vid
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2005
- Posts
- 2,063
- Likes
- 130
I don't think the science section is where it's a 'matter of taste and personal preference'. No science in this thread at all.
So if you agree with him, how do you justify this whole thread where you have indicated that someone should prefer and recognize what you have defined to be as Tier 1 as better than what you have defined as Tier 2?
I don't think the science section is where it's a 'matter of taste and personal preference'. No science in this thread at all.
Why do so many Head-Fi'ers stop at Tier-2? There is no compelling evidence to go higher.
This thread should read out in the end that both Tier 1 and Tier 2 headphones have their value and place here.
.......and as a result discount the performance of superior models?
This thread should conclude that what you feel is Tier 1 and Tier 2 seems to be strictly based on price and not necessarily performance, despite where you said
And even you seem conflicted with your own views given your agreement with David's reviews in the battle of the flagships.
This thread should conclude that what you feel is Tier 1 and Tier 2 seems to be strictly based on price and not necessarily performance, despite where you said
And even you seem conflicted with your own views given your agreement with David's reviews in the battle of the flagships.
The conflict with the Battle of The Flagships is that regardless of money David was finding what he thought was the better headphones. Could it be the lack of sonic perfection guided his conclutions and in the end (because nothing was scientifically tested) he chose the less than perfect flagships?
What is it that allows members to keep less than perfect headphones and sell off their top tier flagships?
When I read anecdotal summaries, I often think to myself: "this reviewer is like me - this review might help!"
But sadly that has not been true. Reviewers that I agree with will eventually like something I hate, or despise something I love. The problem: I can't tell when that will happen. So I end up having to order, audition and eventually return tens of thousand of dollars of equipment. The products I have kept do not align with any single reviewer or even class of reviewers.
[COLOR=4B0082]The taxonomy of audiophiles also serves to disrupt as much as it helps[/COLOR]. For example: When a reviewer says a product "lacks transparency", many others will often hear the same "sound signature". It is hard to tell much much one review skews the perceptions of others. We have double-blind testing to remove experimental bias in scientific tests. For user impressions, we have nothing. As such, carefully crafted and beautifully worded personal impression might actually do more harm the good.
Why do so many listeners prefer Tier-2 phones? These are the products most have actually tried themselves.
Why are the less than perfect? Just because they don't cost more? What is meant by "sonic perfection" and how do you determine that? How do you know that they are better headphones?
See you have been questioning why someone would prefer what YOU believe to be 2nd tier headphones. But you need to question your assumptions about why you have designated some headphones as 1st tier and why they are better.
You would benifit from the ideas in this thread if you could realize that the tier system is based on price but has less importance in our talk than your giving it credit for.
What is it that allows members to keep less than perfect headphones and sell off their top tier flagships?
HD800.....Tier One
HD700.....Tier Two
AH-D 7000.....Tier One
AH-D 5000.....Tier Two
AH-D 2000..... Tier Three
HD650 used to be tier one now tier two
HD600 used to be tier one now tier two
What this thread is about is folks enjoying messed up headphones, knowing they are messed up. Put a screwdriver into the driver and listen again to the frequency response of the HD800. If you enjoy it then that is what the discussion is about here.
I understand that. But you have made claims like this more than once that members keep less than perfect headphones over what you consider tier 1, implying that tier 1 offers some sonic benefit that should be obvious. For example,
Your title for this thread is "How and why do members fall in love with second tier headphones," and then here is how you defined the different tiers:
I provided David's battle of the flagships review to you to show that how you have defined tier 1 and tier 2 is not necessarily based on this idea of sonic perfection.
The tier 2 headphones in your list are obviously much better than headphones which had the driver impaled by a screwdriver.
Anyway, all I can do is encourage you to question your own assumptions. You'd learn more from that than what anyone else could contribute to this thread.