Is the obsession with upgrading a marketing ploy? - Page 7

What BOSE does is give one uber over the top price for all things. There's no need to stratify. It's a different presentation of the same tactic and you've been bought into it. This is why they do it.

All quiet comforts are over priced. So I don't really care if all the different models cost the same. Neither does BOSE. After all, the rip-off is still underway.

To the OP: that is why going to a meet is so enlightening. You can listen to the most expensive headphones and amps and thus understand how far/close you are from the best setups and whether that matters to you in the end.
As far as I'm concerned I came back with the realisation that past a threshold of SQ, it's all a matter of personal preferences. It turns out I like my gear more than most of the setups I listened to at the meet even if it cost me very significantly less because I tuned it to my liking. I prefer my rig's sound signature and to my ears the SQ is close enough.


BTW I'm in the camp of people who prefer HD650 to HD800 (and HD600) independently of the price and we're not the tiny minority some would like to believe. To assert such generalities you should not restrict your horizon to the people who bought HD800 knowing how it sounds (as it's no surprise to find a majority who prefer it among them). There is a big(ger) population of those who own HD650 and could afford HD800 but don't buy it because they know they would not like it better. They're waiting for HD850

Just to clarify something, the Grado mahogany cups are primarily for sound. Looks are secondary. That's why John Grado went through 30 different kinds of wood before he found the one with the sound qualities he was looking for, and recently changed the kind of mahogany because it sounded better to him. As a woodworker, I totally understand this. Different types of wood have different densities and other qualities that can effect sound.

When I was looking for headphones I initially didn't want to pay more than $300. I almost bought the sr325i until I found a store that had an rs1i demo. There was no comparison to my ears. As soon as I heard the rs1i I just knew I wouldn't be happy with the 325i. For me it really is a $300 difference in sound and I haven't regretted the cost for one second.

Grado has upgraded almost their entire line in 2009 and, as was mentioned, they haven't raised their prices in years. They upgraded for SQ and to give their customers more bang for their buck.

One more thing. Grado doesn't really advertise per say. I've never seen a Grado commercial or Grado advertisement in a Delta Airlines mag. Their sound is their marketing.

Hope this clears up a few things.

Regards

You have to keep in mind that Sennheiser is specialized in headphones and their main product is headphones, so having 20 headphones makes sense doesn't it? On the other hand, Bose has very few headphones because this is their secondary business, not to mention their value for money thing.
Instead of me checking my statements, i guess you should just check out some good headphone set ups before bashing the best names out there in the name of Bose.

If headphone companies are ripping us off, what about cable companies? :-)

Things get worse.

Of course it's a rip off. After a low price point (about $300-$500 for monitor speakers and headphones for instance) all audio equipment only sees marginal increases in SQ if any. That's why a good well picked $1,500 system (say for monitor speakers, integrated amp, DAC, sub--all preferably used for better value) will sound at least 80% as good as ANY system.

I could go out and spend a few hundred thousand on any one piece of audio equipment, but I'm not insane. So I spend a few hundred instead, not even a few thousand for that is too much. And if what I have sounds like "crap" compared to "real" equipment (it doesn't) then I'm VERY happy with it anyway. After all, some of the best years I ever had listening to music was as a teenager on my then new Panasonic cd player with stock headphones lol. Now that DID sound like crap (well it was mid-fi at best), but I was young and passionate and it was all I could afford then so what did I care? I still stayed up late at night listening to my new cd's from BMG and loving the whole experience. Sure what I have now kills that little set up in SQ, but I can't get nearly as excited about music now (32; when I got a "real" system, 28) as back then (14 to 17).

Anyway, I've heard equipment/systems that cost 10x what mine costs and I have yet to be blown away or even impressed (at least impressed much beyond how impressed I am with my own budget hi-fi system everytime I listen to it). The only thing I marvel at is how stupid my friends/family members/co-workers/acquaintances/neighbors/etc. are for wasting money. Mine stays in the bank where it belongs thank you. Vulgar consumerism preys upon the, well, gullible and vulgar (and those who have self esteem issues and have to justify themselves through the gross acquistion and showing off of material baubles/trinkets and/or can't admit they are victims of marketing hype).

we can get into:
* fashion
* food
* drink
* restaurants & take-away
* shoes
* cars
* mobile phones
+ so many other things here in this thread based on the same principles of:

* slicing and dicing the demographics
* assessing their desires, hopes, dreams, fears (and finally needs :P )
* extract maximum money from them creating products that perceive to fulfil (or in some cases actually fulfil :P ) those needs
* price accordingly

Do you ever wonder why products, for instance, are priced highly right upon release? Is it because the companies haven't got costs under control? Nearly always no.

It's because they know that there's a certain percentage of the market that HAS TO HAVE THE NEW THING and they take advantage of these poor saps. They are called Early Adopters. This happens in any industry. Companies are also aware of people who are 'leaders' in their social circles who are influential in their social circle who promote (or not) products to others. And so much more.

Do companies sometimes take advantage of the market? Of course. But only because the market (as a whole) demands it. Do companies sometimes also make meaningful additions and changes to products that are priced sky-high? Yes. Do they always? Nope. Will they try to save money any way they can? Of course. Do they sometimes offer great value? Yes. Do they sometimes not? Yes. Even if it's just perceived value? Yes.

Do they know there are a certain percentage of cynics that will not fall into their traps (or offerings?). Yes.

But the market as a whole still demands certain things and they (mostly) listen to what pushes their bottom-line. Those that don't go broke trying (right or wrong).

Regarding some gear...price point reflects parts quality and build quality. Two amps may sound very similar but one may last 2 years and the other 20. One may well want to calculate the hourly cost of listening to a system over time and figure out exactly which one turns out to be cheaper. Dropping $1500 every two years for instance because things break down results in a cost of $30k of that time. Spending $15k up front and having that last 20 years means half the cost.

Thanks for feeling so inclined to share your enlightened POV in this way... and you're talking about self-esteem issues? I hope you have the courage to let them know how you feel rather than just share it here with us.

Amen bro'.... self esteem feeling better now?

Maybe it's supposed to be a hip ironic post