[Kernmac]

 
Quote:

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.

You are entitled to your opinion just as I am entitled to mine.  It is a legitimate question in the context of a general conversation, but seriously not a well thought question for a forum that is dedicated to headphones.  Could anyone expect to get the answer - "no, spending more than $50 is a total waste of money" on a site that has a membership consisting of headphone fanatics? I expect questions in relation to diminishing returns, that is relevant in almost any dedicated hobby/pursuit; but to question the very idea that small money invested ( and $50 is not much money when you consider how many iPods get sold in mainstream audio markets) is a waste, is provocative on a site that exits purely for the pursuit of headphone audio.  If you interpret that as rude, then so be it.

 

[Canadian411]

Well, I had my Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium 600ohm for $400 longtime ago and I decided to upgrade to LCD2 rev2, what a huge difference !,
 
Then gradually, had to modify ALO balanced cables, LOD then sr71b, which didn't make a significant difference,.
So there you go, money spend on the headphone only was worth it for me.
 
Again, what a huge difference between DT990 and LCD2. (quality-wise)
 

 

[Nick01]

Quote:

You are entitled to your opinion just as I am entitled to mine.  It is a legitimate question in the context of a general conversation, but seriously not a well thought question for a forum that is dedicated to headphones.  Could anyone expect to get the answer - "no, spending more than $50 is a total waste of money" on a site that has a membership consisting of headphone fanatics? I expect questions in relation to diminishing returns, that is relevant in almost any dedicated hobby/pursuit; but to question the very idea that small money invested ( and $50 is not much money when you consider how many iPods get sold in mainstream audio markets) is a waste, is provocative on a site that exits purely for the pursuit of headphone audio.  If you interpret that as rude, then so be it.

Well said!
 

 

[rahuldagli]

I really apologized everybody for the way I put forward my question if it hearts the community of this forum. I am a newbie in this forum. I have never listened to any headphone costing more than $50. So I wanted to get the feedback from this wonderful audiophile community whether high end cans are truly worth the price for what it offer?

 

[LCfiner]

goes to show how skewed my perspective is after getting into high end headphones. when I read the thread title, I thought “expensive” would refer to 200 bucks and up headphones. maybe even 500 and up.
 
But the OP was more concerned with 50 dollars and up.
 
man, that makes it even easier. yes, it’s totally worth it. the difference between plain old cheap headphones for 20 or 30 bucks compared to what you can get for around 70 to 100 is pretty big. 

 

[ramzes235]

the difference is big ! i got today a pair of akg k701 and the difference between my headphones ( max 50 euro) is very huge so yes  
 

 

[KB24]

Yes, there is a difference between $50 headphones and $300 ones. That's what I think. You might think differently. My opinion is backed up with scientific proof. Look at te graphs at headroom. The frequency graph and harmonic distortion graph tell you a lot about the headphones. 

 

[reginalb]

I think that Apple ear buds are the best headphone on the market, just get those. They even have a built in mic: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB770G/B?fnode=MTY1NDA0Ng&mco=MTM3NDkzOTc
 
Everything else is marketing hype.
 
Wait, what was the question?

 

[KB24]

     Quote:

I think that Apple ear buds are the best headphone on the market, just get those. They even have a built in mic: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB770G/B?fnode=MTY1NDA0Ng&mco=MTM3NDkzOTc
 
Everything else is marketing hype.
 
Wait, what was the question?
 

 


Yupp, they are the best! 

 

 

[Kernmac]

[size=medium]Apology accepted rahuldagli.  Trolls don’t back off by nature, so I assume you are legit.[/size]
 
[size=medium]For me there are several parts to answer your questions.  I notice you have adjusted your $50 figure up to $100, it is still a low starting figure in the pursuit of “better” audio IMO.  But perhaps not for others.[/size]
 
[size=medium]iPods cost what?  Around  $200USD plus, dependent on capacity.  iPods are so popular in main stream audio that they represent the market, many people refer to iPods as the word descriptor for all MP3 players and portable DAPs.  So if people will invest $200 in a player why should $200 be expensive for a headphone (speakers) to listen to the final sound?[/size]
 
[size=medium]So for me the first hurdle for people making the jump from main stream apple buds or similar to “decent” headphones, is to put things into perspective.  Are $100 headphones worth it?  You bet ya; to people that want improved sound they are.  If you simply want a fashion statement to keep up with your peers with functionality that does everything convenient  but seek no better sound than what comes out of your average car radio, then why spend a $100 on sound?  So the first part of my answer is -which type are you?[/size]
 
[size=medium]The second part of the question revolves around the science of diminishing returns.  When (at what stage) does spending more money become irrelevant/wasteful?  The answer to that question is dependent on each individual person’s perceived value.  Perceived value will be influenced by a number of things including - disposable income, motivation (some will become collectors), perceived sound improvement, the ability to convince ones partner that perceived value isn’t insane, etc.[/size]
 
[size=medium]There is no answer.  But stop spending before you cannot afford to, not after.  The more you pay will not always result in improvement and because of different sound signatures vs sound taste, you can spend more and be less satisfied in some (many) cases.  Is there a difference in most $300 headphones compared to $100 headphones?  For me yes.  Are these differences night and day?  In terms of sound quality, probably not, they are incremental gains at best.  Diminishing returns means that you can spend a lot to get a small gain, this is true in almost every hobby or specialist pursuit.  The individual has to make up their own mind about where the value stops.  Keep everything in balance/perspective based on your circumstances; anything that dominates one’s life to the exclusion of other necessary aspects is unhealthy obsession, as opposed to the pursuit of better sound.[/size]
 
[size=medium]Don’t forget to enjoy the music in your journey.  Welcome to Headfi-sorry about your wallet. [/size]

 

[jupitreas]

The exact point at which the point of diminishing returns is reached is pretty subjective and depends on a multitude of factors, sound quality being only one amongst them. There is also build quality, design, comfort and luxury - all of these things have a big influence on whether we think something is 'worth' its price. I think it is best to simply audition a number of headphones from various price points and seeing if that relatively small sq difference between the hd800 and the hd650 is really worth the extra 600 dollars for you....
 
Personally, I find the mid-fi level of 200-300 USD to represent the point of diminishing returns. My current DT990 is definitely better than my previous Goldring DR150 and I can definitely justify paying more than twice as much for it as for the DR150. I cannot justify paying much more for the T1; however, since I really do not perceive the difference in SQ to be so dramatic as to be worth nearly 800 more dollars. 

 

[Tacoboy]

Quote:

Yes, there is a difference between $50 headphones and $300 ones. That's what I think. You might think differently. My opinion is backed up with scientific proof. Look at te graphs at headroom. The frequency graph and harmonic distortion graph tell you a lot about the headphones. 

Wow, "Scientific proof", "frequency graph and harmonic distortion" you might be the smartest of the headphone nerds.
 

 

[MegaMushroom]

Oh yeah... There is a difference.  Especially from 50 to about 400 dollars.  500 and upwards and we start getting into diminishing returns.  After a certain point it becomes, "Can I REALLY hear the difference, or is that just my wallet crying?"  It's all a matter of opinion.  I personally plan on exploring all aspects of headphones.  I love my Sennheiser 598s, but maybe I'll like Grados or AKG more... 

 

[kiteki]

I think the term diminishing returns is overused.
 
There comes a point where it's not about better sound, it's about different sound.
 
 
I really think the OP, rahuldagli, should just buy something like the Hifiman HE-300 http://www.head-direct.com/product_detail.php?p=108 and find out for himself.
 
 
I've noticed he's looking at stuff like the Shure SE535 and Sennheiser HD800 thinking they're the best products in the world, I think he's severely wrong unless he A) is a stage performer or B) works in a lab or something.

 

[afrobat]

This is all going to be opinion, but for me, I think the biggest upgrade tends to be the first one. If what you are looking for is biggest jump in overall sound quality, then I would say it's from your first non-audiophile headphones to your audiophile headphones.  I would probably say from your normal earbuds to your first ~$50-150 is going to be a huge ridiculous difference. For me, when I upgraded from my $100 headphones to my $500-600 headphones the difference wasn't anywhere near as great.  Do I think it was worth it? Hell yes. My new headphones were exactly what i was looking for. It has the exact sound signature I wanted.