Maybe this doesn't necessarily count as a sighting because I went to a headphone shop, but hear me out.
This weekend I spent about an hour and a half in of one of the big headphone emporiums that we have here in Seoul, South Korea. From 'beats' to MS-2s to AT-w5000x, to the HD-800 they've got it, and all available to audition with your own portable sources or cds too! Unfortunately, the beyerdynamic and denon lines they have in stock are extremely lacking, there's no wooden grados, and the nicest amp in the shop is probably the Creek OBH-21 SE (not to get down on it but it's far from summit). I've been back a few times just to get headtime with the HD-800, and I've made a few important future purchase decisions there, probably auditioned 20 pairs of phones in 6 or 7 trips.
Anyway, usually I've got my eyes closed, and I'm not really paying attention to the other customers (or their cowons) but when I went this weekend I was just sitting with the HD-800s and my audition cds (a chesky reference disc and a personal mix), and watching the register to see what went out the door. I was pretty curious what kind of stuff they were selling. In the hour and a half I was there I watched the same routine play out SIX DIFFERENT TIMES almost as if it were orchestrated.
1.) A group of teenage Korean boys would come in and have a short discussion with the shopkeeper.
2.) The shopkeeper would come back from the wall where all the sets hang (except the HD-800 which has a big metal display stand), with Shure SRH-840s, AT-M50s, Sony MDR-V6, Creative Aurvana Live!s, and Monster Beats Solos.
3.) The korean guys would all crowd around the one kid who had come to buy (usually they would bring an envelope full of cash, so I'm guessing it's gift money, which is a traditional thing here) and chat excitedly and take turns auditioning the pairs.
4.) Invariably however, they all ended up buying the beats solos.
Now my Korean comprehension isn't really adequate to understand the whole transaction (I only got here 6 months ago with no prior language training) but I can't imagine the guys are coming in and saying anything other than, "I want ones with loud bass that shut out all outside noise."
Now this was pretty disheartening to watch, especially since it seemed like the shopkeepers were presenting them with some really great sounding alternatives especially considering the price, but the most depressing part was probably the 349,000won (about $350) price tag. These kids were getting them at MSRP! Aside from those six transactions, there was a girl who came in for some junky earbuds, and a girl who came in for those colorful "mix style" headphones with the 5 point stars on the cups (yuck).
TL;DR Whippersnappers in Seoul South Korea flock to buy beats solos at exorbitant rates.
P.S. I almost forgot, on the subway after the headphone shop I thought I saw a girl with denon ah-d1001s, but when I got closer it turned out they were ah-p372s...so close yet so far. I noticed another pair of those denons in white at the next station.
