They seem to have some reputation at Innerfidelity though. 

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crinacle said:

Frankly, I thought the SL150 was pretty good for the price.

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The thing is, if you are hell-bent on buying some Beats, by all means save the $50 and get the Souls.
 
That's my view on them. For the same money, there are better options (I realize this is pretty much the case for anything, but for sheer SQ and/or personal preference, I stand by my statements!) 

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hsubox said:

 
The thing is, if you are hell-bent on buying some Beats, by all means save the $50 and get the Souls.
 
That's my view on them. For the same money, there are better options (I realize this is pretty much the case for anything, but for sheer SQ and/or personal preference, I stand by my statements!) 

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+1

I don't know much about souls, but beats anger the living hell out of me. They must have pretty convincing advertisment because they pretty much have every teenager, that looks at advertisments rather than reviews, on board with them.
 
I see beats literally everywhere, it is impossible not to try them. I can say that they are not absolutely terrible despite the bass, but the pricing is just screwed up. There are hundreds if not thousands of headphones that are better for $200 less.
 
I always get the argument that "They look cool" But in my opinion, they are the most unattractive, cheap-looking headphones on the market. I look at those things and I don't even know how they fit on my head.

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lux nocte said:

I don't know much about souls, but beats anger the living hell out of me. They must have pretty convincing advertisment because they pretty much have every teenager, that looks at advertisments rather than reviews, on board with them.
 
I see beats literally everywhere, it is impossible not to try them. I can say that they are not absolutely terrible despite the bass, but the pricing is just screwed up. There are hundreds if not thousands of headphones that are better for $200 less.
 
I always get the argument that "They look cool" But in my opinion, they are the most unattractive, cheap-looking headphones on the market. I look at those things and I don't even know how they fit on my head.

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I agree, too me they look like a lump a s&*#$% cheap creaky plastic, the whole "they look cool" argument might as well just be "I need too get help, I am really insecure"

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lux nocte said:

I don't know much about souls, but beats anger the living hell out of me. They must have pretty convincing advertisment because they pretty much have every teenager, that looks at advertisments rather than reviews, on board with them.
 
I see beats literally everywhere, it is impossible not to try them. I can say that they are not absolutely terrible despite the bass, but the pricing is just screwed up. There are hundreds if not thousands of headphones that are better for $200 less.
 
I always get the argument that "They look cool" But in my opinion, they are the most unattractive, cheap-looking headphones on the market. I look at those things and I don't even know how they fit on my head.

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Why does the success of some random commodity cause you anger? Do you own stock in a competitor? Why do you always get the "They look cool" argument, are people wandering up to you out of the blue and asking you why you don't have beats, or are you wandering up to people and asking them why they have them? 
 
Arcane knowledge (about: music, audio equipment, statistics) does not make you a better person, it just makes you a specific flavor of geek (and shows you have plenty of spare time). It shouldn't be a big surprise that anyone lacking that arcane knowledge makes purchasing decisions that run counter to what may or may not be the "accepted wisdom" amongst those with that arcane knowledge. It also shouldn't be any surprise that people "like" something like that after they've paid for it.
 
Do people that buy the wrong brand of jeans bother you too?

ph0rk said:

Do people that buy the wrong brand of jeans bother you too?

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Wait, you're saying jeans come in more than one type? :confused_face_2::tongue_smile:

Also, the "Souls" are those headphones that light up, right? I remember seeing pictures a long time ago, they looked curious.

I think it's just a fact of life that a large portion of the population doesn't know what good sound (somewhat subjective I know) is supposed to sound like.  And that's a perfectly normal - if not disconcerting - thing.  It's kind of like how everyone can't have good taste.  As a result, they muddle through the world of audio the best they can.  I've given up trying to understand people that blindly worship Beats, Souls, SMS, etc.  I guess in an odd way it makes sense.  I mean, if you knew nothing about sound, and had to buy a pair of headphones based on something OTHER than sound quality, what would it most likely be?  Oh BTW, everything I just said was OT.

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warrenpchi said:

I think it's just a fact of life that a large portion of the population doesn't know what good sound (somewhat subjective I know) is supposed to sound like.  And that's a perfectly normal - if not disconcerting - thing.  It's kind of like how everyone can't have good taste.  As a result, they muddle through the world of audio the best they can.  I've given up trying to understand people that blindly worship Beats, Souls, SMS, etc.  I guess in an odd way it makes sense.  I mean, if you knew nothing about sound, and had to buy a pair of headphones based on something OTHER than sound quality, what would it most likely be?  Oh BTW, everything I just said was OT.

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What perplexes me even more is that some people are willing to dump $900 on an phone or iPhone or iPad and then go "woah $150 for headphones, that's way too expensive". It's like they expect sound is sound and any really cheap headphone that produces sound is good enough because "it all sounds the same".

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projectdenz said:

What perplexes me even more is that some people are willing to dump $900 on an phone or iPhone or iPad and then go "woah $150 for headphones, that's way too expensive". It's like they expect sound is sound and any really cheap headphone that produces sound is good enough because "it all sounds the same".

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You also have to understand that it's all subjective value. Fifty grand is a steal for a brand new sports car, but I doubt the common consumer would spend even one grand on headphones. Speakers maybe, but headphones are a completely different "league" to their eyes.
 
Of course, nine hundred for a dual-core phone... *pft* that's daylight robbery IMO courtesy of Apple. Which is why I would rather buy an Android phone and get a MUCH cheaper, yet similarly functionable iPod. At the end of the day, it's about how you look at "value".

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projectdenz said:

 
What perplexes me even more is that some people are willing to dump $900 on an phone or iPhone or iPad and then go "woah $150 for headphones, that's way too expensive". It's like they expect sound is sound and any really cheap headphone that produces sound is good enough because "it all sounds the same".

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Well, they're bombarded by mass market cheap-as-possible stereos, computer speakers, etcetera.  If you listen to the "nicer" things at a big box store, it really seems like a matter of taste in sound signature than anything else, as they are all roughly mediocre in competence. Learning to tell the difference can be hard, it takes time, much like developing a taste for whiskey or fine coffee. Longer, because there are active contingents within audioland with entirely different criteria for comparison and those criteria are largely incommensurate.
 
Many commodity goods are similar - there are places to go for nicer stuff, but people don't want to tumble down the rabbit hole. I can't blame them - they're probably using up all their "hunting" energy shopping for some other commodity. It would be hard to devote that much time to headphones, televisions, hiking boots, mountain bikes, watches, jeans, leather jackets, shoes, cars, motorbikes, sneakers, hair products, shirts, underwear, rain jackets, and furniture.
 
At least, I sincerely hope it would be hard to - I like to cling to the idea that people are usually creative and innovative in arenas other than shopping for stuff.

You guys make valid points. Maybe I am just sick of the blank stares I get from friends when they ask me how much this headphone and that headphone cost.

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projectdenz said:

You guys make valid points. Maybe I am just sick of the blank stares I get from friends when they ask me how much this headphone and that headphone cost.

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Always find the hypocritical evidence. I get into these arguments with my mom all the time; all I do is point out the fact that she spends more money on shoes and handbags than me on headphones and amplifiers. Everyone dedicates that extra slice of the monetary pie to something they love.

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crinacle said:

 
Always find the hypocritical evidence. I get into these arguments with my mom all the time; all I do is point out the fact that she spends more money on shoes and handbags than me on headphones and amplifiers. Everyone dedicates that extra slice of the monetary pie to something they love.

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So true.

projectdenz said:

You guys make valid points. Maybe I am just sick of the blank stares I get from friends when they ask me how much this headphone and that headphone cost.

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I just avoid those discussions. If you have to have them, don't concentrate on the price - plug the marketing line or whatever else. It changes the tone of the discussion. It doesn't come across as a "well I'm better than you" or "you're no better than me" kind of argument, because you aren't even bringing them into it. For example if you just bought an expensive pair of Koss headphones, you could respond with something like "well they're made in the USA, they have a lifetime warranty, and the company will always support them - that adds to the price" or something similar. Give them a way to rationalize the price in more general terms, basically. "It sounds better" is really hard for people (even Head-Fi people) to wrap their heads around.