Either my ears are broken ~ Or this is all just a joke

[SoSpecial]

Lies and outlandish claims with no basis in reality in Audio? Never happens I don't know what you're talking about sir. I'm gonna go spend $20,000 on a cable cause some sales men told me it was the "best."

 

[Katun]

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The point being that you don't need to be a rocket scientist to pick up a porta pro and like it then pick up an HD800 and really not think it was a huge improvement if you understand their is no "Better" there is no progression, their is no standard of excellence. There is no objective truth that trumps all things when it comes to headphones their are only shades of Blue, Green, and red and the Harmonics they employ to bring enjoyment and it's version of Musical Nirvana to the ears and hearts of the audiophiles who endlessly chase this dragon yet will never catch it.

 
Excellently put!
 
I will agree, I haven't found the word "better" to really describe headphones and their sounds, because there really isn't such a thing. I will admit that headphones can improve upon one another, but it's terribly hard to say that when headphones have their own unique sound -- so I cannot say the super bright DT990 is better than the dark and creamy HD650, because it's not. Yet, I prefer the "dark and creamy" of the HD650 over the super bright DT880, because that is my preference. And that is what this hobby is all about, is finding your preferred sound and then try to experiment around the ball park. Generally, I would say improvement is real, but the margin of improvement seems to decrease the more and more you pay. Then yet again, it's all about preference, preference, and preference.
 
"I like red, you like blue, but neither is superior"

 

[SoSpecial]

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The point being that you don't need to be a rocket scientist to pick up a porta pro and like it then pick up an HD800 and really not think it was a huge improvement if you understand their is no "Better" there is no progression, their is no standard of excellence. There is no objective truth that trumps all things when it comes to headphones their are only shades of Blue, Green, and red and the Harmonics they employ to bring enjoyment and it's version of Musical Nirvana to the ears and hearts of the audiophiles who endlessly chase this dragon yet will never catch it.

 
Excellently put!
 
I will agree, I haven't found the word "better" to really describe headphones and their sounds, because there really isn't such a thing. I will admit that headphones can improve upon one another, but it's terribly hard to say that when headphones have their own unique sound -- so I cannot say the super bright DT990 is better than the dark and creamy HD650, because it's not. Yet, I prefer the "dark and creamy" of the HD650 over the super bright DT880, because that is my preference. And that is what this hobby is all about, is finding your preferred sound and then try to experiment around the ball park. Generally, I would say improvement is real, but the margin of improvement seems to decrease the more and more you pay. Then yet again, it's all about preference, preference, and preference.
 
"I like red, you like blue, but neither is superior"

There will always be Diminishing returns audio is pretty bad about it I must say. But yeah I feel everyone has a "Perfect" headphone or I think every genre has a perfect headphone depending on the person. Not everyone likes Grado's for rock( Bass being one of the main reason) but many people do, it doesn't mean they are the Perfect rock sound signature and their is no discussion. Personally I like Ultrsasones over Grado's for rock cause of their bass.
 
I'm also very Purple, in the fact I really like Clear sparkly highs and Nice impactfull bass.

 

[NapalmK]

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Mainly the last sentence.

Alright, let's see if I can clear that up a bit.
 
I mainly said two different things in that sentence. First I said that improvement isn't that good when using an amp over just an MP3 or CD player. There is a bit, but it's not like I HAVE to get an amp for this or that headphone. And then the second thing I mentioned that was a bit confusing, is "switching" and "upgrading" headphones isn't that much of an improvement either. For instance, the AD700 and the DT880 sound different, and the DT880 has the edge, but even when using completely different headphones, it's not like you are going to hear extreme improvement or new things in your music. The D2000 and the HD650 sound incredibly similar, with the HD650 being a bit more smooth and balanced, and the D2000 having a bit more bass and treble. But bottom line, they sound very close to each other (with my preference still on the D2000).
 
Yes, I know each headphone has it's own unique sound, and I realize that, as I have experienced many, but every headphone's sound is going to sound relatively the same because they all have one purpose -- to project the music you put through it. No, the Grado SR80i doesn't sound like my XB500, but they still both will play the same music -- just in their own unique way.
 
Bottom line, I thought the HD650, DT880, D2000, K701, etc. would be the "top of the top" and be a ginormous improvement to my PortaPros or whatever budget headphone I'm using. But unfortunately, there was never a HUGE improvement in my entire headphone career -- just good ones.

Thank you that clears things up pretty well. I guess the difference is I've had several "Wow" moments in my journey although it could be argued they were small. For instance the SA5000s were incredibly fast and handled the most complex passages with ease, however, the tonality and treble didn't mesh well with me at all but dang they are jaw-droppingly quick. I've had similar moments with most of the cans I've tried: the D2000s incredibly flat bass response, the AD2000s incredible representation of vocals and bass definition, the K701s massive soundstage and detail, the modded T50RPs liquid mids, the HD650s inoffensive treble, and RS1s (and HD650s) tone but nothing was really perfect for me. Finding all of these traits in a single can is extremely hard to do and nothing I'd heard came close so I decided despite my financial condition that an upgrade to the LCD2s would be "worth it".
 
In some ways it comes down to driver proficiency. IME the D2000 driver is not capable of becoming as good as the HD650 which I think is more technically capable but once we get into these higher ranges it does become splitting hairs. To put it in the words of the legendary Patrick82, "Everything in audio is subtle and not worth it." To some the extra performance is a world of difference and to some it's almost insignificant. It really boils down to what you define as good and what you think is justified price to performance wise.
 
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  Some people want to pay $1,000 for some headphones using outdated,
abandoned technology made by two guys,
one of whom isn't even an engineer. 
But hey, the cans are made of rosewood. 
 
Which, as an acoustic guitar player, I can tell you that affects the sound in a number of uncontrollable ways.
Which then leads me to believe their spec paper is nothing but a big fat lie.   
But that's a digression for another time.

Just curious and sorry for the OT but have you heard the LCD-2s?

 

[wind016]

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everyone has a "Perfect" headphone

SoSpecial, you are such a romantic... 

 

[SoSpecial]

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everyone has a "Perfect" headphone

SoSpecial, you are such a romantic... 

I muse to my FOTM, I can't help it.

 

[buffalowings]

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everyone has a "Perfect" headphone

SoSpecial, you are such a romantic... 

I muse to my FOTM, I can't help it.

uncle erik is going to become a rapper with his debut album, and sospecial will become a author of the next new york times best seller

 

[Catharsis]

I really like this thread, and I'm in the "splitting hairs group".  Visiting head-fi always makes me re-think my setup, and makes me wonder if the SA5000 is SO much better than the DT880 (because it's twice the price), and that my E5 doesn't sound near as good as my HP4 or the LDMKIII, and that my "phono jack" on my portable CD player totally sucks.  MP3s are inferior to CD etc etc.
 
Then I go downstairs to my listening station, fart around with different albums in different digital formats, using different headphones and amps and come to the conclusion that I really am "splitting hairs".  Digital is a new age, modern electronics and audio science has reached a plateau, and good equipment is simply that.