[Lozer]

Is it possible for a "not as good" headphone combined with a "not as good" source along with a "not as good" amp to sound just as good as/better than a combination of "excellent" headphone, "excellent" source, and "excellent" amp? Like, through some funky destructive/constructive interferences or something?

 

[Snufkin]

IMHO, yes

But it comes down to personal preference and what you consider "not as good" - generally this means "not as expensive"

eg: I prefer a Beyer DT531/Creek OBH11 combo to a Beyer DT931/MG Head combo, the former being a fair bit less expensive than the latter.
However, I can understand why some people would prefer the latter combo - it's all down to personal taste (if that's the right word - my ears can't taste, some people out there may be different.. but that's a discussion for another day)

Then of course you have value for money - the Koss KSC35 is better value for money than a lot of more expensive headphones. So does the KSC35 sound better? In some cases yes, in others no - to some people yes, to others no - for some budgets yes, for others no.

 

[Lozer]

So where's all the great-valued combos?

 

[Cap'n Dan]

Howbout those Koss KSC-35/50/55 etc or HD 497, or Grado SR-60, et al... by themselves? Great value, and an amp ain't necessary.

 

[Lozer]

I prefer the Philips SBC HP550 by themselves over the Koss KSCs, but I was talkin' about combos because of the interference thing.

 

[Tim D]

Basically an optimization problem.

If you rank different components alone based on individual performance, without regard to their performance with other components, and the addition of other components have ability to increase or reduce the given performance of any other component, then the greedy solution of getting all best individually ranked components may not yield the optimal solution.

The secret is to not rank the component, but how the component acts with the whole.

Ahhh forgive me, just had a midterm, it'll only take a few days for everything leak out.

 

[Lozer]

What subject was this in?

Sounds almost like econ or something.

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally posted by Lozer So where's all the great-valued combos?

A $120 secondhand CD Player (Aura AUC50), with a $200 amp (MF-XCV2) with $80 'phones (Beyer DT250)

Whilst this is still a $400 investment, so I guess not totally cheap, this arrangement totally blows me away... vocals and instruments sound totally out of this world (to me)

It sounds a LOT more convincing than my most expensive set up... which'd come in at about $1200

Its not about the cost, as much as the synergy, you can... as you've asked, have three completely junk components, when shown on face value ~ but put them together... and... WOW

 

[elnero]

That's what I always found a big part of the fun with this hobby, finding the budget system/synergy that totally blows away the big boys.