[what?]

i know its all personal preference, but if a product gets 100s of great reviews it aint a mistake ime.

id like to see a list of the top 30 headphones (most popular/positive reviews over the last 2 years?) $15- $500.

links?

or shall we make the list?

 

[Tomikans]

what?

Good idea! Time to make a poll.

 

[average_joe]

I agree...like in the full sized headphone forum, a sticky would be great that someone will update. Broken down by price, maybe in a format like this:
Headphone - Street price - sound signature - general comments (strengths, weaknesses) - maybe a link to a thread

i.e.
Phonak Audeo PFE - $150 - balanced analytical IEM - Well balanced with a lot of bass for the detail, vocals are outstanding, treble is balanced, detailed, and just right, non sibilant - Review by dfkt Phonak Audeo?; Phonak Audeo (PFE) Appreciation Thread; Phonak Audeo and amp combos

 

[KGB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomikans /img/forum/go_quote.gif what? Good idea! Time to make a poll.

I think a spreadsheet would work better.

 

[iareConfusE]

Not really sure if this is even possible. Deciding which headphone is better or worse is completely subjective imo. It all depends on what kind of sound the person is going for. One person may enjoy crisp highs, but some other person may love overwhelming, thumping bass.

The list won't work, the only real way to compile such a list would be based on price, if one were to base quality off of price; but thats just silly.

 

[JadeEast]

If you search for the "Rank the Headphones that You Own." thread you can find a few thousand opinions and compile a list from that.

 

[Tomikans]

You make the poll for some primary research.

Subjective or not, opinions are still a source of information.

Spread sheet once the primary research is done ( lets try to survey at least 100 people)

 

[Uncle Erik]

There have been dozens of attempts at rankings; they never seem to go anywhere. Prices break down along lines of new and used and the rest depends on personal taste. Further, the amp you use has a considerable impact on the way a headphone sounds. There are too many factors for any kind of comprehensive list to be made.

Besides, looking at lists is entirely the wrong approach to audio. First, start with your budget and consider the headphones offered at or below that price. Look at them in terms of the music you listen to, NOT how other people rank them. Some headphones do better with certain genres, so find a match for your tastes.

Once you pick a headphone, look for an amp that will drive it fully. After that, consider sources, etc. If you match headphones to what you listen to, you'll be a lot happier than what the consensus says you should buy. And your happiness is the entire point of getting into this hobby.

 

[jonathanjong]

Yeap. This has been tried several times since I got here even. So far, the quickest way to get information is to ask good questions on Head-Fi. In this context, good = specific. If you know what you want in terms of sound, form, comfort, portability, etc., you'll get a pretty comprehensive list of options.

 

[mvw2]

Subjectivity makes this difficult. As well, everyone's yardstick of experience measures differently depending on the breadth of their experience range. Impressions will vary from person to person for the same sound.

The only way comparisons work is either through raw data (doesn't really exist in the head-fi world) or through a knowledgeable "professional" to act as a 3rd party reviewer whose yardstick of experience is broad and precisely marked, i.e. someone who's actually listened to hundreds upon hundreds of headphones, home audio drivers, systems, pro audio, etc. You can't just have an enthusiast but rather someone who is actually well versed, broadly and extensively, in the audio world.

The closest we have right now are a few folks who have personally listened to a good array of headphones and have done some reviewing of these against each other.

 

[Luca T]

You could do just a list of the most popular headphones with feature, specifics and good/bad points, without any ranking!

Maybe could be done dividing the headphone in group of similar price so who needs can see which models are ok for the money he want to spend and then choose depending on the specifics that prefere!

 

[robm321]

Too many different opinions - price changes.

You have to suffer and read through all of the threads over time like the rest of us to get an idea of where things stand. Oh, and go to the meets and hear all the different set ups. Buy and sell multiple headphones, then one day a light bulb will go off and you'll realise ..... that you're still confused... enjoy

 

[member1982]

Not a bad idea... There should be like an review forum a list of all the headphones, so people can stop asking about how good are them, and maybe throw in some comparisions between model of the same brand and different brands...

 

[Uncle Erik]

I think you guys are missing the point of a discussion forum. Instead of spending a lot of time compiling (and fighting over) a list, you simply start a thread laying out what you're looking for, what kind of music you listen to, and your budget, then ask for recommendations. Then read the replies and research anything that sounds good. That's far more efficient and far more likely to find what you're looking for.

 

[billybob_jcv]

IMHO the list is nearly worthless. You can't vote on what you haven't heard, and you will tend to vote for what you have heard. It's similar to public review sites - how many good reviews are from people who have just bought the item? Of course they think the item is good - they just bought it! The rest are probably from people who have had some problem with the item and are searching for answers. They write a poor review based on their specific problem. But that doesn't really tell you the whole story either - what percentage of buyers are represented by the unhappy posts? If a million people have been happy with the product, but none of them have posted, and 5 negative reviews are posted - is that a bad product? The vast silent majority is never represented by those sites - good or bad.

Reviews, lists and opinions are really just additional sources of input. In the end you still just pay your money and take your chances...