Overhyping IEMs on Head-Fi?
Jun 5, 2009 at 6:43 AM Post #46 of 125
Quote:

Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I am saying that when I read reviews on products that interest me, iems or other, and I haven't been lucky enough to hear them for myself, I do give weight to some members' posts more than others, mostly based on their experience, and also if their previous likes/dislikes have meshed with mine. One way to avoid hype is to listen to people who aren't interested in hype, and have the background to put things in their proper place.


Same here! I have said exactly that in other threads.

Quote:

I really like my UE11s, but they aren't better than my full-sized cans, are better than many full-sized cans, and most iems (though I haven't heard some of the newer iems out on the market). I am bothered by the mid-bass emphasis, which the JH13s, as well as the JH11s seemed to correct. None of this matters, though, until we get the final, custom product in our ears.


Funny thing this hobby is, you don't think the UE11 is better than your full sized cans, I made it a point to try to listen to a few full sized cans at Can Jam and save the HD800 didn't think any of the full sized cans bested my IE8s. Be it due to me being used to the IE8s, they sounded more transparent to me. I thought the UE11 was the best thing I heard at Can Jam, but than I didn't listen to the HD800 with my source and music, so a comparison wouldn't be fair.
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 7:24 AM Post #47 of 125
Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Shilling and viral marketing are definitely a part of the problem. Another part is pure consumerist mentality that's running even more rampant here than it is everywhere else: people make judgements about others largely based on what kind of products they consume and what products they are associated with. Here you don't want to be associated with headphones that are subpar and you are likely to defend your headphones because your reputation is somehow tied into what gear you have... so the rampant fanboyism is in part defensive behavior in the face of consumerist scrutiny. Throw in the fact that the forum is full of younger members for whom a lot of high-end stuff is pretty expensive and represents a substantial effort/value investment and you can see how defensive fanboyism tends to propagate.

That, and also so very many people here make assertions that are based on hearsay rather than experience, and when this goes on for long enough people start making claims based on hearsay, which in turn was based on more hearsay, which in of itself was based on hearsay, etc etc basically playing musical chairs until you have entire myths and viral memes springing up which have no basis in reality whatsoever. Years ago there were lots of people here that would have shot down this sort of behavior before it had a chance to get entrenched but they are gone now. And when someone with actual knowledge pipes up today they get shot down since they're going against the "established gospel truths." A savvy marketer is quick to recognise the potential for manipulating such a system and creating hype for products with little basis in reality, and we have been seeing a lot of that sort of behavior lately, or rather I should say that it has recently become more transparent.

Basically, treat head-fi as you would any other large, established, commercial and popular forum since that's what it is. It's not the audiophile/hobbyist board that it was in 2005. Still, there are lots of good folks here and a lot of good knowledge to be had - but you have to be able to filter out the signal from the noise.


Excellent post through and through!

Don't know what head-fi was like in 2005, but I can certainly see every aspect you mention in the 6 months I've spent here so far.

"...Another part is pure consumerist mentality that's running even more rampant here..." -- this is so true. To me, the fact that some (very) young members will 'sell their soul' in order to get an IEM (or more than one!) worth over $200, is, in my book, a 'sin', and a sign of the kind of society we live in. I wonder what these same members will be into in 10/ 20 years' time and what they'll be needing in order to appreciate ANYTHING and satisfy themselves. Lately some of the things I've seen on the JH-13 PRO appreciation thread...

A similar thing's happened with music 'consumption' - music HAS become a commodity, and the level of free access to it denigrates, in a way, the wonderful power and meaning it used to have, but that's a different story.
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 11:58 AM Post #49 of 125
I have certainly bought and heard my share of bad-sounding in-ears. Most of them, in fact, have been disappointing. The exceptions are the Phonak PFE, Westone UM2 and Nuforce NE7 (though the last two are getting almost no play time since I got the PFE).

I think that iems are hard to get right. They require more research than full size headphones to make (and to buy). Unfortunately you have to wade through hype and glowing reviews to find one you actually like. All in my opinion, of course.
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 12:22 PM Post #50 of 125
I got me Ultimate Ears siper.fi 5 Pro, and i like them A LOT !

Anyway ... i am going to compare with TF10, to maybe upgrade ...


I see Phonak Audéo PFE going for about 130-140 bucks, and these are single armature IEMs, but there is UE SF5 Pro with sual armature for 160 bucks .. now ... What you gonna buy ?

Amazon.com: Audeo Perfect Fit Earphones - Black: Electronics

Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 Pro Noise Isolating Earphones (Black)


Also Alien Ears model C3-Pro is t5riple armature driver, even with same armatures like UE:

"Yes! We all use the same transducers in our models...we just dont charge you an arm and a leg for them! We also use a built in low end attenuator built into the earpiece if you would like to manually turn up or down the low end! "

... and UE a 3x price of 3C-Pro! Why is that ?



... bad thing is, you cant test a custom molds ... all i can do is to hope i am gonna get something iam gona like ...
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 1:23 PM Post #51 of 125
Quote:

Originally Posted by TobaccoRoad /img/forum/go_quote.gif
why were the first two sentences deleted?


I thought it may have been a little harsh... but it's the truth
There's a lot of pride and money at stake
There are different "factions" and the history runs pretty deep
Some of them have nothing but deep disdain for one another
The sides have their close friends and fanboys

Add in the needs of some head-fiers to appear authoritative
Giving advice for the sake of ... appearing experienced makes them all fuzzy inside I guess
There's also a tendency for certain head-fiers to act as simple echo chambers(or worse... flat out make stuff up)

Others need a course in symbolic logic or something... and to take their ginko

&
I deleted the first 2 sentences also because it applies more to amps+cables than iems...
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 2:50 PM Post #53 of 125
PeeeMeS-
Great points. I've also seen members taking that 'echo chamber' act to a whole new level and blatantly lift word usage from others' reviews, pawning it off as their own, as if they're offering new insights or something. It's pretty sad when long standing members can't form their own opinions about their expensive gear and have to rip off other people's writing. I guess it relates to your point about their need to appear authorative, and get that warm fuzzy feeling going inside. Personal validation....

They're on a hype bandwagon and don't even know it.....
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 3:00 PM Post #54 of 125
Or some who gush over a product before they even own it, which is another form of the "echo chamber" act in my view, a blatant case of herd mentality (which is a not good form of viral marketing). Deciding something is high quality before they have a chance to sample it first-hand (and posting about it) is really not helpful, and can even lead to a letdown (expectations too high) in most cases.
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 3:02 PM Post #55 of 125
Quote:

Originally Posted by PeeeMeS /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I thought it may have been a little harsh... but it's the truth
There's a lot of pride and money at stake
There are different "factions" and the history runs pretty deep
Some of them have nothing but deep disdain for one another
The sides have their close friends and fanboys

Add in the needs of some head-fiers to appear authoritative
Giving advice for the sake of ... appearing experienced makes them all fuzzy inside I guess
There's also a tendency for certain head-fiers to act as simple echo chambers(or worse... flat out make stuff up)

Others need a course in symbolic logic or something... and to take their ginko

&
I deleted the first 2 sentences also because it applies more to amps+cables than iems...


Great explanation. I totally understand so I apologize for bringing up. I felt that it might have been an administrator who deleted it which would've been little unethical.
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 4:31 PM Post #56 of 125
Re the 'personal validation' & 'echo chamber'. It seems to be a guy thing, especially over gadgets: mine-is-better-than-yours. And especially when we all hear and appreciate music differently, and need gadgets to do so.

I figure sometimes there is simply too much testosterone in threads.

Must-Be-Alpha-Male stuff....
biggrin.gif
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 5:49 PM Post #58 of 125
Re: Overhyping

Sign me in for hating the so called "appreciation threads"
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 5:50 PM Post #59 of 125
Right now, it looks like the FX500's or whatever they're called, along with the JH13 Pro's. Appreciation thread was started before anyone even tried them, and with the JVC's they've been out for a while and now they're magically better than the IE8's for half the cost. I'm not sure I really buy that one, but I haven't heard them so this is merely pointless conjecture.
 
Jun 5, 2009 at 5:56 PM Post #60 of 125
In regard to Cat's comment, I am wondering if a newbie posting completely positive comments about a new purchase does it under the desire of feeling accepted by the established majority, like if he finally was worth of the product he bought, and to be called a true "Headfi'er" (for the good or the bad).
 
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