[orthikon]

but street price is the real world, MSRP is usually ignored, because online retailers are smart enough to realize consumers don't like paying "retail"

My point is at MSRP and at current Amazon prices, HD-600>HD-595>HD-555, (> symbol meaning priced higher) so there is the expectation that the higher priced item would be better.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif The law of diminishing returns certainly are valid. Meaning that from a certain price point the improvement get smaller for each additional money you put into it. High End headphones are worth it. But only if you're willing to spend 2-3 times the money for the last 5-10% sound quality improvements.

Precisely... well put!

"That's it in a nut-shell" - "if you're willing to spend 2-3 times the money for the last 5-10% sound quality improvements."

I'm not...

... though... I suppose my indulgence in the WA6 SE is my exception.

 

[quane]

It would be like buying a car (it's only an example).
You just got your license, your first decent car (let's say Ford Focus) and before this, you never had a car, you were using skateboard. Then, you suddenly win a lotto and get £200,000 and buy a new Aston Martin DB10 or whatever. It won't be as much fun and there won't be as big difference as it was between Focus and the skateboard. It will be faster, it will be more comfy, it will have better detail and you will love it a lot but it won't be 20x better.

I'm not sure if it evens makes sense but I'm trying to prove a point

You will get better detail and they will sound a lot better but it won't be like going from some super cheap Tesco headphones for 3.99 to 50.00 Grado's.

 

[PhilS]

Sometimes one experiences diminishing marginal returns. The increased cost of a headphone is not matched by a commensurate increase in quality or overall enjoyment.

Sometimes you can experience increasing marginal returns. A headphone can cost twice as much but sound three times as good to your ears.

Unfortunately, sometimes you can even experience diminishing total returns. For example, a headphone that costs more may sound worse to you.

I suppose it might be accurate to say that the majority of headphone upgrades are likely to result in a diminishing marginal return (either because the total return diminishes or the increased cost is not offset by a increase in enjoyment), but there is no rule or reason that requires one to conclude that everyone will always experience diminishing marginal returns. Any given person may or may not in any particular scenario, based on a number of circumstances.