I like a headphone that is good in all areas. I want something that I can use with a variety of sources. I want a phone that works with a lot of types of music. My tastes span a bunch of genres. So my headphones have to play well with all types of music. Some nice styling does not hurt either. I also hate flabby bass!
As I said in my review of the Phiaton PS200, they are one of my all time favourite IEM's, and I would very much like to compare them to other Phiaton products.
when i choose headphones, these are the factors that i will look for
1) bass, not overwhelming bass, but well define bass that is fast and accurate
2) mids and high, clear mids and highs
3) soundstage, from my perspective, the present of good bass, and highs and big soundstage usually gives people a "WOW" factor.
4) build, i like headphones that are practically indestructible
5) style, i'm not too concern about style, but i would say simplicity is good
I do hope I'm not to late, but I wanted to skim the articles to at least get a sense of what others were saying.
So far, what I would say is important to me? I would say:
1. linearity and balance
2. tonal behavior (Not just "balance"; transient response, texture, and control)
3. Build quality (Comfort, durability, and aesthetics)
Linearity: quick changes in efficiency between octaves is really distracting, and can become very obvious in orchestral music. Between that and soundstage (not real important to me), it killed my enjoyment of the Sony MDR-V6's. Meanwhile, the V6's were fairly even across the whole range, but had jarring transitions between, and even inside of, octaves. I haven't really had the opportunity to listen to a purely even set of headphones, but I do like a little bit of coloration. A bit of of elevated bass is nice, since you don't get the physical feedback from the bass of large speakers, and I do like a little bit of treble flamboyance. However, I would rather those colorations be very minor than detract an iota from the next category.
Tonal Behavior: I love the bass (the instrument), both acoustic and electric, and I hate when the bass (the collection of frequencies) is loose, and the character of that wonderful instrument is lost. Meanwhile, the same speaks for the guitar, the violin, or even the piccolo or flute: most people don't notice the absence of the rasp of bow on string, the clicking of keys, or intake of breath. What they notice is when complex sections lose their players, and just become a tonal mass. That is not to say that I don't delight in hearing that extra bit of detail on a good headphone, it's just not the details that suffer most on a transientially insensitive 'phone, it's the sense of immersion and totallity to the sound.
Build quality: it's bloody obvious, just do it. I don't really care for light headphones, and I would rather that they exude solidity. Mind you, a bar of titanium isn't necessary, you can do it with plastics, excepting the articulation in joints. If they are plastic, they need to be thick plastic. Comfort? Thick squishy pads are nice and all, but a less sweaty option would be something that Bose did right with the Triports: thin, memory-foam pads, that were flanged inwards. The cup was barely bigger than your ear, but the space inside the earpad was larger than the inner dimension of the pad (does that make sense?). This allowed for a very thermally permeable cup, that was still quite comfortable.
--Edit-- I do like the styling of the full-size Phiaton headphones; they do look very clean and professional, with just enough flair. But, excuse me, but what is "electrodynamic" supposed to mean? Is it just a cheesy way to make it seem like the MS series driver is something special, or is actually something different?
I like to hear a good sound stage and good imaging. I want to be able to tell where the instruments are coming from and where the singer is. A good sound stage should be able to make me feel as though I am enveloped in my music. After that I do like a little bit of coloration. I like my bass.
As for looks. For headphones that are meant to be used at home, I couldn't care less what they looked like, as long as they sound good, but for portable/on the go, I hate flashy headphones. (silver, white, mirror, red etc.) I like simple, flyin' under the radar kind of looks. There's nothin' wrong with matte black.
For earphones, comfort and isolation. They need to stay in my ears, (quickly run to catch the bus or turn around quickly/bend down to pick something up) and block out the majority of the outside noise around me (Bus rides, mall noise, even the library)
Then I'll be concentrating on the sound. If I'm listening to electronic music, I want to feel the bass (a lot of punch) as much as possible and still have a feel for the synth and be able to close my eyes and imagine I'm at a party.
If I'm going to be studying, I'll want them to be able to excel at low volume play, being articulate and having a noticeable soundstage (I know thats not easy on earphones)
Headphones like the MS 400 I want just for the look (I'm a sucker for red leather on black), but this can't sacrifice sound. (Are ears are spoiled here ) Already have this on my to get list In portability I'm not as picky and will be looking for a headphones that can pretty much play everything decently.
Now at home, I'm looking at full sized cans that will deliver accurate sound, large soundstages, and will make us part of the concert. Deep bass, want to feel that bass string, but not overwhelming. I'm sensitive to highs so I shy away from overly bright cans. (I found the Grado 325 too bright; HF2 is great so far) I can just close my eyes and listen. I'd like to be able to hear little nuances in the recordings, someone whispering, the turn or a page, a foot tapping etc. Extra little bits that make the music feel more real, more life like.
Sums up what I'm looking for well I think
Edit: Just realised how well the MS x00 match my car XD Carbon fibre...red leather haha
I hate having to re-buy earphones every 6 months or so due to cord failure or whatnot. I specifically want something that will be able to endure the wear and tear of the gym while providing a decent amount of isolation to block out the sound of weights and grunts. If I make a purchase, I want that purchase to last and have a decent lifespan.
Of course you'll pick someone with a long, well underbuild explanation from what they like in headphones.
What I want most out of my headphones is that they sound as the music was recorded. I have no need for increased lows, mids or highs I want my music "as is".
Thank-you for doing the giveaway.
I had looked up Phiaton when I saw an article about your cans online. I saw that the office was located a mile from my work and asked if I could stop by.
Anyway, my choice in cans is drivemn 100% on how they sound. How they feel on my head is a very distant second and how they look is a galactic distance away in priority.
That said, when I saw your cans online, I immediately wanted them. They look as cool as any of the newer things coming out from Diddy or Dre or Skulls but the ddifference is they also have that intangible essence of looking like they are a quality build.
So I ave secretely wanted to order a pair of your cans or better yet, review a pair. My main cans are Denon D5000 with JMoney pads, and Twisted Cables Venom cable and furutech plug. A $800 set of cans that I really like. I am still searching ofr better sound. And by better I am talking about a non-scientific what I like about sound kind of better.
Well. I sure hope I win as I would love to hear how really cool cans like yours sound.
Obviously the most important thing about headphones is the music quality. However, since many people have different opinions on such matter, it is hard to determine what this implies. Whether if it's a pair of fun headphones or balanced headphones, it has to live up to its standards and not focus so much on the packaging. Overall, if people really desired the genuine authenticity of music itself, they would not use headphones but rather listen live. However, the advantages of headphones gives us the appropriate convenience and adaptability to our individual music tastes. Many people do not care about the aesthetic appeal of headphones and such a person, who does care about appearances, is deemed "shallow" above all other standards. It is still a very important factor to put into consideration. Sure the once in a while a pair of Grados may start to grow on you due to its prestigious name or its awesome features, it would be great to have a pair of headphones that live up to its name in both sound and appearance. Due to the diversity of the market, we, as consumers, are given the gift of selection and as as a society, our influences and ideas start to flourish and is being recognized. Such fortunate events in this era suggests why shouldn't we care about the beauty of our gears? Personally, I find the Phiaton team to achieve such daunting task and I would love to have pair of MS400s.
As a so called "bass head",bass is the most important factor when i buy headphones.But the main reason is because most headphones don't properly reproduce the lower frequencies and it is a real headache to sort through the ones that do and more often the ones that don't.I like the bass to be prominant and to be able to feel it besides hearing it.High quality speakers and moniters produce bass vibrations.And i feel the bass in a full size headphone should also produce some vibration,to a point.Proper bass in a headphone to me,should be able to isolate the kick drum so you can not only hear but feel some vibration from the impact.Or else it sounds flat and neutral.Which a lot of "audiophiles" prefer.Abundant and deep extention is seldom and hard to find for some reason."Proper bass" should have that deep extension that is heard in a subwoofer.Now the HD650 for me,is the perferct reference headphone.Bass is fantastic and properly reproduced.Along with the other frequencies.Treble is beautifully laid back in a detailed but unfatiguing way.Mids are prominant and mesh nicely with the lows.And of course the praised deep and airy sound stage.Some people say the low end is too prominant.But to me it's perfect.And they are considered by many to be the perfect headphone.But "perfect" is considered an opinion and a point of view.Judging from the reviews of the MS-400 i've read so far.I think the MS-400 would be a good choice for me.
Please spend some time and energy on promotion. People need to have clear idea your headphones before buying them; I, for one, has been very frustrated - they look pretty, they seem well-made, but how they sound?
What I look for depends on what I intend to use the headphone for. Market segmentation and targetting the correct market is crucial when designing a headphone. You need to know who the headphone is for.
Generally I look for 3 kinds of headphones.
1. A reference-class headphone for use at home - something open with a big soundstage and excellent separation, fairly linear response and good response throughout the spectrum, something to let me hear all the details but still be fun enough to listen to.
2. A "fun" headphone - as a basshead I like to have a headphone that goes deep down. Doesn't have to be as detailed as the first headphone but should have a very warm, engaging sound and lots of oomph. Not just muddy oomph but detailed oomph that goes deep down the frequency response. Something that sounds good with house or club music is what I usually think about here. The more mainstream crowd I am sure find these kinds of cans desirable.
3. A portable can - something that is thin and lightweight, or if not thin, can be folded up to be thin and pack into a carrying case that is small enough to fit into a small handbag. A good example of this is the AKG K81 DJ which folds flat, then you can fold the cups in to the headband to make it even smaller. The Bose Triport OE can do this, too. These are ideal form factors for me. I also like having a single-sided cable as it is less likely to snag on something on the go. A portable can doesn't need to sound as good as a reference can, but it should sound good enough that I don't feel like I'm missing anything. I like my portable to sound like my "fun" headphone but it will never probably sound as deep and as good because driving it will be limited to a pocketable amp at best. But it should at least have a clean sound all throughout without distortion.
I am also of two minds with the isolation for a portable -- sometimes I like something that lets me hear stuff around me, so that they are safe to use on a busy street. Other times I like something that isolates so I can hear the music well -- thus I actually keep 2 kinds of portables.
I think that most audiophiles look for a lineup of headphones like this -- though their idea of a "fun" headphone will definitely be different from mine (not everyone goes for bass) and some may be happy with IEMs for a portable. People surely look for different kinds of cans, these are the 3 types I generally look for and ensure I have in my collection at any given time.
Other categories people look for are:
* cans for different kinds of music (hip hop/RNB/Pop ; jazz/classical/lounge ; rock/metal,etc.)
* IEM for working out/running
* IEMs for serious listening
* budget cans of each type
To really make a dent in the industry it's important to have a product lineup that satifies many of the more common categories -- and to make sure each headphone type is marketed properly to the correct target market so they know it's there and more importantly know what it offers.
But regardless of what type of headphone type I am thinking of, generally it's a given to have:
* Sound Quality - should be nice to listen to
* comfort - should be wearable for long periods
* Durability - should feel solid and last as it is an investment
Usually, what I am looking for is simply neutrality in sound so I can listen to my music the way it is meant to be heard, and, a pretty, good-looking design.
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) Already have this on my to get list 
