[Jahn]

Oops just read this list of mine and i forgot to add the Ety ER4p.

Edit - nm it's there i'm going crazy.

 

[ipodstudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda Actually, I think this is where the problem starts... Edit: So far, I', shocked that 14 out of 31 people voted that they would recommend a headphone they have never heard before. No wonder there are so many flavours of the month. Great thread.

Hey, you could be right but I don't think so. I didn't vote yet but I don't think I've ever recommended any piece of audio equipment that I haven't heard. I'm sure I've told friends to have a closer look at a certain car that I've yet to drive, though. Why? I'd heard alot of great things about the car but not had chance yet to drive one personally. No harm was done, believe me....

 

[saint.panda]

.

 

[KR...]

NO!

Every headphone and amp that I talk about here I have actually heard with my own two ears.

 

[Regus]

I often recomend things that i have never tried including headphones, but i always point those to whom i recommend it to sources such as head-fi.org for better intel, but people are not always willing to spend the time to do the research...

And i do think they are better off with a summary of what i have read than choosing at random...

I would, however, never recomend something in a forum where they could get better intel from other people around...

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

I won't specifically say, "Use can X" if I've never heard it, but if I give a list of several suggestions I might toss out some I've not heard.

 

[nismo96]

I have in the past recommended headphones that I haven't heard to other Head-Fiers, with the caveat that I am ony relaying information that I've heard or read. I now believe after reading the responses in this thread that the practice is less than perfect. From now on I'll only be recommending or commenting on Headphones that I've actually used.

 

[superjohnny]

I've never heard the Sennheiser HD580's, but there has been a lot of talk around here that they sound the same or virtually the same as the HD600's which I have heard. If a bunch of experienced audiophiles say they sound the same is it so wrong to suggest them? The pole says ever so I guess I'm guilty.

It brings up an interesting point though... if one respected member says it sounds better than headphone X and someone else suggests it over X does that mean people prefer it 2 to 1?

 

[Nak Man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earwax I have no problem with people saying " Grados are often recommended for rock" but it really bothers me to see someone say "Buy Grado 225s! " when you know they've never heard them. I try to be very clear about what I'm recommending based on 1st hand vs. what I'm mentioning based on reading (shortlist information, as 1up said)

Ditto. Btw, the reverse is also true - kind of amusing to see so many bashing with no real experience with the product.

 

[boodi]

..without arguing very much I never/ wouldn't reccomand something i haven't experience on ..
why should I..?

 

[Bill Ward]

I won't recommend any equipment with which I have no experience. How could I?

BW

 

[Mikey01]

No. If I did my nose would grow too long.

 

[boodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Ward I won't recommend any equipment with which I have no experience. How could I? BW

I don't even understand ( really ) why should someone reccomand one thing he didn't experience

I always trusted when reading someone reccomanding something that this someone had direct experience on.. how else could it be reasonable ..one reccomanding a thing which he've read on .. why ?

I assume everyone, at least an high percentage of people, have eyes and is able to read about direct experience here ..

 

[rsaavedra]

Yes, friend of mine at work had heard my SR-60's and knew I liked audio and headphones a lot. He asked me for suggestions for headphones to use in the office. After checking what he cared most about (good sound and quality, portability, inexpensive) and also checking the recommendations here, I recommended the Senn's PX100, even though I had never heard them. He got them and has been completely happy with them.

 

[Wmcmanus]

I voted "yes" only because I find it nearly impossible to address some questions asked on these forums without in one way, shape, or form talking about a product that I'm not directly familiar with. Yet, to not reply to such questions would be to pass up an opportunity to be helpful based on what I do know about.

Example: Is the PS-1 Grado's best headphone? My answer could have all sorts of qualifications, but from my experience, yes. I've owned only the HP-2 and PS-1, have heard the RS-1 (for sure, several times), the RS-2 and MS-1 (I think), SR-80, SR-60, and quite a few others. But do I really know these other phones in the Grado lineup? What about the SR-200, or the 225 or 325? I may have heard them at meets I've attended but cannot remember for sure. Even if I did hear them briefly, do I really know anything about them? Not really, but based on reading all sorts of Grado threads at head-fi for 2 years, I can be pretty confident that the field of contenders is pretty well narrowed to the Grado products that I know well. Ah!!! But are there differences between the HP-1 (which I don't know very well) and HP-2 (which I do know well) that could impact my direct answer that, yes, the PS-1 is Grado's best overall headphone?

Another example: Is the SR-71 the best portable amp for $400 or less? Yes, followed by all sorts of explanation based on my experience with the SR-71 and other amps I know well, then all of the qualifications about what I don't know, but the answer is yes. There are many such threads. To not answer based on what you do know based on considerable experience because you do not (and cannot) know about all of the other possibilities would be folly.

I could go on and on, but I've probably bored everyone already, and this is my point! If everytime we reply to a thread we have to provide a headphone resume, complete with footnote explanations providing the dates, times, locations, and systems in which we have heard product X or Y, the forums would quickly turn into a complete mess! Of course nobody is suggesting this. I'm simply exaggerating to make a point.

The simple rule I follow is this: if I can honestly give advice, especially to newbies, based on my experience, then I do so to be helpful. As often as possible, I will qualify my statements carefully, but not ad nausuem to the point that they lose their impact by obscuring the message that I intended to send initially.

But if you asked me if I like the R10's better than the Qualia 010, I could not answer because I've never heard the Qualia 010. I know that jpelg doesn't like them, but then again, what does he know?

(Sorry, Jimmy, I couldn't resist).