Does that mean if i manage to find the money for an HD600 i will be in the ballpark, up over the 90% (audiophile actuality) mark? Or will the HD650 be the goods?
Well, you can buy some of the lower priced cans from companies like Beyerdynamic, AKG etc and get pretty damn close to be honest, more so with a bit of custom EQ'ing.
But the problem with this hobby in general is that there actually isn't an ideal set standard for audio, and it's likely that way with good intention for the purposes of financial incentive, so companies like Audeze can continue to price gouge the unwary in search of this phantom "perfect sound". Audio, more than most other tech hobbies, is highly subjective. Take televisions as a comparative example. We know exactly what to look for if we want the perfect TV. There is a set D65k standard that needs to be met, specific colour grades, hues etc, all scientifically calculated and measured, a very specific white balance, pure, perfect black levels, 0 input lag and so on. All TV's strive for this pre-set 'perfect' standard. When you reach it, you know it. There's no subjectivity when it comes to this, as all TVs are actually striving to meet this very specific standard.
Audio is a completely different kettle of fish, and quite the opposite. There is no perfect standard. No perfect frequency response. Some will prefer coloured audio, some will disagree on what coloured even is. Others will prefer a warmer sound, and believe that to be more honest or balanced, whilst others will prefer clinical and more detailed, or analytical, and believe that to be more balanced, and so on. Sennheiser will claim their HD800's provide reference sound, whilst Beyerdynamic will claim the same with their completely different sounding headphones, and it's the same thing with AKG and so on. As mentioned, there is no ideal, and after a certain level the outrageous costs attributed become an exercise in excessive pointlessness, waste and greed.
I bought my first Audeze cans, the LCD-2's, based off of forum posts on here and numerous reviews across the internet. When I finally tested them, I was stunned. This overly warm, dark, bloated, not very comfortable to wear, nor particular detailed pair of $1000+ cans was what people were raving about? To me they sounded average at best, a sonic signature I'd attribute to costing a fraction of the price. To me they were like the Audiophile equivalent of a Beats by Dre can so to speak. That's when the whole subjectivity and lack of correlation between quality to price hit me. I read posts about how the Rev 2's refined the sound, they sounded perfect now, more detailed but retaining that warm sig. So I tried them out too, same opinion, too warm, not enough detail, and still not any more comfortable. And ever since then, every year or more, the previously already near perfect headphone from Audeze, is supposedly magically topped by a naturally far more expensive newer pair, that seemingly moves further from that previously 'perfect' house sound with each iteration, forgoing more and more warmth, for low and behold, more and more detail.
$3,995 really is an absolute absurd joke. At the very least they could have redesigned the housing to be more comfortable and versatile. As is, Audeze is fast becoming the EA of Audiophile headphone manufacturers, only Audeze charge
considerably more for each iteration of their Fifa game.
