[AngelPaladin]

I was just wondering do reviews color our opinions of a certain headphone before we listen. How does it affect your opinion of headphones? I know personally having a really hard time finding a headphone my self for various reasons.

I read reviews and keeping in mind everyone's opinion is just that subjective. I seen reviews that make it sound like one headphone stands above others. Then another review that makes them sound like there the worse headphone to ever exist.

Have you read a review ordered a headset or tried one. Then found your opinion shift over time?

PS. Having a hard time finding something. I have had few different headphones and minimal luck. I did have to send a few of the back for QC issues.

HD6xx - Strange popping noise and exceptionally quiet. The clamp was unbearable to the point of causing a jaw ache after 2hrs. I did try bending the band but was scared of breaking them. The sound thought was just pure amazing.

DT-990's - got them off amazon and sadly the set I got was used, but still gave them audition. I found the Treble to be pleasant and not overly high. The bass was also nice but the Mids/vocals were way to recessed. Also you could tell they were used as they came in a torn box and there was no plastic or twist ties to secure the cable. The pads were not in the best of shape either.

DT-880's. - Got these with high hopes they were nice sounded extremely good. Though the right side click bar seemed to be broken. Adjustments wouldn't stay and there was un natural amount of twist in the cup. The twist was bad enough that you could almost rotate the cup 180 degree's.

I had some bad luck with the DT's and was thinking of giving the 7xx's a shot from massdrop. I have a set of Monoprice Retro's I like a lot and find comfortable. I just worry cause of the reviews about build quality of AKG's products. Then there is the reviews some say they are amazing others say they are crap. I know there 2 year warranty with them. I am guessing massdrop handles warranty repairs there is that.

My idea; budget is 200 bucks.. could maybe go as high as 500, thought I prefer not to go over 200 honestly since this is my first serious set of headphones. Whats the communities thoughts on both topics. I am sorry this is so long winded.

Also I have a schiit stack Magni 3 and Modi 3 which I like very much.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Massdrop/Sennheiser HD58X headphones

 

[serman005]

Maybe read about a ZMF Classic and see what you think. It night work.

 

[megabigeye]

I was just wondering do reviews color our opinions of a certain headphone before we listen. How does it affect your opinion of headphones? I know personally having a really hard time finding a headphone my self for various reasons.

I read reviews and keeping in mind everyone's opinion is just that subjective. I seen reviews that make it sound like one headphone stands above others. Then another review that makes them sound like there the worse headphone to ever exist.

Isn't that what reading reviews is for? To help form an opinion? You're right, though, it is hard sometimes to differentiate between what's hard fact and what's purely subjective. And when you read something that seems like hard fact and then it's refuted, it can really throw a wrench into your understanding of that thing, especially if you don't have direct experience with it. For example, a while ago there was an argument in the DT 1990 thread about whether or not it's sibilant. Some people argued that the 1990 undeniably is sibilant, others argued that it's irrefutably not sibilant, and they just couldn't reconcile with the notion that both could be true because neither is a hard fact. I can't imagine how confusing that would be for a newcomer that hasn't heard the DT 1990 yet. I think the best that could be taken away from that argument is that the DT 1990 have a definite treble peak that some people, but not all, perceive to be sibilant.

Have you read a review ordered a headset or tried one. Then found your opinion shift over time?

Absolutely. First was the first generation FiiO X5 which everybody was praising at the time. I tried for a long time to convince myself that this is what "hi-fi" should sound like, despite the fact that I found the bass to be annoyingly thin and the upper mids to be strangely artificial sounding. I would never have thought this if the opinions I'd read had acknowledged those issues. it took me at least a year to realize that I just didn't like the way it sounded.

My experience with the Oppo PM-3 was similar. All of the impressions I'd read of it were positively glowing with nary a negative thing to say about it. I think the most anybody had to say was that the treble is "slightly laid back" and Tyll Hertsens said it's like inviting a nerd to a party-- they say all the right things, but somehow they're just boring. "Slightly laid back?!" Are you freakin' kidding me? These things are so dark they make the HD 650 look like the blazing surface of the sun! I remember a friend seeing my PM-3 and saying how cool it looked and he was wondering how good it sounds. All I could muster was yeah, they're pretty good, but I was disappointed with myself that I couldn't be more enthusiastic. I actually thought my opinion was wrong because it didn't coincide with others' opinions! It wasn't until later that I started reading other not-so-glowing impressions and eventually I broke down and wrote a pretty negative review on Amazon. I experienced a backlash in my opinion: I went from I expect these to be amazing! to these don't live up to the hype at all and sound like complete #%@#$% @#$%@#$!!
I now kind of regret having written that review on Amazon because, in honesty, my opinion on the PM-3 fluctuates wildly depending on my mood.

I'm pretty sure this is the very embodiment of expectation bias.

PS. Having a hard time finding something. I have had few different headphones and minimal luck. I did have to send a few of the back for QC issues.

HD6xx - Strange popping noise and exceptionally quiet. The clamp was unbearable to the point of causing a jaw ache after 2hrs. I did try bending the band but was scared of breaking them. The sound thought was just pure amazing.

I won't deny that the HD 650 has a strong clamping force. Personally, after they've been on my head for a few minutes I no longer notice them, but I can totally see how it could bother some people. As for the popping noise and being "exceptionally quiet:" it sounds like maybe there's a problem with the set you received. I've owned the HD 650 for nearly ten years and I don't think I've ever experienced anything like that. My pet theory (aka, conspiracy theory) is that the HD 6XX is made from HD 650 components that don't quite meet spec, which would partly explain why Sennheiser is willing to sell them for less than the HD 650 and also why some people hear the two headphones as sounding different. It might also explain why it seems like there's something wrong with your set.

Do you still have them? Can you still return them? If you liked the sound I think you should give them another try. Don't worry too much about breaking them by bending the strap-- the worst that happens is you break the strap completely, but the whole thing is modular and can be replaced. More likely is that it causes small, superficial cracks in the plastic part of the strap and it's not quite as pretty as it once was. This is what happened to mine.

DT-990's - got them off amazon and sadly the set I got was used, but still gave them audition. I found the Treble to be pleasant and not overly high. The bass was also nice but the Mids/vocals were way to recessed. Also you could tell they were used as they came in a torn box and there was no plastic or twist ties to secure the cable. The pads were not in the best of shape either.

DT-880's. - Got these with high hopes they were nice sounded extremely good. Though the right side click bar seemed to be broken. Adjustments wouldn't stay and there was un natural amount of twist in the cup. The twist was bad enough that you could almost rotate the cup 180 degree's.

Wow. That sounds like an incredible string of bad luck. My DT 1990 are built like a tank. I'd also not give up on these, but try getting them from some other reputable source.
You might also try the DT 1990 if you can fit it into your budget. My opinion is that they're much better than the HD 650 in most ways, though the clamp is similar or a bit stronger (though the earcups are round so it fits a bit differently).

Also, did you post about this under some other user name? I remember reading something very similar a while ago. If that was you, you should stick with one user name as I think using more than one can be looked down upon by the mods.

I had some bad luck with the DT's and was thinking of giving the 7xx's a shot from massdrop. I have a set of Monoprice Retro's I like a lot and find comfortable. I just worry cause of the reviews about build quality of AKG's products. Then there is the reviews some say they are amazing others say they are crap. I know there 2 year warranty with them. I am guessing massdrop handles warranty repairs there is that.

My idea; budget is 200 bucks.. could maybe go as high as 500, thought I prefer not to go over 200 honestly since this is my first serious set of headphones. Whats the communities thoughts on both topics. I am sorry this is so long winded.

Also I have a schiit stack Magni 3 and Modi 3 which I like very much.

I've never heard an AKG, so I can't speak authoritatively on them, but I have read that they require quite a bit of power and are amp sensitive, so that might explain why some like them and some don't. Also, opinions differ.

Anyway, I hope this is at least somewhat useful to you. Best of luck!

 

[serman005]

I was just wondering do reviews color our opinions of a certain headphone before we listen. How does it affect your opinion of headphones? I know personally having a really hard time finding a headphone my self for various reasons.

I read reviews and keeping in mind everyone's opinion is just that subjective. I seen reviews that make it sound like one headphone stands above others. Then another review that makes them sound like there the worse headphone to ever exist.

Have you read a review ordered a headset or tried one. Then found your opinion shift over time?

PS. Having a hard time finding something. I have had few different headphones and minimal luck. I did have to send a few of the back for QC issues.

HD6xx - Strange popping noise and exceptionally quiet. The clamp was unbearable to the point of causing a jaw ache after 2hrs. I did try bending the band but was scared of breaking them. The sound thought was just pure amazing.

DT-990's - got them off amazon and sadly the set I got was used, but still gave them audition. I found the Treble to be pleasant and not overly high. The bass was also nice but the Mids/vocals were way to recessed. Also you could tell they were used as they came in a torn box and there was no plastic or twist ties to secure the cable. The pads were not in the best of shape either.

DT-880's. - Got these with high hopes they were nice sounded extremely good. Though the right side click bar seemed to be broken. Adjustments wouldn't stay and there was un natural amount of twist in the cup. The twist was bad enough that you could almost rotate the cup 180 degree's.

I had some bad luck with the DT's and was thinking of giving the 7xx's a shot from massdrop. I have a set of Monoprice Retro's I like a lot and find comfortable. I just worry cause of the reviews about build quality of AKG's products. Then there is the reviews some say they are amazing others say they are crap. I know there 2 year warranty with them. I am guessing massdrop handles warranty repairs there is that.

My idea; budget is 200 bucks.. could maybe go as high as 500, thought I prefer not to go over 200 honestly since this is my first serious set of headphones. Whats the communities thoughts on both topics. I am sorry this is so long winded.

Also I have a schiit stack Magni 3 and Modi 3 which I like very much.

There are all kinds of cognitive bias. One form is momentum bias. This happens as when a metaphorical boulder gets going down a hill. P=MV and the faster it goes, the faster it goes. Pretty soon it is flying. This can happen with headphone/gear reviews. A positive or negative review gets read, the info is spread, and other people begin to take on the results of that review. As more people take on these views, more people take on these views. It is like a giant piece of velcro zipping itself up, Faster and faster and faster. it goes This has happened with IEMs, as with the ZS10, IT01, and more recently, the Kanas Pro. All have been reviewed (mostly) markedly positively relative to their prices, which has led to more positive reviews, which in turn, has sled to more purchases, and more happy purchasing customers (mostly), and now it is really rolling. Everybody wants one. Momentum bias.

Confirmation bias is another issue. In this form of cognitive bias, a person tends to seek, evaluate, and find data and information that confirms one's preconceptions. For example, if one reads a review that suggests the HD650 is super-warm, confirmation bias may lead to the person then later interpreting that headphone as super-warm, whether he or she actually experiences that sonically or not. This can be a big problem, as it means the listener is actually abdicating his or her views to another/others instead of actually relying on his or her own ears. They are merely confirming the experience of others. This leads to a kind of herd mentality. As in vaccinations. the more immunity (or a view of a headphone) is spread, the more it is confirmed by others--either positively or negatively (as in, for example, the case of the Beyer peak) and the more that immunity (or a headphone view) is therefore spread to others.. Confirmation replaces actual, unbiased evaluation and assessment.

These are just two common forms of cognitive bias, both of which are at play on Head-fi big-time There are many more. For now, though, it is probably best to simply be aware that the influence of others can be helpful and, simultaneously, can also color our own views in ways that can sometimes be unhelpful in the long run. In the end, it should be our own ears that make the final judgment.

 

[megabigeye]

Confirmation bias. That's what I meant, not expectation bias.

I'd never heard of momentum bias... I usually call that the hype train-- it builds steam and, uh, momentum until it finally derails itself.

 

[Sunstealer]

I've looked for reviews / reviewers that confirm my own interpretation of the phones that I have. I look at the music they are playing and the sources they use. If I see how they describe the sound as similar to what I hear, that's when I start looking at their other reviews and seeing if I would consider any of the other stuff they mention.

In the end, as has been said elsewhere. it is your own ears that will decide. I spent a long time looking at reviews of the SE535 before plumping for a pair, only to absolutely hate the excessive warmth.

 

[Mhog55]

I've looked for reviews / reviewers that confirm my own interpretation of the phones that I have. I look at the music they are playing and the sources they use. If I see how they describe the sound as similar to what I hear, that's when I start looking at their other reviews and seeing if I would consider any of the other stuff they mention.

In the end, as has been said elsewhere. it is your own ears that will decide. I spent a long time looking at reviews of the SE535 before plumping for a pair, only to absolutely hate the excessive warmth.

Very nice. I do the same.... Now. I've picked the brains of a few members.
There's only one way to form an opinion. Listen for yourself.

 

[boomhaur]

I look reviews for opinions and facts, frequency response charts helps lot, it gives me a very vague idea of what to expect. If I see a chart between the hd58x and hd6xx and look at the bass I know which one should have stronger bass based on the chart. So I look at reviews of what people are saying about both and can form a better picture of what's going on. Reading a review with descriptive words and no chart to back it up I find more iffy as someone like me may call something bass heavy but another person will call it light on bass. So it serves as a fact check to see if the reviewers definition will be vastly different than mine.

This is a current example of what I've done as I was deciding between these two headphones, I just need to order it tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Tragic]

I think a lot of reviews tend to copy previous review opinions.
Once a certain aspect of a product is said to be lacking or awesome, others don't want to be seen not as discerning.
If I couldn't buy them again, I wouldn't trade my RHA CL2's for any earphone you could name but some reviews talk utter trash about them.

 

[castleofargh]

cool! an ad topic for the Sound Science section ^_^.
everything can and will color our opinion. we have no ability to separate our various senses/ideas/desires, so anything non audio can affect what we will later imagine to be related only to sound. I sure would love to be able to isolate things in my mind, but I'm just human and I cannot. that's why experiments require controls, and impressions should be based on controlled listening tests as a way to decide if something matters audibly and only audibly. something even professional reviewers usually refuse or are too ignorant to do, so it's hard to blame consumers when they follow in their steps.

I think a lot of reviews tend to copy previous review opinions.
Once a certain aspect of a product is said to be lacking or awesome, others don't want to be seen not as discerning.
If I couldn't buy them again, I wouldn't trade my RHA CL2's for any earphone you could name but some reviews talk utter trash about them.

this has been true on so many occasions. some famous guy would say something and the 20 following reviews would just regurgitate that statement no matter how mistaken it was. I've even seen this about a review I did myself that just happened to be one of the first on a given product.
and I understand why TBH, when I did reviews, I would try to research the device as much as I could to avoid misguiding people. and that would include reading other reviews. it's really difficult to do a proper review(the reason why I stopped, my desire to do a proper job led me to think I just wasn't qualified ).

 

[G8torbyte]

Massdrop/Sennheiser HD58X headphones

I concur with this. For <$200 the Jubilees are a great price to performance bargain. I'm fairly new trying quality audio gear and keep my purchases less then $500 on headphones. After trying AKGs, Beyerdynamics, Fostex, Hifiman and a few others I keep going back to the HD58X. Nice audio performance to my ears and very comfortable on my head.

 

[AngelPaladin]

One reason I asked this was because, I have noticed it seems like there is the "flavor" of the week when it comes to reviews and equipment. I was reading about amps recently and everyone suggest the atom amp. I wasn't sold because after reading reviews and comparing its build design to others. The fact its got a plastic chassis is kinda unsettling. I mean no amp expert but I do know a fair bit about electronics. A amp is basically a power box so its going to heat up the atom doesn't seem to have any type of heat distribution. People use to praise the Magni as being amazing and awesome value. Then there was also all the subjective reviews I read about sound. A lot of people said BT has a very sharp high end. While its very very bright? I don't find it over powering. I kinda wonder how many people expect it to be sharp and over powering so it is.

Just a bit of a update I ended up getting the Amiron Homes today. I couldn't be happier, these things are amazing. I ended up spending more then I wanted but did get a pretty nice deal on them. I think there the perfect balance for what I wanted. Also there extremely comfortable.

 

[buke9]

One reason I asked this was because, I have noticed it seems like there is the "flavor" of the week when it comes to reviews and equipment. I was reading about amps recently and everyone suggest the atom amp. I wasn't sold because after reading reviews and comparing its build design to others. The fact its got a plastic chassis is kinda unsettling. I mean no amp expert but I do know a fair bit about electronics. A amp is basically a power box so its going to heat up the atom doesn't seem to have any type of heat distribution. People use to praise the Magni as being amazing and awesome value. Then there was also all the subjective reviews I read about sound. A lot of people said BT has a very sharp high end. While its very very bright? I don't find it over powering. I kinda wonder how many people expect it to be sharp and over powering so it is.

Just a bit of a update I ended up getting the Amiron Homes today. I couldn't be happier, these things are amazing. I ended up spending more then I wanted but did get a pretty nice deal on them. I think there the perfect balance for what I wanted. Also there extremely comfortable.

I don’t own a Atom but have not heard of anyone saying that it has become overly hot or the plastic casing is not adequate for it’s thermal dissipation.

 

[Kitechaser]

Reviews color your opinions even after you have already listened. Its the blind leading the blind, most of the "reviewers" especially ones that love graphs, can't hear tonality, can't hear changes in daps, can't hear changes in cables, don't think burn in is a real thing, and they are the ones setting the table for the rest of us.
Yes, reviews color how you view an iem, and what you hear when you listen to it.
And after reading reviews you will also begin to find faults that you did not think were there to begin with.
The power of suggestion is strong, and most people are unaware they are being affected.