[rahuldagli]

Do you think expensive headphones priced at $100 up worth it? Is there a marginal or lot of difference between sennheiser hd 518 and sennheiser hd 800? What is the price limit after which an average guy won't notice any difference in sound quality?
 
Edit:I have made some changes in my budget as I got to now its not worth comparing cheap cans with high-end headphones.

 

[leng jai]

Completely dependent on the individual. I've heard a signifcant difference in every step up I'm made: HD595 ($200) -> HD650 ($400)/K702 ($350) -> D7000 ($700) - > T1 ($1100). High end audio is about finding the sound you like, not just upgrading based on price.
 
$50 on Head-fi is basically poo change really. 
 

 

[keanex]

"Do you think expensive headphones priced at $50 up worth it?"
 
It depends on the user, but I think an average user would think a $100 entry level headphone would be a big upgrade from their typical Skullcandy.
 
"Is there a marginal or lot of difference between sennheiser hd 202 and sennheiser hd 800?"
 
Huge, massive, difference.
 
"What is the price limit after which an average guy won't notice any difference in sound quality?"
 
This is highly subjective, it really depends on the user.

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

Do you think expensive headphones priced at $50 up worth it? Is there a marginal or lot of difference between sennheiser hd 202 and sennheiser hd 800? What is the price limit after which an average guy won't notice any difference in sound quality?

It's cheaper with IEM's, just get the Sony EX600 or Vsonic GR07 (both are around $160) and then it's very hard to notice upgrades in SQ after that until you start getting your IEM's custom made in laboratories with $10,000 equipment.

 

[deadlylover]

Don't worry, you certainly don't need super hearing to be able to appreciate high end headphones.
 
Eventually, it starts to become more about 'different' rather than 'improvement'. It just depends on how picky you are, and how fat your wallet is.
 
For me, I don't think it was worth it, but that's only because I'm not as passionate about music/sound as most of the people here. I should have drawn the line at the $200 mark.

 

[kiteki]

Are you serious DEADLYLOVER?
 
I traded my Stax for a dynamic headphone, and listening to this HP I'd consider paying $500 for it and consider that a fair price for this SQ.  However I think five to six hundred should be enough to reproduce good sound, from IEM's to speakers, when I start looking at stuff over eight hundred I start thinking, why isn't my hobby MOTORBIKES instead? Seriously I can't justify buying a Final Audio FI-BA-SS when that tiny piece of stainless steel costs the same as a BRAND NEW MOTORBIKE.

 

[BID]

You should definitely aim for having having at least something around the level of an HD 598, M50 et al.
The difference between these headphones and cheap ones is pretty huge. As you move up, the price will increase more than the improvement in sound quality.
Many headphones in the $100-150 bracket may sound good, while a $1000 headphone might sound great.
 
I partially agree with deadlylover. I could have made do with a cheaper setup, but I have grown to appreciate the features of my amplifier and I like not only how it sounds, but also how the HD 800 feels on my head compared to the HD 650. My aftermarket HD 800 cable is a bit on the heavy side though.

 It all depends on the sound signature you want. I liked how it sounded when I had my HD 555 connected to an STX sound card. I just wished for more details and a better sound stage, originally. I now have this. Getting there also cost me more than 10x as much.
 
You ask if there is a price limit after which one may not hear a difference. Things I barely noticed before are now easy to differentiate.
It's not really a question of whether you will hear a difference, given time, but if you find the difference worth the cost.

 

[Kernmac]

Quote:

Do you think expensive headphones priced at $50 up worth it? 

Do you think that asking the above question on a site dedicated to headphones is dumb?
 
 

 

[kiteki]

www.wheel-fi.com
 
"Do you think expensive bikes priced at $500 and up are worth it?"
 
 
"Nah, unless you're driving on lossless tires and over 96kHz, electrostatic engines are all hype, get a suzuki, n00b."

 

[keanex]

I don't understand why you're all attacking him, he's new and doesn't know.

 

[deadlylover]

Quote:

Are you serious DEADLYLOVER?
 
I traded my Stax for a dynamic headphone, and listening to this HP I'd consider paying $500 for it and consider that a fair price for this SQ.  However I think five to six hundred should be enough to reproduce good sound, from IEM's to speakers, when I start looking at stuff over eight hundred I start thinking, why isn't my hobby MOTORBIKES instead? Seriously I can't justify buying a Final Audio FI-BA-SS when that tiny piece of stainless steel costs the same as a BRAND NEW MOTORBIKE.

 
Aahahah deadly serious.
 
I keep on thinking to myself, "I really should have spent the money on a trip to go see my favourite singers/lolis in Japan instead", that would have been more worth it I reckon =(.

 

[Kernmac]

 
Quote:

I don't understand why you're all attacking him, he's new and doesn't know.

Rubbish.  Would you jump onto wineconnisseurclub.com and open with-  "do you think that spending more than $10 on a bottle of wine is worth it?"
 
The OP knows the difference between a HD202 and HD800 price wise, so the question is either absurd, clearly not thought about, or is one of the lamest attempts at trolling I have witnessed.
 

 

[TMRaven]

I think they are, especially because they deliver a very different sonic experience from loudspeakers. The diminishing returns get steep the further up you go, especially when diving into hi-fi. My personal limit for headphones is mid-fi, such as k701, dt880, hd650 or d2000, all of which you can get for around 200usd on a good day. Of course you'll want a good Dac/amp for those too, which would be around 200-300usd-- so all in all around 500usd you'll have a nice mid-fi setup that even top of the line setups can't really laugh at.

 

[Gwarmi]

It is worth mentioning that the rite of passage for any Head-Fier is acknowledging
that many friends, family and partners will truly not be able to discern
any difference.
 
Nor do they care. It might be blasphemous but it's true. Some people don't care.
 
Still I think it was 'Malveaux' who mentioned in other thread.
 
Many will spend $400 on a multifunction DAP but not give a hoot about the
actual transducers.
 
Madness.

 

[TMRaven]

 


Rubbish.  Would you jump onto wineconnisseurclub.com and open with-  "do you think that spending more than $10 on a bottle of wine is worth it?"
 
The OP knows the difference between a HD202 and HD800 price wise, so the question is either absurd, clearly not thought about, or is one of the lamest attempts at trolling I have witnessed.
 

I think it's a legit question as everybody has different experiences with audio. You can already see there's differing opinions on the matter. You're acting too defensive in my book, and it could could come off as rude to some.