[Eugguy]

Is anything that comes out of consumer reports credible??

 

[daltonlanny]

Is anything that comes out of consumer reports credible??

I agree, but there were many others, besides Consumer Reports, pushing these headphones, and bragging on how good they were [Sony MDR-V6].

 

[takato14]

Fostex TH600: Got this for christmas, so not really a purchase, but.. ugh. I wanted to get an HD800 but I knew it was way too expensive. Then I considered the LCD-2, but that was way too expensive too. Same for the HE-500. 
 
Then I saw the TH600 on sale for a HUGE discount, putting it just into the range my parents were willing to spend. So I put it on my list. 
 
I absolutely loathed it from the beginning. Hashy treble, disgustingly thick farty bass, lacked detail retrieval and seperation/soundstage, pads aren't breathable, and overall just woefully colored and poor sounding. I really should've gone with something else.

---

Sony DR-Z6: I got these after hearing a friend's Z7 (and loving it), but it didn't sound anything like it, and now one of the drivers shorted out. Fun.

---

Philips N6330 (K240 Sextett OEM): Might be because I'm underpowering these but I doubt it. Their treble is just way too resonant and sloppy for me. 

---

Sony DR-Z7: Ok, so this one's a bit of a stretch. I adore my Z7, but I had to sell another megarare headphone to get it, a NAD RP18 Mylar, and I'm really disappointed that I never even fed it a lot of juice, let alone tried any mods on it. I've been trying to find another (or a similar large driver fostex planar) ever since. So it's less regretting the purchase of the Z7, and more regretting the sale of the RP18 to GET the Z7.

 

[viralcow]

  Fostex TH600: Got this for christmas, so not really a purchase, but.. ugh. I wanted to get an HD800 but I knew it was way too expensive. Then I considered the LCD-2, but that was way too expensive too. Same for the HE-500. 
 
Then I saw the TH600 on sale for a HUGE discount, putting it just into the range my parents were willing to spend. So I put it on my list. 
 
I absolutely loathed it from the beginning. Hashy treble, disgustingly thick farty bass, lacked detail retrieval, pads aren't breathable, and overall just woefully colored and poor sounding. I really should've gone with something else.

 
Those are some harsh words for a well-loved pair of headphones. There was one selling on the local craigslist for about $400, and I was pretty damn tempted, except it was about 30 miles away and I was too lazy to drive there - thanks for making me feel better!

 

[takato14]

 
Those are some harsh words for a well-loved pair of headphones. There was one selling on the local craigslist for about $400, and I was pretty damn tempted, except it was about 30 miles away and I was too lazy to drive there - thanks for making me feel better!

Yeah I was quite shocked; the build quality was absolutely phenomenal and I've had a lot of good experience with Fostex's older high end gear, but the sound just wasn't there for me. It was pretty fast, but it didn't sound very clean at all and the treble was just repulsive. The bass I could've lived with, because while emphasized it was enjoyable for most things, but the treble simply killed it for me. It was a splashy mess.
 
$400 is quite a big discount, but even then I'm a little iffy. I'd probably just get an HE-400(i) at that point. 

 

[FiveYears]

Denon AH-D600. I like classical piano and I still like how the reproduce a piano, but aside from that they sound veiled. Incapable of reproducing the acoustics of the recording venue.

 

[leadbythemelody]

Sennheiser momentum's. Not a bad pair of headphones at all but it sounded muddy and dull after selling my 2 high-end headphones. I was looking for a solid headphone to fill the void but I was too spoiled at that point and every mid-tier pair of headphones I got a hold of wasn't good enough for me

 

[FiveYears]

I hear you on getting spoiled. My JVC HP-DX700s spoiled me, although they are not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[nicko94]

Sennheiser IE800: bought these for a decent price; literally the most frustrating pair of IEMs one could own. Slight movements sent the earbuds rocketing out of my ear, mainly because the L/R splitter halfway down the cable is so damn bulky. Ditto for every other supplied tip.
For any other IEM, this wouldn't be an issue as one could just buy a suitable pair of Complys but nooooo Sennheiser decide to make the speaker protrusion where the tip clips on to (is there a name for this?) ever-so-slightly smaller than any alternative tip available.
Can't complain on the sound quality though, but the aforementioned design flaws make it the most regrettable earphone purchase to date.

 

[leadbythemelody]

I love JVC headphones. Not the cheapo earbuds though LOL

 

[leadbythemelody]

Funny I have a pair coming my way. I hope I don't have the same problem.

 

[FiveYears]

Yes, the JVC Woodies really have somehing, IMHO.  They are not neutral and they have a laid back presentation, but for what I listen to now (Italian Opera) they are perfect.  How I someone made the transition from the Stones and Zeppelin to Italian Opera is admittedly hard to fathom.

 

[BucketInABucket]

I definitely had a problem with the JVC HA-FX650 though. The mid-range was so unnatural that I couldn't bear to listen to it for longer than a third of a song before I had to stop :L

 

[BobG55]

The word "Impulse" is the key word of this thread because I am compulsive/impulsive/obsessive not all the time but too many times as the list below clearly indicates.  Every one of these HPs, I disliked from the very start or shortly after & ended up selling them.
 
Sennheiser HD700 (horrendous for the price)
Sennheiser HD598 (waste of money)
Grado Rs1i (nothing great)
K702 65 Annies (muffled)
K712 (midrange missing in action)
LCD2 rev2 (overrated)
Beyer DT990/600 ohm (ordinary)
 
Remember fellow Head-fiers who may read this & really like some of these HPs : it's "only" my opinion.

 

[rgr555]

I bought the B&W P5 on looks and wasn't that impressed by the sound. Sold it on eBay months later, beautiful design though and hopefully will pick up a P7 some day. I absolutely love the B&W Zepellin and how it sounds and aesthetics.