Most overrated headphones of all time? - Page 8

Quote:
Originally Posted by Asr  

" The recurring argument/excuse that the HD800 (and other headphones as well, not just the HD800) present music as recorded is getting extremely tiresome, tedious, and honestly it's the stupidest excuse to try to assert 1 headphone's subjective superiority over other headphones. Unless you recorded, mixed, and mastered the music you're listening to, you have no idea how the music you're listening to was recorded. Also there are plenty of other headphones that can just as easily be claimed to present music as recorded, so the argument/excuse for any one headphone in particular is patently absurd. Plus the recording people/studio invariably used their own monitor speakers and/or headphones so ultimately unless you use the same equipment as they did, you're hearing another version of the music as recorded."

While you have a point, there are headphones that clearly do a better job than other. There are headphones that are obviously colored. One example is if headphone "A" reveals more details in music than headphone "B" not only is headphone "A" more accurate, it's not even a subjective preference. If headphone "C" has a 15db bump in bass above flat and headphone "D" has a roll off in bass of 5 db, again this isn't subjective. No matter how the music was recorded or mastered, a headphone that measures more flat than another (given that all other variables are equal), the flatter headphone is going to more accurately portray what's on a recording.

Whether or not someone prefers a more colored (fun) or more flat (accurate) headphone is where the subjectivity comes in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by baka1969 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Asr  

" The recurring argument/excuse that the HD800 (and other headphones as well, not just the HD800) present music as recorded is getting extremely tiresome, tedious, and honestly it's the stupidest excuse to try to assert 1 headphone's subjective superiority over other headphones. Unless you recorded, mixed, and mastered the music you're listening to, you have no idea how the music you're listening to was recorded. Also there are plenty of other headphones that can just as easily be claimed to present music as recorded, so the argument/excuse for any one headphone in particular is patently absurd. Plus the recording people/studio invariably used their own monitor speakers and/or headphones so ultimately unless you use the same equipment as they did, you're hearing another version of the music as recorded."

While you have a point, there are headphones that clearly do a better job than other. There are headphones that are obviously colored. One example is if headphone "A" reveals more details in music than headphone "B" not only is headphone "A" more accurate, it's not even a subjective preference. If headphone "C" has a 15db bump in bass above flat and headphone "D" has a roll off in bass of 5 db, again this isn't subjective. No matter how the music was recorded or mastered, a headphone that measures more flat than another (given that all other variables are equal), the flatter headphone is going to more accurately portray what's on a recording.

Whether or not someone prefers a more colored (fun) or more flat (accurate) headphone is where the subjectivity comes in.

^^

What he said. And the HD800s are as flat as they get for dynamic headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuyDebord 

Removing the soul from music is not "present it as recorded." Technical, clinical and aseptic rendering is not what many recordings were intended to be listened to. As I always say, there are those who prefer the cleanliness of "hi-fi" sound and there are those who prefer the raw, musical imperfections of performance. The HD800's are the most hi-fi'ish cans I have ever heard, my Staxen, the more musical...

x1000 Stax 007a is more musical than hd800 to my taste
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit 

 

There are many speakers out there that cost tens of thousands of dollars. You are comparing mid-fi speakers to top-tier headphones.

That's my point exactly. Some of the more expensive headphones ,even some that I currently own, sounds better than my 1200.00 speakers, but the hd800 which cost even more than my speakers don't even come close IMO. That' s why I called them over-rated. Like I said eariler. If you pay 1000.00 for headphones and get the performance that you would only get out of 10,000.00 speakers, then they could even be perceived as under-rated. But if you pay that much for headphones and they sound more or less like 500.00 even 1000.00 speakers then IMO they are over-rated. I like my stax so much, that I hardly ever listen to my speakers. If I owned the hd800s, my speakers would get playing time everyday. All of this is IMO of course. I know there are some who would probably prefer them to anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab 

Unquestionably the most over-rated headphone of all time is the Audio-Technica L3000.

 

 

I was shocked that a such highly praised phone could have such a bloated, flabby bass. And the owner assured us they were not broken.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang 

 I actually preferred my DT880 600ohm to the HD800. Only complaints I have of DT880 are the treble needs to be tamed a tiny bit and the mids brought forward. Other than that, they are my current favourite headphones and I love them  We will see about that in 2 weeks when my AKG K1000 Valhalla recabled arrive...

Congrats on getting that pair. That has to be the most expensive cable that has ever been paired with a headphone. 

Isn't there only one person "out there" enough to pair such an expensive cable?

^ Yes, and his name is Patrick

Quote:

Originally Posted by erratik 

grados are generally unwearable if you ask me.  Brillo pads on the ears? no thanks.  Also they just all feel cheaply made in my hands.

Same here. The bigger the worse. You actually expect me to wear the GS1000? For more than a minute? The complete opposite of that is my Stax O2. I've never worn a more comfortable headphone. Or heard one that sounds better.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveBSC  


" Same here. The bigger the worse. You actually expect me to wear the GS1000? For more than a minute? The complete opposite of that is my Stax O2. I've never worn a more comfortable headphone. Or heard one that sounds better."

It's strange how one's curse is another's blessing. I find Grados to be extremely comfortable. With the bowls and jumbos. I must have nano ears because the bowls went completely around my ears. That said, they soften up with time. Plus they can be washed with shampoo and air dried and they become softer. When I would wear the Prestige models like the SR-80 or 225 I would completely forget they were on. The only headphones that are on par was far as comfort, for me, is the HD800.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 

 

Congrats on getting that pair. That has to be the most expensive cable that has ever been paired with a headphone. 

Thanks  Patrick made three videos for me showing how stiff the Valhalla cable is. He leaned forward and the K1000 came off of his head  I will need to find a workaround for that. Also will try and mod (or get someone skilled to mod) the outer grilles so that they can be put on the k1000, without the need of unsoldering or removing Valhalla cable. I will need to cut into the grilles so that they can be placed over the valhalla cable, without making contact with it. It should ,ook much better that way. My other concern is that since the cable is 16awg, it is probably stressing the driver a bit, so it may come off some time  I am getting 40cm of Valkyrja along with it (paid $100) and qusp is making them into two 40cm RCA interconnects with Eichmann silver bullets. I have a feeling the month of August is going to be a veryyyy good one 

Stang,did you buy it from him or is it just a loaner?i am curious what such an expensive cable will do to the sound..