[Shotor102]

Quote:

Hey Shotor, are you sure you tested legit ones? Maybe you purchased them on ebay and they were fake ones with good drivers
 
That could explain why they sounded good ^^

I never purchased them. I've auditioned them in many venues and phone-bars for extensive amounts of time with my personal portable set up, and DJ setup.  So yes, they were legit Pros.
 
My analogy is that the Pros for portable bass-heavy headphone are like the Mustangs for the Ford lineup.  Very expensive, definitely isn't worth the asking price since there are other options at similar price range or even cheaper that fair better on the whole.  And let's face it, the Highest end Mustang isn't worth 65K which is what is sold for, and neither the pros for $450. But, for 37K or $200 it's a very good buy.  Because, for those who are looking for a Mustang, nothing will replace it. Even though that we all know that Camrys, Accords, Mazda 6's and even Kia Optras' highest end models cost a whole lot less and are far more efficient as a vehicle in general as a whole (smoother ride, more comfortable, can fit more people, better on gas.. less noisy ride.. etc...) 
 
That said again, for $450.. too much for pros.  However, for $200 - $250, I really didn't see that many cans out there that are as versatile, durable, and providing a fairly good sound spectrum for heavy bass oriented headphones that require no amping to sound ideal (which is a very important key factor people forget)  I heard many comparos, namely Sony's XB lineup. And the closest would be 500's which do a commendable job.. but let's face it, they're not up to par.  The 700s and 1000's Yes, probably as good in terms of sound, but again, not ideal without amping, which again, makes them not so ideal for portable use.   For $200-$250 I really find them hard to beat.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[phamkl]

I also was opened to the idea of 100+ dollar headphones because of Beats. I thought they were going to be great, and was going to gift them, but I gave them a listen first - the thing I noticed right away was that after about 30 seconds of "hearing what you're missing out on" of anything other than Black Eyed Peas, it would switch immediately back. That didn't do for me so I kept repeating "rock" and really didn't like either the Solo's (terrible in near all respects) or the Studios. After looking for better sound, I start researching Shure because I had used a lot of Shure equipment in a research project and sure enough, I landed myself SRH440's. 
 
I suppose this is calling myself out but I wore them out a little bit today and couldn't really stand it. The cable is nice and long for studio use (helps me get around my room without having to take off my headphones or use my portable audio) but it gets in the way of everything when I'm out walking around, and the darn things are big and clunky and unsexy. I wouldn't mind the weight and the looks but the cable was just so irritating for portable use. 

 

[LizardKing1]

Quote:

I never purchased them. I've auditioned them in many venues and phone-bars for extensive amounts of time with my personal portable set up, and DJ setup.  So yes, they were legit Pros.
 
My analogy is that the Pros for portable bass-heavy headphone are like the Mustangs for the Ford lineup.  Very expensive, definitely isn't worth the asking price since there are other options at similar price range or even cheaper that fair better on the whole.  And let's face it, the Highest end Mustang isn't worth 65K which is what is sold for, and neither the pros for $450. But, for 37K or $200 it's a very good buy.  Because, for those who are looking for a Mustang, nothing will replace it. Even though that we all know that Camrys, Accords, Mazda 6's and even Kia Optras' highest end models cost a whole lot less and are far more efficient as a vehicle in general as a whole (smoother ride, more comfortable, can fit more people, better on gas.. less noisy ride.. etc...) 
 
That said again, for $450.. too much for pros.  However, for $200 - $250, I really didn't see that many cans out there that are as versatile, durable, and providing a fairly good sound spectrum for heavy bass oriented headphones that require no amping to sound ideal (which is a very important key factor people forget)  I heard many comparos, namely Sony's XB lineup. And the closest would be 500's which do a commendable job.. but let's face it, they're not up to par.  The 700s and 1000's Yes, probably as good in terms of sound, but again, not ideal without amping, which again, makes them not so ideal for portable use.   For $200-$250 I really find them hard to beat.

I don't mean to throw down your assertment of how much they're worth, but as you might have noticed many people here don't agree with the 'reasonable' 200$ tag. The reason for that is that there are things out there for 200$ that would melt the Beats Pro. The Creative Aurvana Live cost 99.99$ on Amazon, and you can usually get them cheaper. They sound like with Pros, but with sub-bass and more detailed overall sound. They weigh a fraction of what the Pros weigh (in fact they're very lightweight headphones, with only 200g), granted this is because the Pros are made of metal and are more sturdy.
 
I just mean, I would never pay 200$ for them because I know for 100$ I can get something arguably better. 

 

[CC Lemon]

Quote:

I never purchased them. I've auditioned them in many venues and phone-bars for extensive amounts of time with my personal portable set up, and DJ setup.  So yes, they were legit Pros.
 
My analogy is that the Pros for portable bass-heavy headphone are like the Mustangs for the Ford lineup.  Very expensive, definitely isn't worth the asking price since there are other options at similar price range or even cheaper that fair better on the whole.  And let's face it, the Highest end Mustang isn't worth 65K which is what is sold for, and neither the pros for $450. But, for 37K or $200 it's a very good buy.  Because, for those who are looking for a Mustang, nothing will replace it. Even though that we all know that Camrys, Accords, Mazda 6's and even Kia Optras' highest end models cost a whole lot less and are far more efficient as a vehicle in general as a whole (smoother ride, more comfortable, can fit more people, better on gas.. less noisy ride.. etc...) 
 
That said again, for $450.. too much for pros.  However, for $200 - $250, I really didn't see that many cans out there that are as versatile, durable, and providing a fairly good sound spectrum for heavy bass oriented headphones that require no amping to sound ideal (which is a very important key factor people forget)  I heard many comparos, namely Sony's XB lineup. And the closest would be 500's which do a commendable job.. but let's face it, they're not up to par.  The 700s and 1000's Yes, probably as good in terms of sound, but again, not ideal without amping, which again, makes them not so ideal for portable use.   For $200-$250 I really find them hard to beat.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Terrible analogy. So much so, that I'm going to do a mini-rant on it. Your comparison of the mustang to other cars is not even fair because they are built for completely different purposes and the cars you chose to compare it to will not come even remotely close to doing what the mustang is designed to do. The lower end mustangs are pretty much bang for your buck. They offer good performance for the money you pay. In fact, they are probably one of the best values for a performance car. I can assume the discussion about headphones is focused on the performance (sound quality) as well. If that is the case, I'd say the pros should be listed at $100 or less to really fit the "mustang" analogy at all. Even then, I'd question it. The GT mustang has been compared to cars around twice the price in terms of performance. I'm sure some people have done the same with the pros, but I think we can agree that they are not a $300-400 headphone. The higher end Mustangs perform even better. Compared to the V6 or GT, I'd say it's not quite as good of a value for your dollar, but it's still pretty good. I'd still say the high end mustangs are worth their asking price because they definitely perform the way they are designed and advertised to perform. Unless you're talking about used and modified cars, I'd like you to show me how many cars offer similar performance specs as the high end mustangs for a similar or lesser price.
 
I'd say the pros are more like the camry. It's popular and a lot of people buy it. Enthusiasts will call it boring. Uninspiring. Dull. People that really like their camry wont care about the enthusiasts opinion because they either bought it for a different purpose (looks, comfort, recognition, convenience) or they pretend to care about performance when they know little about it. Let's face it, you don't buy a camry for performance. Maybe the camry suits your needs, but your needs are different from the majority of the (performance) population.
 
My point: The pros don't perform notably beyond their price. Some may argue they perform appropriately, close to, or slightly more than their price but it's far from an amazing value. Some people may prefer them, and that's fine. Most people here will be mostly focused on the performance of the headphones. In that regard, most would agree that they fall short of their price range. They might look good, get recognition and they might be durable (I don't really know how durable they are, honestly), but those are things many of us are willing to overlook in the search for performance. 

 

[sexiewasd]

Quote:

 
I'd say the pros are more like the camry. It's popular and a lot of people buy it. Enthusiasts will call it boring. Uninspiring. Dull. People that really like their camry wont care about the enthusiasts opinion because they either bought it for a different purpose (looks, comfort, recognition, convenience) or they pretend to care about performance when they know little about it. Let's face it, you don't buy a camry for performance. Maybe the camry suits your needs, but your needs are different from the majority of the (performance) population.

and then their are the people that know that the strongest 4-cyl block and crank you can get comes from the 4 gen camry's 5sfe and conveniently Yamaha's world rally championship winning cylinder head from the 3sgte cellica GT-four bolts right on. enter the world of the 5sgte.
 
guess what engine powered these cars?
 

 

 
Thats right, Toyota's S series engine.
 
The v-6 has some potential too, but not quite as much.

 
The camry was a bad choice for analogy.
 

 

[gaspir324]

 
Quote:

 
That said again, for $450.. too much for pros.  However, for $200 - $250, I really didn't see that many cans out there that are as versatile, durable, and providing a fairly good sound spectrum for heavy bass oriented headphones that require no amping to sound ideal (which is a very important key factor people forget)  I heard many comparos, namely Sony's XB lineup. And the closest would be 500's which do a commendable job.. but let's face it, they're not up to par.  The 700s and 1000's Yes, probably as good in terms of sound, but again, not ideal without amping, which again, makes them not so ideal for portable use.   For $200-$250 I really find them hard to beat.
 
 
 

Dude, the XB500 is the most portable of the lineup (XB300 lack the bass the rest have). The 1000 is just too huge to wear outdoors. And ZO won't make any difference in the setup as it is so small, or FiiO's E5.
 

 

[hipjazzop]

I'm pretty sure nobody who has ever bought a Camry cared about performance, recognition or looks. 
 

 
You meant the Camaro, right?
 

Quote:

Terrible analogy. So much so, that I'm going to do a mini-rant on it. Your comparison of the mustang to other cars is not even fair because they are built for completely different purposes and the cars you chose to compare it to will not come even remotely close to doing what the mustang is designed to do. The lower end mustangs are pretty much bang for your buck. They offer good performance for the money you pay. In fact, they are probably one of the best values for a performance car. I can assume the discussion about headphones is focused on the performance (sound quality) as well. If that is the case, I'd say the pros should be listed at $100 or less to really fit the "mustang" analogy at all. Even then, I'd question it. The GT mustang has been compared to cars around twice the price in terms of performance. I'm sure some people have done the same with the pros, but I think we can agree that they are not a $300-400 headphone. The higher end Mustangs perform even better. Compared to the V6 or GT, I'd say it's not quite as good of a value for your dollar, but it's still pretty good. I'd still say the high end mustangs are worth their asking price because they definitely perform the way they are designed and advertised to perform. Unless you're talking about used and modified cars, I'd like you to show me how many cars offer similar performance specs as the high end mustangs for a similar or lesser price.
 
I'd say the pros are more like the camry. It's popular and a lot of people buy it. Enthusiasts will call it boring. Uninspiring. Dull. People that really like their camry wont care about the enthusiasts opinion because they either bought it for a different purpose (looks, comfort, recognition, convenience) or they pretend to care about performance when they know little about it. Let's face it, you don't buy a camry for performance. Maybe the camry suits your needs, but your needs are different from the majority of the (performance) population.
 
My point: The pros don't perform notably beyond their price. Some may argue they perform appropriately, close to, or slightly more than their price but it's far from an amazing value. Some people may prefer them, and that's fine. Most people here will be mostly focused on the performance of the headphones. In that regard, most would agree that they fall short of their price range. They might look good, get recognition and they might be durable (I don't really know how durable they are, honestly), but those are things many of us are willing to overlook in the search for performance. 

 

 

[Hoagie]

Has anyone noticed the the Sony XB500 and 700 don't seem to be available anywhere.  Their price seems to have gone up.  I don't know if I will like something this bass heavy, but as a stated above it might be fun in small doses.

 

[sneaglebob]

I bought beats studio, before i got them stolen, deep down i felt like i got ripped off, although i did like them.

 

[con100]

I was talking to someone in a Xbox Live party and he said Beats were "phenomenal" and the best headphones you could buy. LOL. I have a capture card so I decided to record the stuff he had to say after that. Not sure if I should upload it to share it with you guys lol.

 

[Cakensaur]

My sixth form used to be filled with Beats, and Bose and the likes of. a lot of people questioned my strange choice in headphones (some M-50's before i sold them) and i let the headphones sell themselves.
to date i've converted about 10 people. including ONE to Denon ah-d2ks 

 pretty proud of that to be honest.
i will admit to convert i used a process of: let them try my 'phones > argue. it worked a fair bit of the time 

 

[Shotor102]

Quote:

I don't mean to throw down your assertment of how much they're worth, but as you might have noticed many people here don't agree with the 'reasonable' 200$ tag. The reason for that is that there are things out there for 200$ that would melt the Beats Pro. The Creative Aurvana Live cost 99.99$ on Amazon, and you can usually get them cheaper. They sound like with Pros, but with sub-bass and more detailed overall sound. They weigh a fraction of what the Pros weigh (in fact they're very lightweight headphones, with only 200g), granted this is because the Pros are made of metal and are more sturdy.
 
I just mean, I would never pay 200$ for them because I know for 100$ I can get something arguably better. 

As I did already mentioned this here before, I really can't see many headfiers agree on Pros with the $200 - $250 as 'reasonable'.. Simply because, well, this is headfi.
As for the CAL's, I haven't actually heard them. However, their specs for FR reads as 10HZ-30KHZ.. which doesn't seem all that low while the likes of XB500/700 go as low as 3/5hz-28KHZ..
So as pros being compared most notably to the XB700 with slightly more refined sound, I can't see the CALs outperform the pros, XB500's or 700 in terms of bass. As I said before, the closest I've seen to Pros in terms of designed sound signature are the 500's/700's, in both sound and portability use... well, more notably the 500's. 
 
Further, please don't disregard the points I've made in regards to construction, durability and usage.  Again, if you'd compare usage and design of Pros to CALs... Well.. I've read consumers stating of DJing with Cals.. but I really can't see... It seems that they have rotatable earcups.. so that should help with the monitoring or DJing.. but their construction doesn't seem all that durable. Y shaped cable with very thin wires (non detachable)...  We both know that those could snap very easily  ..  So for me.. personally not worth $100.00
Soundwise probably yes, but construction.. no..  
 
I have no doubt that CALs probably produce a more detailed or perhaps clear sound and resolution than Pros.. and of course for $99.00 it's a tough headphone to beat. But If I were to go and look for that Bass-Heavy sound signature (as opposed to good Bass-Response), I wouldn't really consider the CALs.   But that's just me. 
 
Also, some people may never pay $200 - $250 for pros, while some will. Likewise, some people will spend $100 for the CALs while other will only do so when they go down to $60 or so.. (which has happened) ..  
 
But since I haven't actually heard CAL.. I wonder if someone who had and can compare them to XB500 or 700's
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Shotor102]

Quote:

Terrible analogy. So much so, that I'm going to do a mini-rant on it. Your comparison of the mustang to other cars is not even fair because they are built for completely different purposes and the cars you chose to compare it to will not come even remotely close to doing what the mustang is designed to do. The lower end mustangs are pretty much bang for your buck. They offer good performance for the money you pay. In fact, they are probably one of the best values for a performance car. I can assume the discussion about headphones is focused on the performance (sound quality) as well. If that is the case, I'd say the pros should be listed at $100 or less to really fit the "mustang" analogy at all. Even then, I'd question it. The GT mustang has been compared to cars around twice the price in terms of performance. I'm sure some people have done the same with the pros, but I think we can agree that they are not a $300-400 headphone. The higher end Mustangs perform even better. Compared to the V6 or GT, I'd say it's not quite as good of a value for your dollar, but it's still pretty good. I'd still say the high end mustangs are worth their asking price because they definitely perform the way they are designed and advertised to perform. Unless you're talking about used and modified cars, I'd like you to show me how many cars offer similar performance specs as the high end mustangs for a similar or lesser price.
 
I'd say the pros are more like the camry. It's popular and a lot of people buy it. Enthusiasts will call it boring. Uninspiring. Dull. People that really like their camry wont care about the enthusiasts opinion because they either bought it for a different purpose (looks, comfort, recognition, convenience) or they pretend to care about performance when they know little about it. Let's face it, you don't buy a camry for performance. Maybe the camry suits your needs, but your needs are different from the majority of the (performance) population.
 
My point: The pros don't perform notably beyond their price. Some may argue they perform appropriately, close to, or slightly more than their price but it's far from an amazing value. Some people may prefer them, and that's fine. Most people here will be mostly focused on the performance of the headphones. In that regard, most would agree that they fall short of their price range. They might look good, get recognition and they might be durable (I don't really know how durable they are, honestly), but those are things many of us are willing to overlook in the search for performance. 

I think you've misunderstood my analogy and what I was saying.  The specific reason I was comparing the likes of Sedans to a Mustang because this is what I see quite often on this thread. For example discussing the Pros, and my argument that at $200 is a fair pricing while $450 is way too much. And again, with consideration to what Pros are meant to do (let the marketing of 'hearing all the sound' set aside for now), Portable Powerhouse Bass-Heavy oriented headphones that could utilized for Djing as-well, built like a tank, detachable cable system (+Daisy chain mechanism) and all while providing a fairly decent/good sound for Bass-Heavy headphones.  Those headphones clearly stand separate from the rest of the beats lineup, simply a different level.  And remember, I never said amazing sound. I said Decent to Good and very fun sound signature.  But the comparisons I keep seeing, less the recent one with CALs, are reference headphones which are not very portable and mostly require amping to sound ideal.  So, again, it's like comparing Highest End mustang (Highest End Beats) to a different leagues of cars (Camrys, Mazda 6's and Accords) 
 
And like I've said, when I saw that $60K Special Mustang... All I was thinking... Man.. for that, I can get a Corvette...  Or a Viper... ... Well, you get the Idea..
 
I hope my posts in regards to Pros are not misunderstood. So I say again. The $200 pricetag is not specific to just Sound and purely sound... rather the whole package.
If they were selling at $200.00 it's a good buy for those who looking for just that.
 
 
 

 
 

 

[mastershake2393]

Wouldn't the HD25's blow the Pros out of the water in every category? Well, maybe not comfort, but I'm sure everything else is better than the Pros...

 

[Shotor102]

Quote:

Wouldn't the HD25's blow the Pros out of the water in every category? Well, maybe not comfort, but I'm sure everything else is better than the Pros...

Portability....??