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Slate VSX - BUYER BEWARE - Hardware issues.

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..
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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
 
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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.
 
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!
 
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...

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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
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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
 
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.....
 
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
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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.
 
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.
 
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
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...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!

20211217_114738.jpg
 
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!

20211217_114738.jpg
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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
 
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!

20211217_114738.jpg
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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.
 
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!

20211217_114738.jpg
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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.)
 
SupremeFist said:
That really sucks. But Slate should get you a replacement pretty damn quick?
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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! :rofl:

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.
 
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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
 

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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
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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.
 
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."
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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.
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They have had a lot of practice it seems.

jonnybutter said:
Also, where do you find the series number?
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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
 
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