Tuesday, March 18, 2008

SteelSeries 5H v2 SUCK!!

I just sent a nice little email to the Support group over at SteelSeries. This is the second pair of gaming headphones I've owned that they make. Each set has broken in the right side. The real problem is that the wiring around the extractable microphone is pinched and wears out very quickly. The first pair I had I took back to Fry's and got the non-usb model and ended up paying more due to restocking fees and crap. So when the problem happened the second time I decided to fix them myself. I opened the left side and re-wired the cables around the joint. I also soldered them CORRECTLY. They worked perfect after that for almost a year until a couple days ago when the right side stopped again. Now I'll have to figure out what's wrong AGAIN and fix them.

Kind of a MAJOR SUCK for $100 headphones!!

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hallo,

I'm the owner of SteelSeries and just saw your comment on the SteelSeries 5Hv2 - I'm really sorry to hear that you had problems with your headset. Send it to me thru our RMA system:
http://www.steelseries.com/us/rma
Please write in the description of the problem: "AppsByAaron Blog Spot" - if you should have ever problems with one of our products, then please always just use the RMA formular.

Hope all will work out
Jacob Wolff-Petersen
SteelSeries, founder

Unknown said...

Yea, I have had the same problem.. the right earphone going out.. Im a gamer that plays cs 1.6 and I love the headphones.. But I've used the RMA on the site and I haven't gotten an email from steelseries yet...

my email is chong623@gmail.com

thats if you read this Mr. Wolff-Petersen. thanks :]

Anonymous said...

Hello


I have this steelseries 5Hv2
and i have a problem with it...
everytime i remove the headphones from my head it eats my hair and it get strangled on the headphone :(... steel series why would u make headphones like this when the soft cusion wores out and my hair gets stick inside :(

Anonymous said...

How do you fix the right side of the headphone by yourself?

AppsByAaron said...

Well, on mine there was a pinched cable in the left side. There is a small (too small) hole where the wires go out of the left side and connect to the headstrap connectors that carry the signal to the right side.

I had to completely disassemble the left ear speaker, cut out the worn-out section of wire, drill a small hole in the wall of the speaker casing, solder new wire sections to make it longer and whatnot.

It's really not too bad of a patch job. it's just ridiculous that I had to to even do it in the first place.

I just threw mine out over the weekend. They were just sitting in a drawer for a while.

Hope that helps.

Anonymous said...

damnit..did anyone have any luck with the RMA? im in college and dont have any tools to fix it on hand.

Eric said...

I own a SteelSeries 5Hv2 and have successfully gotten a replacement headset through the RMA, when my set started malfunctioning (I had the right-ear sound issue, too).

Of course, now my new pair is malfunctioning, and I don't know if the one-year warranty includes replacements. :/

Anonymous said...

I have had exactly the same problem with my 5H v2 headphones. Really dissapointed with such a basic error occurring in what should be a new and improved build of headphone.

If anyone could give me advice on how to open up these headphones to repair them it would be much appreciated. I can't even figure how to get the casing apart without seriously breaking them.

Unknown said...

Exact same prob. If I tilt the left headphone a little, i get sound in the right (opposite left, not "correct") one. I use a coke cork to tilt it while wearing the phones. But please some advice on how to fix it without breaking.

AppsByAaron said...

I would post a picture-by-picture how-to but I threw mine out a while ago. If I somehow find that I didn't throw them out I will post a tutorial. You basically take the left earpiece apart and re-wire. I had to drill a small hole in mine. Nothing too outlandish.

Anonymous said...

Heh...I own the 5H V1. I would hate to throw them out as they are the most comfortable and best sounding headphones I have ever owned. However the left speaker has also stopped working. It seems like it has been a continuous problem since the products inception.

I tried to disassemble but it is not very intuitive.

George said...

Hello Everyone,
I seem to be having the same issue as all of you. My right side headphone on my 5Hv2 is not working. I seem to have lasted a year and a half before the issue began and I am out of Warranty! Given all the issues I think the SteelSound should fix the issue regardless if it is out of warranty or not.
I was looking at buying the new 7H series once they come out however I think that I may change my mind and look at another company instead. I would have been nice of them to have fixed the problem knowing that there is an issue with the headphones instead of giving the "Sorry out of Warranty" story. I think that this would show good customer service. Must make a note to tell everyone not to buy any of the SteelSound headsets to avoid this type of issue.

George said...

Hey AppsByAaron,

Can you tell me how you were able to open the headphones. I sent a letter to SteelSeries and hope that they will fix the issue since it seems to be common with the Steelsound Series headphones however incase they dont (and I will never buy a product from them again) I would like to fix them if I can.

AppsByAaron said...

I don't have my headset anymore so I'm going from memory. First you peel off the ear cushions. Then there should be some screws. Hope that helps get you started.

George said...

Thanks that allowed me to open it however it looks like all the wires are attached. Dont see any loose wires. what did you go to fix yours?

Nathan said...

I was having the same problems mentioned here, my right speaker not working. Since the warranty on my pair of 5H v2s has long since expired, I decided to try repairs myself. I opened up the left and right enclosures as suggested by removing the ear cushions and then removing the exposed screws. I then blew out any dust and checked that all the connections were secure, which they were. I then put on some music and listened to the speakers while adjusting the volume control and the right side started working again. My set has been working fine ever since, except for some crackling while adjusting the volume.

I had another pair of the 5H v1 with the same problem, so there seems to be a manufacturing defect somewhere. It is probably related to the retractable microphone, as suggested - the microphone rubs against two or three wires when it is being extended/retracted.

Anonymous said...

Warning!

I dropped my 5H v2 from my computer table and when I picked them up I noticed the sound on the right ear was very low and had no bass compared to the left ear.

Later, I could, by easily shaking note that the speaker inside had fallen from the fixed location it was in so it was like a stone in a small box.

THEY SHOULDN'T BREAK BY JUST A SMALL FALL!!

I'm very disappointed, I strongly recommend another company. The sound wasn't nearly as good as I hoped when I first bought them; the bass is really weak (granted, I don't need it as a gamer, but for 70 bucks I want to be able to use them to watch movies with as well!)

/Daniel from Sweden

Anonymous said...

my left ear went out I found it was the connections by the volume control had frayed on the blue wire, i reconnected them but still doesnt work right mine are only 3 months old so hopefully i can get a new pair I really liked these ones.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I had the same problem as you. But I don't know how to disassemble the left side... please help me!!

Danielle said...

Mine also keeps going out on the right side. Like another person said, if i tilt the headphones just right, then both sides work. Also if i twist the cord just right up by where it goes into the head phones, it also works both sides.

These were $100!!!! They aren't something you just throw out, and replace them.

Anonymous said...

I have the steelseries 7h myself, i had a case of the left earcup failing within 3 months of buying them, I rma'd them and got a replacement set, and now 3 months later almost like clockwork the right earcup has failed on this replacement set. I don't throw these things around or yank the cable, so this is a completely unacceptable problem to happen twice in such a short space of time.

I'm debating whether or not to pay the postage to send these back as I could have bought a cheap headset for the money i'll have spent out rma'ing these things. who's to say that in 3 months time i wont just get this fault again.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the blog & info folks--I've removed the left speaker and will fix the wiring to the right speaker when I get into work on Monday (have a soldering iron there). Having completely taken apart my headphones, I am definitely disappointed in the build quality and lack of attention to detail in the design--having such a small wire going through the left mounts is a fatal flaw of the line IMO. When I removed the earpad the white tape came apart--anyone have recommendations for alternatives beyond double sided scotch tape?

Unknown said...

Hi im the owner of a 7h usb headset but through a dumb mistake they caught up on my chair and the right said broke off. nice thing about this headset is that its seperable is their anyway i can buy a new right side that clicks in

Ellis Gary said...

I've got a pair of the Steelseries Siberia Full-Size Headphones and they are wonderful! I have not had any problems so far.

Anonymous said...

how to dissemble the left headphone. my left side 5hv2 does not working. :/ help me.

Anonymous said...

5Hv2 failed both ears. First 7H failed left ear, second 7H failed intermittently. I have about three friends who bought 7H's as well and they all failed within months.
It's a joke, their QA obviously sucks and I told SteelSeries this and the consumer rep abuses me in response. F**k SteelSeries, we should start a parody website in honor of their atrocious QA.
"Enjoy this sample of the SteelSeries Experience, click play! {nothing but muted sound since nothing works}"

Anonymous said...

Yep, same problem here. Right side. Sounds like bass isn't working. Got to give it a pat.

Sounds Steelseries has a lacking customer service. Mmmm not good

Anonymous said...

anybody could create some tutorial about how to fix 5HV2

with picture i hope,

coz mine have the same problem like most of all 5hV2 users, right headphone are dead....

plz help us... thanks

Anonymous said...

I Got The Same Problem My Left Ear Wont Work...

Bad Headset... Make A New One + There Is No Driver To My Headset.

Steelseries 5hv2 Cant Find The Driver...

Rosol said...

ANYONE CAN EXPLAIN HOW TO OPEN THE LEFT ONE PLEASE I CANT TAKE TE COUSHION BECAUSE THEY RIPPE OFF ;/ please!!

Rosol said...

the cushines are on clips u need to take them out with the clips after use screwdriver and thats it simply as that

Lennert said...

I also got the same problem my right side doesn't work anymore so frustrating to see so many people got the same problem