How to distinguish genuine from counterfeit headphones

What to look for when buying headphones

1. A place

If you are serious about headphones, buy them on the official websites of manufacturers, Authorized Distributors, or in a reputable electronics stores.

Of course, the original article can be found on the message boards, but the risk of running into a fake in this case increases. Suspicious should be treated and to the sellers with AliExpress: some of them offer these headphones, but most - counterfeiting.

Check the reputation of the store, which looked after the goods. Defrauded customers often share information about failed purchases. If the store has been convicted of selling counterfeit or reviews can not find about it, from the purchase should be abandoned.

2. Price

If the headphones are found on 70% cheaper than in the official store, most likely, they are not real. As a rule, the high price of the original brand is due not only popular, but also the use of high-quality components. Sale of headphones with a big discount simply impractical.

3. Packaging

Sometimes to distinguish the original from the fakes is not difficult. Manufacturers of counterfeit rare copy design, fonts and packaging material with 100 percent accuracy. Find a photo of these headphones in the box and compare it with what you are selling.

4. The appearance and quality of materials

Visible burrs and rough seams, traces of congealed glue, cheap plastics and flimsy cable signal of the low quality of the goods. Of course, these symptoms can not have genuine headphones reputable manufacturer.

5. Sound

Even quality headphones are good in different ways: they differ in emphasis of specific frequency nuances of detail and other characteristics. But if the sound is flat, unreadable bass and high frequency ringing too, most likely, you are dealing with a fake.

6. The popularity of the model

As a rule, the abundance of fakes - the inheritance of prestigious headphones. If you buy EarPods or any Beats not in official stores, chances are you get a fake. But if you focus on the less popular models, the risk is significantly reduced even when buying a hand.

The fact that the production of copies of popular goods pays off much faster. What is not so popular, it makes no sense to forge. For example, you can almost be sure of the authenticity of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro or Grado SR80E.

What headphones often counterfeited

1. EarPods

EarPods - headphones included in the basic package iPhone and iPod. Users it is difficult to abandon the usual headphones when they are lost or broken. And because EarPods are in constant demand.

There are dozens of imitations, copying Apple Earphones with varying degrees of accuracy. Some manufacturers forget to put a company logo on the box, while others give themselves slits in headphones fixtures.

The most reliable way to identify a fake - expose dubious product compared with the original EarPods.

2. AirPods

AirPods - wireless headphones from Apple. Will be on sale at the end of last year, gag attracted the attention of users of brand concise design, compactness and convenience. But have these headphones and a significant disadvantage - the high price.

It was she who caused the demand for low cost alternatives. As a rule, manufacturers do not try to sell a pseudo-AirPods under the guise of the original, and in an open call them replicas. Types of headphones very much. Some of them really are quite good, others - ordinary Chinese marriage.

The main factor when buying AirPods is the price: even second-hand original is unlikely to be worth $ 50.

3. Sennheiser headphones

Sennheiser - a German company that makes high-quality equipment for over 70 years. Over the past decade, she released dozens of models of headphones, many of which have become popular and have created thousands of fakes.

A common feature of many fakes German plugs can be called a lack of elasticity and too thick cable. For the rest, rely on their feelings and compare the goods with the original.

With the full-size headphones are less and less obvious, so try to follow the general rules.

Sennheiser fighting counterfeiting. The official website of the company is laid list models that are no longer in production and can not be sold in stores. Also, the manufacturer recommends to pay attention to the presence in the QR-code packaging and labels indicating that the importer is «Sennhayzer Audio".

4. Headphones Beats Electronics

Many criticized the AFC Beats Electronics for biased sound, others believe headphones unreasonably expensive. The high price and popularity - the main reasons for the fact that the sale of counterfeit meet at least the original headphones.

Many fakes copy originals is very reliable. But the basic rules when buying Beats create still possible.

Note the serial number on the bottom of the package: it should be printed on a label, and not on the box. Too many characters - a sign of counterfeiting. Inside the package, there may be no headphones feykovye tongue with which the tray is pulled out of the box (relevant for Beats models with removable tray). Tray itself must be made of a textured material instead of glossy plastic.

5. headphones Bluedio

Bluedio appeared on the Bluetooth-headset market recently, but now you can stumble on a fake different models.

On the packaging headphones Bluedio is a hologram. In the original product it is blue with a noticeable overflow from fakes - blue, overflow barely noticeable.

When it comes to headphones, earplugs, pay attention to the ear pads: they must be elastic and retain its shape even after compression.

What if you bought a fake

If you find that bought a fake with it, please contact your dealer. Perhaps he did not know what sells the fake, and will agree to return the money. If you purchased a product in the store, please contact his management. The chances of resolving the situation in your favor small, but perhaps there was a sale of counterfeit goods through a misunderstanding.

And please do not try to sell accidentally bought a fake under the guise of the original. It is better to help others: to disseminate information about the unscrupulous shop, tell us in the comments about your bad experience.

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See also:

• How to distinguish the real from the fake iPhone →
• How to distinguish genuine from counterfeit branded shoes →