LizardKing1
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2010
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We've all been to some of our favorite companies' websites, right? Well, when I started on Head-Fi the first thing I wanted to pick up was a Koss Porta Pro, so as you can imagine I visited their website often. And while I went to the Product Select button, I felt like I was in the Matrix. The thing is huge!
So, basically, this thread is about the enormous - and often complicated - array of headphones out there. It's not about having too many, but more of having a lot of unnecessary ones.
Koss is a great example: I can't even count all their models, and some are pretty much the same. If they manage to create an IEM that has a great acception and good sales, why keep the other 20 ones that aren't selling at all? The names/numbers don't portray any kind of relation to superiority. Some of the models have a name and number, others just a name and others just a letter and a number. I can't figure any kind of relation between 2 headphones in the same series, like the UR series, which has closed-back and open-back models.
Sennheiser is another good examples of a huge catalog, while a bit more organized than Koss. They have a lot of products, probably more headphones than any other brand I've ever seen. And their series are easier to understand - If I see something like HD4*8, I know it's going to be a full-size. But again, they get closed and open models alike in the same series, like the HD418 (closed) and the HD438 (I'm pretty sure it's open, although they say it's closed in their website). Also an example of their desorganization is how they arranje their selection guide: You have 16 categories, many of them would be pretty much the same - if I want something to "Travel" I probably want it hooked up to my "MP3 Player".
I actually tried looking for Sennheiser's HD2*8 line and couldn't find it, it's a portable supra-aural series. For some reason, it was under the Wired selection. That's so dumb! They have the wireless selection, the wired selection, and what other the other 14 categories? Hybrids? Telepathic headphones? They're wired too. Anyway, as an example, the HD218, HD228 and HD238 could be in the same selection as the HD-25-SP and HD-25-1-ii since they're all supra-aural, but instead it's like they have nothing in common.
I think many of these companies could eliminate some of their models, or at least fuse a few of them into the same category: Portables, Home, In-Ears, Earbuds... something more pleasant to use.
A great example for a very simplified company website is AKG. As soon as you come in, you get 2 choices: Personal audio (headphones) or Professional audio (microphones, software). Simple. Following personal audio will bring you to 6 categories, which are pretty self-explicative: Home, DJ, Gaming, Quincy Jones, On The Go, Telephone (no, not a Gaga signature line).
Shure is also very simple. You go to Products, select headphones and you have 6 models. Go back, select SE Earphones and you have 5 IEMs. The rest of the website is pretty idiot-proof as well.
I visited th Etymotic website a while ago and I remember it being simple too, so I went there today and I wasn't wrong: one page for all 4 models - although it's hard to screw up a selection that small
Anyway, share your thoughts. Sorry for the long first post, but I guess it's my nature to bore people with stuff they couldn't care less about
So, basically, this thread is about the enormous - and often complicated - array of headphones out there. It's not about having too many, but more of having a lot of unnecessary ones.
Koss is a great example: I can't even count all their models, and some are pretty much the same. If they manage to create an IEM that has a great acception and good sales, why keep the other 20 ones that aren't selling at all? The names/numbers don't portray any kind of relation to superiority. Some of the models have a name and number, others just a name and others just a letter and a number. I can't figure any kind of relation between 2 headphones in the same series, like the UR series, which has closed-back and open-back models.
Sennheiser is another good examples of a huge catalog, while a bit more organized than Koss. They have a lot of products, probably more headphones than any other brand I've ever seen. And their series are easier to understand - If I see something like HD4*8, I know it's going to be a full-size. But again, they get closed and open models alike in the same series, like the HD418 (closed) and the HD438 (I'm pretty sure it's open, although they say it's closed in their website). Also an example of their desorganization is how they arranje their selection guide: You have 16 categories, many of them would be pretty much the same - if I want something to "Travel" I probably want it hooked up to my "MP3 Player".
I actually tried looking for Sennheiser's HD2*8 line and couldn't find it, it's a portable supra-aural series. For some reason, it was under the Wired selection. That's so dumb! They have the wireless selection, the wired selection, and what other the other 14 categories? Hybrids? Telepathic headphones? They're wired too. Anyway, as an example, the HD218, HD228 and HD238 could be in the same selection as the HD-25-SP and HD-25-1-ii since they're all supra-aural, but instead it's like they have nothing in common.
I think many of these companies could eliminate some of their models, or at least fuse a few of them into the same category: Portables, Home, In-Ears, Earbuds... something more pleasant to use.
A great example for a very simplified company website is AKG. As soon as you come in, you get 2 choices: Personal audio (headphones) or Professional audio (microphones, software). Simple. Following personal audio will bring you to 6 categories, which are pretty self-explicative: Home, DJ, Gaming, Quincy Jones, On The Go, Telephone (no, not a Gaga signature line).
Shure is also very simple. You go to Products, select headphones and you have 6 models. Go back, select SE Earphones and you have 5 IEMs. The rest of the website is pretty idiot-proof as well.
I visited th Etymotic website a while ago and I remember it being simple too, so I went there today and I wasn't wrong: one page for all 4 models - although it's hard to screw up a selection that small
Anyway, share your thoughts. Sorry for the long first post, but I guess it's my nature to bore people with stuff they couldn't care less about
