to keep the headphones pressed against the ear when on the head and also adds to the shear force. Changing the formula of the plastic cannot fix this problem. Rather it is a fundamental design flaw in the headband. The plastic cannot resist the shear force. You cannot make the plastic deformable or you will lose the restoring force. You cannot add reinforcement (like metal) to the plastic because it would cause a fundamental redesign of the headband. I think Slate knows this and currently redesigning the headband.


----------



## artomatic

Because of @Daniel James (many thanks, mate!) I returned mine within the first couple of days.
In addition, I wasn't that impressed with the mixing environment. 
Still using Sound ID Reference which, for me, works great!


----------



## cedricm

I'm using Waves' nx Ocean Way Nashville and Abbey Road Studio 3. Works great too.


----------



## ALittleNightMusic

From Steven: “Point Blank: You never have to worry about VSX. If they break, you'll get a replacement. Next production run will be metal extension band. That's it, end of story, keep mixing and don't worry about the hardware, let us take care of it as we should.”


----------



## lucor

Just received my 5th pair last week. 
But yes, the good news is that Slate have 'fired' their old production partners and the next version will have a metal instead of a plastic extension band, which will hopefully put an end to all of this.


----------



## noiseinmymind

Sorry for the bump but my 2300 series just broke after owning them for 11 months. Slate customer service responded right away and is sending me a replacement. It is annoying to have to wait a week for delivery though. I have become reliant on these for my work flow so I am a bit lost without them!


----------



## cedricm

noiseinmymind said:


> Sorry for the bump but my 2300 series just broke after owning them for 11 months. Slate customer service responded right away and is sending me a replacement. It is annoying to have to wait a week for delivery though. I have become reliant on these for my work flow so I am a bit lost without them!


The issue are, how often will it break and how often will you get a free replacement?
A few years ago my Focal Spirit Pro broke after about a year, It was replaced for free. It broke again about a year after but it wasn't under warranty anymore.
Focal claimed to have fixed the issue with newer models, but I haven't tried ever since.
To be fair an expensive Sony wireless headset also broke after a few months. So I'm always going back to Audio-Technica Mh.


----------



## Akarin

cedricm said:


> The issue are, how often will it break and how often will you get a free replacement?
> A few years ago my Focal Spirit Pro broke after about a year, It was replaced for free. It broke again about a year after but it wasn't under warranty anymore.
> Focal claimed to have fixed the issue with newer models, but I haven't tried ever since.
> To be fair an expensive Sony wireless headset also broke after a few months. So I'm always going back to Audio-Technica Mh.


So far, they've changed mine 5 times.


----------



## noiseinmymind

cedricm said:


> The issue are, how often will it break and how often will you get a free replacement?
> A few years ago my Focal Spirit Pro broke after about a year, It was replaced for free. It broke again about a year after but it wasn't under warranty anymore.
> Focal claimed to have fixed the issue with newer models, but I haven't tried ever since.
> To be fair an expensive Sony wireless headset also broke after a few months. So I'm always going back to Audio-Technica Mh.


That's what I am worried about. If this becomes a regular occurrence it may not be worth the hassle with lost work time etc. My hd650's have been kicking around for over 13 years and I have never had a single problem with them. At $500 a pair this should be permanently fixed at this point, no excuses. If they can't fix them, then they should not be selling them on the market!


----------



## ALittleNightMusic

noiseinmymind said:


> That's what I am worried about. If this becomes a regular occurrence it may not be worth the hassle with lost work time etc. My hd650's have been kicking around for over 13 years and I have never had a single problem with them. At $500 a pair this should be permanently fixed at this point, no excuses. If they can't fix them, then they should not be selling them on the market!


I believe the new run has been re-engineered to fix the breaking issue. I have one of the Founder editions and they’re still going strong.


----------



## SupremeFist

noiseinmymind said:


> That's what I am worried about. If this becomes a regular occurrence it may not be worth the hassle with lost work time etc. My hd650's have been kicking around for over 13 years and I have never had a single problem with them. At $500 a pair this should be permanently fixed at this point, no excuses. If they can't fix them, then they should not be selling them on the market!


Yeah but 650s suck in comparison.


----------



## noiseinmymind

I received my VSX headphone replacements today. Upon inspection I noticed the padding on the head band and ear pads was substantially less than on my old 2300 series. They aren't as comfortable as my old 2300 series too. This is a bit disappointing considering the price of these headphones. I did notice they have metal bands, but are still merged against plastic ones. Hopefully this will fix the problem...


----------



## Akarin

noiseinmymind said:


> I received my VSX headphone replacements today. Upon inspection I noticed the padding on the head band and ear pads was substantially less than on my old 2300 series. They aren't as comfortable as my old 2300 series too. This is a bit disappointing considering the price of these headphones. I did notice they have metal bands, but are still merged against plastic ones. Hopefully this will fix the problem...


I've noticed the same... And there are still plastic parts that don't look that robust to me. I can't be dependent on something that breaks so often. I've since moved to a DT 900 Pro X using the dSoniq correction. My mixes translate equally well.


----------



## cedricm

Akarin said:


> I've noticed the same... And there are still plastic parts that don't look that robust to me. I can't be dependent on something that breaks so often. I've since moved to a DT 900 Pro X using the dSoniq correction. My mixes translate equally well.


Not to derail from this thread, but I'm using my headphones with Waves Nx plugins setup with my head measurement and headphone profile for the EQ correction (the list of profiles was just greatly increased: 270 models from 45 manufacturers).
I'm quite satisfied.


----------



## noiseinmymind

cedricm said:


> Not to derail from this thread, but I'm using my headphones with Waves Nx plugins setup with my head measurement and headphone profile for the EQ correction (the list of profiles was just greatly increased: 270 models from 45 manufacturers).
> I'm quite satisfied.


I used waves nx with sonarworks for a bit. It worked fine but I find my results are better with the VSX phones. These new VSX phones are just not as comfortable and it looks like you can remove the headband either. I'm still on the fence if I can get any serious work done with such an uncomfortable set...


----------

