Buy once, buy quality?

Cheap and inexpensive are different things, and understanding that difference is a pretty crucial skill when you go shopping. Just as expensive and quality don't correlate (especially in fields that are "hip" where the Veblen Wonderkids show up to party).

On a more direct note, I'm going to tell you that "HD 800 is quality and anything cheaper is a compromise in reliability or quality" is kind of insane and represents a lack of knowledge or experience. But that's exactly what the marketeers at Sennheiser are counting on; the price is set so high for a reason (and it has almost nothing to do with unit-cost). There are plenty of very well made, and very inexpensive, headphones and other CE devices out there - and usually the more expensive stuff is expensive just for the sake of being expensive. The biggest criteria I'd personally look at are how the manufacturer stands behind and markets the product, what the manufacturer's own history is like, and the product itself (everyone shoots craps sometimes). If that doesn't work for you, and you can't get around "I need to spend as much as possible or I will have a bad time" - then spend as much as possible, but I'm going to tell you that isn't vetted.

This isn't meant as a condemnation of your choices, just a reflection. I certainly understand the fall-apart plastic junk genre of home goods, but in recent years we've seen marketeers exploit that to a disgusting level, and start selling very expensive products that are still junk.
Edited by obobskivich - 1/3/13 at 6:15pm

Up to me, I would say that the Audeze LCD-2 would actually cost more than the HD800 to manufacture. I don't know this for a fact but despite the fact that the HD800 has a superior fit and finish, it is pretty obvious that the actual value of the plastic, the microfiber and the meshes are less than that of the wood, metal and leather on the Audeze cans.

 

That being said however, I've personally seen people upgrading to the flagships, then subsequently downgrading again just because they could not justify the cost of the headphone. I would say that a well amped hd650 (e.g. bottlehead crack) or a HE-400/schitt lyr will last you a very long time and represents great value for money. It would definitely make it difficult for you to justify the HD800+3k amp even after auditioning unless you're an heir to some oil conglomerate :)

I'm bad for this. The worst part is I hate inferior quality and I know it, yet I always do it to save money. Prime example... wanted a tablet, so I bought a cheapy doo 7" for $100 bucks. Used it a few times and bored with it, but I still want to get a good tablet, so now I'm trying to sell it, at a loss, so I can help fund a Nexus 10 with the proceeds.

I am either too cheap or I buy way more than I need - and I usually do both, the first followed by the second. What's worse is that I will research myself into paralysis, *then* cheap out and buy something I am dissatisfied with, *then* buy way over my requirements. So, I have lost both time AND money.

That being said, sure I'm ultimately happy with the final product - but it usually makes me hang-on to it for longer than I should. I think there is a middle ground where you can buy the best value and also refresh your purchases at regular intervals to keep yourself in that value sweet spot over time. Buying the highest end laptop, and then hanging on to it for 7 years is not as efficient or productive as buying a high value (performance/price) laptop every 3 years. Of course, this only works for products that generally get higher performing and lower priced over time (eg electronics). I just wish I had the discipline to follow my own advice!

Hi,

I tend to buy quality stuff and keep things a long time. 

When I bought my first "High End" system in 94 after my first big bonus, I spend a lot of time selecting and more money than I had wanted to. So far it also has been my last system...

BUT, while I did have to have all the gear serviced in the years since, I still feel no need to upgrade. some of my friends have gone through more complete systems than years in that time, always buy some cheap stuff sold as the latest, keep it a few month, then sell of at a big loss to buy another one. So I think I well got my moneys worth and then some.

Same with other stuff.

My main Headphones I bought in 2006, they still feel like new with a little bit of care. The other set I bought a year later in Tokyo, they also are like new.

I listened to the HD-800 recently and liked them, but not enough to spend that much coin, even though I can. Let's see if I find something better. If not, maybe I'll get them for my Birthday, but I really want HD-800 that sound like HiFiman Stat's or even better Stax.

Cheers Rich.

Edited by bedlam inside - 1/16/13 at 2:46am

Something worth noting is that headphones have an aftermarket - you can sell headphones you don't enjoy to other people.

 

I started with $50 headphones, probably worked my way through personally owning ~10 $100-$500 headphones and listening to a whole lot more as I tried to figure out what I enjoyed. For those I was interested enough to purchase, I tried to buy used whenever the price was right. Overall, I was probably able to recapture about 80% of what I spent as I learned about my preferences.

 

I eventually did work my way up to HD 800s and custom IEMs; the 800s I bought new after hearing them for myself and knowing I would enjoy them. Great purchase, don't regret it at all. And in my experience, it was a (relatively) inexpensive trip up. I've listened to the 800s out of incredible DACs/amps/sources, but while they were a rather significant improvement I couldn't justify shelling out the thousands of dollars I would have to spend at this particular point in my life. I'm fairly content with what I have.

 

I can understand how damaging it would be to the wallet if I was a more impulsive buyer that bought every new whatzit headphone when it came out though, so it's not hard to see where you're coming from. There's nothing wrong with saving up to buy the 800s and skip all of the hooplah. Just make sure you can justify the cost in terms of your use and value of the headphones. Try them before you buy them if at all possible.

Edited by HideousPride - 1/16/13 at 2:35pm

Hi,

Sure. Before my current setup, I had other HiFi.

I got most of it used and at good prices, though again, I bought quality over cheap though. It also helped me get much of me money back when I moved stuff on later.


Cheers Rich

Edited by bedlam inside - 1/17/13 at 2:34am