The Next Sony R-10!
Jun 21, 2008 at 3:10 AM Post #46 of 155
Nikongod,I'm pretty sure the batch of 18 HE90's were spoken for in the first few days,but some may have backed out after the long wait or just could'nt afford the down payment.I was 12 on the list the day after Jans post and am quite sure all 18 were gone on the third or fourth day,so I think your #'s are off and they were made from top to bottom with new parts and factory 5 year warranty,so yes they were brand new.Gary
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 3:19 AM Post #47 of 155
I'm not sure you're still talking to me here, but I'll assume you are and, no offense, I feel that w/o any kind of market for such a product there isn't much to back. There wasn't really a market when it released and there really isn't one now. And, even though I greatly respect the R10 for what I think it is (an emotionally stirring piece of modern art balancing both beauty-yes, I think the R10 is one of, if not the, most beautiful headphones ever made-and performance), I'd like to see something go above and beyond it... at a price point I can hopefully stomach.
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Yes, I too think that was my whole point at the beginning of the thread. Was the Sony R-10 the apex of the headphone art? Is that it? Stop? Done? Nada? Do we just drag our knuckles on the ground from here on out? Maybe we can all get together and Sony can make another limited run of the R-10 for us. But I liked what you said even more; "to see something go above and beyond it"?
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 4:02 AM Post #50 of 155
I have heard the R-10 several times, and i love the sound , but honestly I do not feel I'm missing a single bit of the sound with my Edition 9's. I just want them to be as comfy, and overall better constructed as the R-10 is, but soundwise you can find a couple that could do a fair job outhere as well.
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 4:16 AM Post #51 of 155
Jun 21, 2008 at 6:20 AM Post #52 of 155
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ragonix /img/forum/go_quote.gif
It may be possible that the Sony does not have the technology to create the R10s anymore. The original engineers that created them may have left Sony.


Yes, I would fear that too.
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 6:57 AM Post #54 of 155
Well, I guess the people at Sony would have to relearn what has been stuffed away in the basement for 20 years. For someone reason, however, I do not think the engineers would be scratching their heads too much.
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 7:11 AM Post #55 of 155
Could it be? We don't know what we have till it's gone?

Well, I can't say for myself because I don't have an extensive experience with different headphones, let alone high-end headphones that cost thousands.. Some have said in this very thread that some of the top-of-the-line headphones still in production are up to par with the legends (R10 and the like).. Could it be that we want those legendary models back because of the sentiment rather than practicality?
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 8:09 AM Post #57 of 155
Considering how commercial development is almost entirely driven by the mass market, I doubt we'll see too much more in the way of "high as the stratosphere"-end headphones. Music has steadily become less of an art form and more of a convenience; research money will flow along these lines.
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 9:02 AM Post #58 of 155
As a loudspeaker manufacturer, and now an apprentice to making fine full range drivers at Feastrex.com, I can assure you all: we are listening to these requests.

speaking from a business perspective, I think that there genuinely is a market out there for ultra high end headphones. Many of the good headphone companies just don't know it...yet.

It might take a generation or so to pass (however long that is nowadays), but there are people like me who heard the Orpheus and R10 while still young and impressionable and now want nothing more than to make more of that kind of sound available again.

I don't know what good a promise like that truely is, but basically: keep the faith. It will all happen in good time....

-Clark
-Feastrex
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 9:13 AM Post #59 of 155
I appreciate your spirit here, David, but I think it's all directed to the wrong places. Given the option of A) saving your money to afford a used pair of R-10s which pop up on here at least a few times a year or B) trying to rally general support to get Sony to make a newer, better, cheaper thing -- you chose the latter.

You have readily admitted that you have never actually heard the R10s, so I think your first point of action is clear. Save up some cash, or attend a major meet, and see if the currently available offerings can't do what you want.

Please also keep in mind a few points:
1) Headphones are just transducers. The music capable of being reproduced on a pair of R10s today is far better than it was when thy were first introduced. Better sources and better amplification make for a better listening experience.

2) New stuff won't be cheaper. The only circumstance whereby even a limited run could be profitable is by using old parts and selling for exorbitant prices. In all likelihood, the limited run would cost as much or more than the used offerings currently available, and would not sound any better.

3) We are by no means a big enough market to justify a dedicated run. There are maybe 20 R10s owned by active members of this forum, and those are constantly circulating. I heard the pair owned by Ray Samuels, and I doubt he's ever selling. If we were, as a community, buying hundreds of Stax 007s, Ultrasone Ed. 9s and Grado GS1000s things would be different. Right now I can't justify spending over 1000$ on a pair of headphones, and I doubt you can either. We are all in debt to those individuals on this forum who have devoted countless hours of their lives to being in a position where they could reasonably procure these headphones and wite about them with authority. They are, however, few and far between. If the enthusiasts can't do it, how are we to expect the general, disinterested populace to do it?

4) I don't know if you realize how good things are right now. Th fact that there was EVER an r10 is a miracle, but there are currently available production headphones that rival even the king in quality. Go and listen to them. Decide for yourself if what you need is yet another higher, unobtainable tier.

5) More mass-market headphones are good for us. More low-level headphones help global economies of scale, and make it more likely that a company can afford to produce a flagship product, and that consumers will have the capacity and the inclination to buy it. Apple sells HD650s on its website right now, and that's spectacular. Even more spectacular is that the comments page on those headphones instructs purchasers that they need an amp to drive them properly, and that they can find more information at, you guessed it, head-fi.org.

Times are good, man. The fact that "the king" is no longer in production is inevitable. The unobtainable will always be the most desirable. I think you should take your passion away from manufacturers, and turn it towards the community. Go out and listen to some of these products, and sorry about your wallet.
 
Jun 21, 2008 at 9:31 AM Post #60 of 155
I kind of like how the R10 is not sold anymore. It makes it so much more special and epic. Sort of like the excalibur of headphones. I think it would be kind of lame for Sony to do another run of them, but improving on them and creating a new model would be interesting.

Maybe Sony could take the R10 design and simplify it (cheaper wood, metal, etc.) while incorporating new technology so that they could sell the new model at a more reasonable price. Maybe they could get 90% of the R10 sound with only 50% of the cost.
 
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