the difference between a $1000 headphone and a $300 headphone.
Feb 5, 2009 at 2:10 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 174
myk7000

myk7000

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Hello!

I am really curious if people have tried on something like the Denon AH-D2000 then tried the Denon AH-D7000, or like the Grado SR225 then tried on the Grado GS1000.

Exactly how unbelievable is the difference? For example will the gs1000 trump the d2000 in many ways or will it just be a different style with a bit more extension and clarity?
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 2:14 AM Post #2 of 174
It all depends on what kind of sound you like, and no within a brand the 'house' sound is not always the same as the price scales up.

Then you get into swapping brands comparing X brand $300 phone to Y brand $1000 phone and the conclusion sometimes is a draw or a win for the X brand.

Short answer, try them for yourself.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 2:34 AM Post #3 of 174
You can't really delineate headphones by price. It's not like buying a bigger house or more acres with more money. It's like trying to decide whether you'd prefer an acre in Alaska or Arizona depending on the price. Price doesn't tell you what you need to know in order to make an informed decision.

Also, price has little to do with performance. Some brands have hired luxury branding consultants who price otherwise affordable gear into the stratosphere in order to increase the perceived value. That's 100% pure marketing, which is not at all related to quality or value for money. It's just trying to get you to part with a significant amount of cash so you can feel good about the product.

Before you spend four figures, or even three, do a lot of reading. And keep in mind that there are a lot of people trying to sell you things you don't need.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 2:34 AM Post #4 of 174
It's really hard to say this phone sounds x% better than another, and then try to quantify that percentage in terms of money.

I recently had an eye-opening experience along this line. I A/B'd my Grado SR60's with the SR225's. For almost triple the price you get about a 10-15% improvement in sound quality imo.

All phones are different. Different may be better to you and not me or vice versa. Knowhatimean?


Edit: I think this is going to be an interesting thread, I think I may subscribe....
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 2:44 AM Post #5 of 174
the difference is about $700
smily_headphones1.gif


IMO, it really depends on what you are after. there are $300 phones that are vastly superior to some $1000 phones at certain things, what are you looking for?
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 2:49 AM Post #7 of 174
A good amp or new dac maybe.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 2:53 AM Post #8 of 174
Quote:

Originally Posted by myk7000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Hello!

I am really curious if people have tried on something like the Denon AH-D2000 then tried the Denon AH-D7000, or like the Grado SR225 then tried on the Grado GS1000.

Exactly how unbelievable is the difference? For example will the gs1000 trump the d2000 in many ways or will it just be a different style with a bit more extension and clarity?


2-3 grand VS 300 would be more appropriate..Will garner a much broader sense of how much better elite/statement headphones can be compared to good 300 audiophile headphones. Better yet, compare a 300.00 Orthodynamic/Electro stats to a 1,000 dynamic headphone. Planar based headphones can better the most expensive dynamic cans in certain areas, especially the electro. Planar headphones just melt my insides.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 3:04 AM Post #9 of 174
Any gadget would get hit by the law of diminishing returns, that's for sure.

Digital cameras, headphones, amps, electric guitars, all of them..

I came to the conclusion that no, the difference in price is not worth it if you can't appreciate the difference (yet)..

The more you appreciate (and crave for
biggrin.gif
) the difference, the more it will be worth the money to you..

A glass of water in the desert would cost much more..
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 3:08 AM Post #10 of 174
Contrary to popular belief, not all $1000 headphones are world class phones. I would say that neither the GS1000 nor the D7000 are worth the asking price, when compared to something like the Edition 9.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 4:00 AM Post #12 of 174
Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Contrary to popular belief, not all $1000 headphones are world class phones. I would say that neither the GS1000 nor the D7000 are worth the asking price, when compared to something like the Edition 9.


beyond the fact that its limited i dont think the ED9 is worth its price either. Dont forget the MSRP of the ED9 is $1799.99.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 4:31 AM Post #13 of 174
As noted, just because a phone is more expensive doesn't mean it's better. For example the $800 AD2000 wouldn't be an upgrade to my $100 AD700 because I prize a wide, airy soundstage, and that's better done in the $100 phone than in the $800 one. Listen with your ears, not with your wallet.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 4:35 AM Post #14 of 174
I think the difference between a D2000 and D7000 would be interesting.

But SR225 and GS1000 not so interesting as they are completely different animals per se.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 5:09 AM Post #15 of 174
Quality of components
 
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