The Most Overrated Headphone goes to..

I have to say k1000s. Keep in mind, I only heard them at the WOH tour. . .

sure, they had imaging/soundstage, but, to me, not much else.

Should one have heard them, or is beleif enough?

What do you mean by belief? I mean, saying a phone is bad because others say its bad doesn't count.

Andrze, that's basically what you're doing. You didn't hear the AKG-K1000 with equipment that you know or in a good, quiet setting (very important for these headphones) or being able to sit down (also very important for the K1000). I would say the K1000 is one of the most under-rated headphones on Head-Fi. They have the potential to be driven by some of the best amplification electronics made, not being limited to the small selection headphone amps available.

I would say the CD3000 was extremely over-rated, though I don't see much about it now. It was a very colored headphone which was either way too bright or way too syrupy. Namely, the Headroom Home made it sound extremely bright and the amazing Holmes Powell DCT-1 made it sound syrupy -- as did the Wheatfield HA-1. I was very much surprised by how much people enjoyed it.

I think that the Sennheiser HD580/HD600 is also over-rated. Many tout it as the most neutral of headphones and as some of the best headphones when paired with the Cardas or Stefan replacement cable. While I think its versatility is great in being able to use multiple cables (also great for the Blockhead), I don't think it is the most neutral or the most musical headphone around -- not by a long shot. While a very relaxed headphone and really very neutral with the Cardas cable, I thought the Grado HP-1000 (as well as the Alessandro-Grado Music Series Pro) bested the HD600 by a wide margin in most areas, falling only in soundstage size. Bass and drums are felt much more with the HP-1000, which provides a tight yet deep response. The bass response is deeper in the HD600 but not as tight, though the Cardas comes close. Treble seems somewhat veiled to me on the HD600 -- this is fixed by the Cardas cable, but the liquidity and naturalness of treble does not come with the cable. There's treble in heaps with the HP-1000, maybe too much for some people. But it's all the treble that's on the recording and it seems much more real to me.

Oh, and I forgot to mention I voted for the ER-6 as well. It was a real disappointment to me after reading that it was nearly the equal of the Ety ER-4S which I own and love. I guess that makes it over-rated in my eyes.

Andrzej,
I didn't refer to you especially. Anyway, you described your limited experience openly. I thought mainly on those who are voting anonymously.

DanG: I realize that I didn't hear them in the optimum setting, so my opinion is not final. But, how can you then go and say that the cd3K were overrated? I'm really guessing Hirsch and others weren't all crazy when they said they liked the cd3ks. I've said this before: the headroom home was probably not the best amp to pair with the phones. So, I guess we're both guilty of judging.

you're a brave man, taoster.

for me, the most overrated phone is the AKG K401/501.

and second place goes to -- now we'll see some flames -- the ety er4p. you see, you can't criticize ety's without 'team ety' swarming all over you like bees.

I voted for the Beyer 931, the upper-end Grados (SR-225 and up) and the Sony CD3000. Why? Because I found the Beyer (when used with most amps) and the high-end Grados way overbright for my tastes (well, the RS-1 isn't quite as overbright as the other Beyer and Grado 'phones on the list, but I still can't bring myself to spend anywhere close to $695 - the actual average selling price for the RS-1 - on any pair of dynamic headphones), and I've heard tinny ringing resonances on the Sony CD3000. And you know that I dislike REALLY bright-sounding headphones to begin with. (Note that I didn't vote for the Sony R10 because I've never heard that 'phone.)

I vote for the Beyer DT250-80. It's not on the list...

Yeah, I'd have to say the ER6. I really tried to like them too. But alas, had to let them go.

andrzejpw:
I doubt that you would criticize the K1000 if you actually owned a pair, and a matching amp. Due to their extremely open nature, you really do require a quiet enviroment to audition them. It's just like auditioning speakers, you can't have a room full of people chatting and walking around you.

Hmm...

V700.

Does it count if the overrating is done by one person alone??
If so, it is definately the most overrated phone here.

I have no problem with the sound ,they are seriously good sounding.

Just can not convince myself to put something that ugly on my head on a regular basis

And...er...when do I overrate them?