It’s one thing to say a pair of headphones is durable, but it’s another thing to prove it. Most of us have owned a pair of headphones that started out great but ended up with a snapped headband or a loose connection after a few months of regular use. At Mixx, we perform rigorous testing to make sure our products are built to last.
To guarantee our gear can handle the daily grind, during the design process, we perform our quality testing in-house. We use specialised machinery to simulate years of wear and tear in just a few days. By testing everything ourselves early-on, we can be certain that when you put on a pair of Mixx headphones, plug in a speaker or drop the needle on a record deck, they’re built to stay with you for the long haul.
The Headset Torsion Tester
The headband is often the first thing to go on a pair of headphones. Whether you’re pulling them on and off constantly or shoving them into a packed bag, the headband takes a lot of hidden stress. We use the OM-886C Headset Torsion Life Tester to put that frame through its paces. The machine repeatedly twists the headset in opposite directions thousands of times, allowing us to see exactly how the materials react to daily wear and tear. As a result, we can alter the design and materials accordingly so that the final product remains flexible and strong without snapping or losing its shape.
Image: Durability-testing our StreamQ D3 ANC headphones on the OM-886C Torsion Tester.
Plug Insert Life Test Machine
The most common point of failure in any piece of audio gear is any ports or connections. Every time you plug in a charging cable or an audio lead, there is a tiny amount of wear on the internal ports which builds up over time. Our Plug Insert Life Test Machine automates this process, plugging and unplugging connectors over and over again to simulate years of use. We do this to make sure the plug can handle regular charging and that the materials used are hard-wearing enough to withstand years of charging. As a result, you can feel confident in knowing you won’t need to keep replacing your headphones when you buy a pair from Mixx.
Image: Durability-testing our new SoundQ DB5 Speaker on the Plug Insert Life Tester.
The Headset Expansion Tester
Comfort is all about the right levels of tension and pressure. You want your headphones to stay secure while you’re walking, but you don’t want them to feel like a vice on your head. Over time, the clamping force of a headset can change over time as the materials stretch. To prevent this, we use the OM-866X Headset Expansion Tester. This machine repeatedly pulls the earcups apart to a set width, mimicking the action of putting them on and taking them off. By measuring the resistance of a headset, we can test the durability of the materials and ensure that the design allows the fit to stay snug, comfortable, and consistent from the first day to the five-hundredth.
Image: Durability-testing our StreamQ D2 headphones on the OM-866X Expansion Tester.
The Mixx range is built to last
We rigorously test all Mixx audio gear for function and durability throughout the design and manufacturing process. This testing allows us to be absolutely confident that the moment you open the box, you’re getting the premium quality you deserve. Browse the full Mixx range and find your new audio bestie.
Written by Asha Kalsi and originally featured in Issue 2 of INTUNE magazine.
FAQs
· Why bother testing everything in-house instead of relying on standard factory specs?
At Mixx we choose to go the extra mile by doing our own product testing in the design phase; this is in addition to the testing done by our factories during manufacture. Often, relying solely on basic factory specs can leave a lot of issues too late and is usually why gear fails early. By running our own testing lab during the design process, we see exactly how our materials react to real-world stress and can tweak them before they’re manufactured. This allows us to be confident that they're built for the long haul.
· Headbands always seem to snap after a few months. How are Mixx headphones any different?
Frame snapping is a massive headache with everyday headphones. We test our headbands using the OM-886C Torsion Tester, which twists them thousands of times in opposite directions. This means that we can test and choose a material for the headband that stays flexible and strong enough to handle daily wear and tear from being worn daily to getting shoved into a packed bag without cracking.
· Will the charging port get loose and stop working over time?
Loose, unreliable ports are a very common point of failure. We run our gear through a Plug Insert Life Test Machine that repeatedly plugs and unplugs cables thousands of times. This ensures that we can measure how many uses the ports on our products can withstand before they lose their functionality. Using this data, we are able to design our products to last by adapting the materials or design to ensure that the port and internal housing can last for years’ worth of charging.
· Do Mixx headphones stretch out and get loose after you wear them for a while?
Headsets often lose their clamping force over time and start slipping off. We use the OM-866X Expansion Tester to repeatedly pull the earcups apart, mimicking the exact motion of taking them on and off. This allows us to test how much strain the headphones can withstand and adapt the design accordingly. At Mixx, we design our headphones with everyday use in mind and this testing means we can keep the fit snug and comfortable from day one to day five-hundred.
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