[tvrboy]

As a brand new member to this forum I was wondering something: is it possible to purchase a consumer product intelligently if you are not an expert in a particular field?

I was just listening to the headphones my dad gave me (Sony MDR-NC40). He just paid $80 bucks for them but was surprised to found out he hates them after a few minutes of listening. But he is also the kind of guy that won't buy any gadget (digital camera, plasma TV, car) without "thoroughly researching" first. But some of his decisions, like these headphones, are so poor that I am wondering what the point of his research was. He would have been better off picking randomly from a list of products. I think knowing enough about any area of consumer products to make a truly smart purchase takes a LOT longer than most people think. I only know one area of products well (sport/racing motorcycles) and it took me literally thousands of hours to acquire a thorough knowledge. So I'm just wondering whether it's even worth it to go to enthusiast forums, read online reviews, and demo products if none of these "sources" really helps me make an informed decision. I came here to learn more about headphones, but I'm only learning how much I don't know.

 

[cswann1]

Experience is the best teacher.

 

[Charles_1985]

You can only rely on reviews/sources so much; ultimately it comes down to experience as cswann1 said. All knowledge is self-taught.
Quote:

Originally Posted by tvrboy So I'm just wondering whether it's even worth it to go to enthusiast forums, read online reviews, and demo products if none of these "sources" really helps me make an informed decision. I came here to learn more about headphones, but I'm only learning how much I don't know.

Well, I think the "sources" can help you make an informed decision. The people writing them know a lot more about that product/field than you do (at least you would hope so) and if they have the experience to back up their findings, then that is worth something. Also, if you cross-reference reviews and they're all saying similar things, then that is a good indication that the product is as they say.

Audio is harder to research since it's really impossible to know what something sounds like without listening to it, combined with the fact that audio is so subjective. I guess that goes for a lot of things, really.

Bottom line: try before you buy.

 

[Rakooon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvrboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I came here to learn more about headphones, but I'm only learning how much I don't know.

Then your at the right place on the right way !

I was overwhelmed too when i first came around to get infos.I didn't knew anything about headphones... at all , but always manage to make good decisions base on what i've learned here.My first "Hi-end" headphones cost me over 500$ and i never tried'em before. I knew i wasn't mistaking thanks to experiences and reviews.Well.... got to be carefull and conscentious too. Read carefully , as much as you need and dont forget the "search" fonction, almost every question has been answer in here so far.
Head-Fi is by far the best source of knowledge you can rely on if your serious about learning about headphones and related equipments , believe me !!!

Welcome to Head-FI and (yeah yeah im gonna say it) sorry about your wallet !

 

[yourstruly]

It is definitely possible. Browsing through reviews, you just need to know what to look for.

Head-fi, for example, is a huge myriad of opinions. The key to finding good buys on here is to find a consensus. The two most important things I picked up about headphones are here from reading is

1) Sennheiser HD600 is by consensus the most universally liked expensive all around headphones ever. Someone complains about them once in a blue moon.

2) Grado and Sennheiser are the two most "safe bets" for headphone purchases. Most of their offerings have very wide appeal, and when they do make a poor product you notice it immediately because tons of people will complain about them.

The key is to not base your purchase on an individual person's opinions, but rather the forum's consensus. For example, take the k701. Some people defend it like zealots, and some people bash it. Without hearing it yourself, you may never know if it's a good headphone. However, the question more becomes, why should I buy this headphone when I could buy a Grado or Sennheiser that almost no one complains about? Look for general patterns, and you can find fairly accurate answers.