Beats Studio 3 Cracking

Hi,

I thought I'd update you on my headphones.

I drove through to Glasgow after booking an appointment to speak to someone about my headphones. The team member I spoke to was very helpful and showed my headphones to his manager as he said the wording in their Ts and Cs was unclear. He came back and told me that Apple would send them off for repair or replacement, explaining that as they were still under warranty any costs would be covered by Apple.

I received an email later that week to say that my headphones were being replaced and would be ready for collection within a few days. I didn't need to make an appointment to collect them which was great as there weren't any available before the final collection date they gave me.

Having read others' replies to this thread, I was obviously dubious about how Apple would respond, however, I can't fault them. I've had a few issues with other Apple devices which have also been dealt with quickly and without question.

There are clearly issues with these headphones which is ridiculous considering the cost of them and I can appreciate others' frustrations. My advice to anyone with this issue (with the headphones being under warranty) is go into the Apple Store and speak to someone directly. If you're unhappy with the response, ask to speak to a manager.

I hope this helps.

Fin, thank you for your response. Great to hear you got a prompt replacement without Apple resisting. Sadly I predict your replacement headphones will ultimately exhibit the same systemic defect. I am now on my third pair having only bought the original unit last September and do not hold out too much hope for these.

Of greater concern is that the replacements have a document with them which clearly indicates the end date of the original 12month warranty stands. This means if the new replacements that arrived yesterday exhibit the defect after September when they will be only 1 month old I will have no warranty to fall back on.

my advice is do not buy any beats headphones!

My replacement headphones came with the same disclaimer about the warranty which isn't great as mine runs out in a few days.

I think I'm more fortunate in that I didn't buy the headphones as they came free with my MacBook or I'd definitely be more annoyed with the situation although I'm now paranoid about using them in case they crack again.

Same issue here; I just got off the phone with a senior customer service person and they are still not honoring their warranty for this issue. Mine were cracking on both sides of the headphones and based on everyone here there is a manufacturing issue that apple is refusing to acknowledge.

Yup, same issue here with very very light use. This many instances points to either a manufacturing issue, design issue, and/or crap material issue. Most likely all of the above in order to make as much profit as humanly possible. With a $400 price tag and $30 to $50 material/manufacturing price (This is probably way to high), Apple could replace everyones headphones 2-3 times over and still make good profits. Give your head a shake Apple and sort this product out.

The same problem. This is ridiculous and disappointing, I just contacted them and they said it's accidental damage and not covered by the warranty. I am 100% sure that is a design issue. You pay 350$ and no one is responsible for their fault. I did not make any pressure on headphone. I wasted my money. Never buy an apple product again.

I've had this happen 3 times to me with the Beats Studio 3 Headphones...... Definitely a product defect..... I use mine Daily to watch TV with my AppleTV, I get maybe 2 or 3 months before they crack each time so far..

I have the same problem and Apple won't do anything about it. When I started using it, the left side started a tension crack which kept growing whenever I wore them more and more until it snapped. They said that it is not covered by the warranty even though I have gone back and forth with them both in the shop and through the phone arguing about consumer laws and that IT WASN'T an accidental damage since the right side is starting to crack too, and they still said that their decision is final.

The problem now is that Apple still won't acknowledge that this is a latent defect and not an accidental damage. Seeing this thread is obvious that the quality of the plastic fabricated is not durable, which falls under "The goods will be of satisfactory quality" within the UK Consumer Law. What they have done to me definitely does not comply with consumer legislation so I have made a complaint about it. Very dissapointing from Apple. Definitely not paying for the repair when I can get fresh new ones from Argos for less.

Honestly I’m surprised with your picture because the pattern mine started with is exactly the same! Started from the top and continued to the outer border then down... I can’t believe Apple is not seeing this already

Yeah they keep wanting to cover it under my AppleCare Warranty, which I have to argue.... You can clearly see that the metal band pushes against the plastic which causes the plastic to crack when putting them on your head... unfortunately I have to extend them with my bigger head...lol... Which is makes the metal press harder against the plastic...

Update: I followed up with Apple...and by followed up I mean I drove 2.5 hours (One way)to the nearest Apple store to have my Studio 3s inspected for repair or replacement. After speaking with one of the employees and then the manager, it’s the same story. They will do nothing. Apple continues to ignore that these headphones are faulty. A design, manufacturing, and/or material issue. It’s time for some critical thinking and for Apple to do the right thing by your customers. How much money do you need?

A couple more things Apple. I just read the Product Information about the Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones. Specifically the “Designed to fit you“ section. You left out some important information, so I fixed it for you;

“The Beats Studio3... soft over-ear cushions feature advanced venting and signature ergonomic pivoting for a custom, flexible fit for any head shape. The holistic design is lightweight, durable and comfortable, so you can get lost in your music...And by durable, we mean that it doesn’t matter if you have a small head or a giant Cantaloupe, these piece of **** $400 headphones will fail well within their 1 year limited warranty and there is not a darn thing we will do about it, suckers!“

This whole business is laughable. My Studio Beats were 2 months out of warranty, I used them maybe once every month if that, they were stored unfolded on a hook above my desk. They cracked in exactly the same place in exactly the same way that the photos on this thread and others show. Exactly. I have a 10 years+ pair of wired Beats which are stored in their case and have travelled all over the world, been literally kicked down an airplane aisle on more than one occasion ... never had a problem with them. I think this issue is a combination of poor design and less robust plastic.

I actually managed to get mine replaced by Apple after the customer service team were extremely rude and dismissive and more or less called me a liar. I wrote to the Beats GM of my region, complaining about the way I was treated, he passed it on to one of his team and I had a replacement pair (plain boxed) within a few weeks. I was pleased with the outcome obviously but it should never have reached that stage. I have sent the person I ended up dealing with a link to this thread. And yes, I do have a larger than average head. That said I am so careful with headphones it's comical.

I had both hinges break and the plastic cracked as well. Mine are under warranty so they sent by FedEx an empty box to ship back to them, again overnight. Once it arrived today I was told the cost was $199. I requested a call back by a "Supervisor" who said there was nothing she could do. Apparently Apple would rather spend money on shipping than just fixing the customers headphones. It's obviously a design flaw and one they wont stand behind. I also think the cost is outrageous. The electronics of the headphones works fine it's just the band and associated hinges. What a shame, they lost me as a customer with this.

In total I spoke to 6 different representatives of Apple after escalating the issue. All of them said there was nothing they could do. Not a single one was surprised the headphones were broken after a couple of months. Apple talks a big game about the quality of their products, often justified, but the Beats clearly have a design flaw.

The beats are designed horrible it was no accident or misuse. Never buying beats again. I don’t mind paying money for quality but I do mind investing in poor quality items. Apple I wanted better from you. I have bought lots of apple products. The beats I will never buy them again or any of your headphones if this your direction of quality in regard headphones.