[Born2Cuddle]

I can't believe no one has done this yet.

 

[IAtaman]

Doesn't that happen naturally?

 

[Born2Cuddle]

Doesn't that happen naturally?

Not when it's really cold.

 

[miketlse]

Not when it's really cold.

What temperature do you define as really cold?

 

[Born2Cuddle]

Near or below freezing.

 

[miketlse]

Near or below freezing.

Do you wear your existing headphones at those temperatures?

 

[Born2Cuddle]

Yep.

 

[miketlse]

Some thoughts why heated pads are possibly not seen on headphones:

• You often see posts complaining about sweaty ears and associated discomfort - this could be increased by heated pads, plus might cause pads to need replacing more often, which could be unpopular with owners
• I suspect that heated pads would probably quickly drain the batteries of phones/DAPs, which could be unpopular with owners
• A lot of audio gear comes with user guides that define the operating range as 5C to 40C. Below 5C there is the risk of condensation forming inside the gear, and shorting out electronics etc, leading to warranty claims. I can imagine manufacturers could be wary of allowing heated pads to encourage owners to use their headphones in freezing conditions, if that increased warranty claims. Of course the heated pads would negate the risk of condensation, but I suspect the first response of manufacturers lawyers would be to say 'no heating', even if the business risk of warranty claims is small
• In addition using gear in freezing conditions could introduce the risk of damage, if the headphones include materials (eg plastics) that become brittle at low temperatures, or alternatively the materials contract at low temperatures and cause issues for fine tolerance components (eg the speaker coils moving with only a minute gap between magnets etc)

Having created this list of reasons not to use headphones, and heating, in freezing conditions, I have probably been too negative.
Both northern europe and america experience several months of cold and snow each year, so I suspect in real life there are many owners who actually do use headphones in freezing conditions, so some of the risks I mentioned may be negligible in practice.
That leaves me thinking that the biggest reason why you don't see heated pads, is the increased battery drain.

Anyway treat my thoughts as maybe a trigger to start other owners proposing some ideas.

 

[rennyprowess]

Saw heated earpads in the thread title and literally screamed. Personally wouldn't enjoy them! Especially not in hot and humid country like Singapore, where I live.

 

[Strayngs]

This would have to be something portable right? Who in their right mind would have heated ear pads on a normal full-size headphone?

 

[earmonger]

IEMs. Plastic, not metal ones. And earmuffs. Problem solved.