[Golden Monkey]

Seriously...I spent about a year away from the mania of Head-Fi, and when I "came back" about two months ago, it's been nothing but M50's this, M50's that.  When I left, it was all about the Denon D2000's.  I'm not hating on the phones, I'm just curious how all of this M50 hype got started. 

 

[Argyris]

Shortly after they were released. 

 
I believed the hype. And now I know what hype is.

 

[yifu]

 
nah sorry, when the M50s were released they retailed at around 250 and no one bothered to look at them, thinking they were just another studio monitor. However, some time last year, the prices dropped to around 100 dollars and ppl loved them for the price. I fell for them too, after i listened to them and bought a pair. I believe that they compete VERY favourably with other headphones in the 100-200 range. Other, headfiers, more experience than me would say that too. They are a steal for around 100 bucks. trust me
Quote:

Shortly after they were released. 

 
I believed the hype. And now I know what hype is.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Ok, so it coincided with the price drop...that makes a lot of sense.  I hadn't really even looked at them before, I don't think, and looking at them now they look like "old" phones to me (like they are a more "vintage" design).  I wasn't sure if they WERE an older model still produced or if they were a new "retro" product.  Head-Fi is so funny, what with the fickle nature of the hobby.  One month it's HD650's, then it's K701's, then it's orthos, then it's newfangled, then it's oldfangled...headphones are just an example, but I've seen the same trends in sources, amps, cables, etc.  Looking at my equipment list, I'm sure a Head-Fier that notices these trends could probably pinpoint WHEN I bought the majority of my stuff with a high degree of accuracy, lol.

 

[estreeter]

Does anyone recall the mania around cheap headphones from JVC around 12-18 months ago ? Dont see those headphones mentioned a whole lot now - its cyclical, I guess.

 

[Golden Monkey]

LOL, yeah, I left right around the JVC craze I think.  I thought "man, these people are nuts!", lol.  I've always felt that way about the Koss PortaPros too...I don't care how good they are for the money, I'd rather spend a little more for REALLY good.  It isn't a snobbery thing, it's just that I tried them and went "meh".

 

[ZeNmAc]

 
Quote:

 
nah sorry, when the M50s were released they retailed at around 250 and no one bothered to look at them, thinking they were just another studio monitor. However, some time last year, the prices dropped to around 100 dollars and ppl loved them for the price. I fell for them too, after i listened to them and bought a pair. I believe that they compete VERY favourably with other headphones in the 100-200 range. Other, headfiers, more experience than me would say that too. They are a steal for around 100 bucks. trust me
Quote:

Shortly after they were released. 

 
I believed the hype. And now I know what hype is.

 

 
Neither of you are even close.  They've been out for quite some time actually.  I had mine for almost a year before they suddenly mysteriously became popular.  Heck, I loved them (not initially) and recommended them every once in a while.  I acknowledged that I haven't had much experience with headphones so I understood that they weren't the best.  When I was deciding what to buy there was very little info on them.  The A700 were much much more popular and I was assuming I'd end up with them.  There were virtually no comparisons between the two, I think I found one or two short posts that convinced me they were less tinny than the a700.  They weren't popular at all, I got mine for about 130 which became 150 with shipping and tax.
 
They became FOTM almost a year later with almost no change in price (I didn't want to buy from ebay, I don't remember if the same seller was selling them back then, but I think it was).  I actually think it's kinda funny.  About the time I stopped coming on here the new shure headphones were almost fotm and most people were saying they're better than m50's.  I honestly don't know how the M50's went from being unpopular to being FOTM (they are studio monitors, goodness knows ppl NEED their colored sound

).
 
You just have to find the one charismatic review that raved of the endless awesomeness.  Then you'll know why

.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the m50's, I just hate it when ppl jump on bandwagons FOTM style.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Yeah, I feel you Zen...it's hard to distinguish between actual awesomeness and Head-Fi mania.  Same thing happened when I was researching IEM's a long time ago and went with the Ety ER-4.  I loved them, but years later I wonder what I was thinking, because they DO sound good, but they are uncomfortable, sterile, and way too dry for my tastes.  But my god were they praised to the roof...until the Shures came out, then the Sleeks, then the UE's...it goes on and on. 

 

[estreeter]

Its not just the Shures - several of the lower end AKGs periodically get the kiddies all excited : they see 'S(tudio)' on the end of a model name and go weak at the knees. As you said, studio monitors arent necessarily going to be to everyone's taste, but I guess the heart wants what the heart wants ....

 

[yifu]

Probably.but most FOTMs are caused by changes in the pricings. Imagine, if the Monster Beats were to retail at around 90, they would be considered decent by most people. Like there was once the triple fi 10s were on sale on amazon for like 120 dollars and suddenly became very popular.
Quote:

 
Quote:

 
nah sorry, when the M50s were released they retailed at around 250 and no one bothered to look at them, thinking they were just another studio monitor. However, some time last year, the prices dropped to around 100 dollars and ppl loved them for the price. I fell for them too, after i listened to them and bought a pair. I believe that they compete VERY favourably with other headphones in the 100-200 range. Other, headfiers, more experience than me would say that too. They are a steal for around 100 bucks. trust me
Quote:

Shortly after they were released. 

 
I believed the hype. And now I know what hype is.

 

 
Neither of you are even close.  They've been out for quite some time actually.  I had mine for almost a year before they suddenly mysteriously became popular.  Heck, I loved them (not initially) and recommended them every once in a while.  I acknowledged that I haven't had much experience with headphones so I understood that they weren't the best.  When I was deciding what to buy there was very little info on them.  The A700 were much much more popular and I was assuming I'd end up with them.  There were virtually no comparisons between the two, I think I found one or two short posts that convinced me they were less tinny than the a700.  They weren't popular at all, I got mine for about 130 which became 150 with shipping and tax.
 
They became FOTM almost a year later with almost no change in price (I didn't want to buy from ebay, I don't remember if the same seller was selling them back then, but I think it was).  I actually think it's kinda funny.  About the time I stopped coming on here the new shure headphones were almost fotm and most people were saying they're better than m50's.  I honestly don't know how the M50's went from being unpopular to being FOTM (they are studio monitors, goodness knows ppl NEED their colored sound

).
 
You just have to find the one charismatic review that raved of the endless awesomeness.  Then you'll know why

.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the m50's, I just hate it when ppl jump on bandwagons FOTM style.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Owning quite a lot of pairs of headphones this past year or so, I say the M50 hype is more than founded. Still my overall fave closed headphone...for now.

 

[EddieE]

[size=x-small]It's not hype.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]This discussion has been had several times to the same conclusion.[/size]

[size=x-small]A lot of people come here looking for circumaural headphones that:[/size]
 
[size=x-small]A) Can be used out of a portable device;[/size]
[size=x-small]B) Offer good isolation;[/size]
[size=x-small]C) Cost as close to $100 as possible.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Those requests come up over and over again. And what's the answer?[/size]
 
[size=x-small]ATH-M50.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Shure 750DJ, 840 often get a mention too, Senn HD-25 as well but they are more expensive than the M50 and most prefer the latter anyway.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Trust me, I gave up my M50s a few months ago and have found it hell to find a fitting replacement I like as much, and all I sampled so far are more expensive that they were.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Also what's the definition of a month used here? M50s have been consistently recommended now for well over a year. If you're going to call them that you may as well call Porta Pros, PX100s and SR60s flavour of the month too. [/size]
 
[size=x-small]You know what's the common thread with all those phones - they are good and they are cheap.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Since most people are on a budget good + cheap = recommended.[/size]

 

[olor1n]

Am I blinded by FoTM mania if I've since moved on from the M50 but still hold them in high regard?

 

[Argyris]

True, I guess I never bothered to check the actual release date. I could have sworn I saw threads that originated from right around when these things came out, but I'll submit that I was probably mistaken.
 
I guess what I meant by the hype thing was that they didn't manage to cure cancer, end world hunger, or fly me to the moon and back. Seriously, I thought they were pretty decent to good on various technical merits, but their tonal balance and weird, listening-from-behind-a-pole soundstage (probably a bad reaction to the angled drivers, as nobody else seems to have a problem with this) really put me off. The threads I read made it seem like they could do no wrong and that everyone who tried them would at least like them (if not LOVE them). For me they didn't really live up to their billing. I wouldn't say they're bad at all, but I learned to take everything I read here on Head-Fi--particularly ecstatic praise--with a grain of salt based on my M50 experience.
 
I think everybody should hear them at least once, and on occasion I recommend them. They're good but, like pretty much anything popular here on Head-Fi, likely blown slightly out of proportion in respect to what they really are.

 

[olor1n]

Cure cancer? What? You must have had some astronomical expectations of the M50. The context in which it's recommended and the praise it garners is as an entry level can that represents good bang for buck. I sold my M50 because I wanted something better. I still recommend it, not because it can match it with the "higher end" headphone I have now, but because I, like many, recognise it as a great starting point.