Beats By Dre? Anything better for $350?
Jun 4, 2009 at 3:48 AM Post #16 of 47
Quote:

Originally Posted by parhelictriangle /img/forum/go_quote.gif
OP, do you need isolation?

There's a whole lot better at that price, especially if you don't mind open headphones. And if you need isolation, there are a number of IEMs around that price range that will destroy the Beats.

IEMs are typically going to get you better sound quality than active noise cancellation.



It's actually for a friend of mine, and I doubt he needs noise isolation.

@yourstruly: I'm in Canada, and $349.95 is about the lowest price I've seen for them.
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 4:07 AM Post #17 of 47
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaquib /img/forum/go_quote.gif
It's actually for a friend of mine, and I doubt he needs noise isolation.

@yourstruly: I'm in Canada, and $349.95 is about the lowest price I've seen for them.



Makes sense, Canadian prices = US prices + 50-75% more. Canadian headphone choices are pretty limited too. If he absolutely needs to have closed back headphones, the M-Audio Q40 for around $150 or so from xpresscanada or Canadacomputers is probably a much better buy; since he seems to like bass. Another one that is worth checking out and priced better is the JVC DX1 from overstock.com since they ship to Canada and take care of tax for you--it comes to ~$130 shipped. Maybe even the Aurvana Live (said to be a OEM Foster/Denon D100x) for less than $100 shipped from Buy canada.
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 4:16 AM Post #18 of 47
Quote:

Originally Posted by brn80 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Makes sense, Canadian prices = US prices + 50-75% more. Canadian headphone choices are pretty limited too. If he absolutely needs to have closed back headphones, the M-Audio for around $150 or so from xpresscanada or Canadacomputers is probably a much better buy; since he seems to like bass. Another one that is worth checking out and priced better is the JVC DX1 from overstock.com since they ship to Canada and take care of tax for you, it comes to ~$130 shipped. Maybe even the Aurvana Live (said to be a OEM Foster/Denon D100x) for less than $100 shipped from Buy canada.


Would those sub $200 headphones really be compareable to the $350 Beats by Dre? The reviews I read have said the beats are really good, but knowing Monster Cable's profit margins...
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 4:18 AM Post #19 of 47
If you enjoy bass and are wondering what phones could produce good sound while being to please ears that crave bass other than the beats then my answer to you is the Denon AH-D2000s. Cheaper than the beats if bought online and could very well impress your friend as well.
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 4:24 AM Post #20 of 47
monster had lots of employees at canjam.

even their CEO was there with his chrome wheeled attention-whoring segway. -_-

IMG_3354%20(Large).JPG


IMG_3355%20(Large).JPG



there's him molesting IpodPJ's setup.
frown.gif
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 4:29 AM Post #22 of 47
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaquib /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Would those sub $200 headphones really be compareable to the $350 Beats by Dre? The reviews I read have said the beats are really good, but knowing Monster Cable's profit margins...


They might be decent against some other 'consumer' type headphones from Sony and them in big chain stores. It depends where you read the reviews, I don't really put much weight on reviews from some sites like cnet and some consumer blogs--it also helps to see what they compared the Beats to. I would do a search on the beats on here to see what the headphone community actually thought of them. I haven't seen much, but I gathered that they're not worth more than headphones in the $100 range or so, and $50 if bass is not your thing.

Unfortunately, I can't say for sure if your friend will actually find the Beats better, he just may; but at $350, that's a very steep price approaching true audiophile level headphones. Heck for ~$300 you can get the AKG K601 from Overstock--of course you can buy them for under $200 on the FS forums here. The JVC model I mentioned has been around for a while and people on here have found them better than the RX700/RX900, the current periods' FoTM phones. The M-Audio's are supposedly studio monitors made for people that actually mix/monitor music in the studio.
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 6:03 AM Post #24 of 47
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaquib /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Would those sub $200 headphones really be compareable to the $350 Beats by Dre? The reviews I read have said the beats are really good, but knowing Monster Cable's profit margins...


First, I'll thank Monster for showing up to CanJam, paying vendor fees and donating goodies for the raffle. They did not have to do that and it was good of them to help us out.

However, the Beats are in a different class of headphones than the ones we kick around. They're high-end consumer grade. We listen to the more esoteric high end, stuff the average person knows nothing about. I think the Beyerdynamic rep was caught slightly off guard when I brought up the DT48. Nice guy; I asked him to tell corporate that there's a handful of us who love the DT48.
smily_headphones1.gif


What I'm getting at is that the difference between the Beats and Head-Fi headphones is like the difference between buying a top shelf bottle of wine at the regular supermarket (which can be good, by the way) and going to a wine specialist who carries all the small wineries and has an intimate knowledge of Napa, the Willamette Valley, etc. Sometimes the specialist has wines that aren't well known but cost less than the top-shelf at the supermarket. Which would you rather drink? The one the bagger points at and says it's the best because it costs the most, or a less expensive one from the guy who can tell you about the climate and soil of where it's from, visits the winemaker occasionally and is friends with them?

The Beats are sure to appeal to a wide section of the public. But I don't like them at all. They're extremely bass heavy and sound unnatural. I would never buy them, even if they were $20. It's a mystery why Monster tossed them to the biggest headphone snobs around.

Again, I appreciate Monster's contribution to CanJam and I am willing to take their products seriously if they take this market seriously. The same goes for Bose; if they build a quality headphone (and they are certainly capable), I'll buy one and praise it. But the Beats are not for us.

Take a serious look at the headphones recommended to you. Forget the price difference. You'll get great headphones you'll love listening to. That's the only thing that matters.
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 9:33 AM Post #26 of 47
i distinctly remember Jude saying the beats were not that bass heavy. i am still waiting to hear them, but i won't say nothing till ive had them with my music on my system. then and only them i will bash them if they suck or praise them if they are good.

Jude's comments
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 10:03 AM Post #28 of 47
Quote:

Originally Posted by dcpoor /img/forum/go_quote.gif
monster had lots of employees at canjam.

even their CEO was there with his chrome wheeled attention-whoring segway. -_-



Wow, those pictures really say a lot about his character.
mad.gif
 
Jun 4, 2009 at 10:39 AM Post #30 of 47
and dont forget the worst thing about the beats...

they dont work without batteries!! Thats right, without batteries, its a 300+ dollar paperweight.

How you can make a headphone that works and plays music ONLY with batteries (noise cancelling crap mumbo-jumbo notwithstanding) is beyond me.
 

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