[keanex]

I think the Audio Technica Ad2000 should be considered since they are open and sound different in comparison to their closed counterparts.

 

[kiertijai]

How's about the Rudistor : Chroma MD1  ,  this is another great headphone  may be very close to the AKG K1000      and
Where is the Fostex t50P that has been modified to Smeggy Thunderpants which several consider this to be one of
the great closed headphone

 

[Prog Rock Man]

 
Quote:

Thanks, I appreciate all the suggestions. I think that for the purposes of this list, separating the full-size headphones into subcategories would be counterproductive to compiling a list of flagships by manufacturer.
 
We could go open, closed, circumaural, supra-aural, studio monitors, DJ, portable, etc. but as far as flagships go my criteria was to just show a representative sampling of each manufacturer's "top of the line" in totality rather than in each sub-category.
 
In the case of AKG, I think that many are awaiting a new flagship and the consensus seems to be that while the K701/2 scale up quite nicely, they are not in the same class as the K1000. There is considerable speculation as to whether or not Harmon is even willing to come out with a flagship replacement under the AKG brand. So the consensus seems to be that they are without a current flagship.
 
In the case of Beyerdynamic, the DT48 may be their best current studio monitor, but not their best headphone from what I have read so it's not their flagship.
 
I didn't even like separating IEMs into universal and customs, but in the case of many customs makers that make both I didn't see any way around it.
 
I think that we may still be missing a few manufacturers though, for example in custom IEMs the Starkey Tunz line looks like it needs some research, along with the Livewires offerings. Another example could be certain audio equipment manufacturers that have left the market but at one time had a legitimate flagship headphone in the marketplace, like Yamaha(?), or perhaps a company that is not even in existence anymore.
 
Anyways these are my thoughts. If you guys think it's worth expanding into something more I could try to accommodate that but I have some worries that it could get a bit messy or contentious.
 
Conversely, I am also open to turning the OP into a wiki and let everybody contribute, so  if you think this worth pursuing please continue to let me know your thoughts.

FWIW, I disagree. Fact is the K702/1 is top of the present AKG range and with the exception of the K1000 the AKG range has always topped out at much cheaper prices than other headphone makers.

 

[Sophonax]

What about the W1000X?  It doesn't seem that Audio Technica intended this to be their current flagship, but a lot of people seem to express a preference for the W1000X over the W5000.
 
Also, do you want to separate Alessandro from Grado?  If so, then the MS-Pro would be Alessandro's flagship.
 
And what about mod operations, such as Lawton Audio, Symphones, or Headphile?  Do they count?

 

[joelpearce]

Quote:

Where is the Fostex t50P that has been modified to Smeggy Thunderpants which several consider this to be one of
the great closed headphone

While I'm a big fan of the T50RP, as most already know, they are NOT a flagship headphone, and have never been designed to be one.  They are a reasonably priced audio tool.  If Fostex wanted to adapt that driver and create their own flagship ortho, it would probably be very big news around here, but they've never expressed any real interest in courting audiophiles.

 

[dalethorn]

If I were reading this when it's all done, I think I would get a lot more out of it if it were broken into at least 3 sections:

1) Flagship headphone as determined by mfr., or by mfr's top priced item.
2) Best all-around headphone per mfr. according to user poll.
3) Special mentions: Controversial items, mods, etc.

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

How's about the Rudistor : Chroma MD1  , 

The MD1 should for sure be added.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

While I'm a big fan of the T50RP, as most already know, they are NOT a flagship headphone, and have never been designed to be one.  They are a reasonably priced audio tool.  If Fostex wanted to adapt that driver and create their own flagship ortho, it would probably be very big news around here, but they've never expressed any real interest in courting audiophiles.

Well they are Foxtex's most expensive headphone so isn't it a flagship regardless of how its price compares to other manufacturer's prices?
 
Normally we probably wouldn't want to include "cheap" headphones in this sort of thing (e.g. who cares what Wesc's flagship is?) the the T50RPs mod potential sets it apart.
 
Also, Yamaha's old ortho flagship was the YH-1000.

 

[atothex]

This the list has gotten too fat already. It's now a list of personal favorites from people who probably haven't heard the real flagships at their best.
 
Also, what's with the inclusion of IEMs from companies who don't specialize in them? You can pretty much tell by the list price that Grado/AT/Sony/Senn don't consider their IEMs to be flagships. I'm also thinking maybe excluding the HD800. That one is kinda iffy, because a lot of people consider it one of the best ever made, but at the same time, it's no HE90.

 

[joelpearce]

Quote:

This the list has gotten too fat already. It's now a list of personal favorites from people who probably haven't heard the real flagships at their best.
 

I completely agree, and I don't think I've even heard any true flagships.  The flagships are the headphones that companies use to create a brand image among truly loyal and dedicated customers--the ones that they create not to be enjoyed by everyone but rather to show off the heights of what they can accomplish when cost and market practicality are no object.
 
From a marketing standpoint, I'm not sure that the only headphone line a company makes can be a true flagship, nor is the top of every headphone line.  The Sony XB-1000 isn't a flagship, nor is the Z1000.  They are the top of their line.  The Qualia and R10, made as true statement products in small numbers, are the true Sony Flagships.
 
The HD800 and T1 have been positioned as flagships in the market, but the T50RP is a product for mass professional consumption, as is the K701/702.
 

 

[dalethorn]

And so an HE90 Sennheiser would be a flagship of what? Something nobody buys or cares about? You should do a reality check of some kind. The HD-800 has been the actual leading product of that company for some time, in practically every way you measure except price. Unless this list is purely an academic exercise with little or no practical value.

 

[joelpearce]

Quote:

And so an HE90 Sennheiser would be a flagship of what? Something nobody buys or cares about? You should do a reality check of some kind. The HD-800 has been the actual leading product of that company for some time, in practically every way you measure except price. Unless this list is purely an academic exercise with little or no practical value.

 
If that's aimed at me, I said that the HD800 and T1 HAVE been positioned as flagships in the market, because they are targeted at the high-end audiophile market and have been presented as such.

 

[dalethorn]

 
If that's aimed at me, I said that the HD800 and T1 HAVE been positioned as flagships in the market, because they are targeted at the high-end audiophile market and have been presented as such.

Glad you replied. More than anything, I was curious about the current list, whether it would be some academic exercise, a mfr. puff sheet, or something useful to me (average headphone user).

 

[grokit]

Okay, I added the Yamaha, the Alessandro, and the Rudistor.
 
Remember this is just suppose to be representative of a company's flagships, not all-encompassing. The DT48 has been considered but rejected for similar reasons as the TR50p/Thunderpants, as they aren't really positioned as flagships, and to hear them at their best you need to mod them, or have the right pads, etc., and even then it's still debatable.
 
Audio-Technica has too many flagships lol. The W1000X is super nice but do you guys think I should remove another one to put it on? Even though the W5K is somewhat polarizing it is clearly a flagship...
 
Also I have included IEMs from certain manufacturers that are trying to make the best, like the IE8, GR10 or CK100, but I didn't include say, the Denon IEMs as they don't really seem to be trying to position their IEMs as TOTL. What do you guys think, should I include a model of IEMs from Denon?

 

[grokit]

 
Quote:

If I were reading this when it's all done, I think I would get a lot more out of it if it were broken into at least 3 sections:

1) Flagship headphone as determined by mfr., or by mfr's top priced item.
2) Best all-around headphone per mfr. according to user poll.
3) Special mentions: Controversial items, mods, etc.

 
That's really not such a bad idea, but perhaps more appropriate if the OP has a "wiki baby". I'm definitely not ruling it out, as well as possibly letting this thread give birth to another. I will work on it when I get a chance though, just not sure if I would post the results here, in the OP, or in a whole new thread. Perhaps a secondary list of "alternates" even, who knows.
 
I'm off to do my radio show now, but I really do appreciate all of the great suggestions, keep 'em coming!