[activebass]

As I'm looking into buying my first open-back pair of headphones, I've been doing a lot of reading on this and other sites and I've been struck by some of the prices quoted on threads from 12 to 18 months ago. It seems to me that people were able to buy good "audiophile" grade headphones for a lot less just a year ago.
 
To put some of the current headphone prices into perspective - I've been making do without a proper CD player in hi-fi set-up for a while now and knowing that CDs are on the way out, decided to treat myself and my ears to one last CD player. I bought the Marantz CD6004 today for a decent USD430 and was even able to pay by installment.
 
Now, the Marantz CD6004 is solid as a rock, weighs about a ton and is made in Japan. Not even my USD900 amp is made in Japan. Who makes a USD400 audio product in Japan anymore? (As an aside, I've already hooked it up to my rig and it sounds fantastic).
My point is that after copious amounts of reading, I kept adjusting my budget for my headphones and amp/DAC upwards until it was way past the point where I originally started. My thinking was that I could avoid the usual path so often trodden by my fellow appreciators of good sound., but buying the CD player has really put things into perspective for me.
 
I look at some of the headphones retailing for USD500 or more out there and then compare it to the Marantz and what I see is a lot of plastic, letherette and maybe a bit of metal here and there. Granted, there's a lot of R&D that goes into some of these cans, so that has to be factored in, but at the same time I think the prices they're currently at - compared to where they seem to have been 12 to 18 months ago - suggest to me that prices are a bit out of whack.
 
Maybe it's just me or maybe I'm missing something. Would love to hear your two cents.
 
Cheers!

 

[wind016]

What $500 headphones are plaStic?

 

[Redcarmoose]

Believe it or not you can arrive at a Head-Fi meet with only your CD player in hand. Depending where you live, there is many Head-Fi meets all over the world. Basic choices on purchases occur from testing your stuff in the real world. I have found that the headphones I thought I wanted did not sound like I thought and the second choice was stunning! You are also exposed to a really friendly group who want to help. There may even be some really nice used headphones which fit your sound signature needs. 
 
 
 
Going to a meet is more results orientated than spending 5 years reading the forums.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Plastic isn't necessarily a bad thing, though my vintage Stax Lambda still has a fair amount of metal in its construction (specifically the plates that the drivers and earpads are mounted on). Later models probably have a bit more metal for all I know. (Oh, and they're made in Japan. Not surprising given where Stax resides.)
 
I'm guessing the sheer expense of their equipment over the years has to do with a few things:
 
-They're the only headphone manufacturer that focuses on electrostatics, and building electrostatic drivers requires a lot of precision and tight tolerances, I would think.
-They have a reputation among audiophiles and can make use of that. Using a more exotic technology also helps.
-They're a smaller company by comparison to some of the more popular names around here that make headphones at all price points. They've just decided to exclusively cater to the upmarket, and it seems to be working.
-One person in a thread here has remarked that a typical Stax amp makes a typical dynamic amp look like a cheap toy, in no small part due to fully balanced designs.
 
I can't comment much on the other brands known for making expensive headphones, though. I've just been too fixated on Stax (and any non-Stax electrostatics) lately, and unfortunately, my wallet isn't getting along with this...