My #1 gripe with head-fi forum members - Page 7

Originally Posted by skamp 

I love my QC15s. I think they sound great, and they're very good at what they do. I didn't pay for them (they were a gift), and yeah they're very expensive, but damn it, I love them.
My gripe recently has been with people recommending Grados and such to people asking about headphones with bass that would blow their socks off. The obvious choices (Sony MDR-XB500 and co.) have bad rep around here and were mentionned by very few people. I think there's a lot of snobs on head-fi.

Originally Posted by jjanuary 

 

I would love to know more about the XB500-1000''s.

Originally Posted by mbamg 

 

The point is, due to the abundance of clear descriptive reviews, once you've read enough of these on the same headphone you'd have more credibility and valuable information as opposed to someone who's only listened it but haven't read up on the opinion of others on the same subject.

Originally Posted by petedgr8 

I don't post a lot. Most of the time I read.  If something pertains to me, I may post, but it's rare.  But lately, things have gotten out of control and I have to say something.  What's the issue?  People giving out advice or recommendations on headphones THEY DON'T HAVE. This is especially annoying when giving advice to headphone novices, the ones who rely on the advice and opinions of the people on this forum.  Let me explain...

 

I have close to 50 headphones.  Some are great (Ultrasone Pro 900, Beyer DT1350, Senn HD 580, Grado RS1, Senn IE8, Shure SE 530, etc), but most are crap (too many to list).  So you gotta trust me when I say I have listened to a fair amount.  I know there are folks on here who have more but I'm pretty sure I have a problem too.  That's besides the point.

 

I had to preface with that because what I'm about to say may be shocking to some.  I kinda like the Bose QC15s.  Shake your head now, but many of you know that they are great at NC, they sound pretty decent (really, they're not bad.  not great, but pretty good, so shut up already), and they're mad comfortable.  But there's a huge lot of you who hate on them just because they're Bose.  That's the majority of the forum.  I get it.  Bose marketing, patent issues, etc... it's easy to hate on them.  And yes, most of their headphones blow (In-ear anyone?)

 

So I was trolling around looking for others who might feel the same way about them.. the ones who are willing to overlook this Bose thing, because of all the reasons I mentioned above, without fear or attack from the masses.  I came across one post in particular where a novice wanted to find the best pair of NC headphones, didn't want an IEM, and asked about the QC15s.  Immediately, this happens.. everyone comes out saying how bad they suck, how the sound is crap, and Bose is an awful company.  "You should get a good sealed headphone, or an IEM (knowing, mind you, that the guy didn't want an IEM)."  None of this solid advice, just trashing talking.

 

What really bothered me was this:  People giving advice on headphones they didn't own, and recommending headphones they didn't own.  "The QC 15s suck.  You should get the Senn 300s or 450s.. or this and that...." when CLEARLY, they didn't own these headphones themselves!  Who the hell? This is tragic in my opinion.  Poor guy is now gonna go out and get something else when the QC15s would have been great for him.

 

Here are the facts:  

 

If you trash Bose for their name alone, but you push headphones you don't own purely - for their name alone, what just happened?

 

If you don't own the headphones you're talking about or giving advice on, what makes you qualified to give an opinion at all?

 

If they are good at what they do, why make someone feel bad about getting and using them purely for the what you think they are?

 

Please folks, just stop.  Let's keep this forum real without the hype and BS.  I'm going to proudly wear my QC15s on my commute to work because I just don't care about what you think.  I know about and have enough of the "good" headphones to make your collection cry.  So really, just stop.

 

I'm just gonna keep keepin it real.

 

Originally Posted by gareim 

I've been lurking on and off for a while now, but I had to make an account just to say this.

 

I really don't want second hand opinions. If you've never listened to a pair of headphones, you are not qualified to give your opinion, period. Unless you've been intimate with a headphone, you'll never know all the nuances of it. You'll never know how strong the clamping force is, how comfortable, the build quality, the details in the sound. All you'll be able to do without actually hearing it is regurgitating what someone else said. And that becomes a game of telephone where details are lost or, worse, malformed.

 

When I need an opinion on some headphones, either give me your experiences or point me to someone else's.

 

P.S. To Head-Fi, thank you. I love the RE-2's and Panasonic RP-HTF600s I got thanks to recommendations from people who actually tried them. And when I can find the money to upgrade, I'll be looking for more first-hand experiences.

Originally Posted by Magick Man 


There are Headphone Supremus guys who have been around for years whom I have little trust in, based on what they've said and how they present the information.

Originally Posted by tribestros 

Dude, yes.  This forum has gone down the pooper.  People no longer read.

Here we go:
I want a portable headphone that sounds good, high-end, luxurious great for PORTABLE use, but I hate IEM.  I also want it to block out sound...around $300, no amp. (Obvious selection, B&W P5, QC15) Instead?  AUDIO TECHNICA ATH-M50.

I listen to a lot of rap, so I want a lot of bass.  AUDIO TECHNICA ATH-7000 (or whatever).  Response: I didn't think there was enough bass.  HeadFi response: YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG

I cannot do open headphones, I want something closed around $100. (Obvious selection, Sennheiser HD280Pro) HeadFi: GRADO SR80i AMAZINGNESS

My favorite thing was the thread about Audeze being a cluster**** of customer service, in which Audeze should've been getting flamed, instead the poster did.  LOLWUT

Or when it's obvious that someone doesn't want some irrelevant no-name headphone and they get the recommendation.  Or, "I really love the sound of the Bose AE2." "NO BOSE SUCKS SPEND YOUR $150 ON ATH-M50"

This is working in home theater, hearing your customer go "I hate LED TVs, I only want a plasma, LEDs are bad because of motion, etc etc" then steering him to the LEDs even though they obviously don't like them and don't fit for their application.

Originally Posted by Questhate 
Good post, OP. 

That is my biggest pet peeve around here as well. This obviously isn't a black-and-white issue -- as there is lots of grey area that has already been discussed, such as responsible second-hand paraphrasing. But I really don't understand people's needs to interject when they obviously have no business being in the discussion. Not sure if they even realize that they actually hurt their own credibility rather than help it.