This is a timely subject. I just put away my butane torch and soldering iron after repairing my old SR-80's. These are the pre - E version from 17 years ago. After all that time I ASSUMED the wires fatigued on one side, which was cutting out. Using a bright penlight, looking through the back mesh, I couldn't believe what I saw, or how that side ever worked. Unlike the other side with normally insulated wires soldered to the driver, there was no insulation on either of the wires. Just by luck it took all this time for them to short. There's no way to disassemble the case so I heated the blade in a utility knife and cut from hole to hole in the rear vent and created an opening above the driver's soldering pad. Although the cable cannot be pulled out of the phones, it can be pushed in as much as necessary. Once unsoldered, the cable can be pulled through the new opening to repair and pushed back in for soldering.
Question #1: Has anyone purchased a replacement cable for old phones, and from where? I'll look on the Ear Zonk site that JoeESP9 mentioned, as I need new ear pads again. I never liked the scratchy foam ear pads and have already replaced them twice -- they fall apart like old foam speaker suspensions.
Q #2: Two years ago I got the SR - 125e phones and appreciated the very noticeable improvement. It was definitely worth the extra $50. I'm guessing some of the better sound is from technology's march forward and that new SR - 80's might be noticeably better than mine. What's the general consensus, for those who have both? Would steping up to the 225 or 325 make a small, medium, or huge difference? I don't like treble bite or etch and prefer deep, solid, bass. A little "darker" sound is OK for me, as long as it's clear.