[Elecraft] Yama CM-500 Replacement

[dick at elecraft.com]

These are personal opinions, and headphones are a personal topic...  I have a substantial headphone collection from all the usual suspects gathered over the years. I seem to collect these things.

An Inrad W1 from Vibroplex has become my favorite. My preferred headphone jacks are 1/4", and I've had trouble with 3.5mm to 1/4" adapters from another manufacturer staying solidly connected. I find the W1 more comfortable than most other headsets I have.  It has a relatively long cord and feels and looks sturdy. They grip my head a bit less tightly and feel a bit lighter than some of the other high-end over-ear headsets, but the isolation is quite good. I also like its dynamic microphone. 

I found a Sony wireless (Bluetooth) noise-cancelling headset WH1000XM3 on sale at Costco recently. It also has a wired connection, and should be useful to listen to content from my mobile phone or tablet when on an airplane, or to plug into the plane's entertainment system.  It lacks a microphone. It's relatively light and comfortable, but I haven't yet used it for a long contest.

My old favorite Sony MD-V headset is still sometimes a good fit. I think it's now called an MDR-7506. It also lacks a microphone.

I find it helpful to change headsets from time to time, just to change the pressure points. So I have several headsets around...

73 de Dick, K6KR 

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net <elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Richard Thorne
Sent: Wednesday, January 9, 2019 04:11
To: James Bennett <w6jhb at me.com>; Elecraft Reflector Reflector <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Yama CM-500 Replacement

Jim,

I have a pair of Yamaha C-500's which I like a lot, however, I wanted to try something different that was built a little better.

I picked up an Inrad W1 from Vibroplex.  Physically they are built much better than the CM-500.  They are over the ear like the CM-500's and they do a bit better job keeping the noise out.

They are a little heavier than the CM-500 and have a a little more pressure (ie clamping) on your head.

You will need a 1/4" to 1/8" stereo adapter for the phones if your rig has an 1/8" jack for the headphones.

I've had the headset since October and used it for a serious effort during Nov Sweepstakes.  I had no issues during the 24 hour contest. They are keepers in my opinion.

The mic is dynamic and I'm getting good audio reports.

They are in a different price range than the CM-500 but worth adding to your list of candidates.

Rich - N5ZC

On 1/8/2019 9:00 PM, James Bennett via Elecraft wrote:
> Sad to say, but my trusty old CM-500 headphones with boom mic finally bit the dust. The ear pads had started rotting away, leaving me with black pieces of gunk on my ears after every on-air session. Tried replacing the pads with a set of Koss pads but they simply were too small and I wound up breaking off the connectors going to the speakers. Life is too short to spend any more time messing with them, so it’s time to look for a replacement.
>
> I’d like to hear from others who are using a similar type of headphone/mic combo - one that is a direct plug-in to the back of a K3 like the Yamaha CM-500. If Yamaha would offer replacement parts to their users I’d consider getting another CM-500, but they don’t and I’m not inclined to buy something again that cannot easily be repaired.
>
> Suggestions…?
>
> Jim / w6JHB
>
>
>
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