[jaycee1]

I'm just fascinated by the psychology of overspending. On the first page, multiple forum members state unequivocally that koss headphones are not just a match, but even PREFERABLE to headphones that are in the $300-$600 range. 
 
Yet, every day, there are multiple threads from noobs and experienced listeners who are requesting recommendations in those same price ranges! Why are people unable to recognize excellence when it is accompanied by a low price tag?!?

 

[roy_jones]

I think there's also something to be said for the novelty of a new product.  Sometimes newer headphones displace the discussion of older ones, thus creating an availability heuristic for buyers. 

 

[Hutnicks]

Quote:

I'm just fascinated by the psychology of overspending. On the first page, multiple forum members state unequivocally that koss headphones are not just a match, but even PREFERABLE to headphones that are in the $300-$600 range. 
 
Yet, every day, there are multiple threads from noobs and experienced listeners who are requesting recommendations in those same price ranges! Why are people unable to recognize excellence when it is accompanied by a low price tag?!?

In a large part conditioned response. The work of Pavlov and his successors broke the ground on this. Move higher up in brain function and you have the exertion of peer pressure and acceptance and membership in a perceived elite group.All obtained by the mere spending of money.
Go look at tha AK 120 thread and see some poor soul who borrowed money to buy the damn dap. Wonderfully for him it is all he hoped for and more. Untill payback comes around and once you actually have to put real value on the purchase it falls far short.
 
We have let our value systems be corrupted by the message that you can spend your way into nirvanna and if you havent achieved it yet you obviousley have not spent enough. A perverse financial orobouros has been let loose and even a global financial meltdown has not been able to stop it. In fact some may consider it escallated the cycle among certain groups because rationalization demands that if you can still spend frivolously in a global meltdown you must truly be among the elite and impervious to woes that affect those unable to spend foolishly. A 5 thousand dollar headphone purchase suddenly seems a bargain rate to achieve that kind of imortality

 
For a species that really only ever owns it's memories and experiences, we sure place a disproportionate amount of personal value on our ability to spend.
 
Use the 75's take the 4990 bucks you saved fly to London and Paris for a month get well and properly stewed clubhopping listening to live music and enjoy the experience

  Thats something you can tell your grandkids about. I somehow do not think they will be impressed with "I once bought an overpriced piece of audio equipment"

 

[waynes world]

^ Thanks -I was wondering what is wrong with me! That last paragraph is a classic too. Bravo!

 

[jaycee1]

Fantastic reply--very informative!
 
People engage in this type of status seeking all of the time, it's quite embarrassing how easy it is to scam people in this way.
 
Rebadge a honda accord or toyota camry as an "acura" or "lexus" luxury models and cough up $10K to 15K more. Yet everything is identical except for the badge and showroom. Even the engine components still have the honda logo!
 
I guess the high end headphones are the equivalent of gucci and prada which are manufactured in sweatshops. The quality is irrelevant, the brand is everything. 
 
 
Quote:

In a large part conditioned response. The work of Pavlov and his successors broke the ground on this. Move higher up in brain function and you have the exertion of peer pressure and acceptance and membership in a perceived elite group.All obtained by the mere spending of money.
Go look at tha AK 120 thread and see some poor soul who borrowed money to buy the damn dap. Wonderfully for him it is all he hoped for and more. Untill payback comes around and once you actually have to put real value on the purchase it falls far short.
 
We have let our value systems be corrupted by the message that you can spend your way into nirvanna and if you havent achieved it yet you obviousley have not spent enough. A perverse financial orobouros has been let loose and even a global financial meltdown has not been able to stop it. In fact some may consider it escallated the cycle among certain groups because rationalization demands that if you can still spend frivolously in a global meltdown you must truly be among the elite and impervious to woes that affect those unable to spend foolishly. A 5 thousand dollar headphone purchase suddenly seems a bargain rate to achieve that kind of imortality

 
For a species that really only ever owns it's memories and experiences, we sure place a disproportionate amount of personal value on our ability to spend.
 
Use the 75's take the 4990 bucks you saved fly to London and Paris for a month get well and properly stewed clubhopping listening to live music and enjoy the experience

  Thats something you can tell your grandkids about. I somehow do not think they will be impressed with "I once bought an overpriced piece of audio equipment"

 

[jaycee1]

Up 'til now, I've had a rather naive faith that this forum would serve as a guide in the quest for the 'holy grail.' Despite this faith, it's become abundantly clear that not only is this faith misguided, it seems more and more obvious that most members don't care much about sound quality at all.
 
Instead, they're closet status chasers. They want 'props' and congratulations from other forum members as they climb up the status ladder: from $80 to $100 to $200 headphones, and so on. And of course it doesn't stop there: must buy ever more expensive amps, DAC's. Oh, and it doesn't stop there, either. Must recable, and recable again. Must mod. Wood is better than, whatever. 
 
It's like watching a dog chase it's own tail. At under $30 the ksc75's plus a headband plus shipping, is likely to get you 95% of the way towards the VERY BEST headphones AT ANY PRICE. They are certainly likely to exceed just about anything else out there up to $150 or $180 aside from grado sr60i's. 
 
It's really sad watching people waste their time and money their entire lives over non-existent, pseudo-incremental gains in sound quality. 
 
That's the sad delusion of shopping addiction: nothing you buy is ever enough: once the "high" of a new purchase wears off, you have to buy something else, something typically more expensive in a never ending spiral of debt.
 
PATHETIC!

 

[blazer78]

Quote:

That's the sad delusion of shopping addiction: nothing you buy is ever enough: once the "high" of a new purchase wears off, you have to buy something else, something typically more expensive in a never ending spiral of debt.

 
Hey, that sounds exactly like me! lol

 

[laon]

Quote:

Up 'til now, I've had a rather naive faith that this forum would serve as a guide in the quest for the 'holy grail.' Despite this faith, it's become abundantly clear that not only is this faith misguided, it seems more and more obvious that most members don't care much about sound quality at all.
 
Instead, they're closet status chasers. They want 'props' and congratulations from other forum members as they climb up the status ladder: from $80 to $100 to $200 headphones, and so on. And of course it doesn't stop there: must buy ever more expensive amps, DAC's. Oh, and it doesn't stop there, either. Must recable, and recable again. Must mod. Wood is better than, whatever. 
 
It's like watching a dog chase it's own tail. At under $30 the ksc75's plus a headband plus shipping, is likely to get you 95% of the way towards the VERY BEST headphones AT ANY PRICE. They are certainly likely to exceed just about anything else out there up to $150 or $180 aside from grado sr60i's. 
 
It's really sad watching people waste their time and money their entire lives over non-existent, pseudo-incremental gains in sound quality. 
 
That's the sad delusion of shopping addiction: nothing you buy is ever enough: once the "high" of a new purchase wears off, you have to buy something else, something typically more expensive in a never ending spiral of debt.
 
PATHETIC!

 

[TekeRugburn]

 

[theruns]

Quote:

 
excuse me good sir, but what headphone is that headband from?

 

[TekeRugburn]

Quote:

 
excuse me good sir, but what headphone is that headband from?

 
its like coby cv421
 
it doesnt snap in though.  had to do some modification to it.  and it stays in but pulls out easier than with the clips.  

 

[TekeRugburn]

Quote:

Up 'til now, I've had a rather naive faith that this forum would serve as a guide in the quest for the 'holy grail.' Despite this faith, it's become abundantly clear that not only is this faith misguided, it seems more and more obvious that most members don't care much about sound quality at all.
 
Instead, they're closet status chasers. They want 'props' and congratulations from other forum members as they climb up the status ladder: from $80 to $100 to $200 headphones, and so on. And of course it doesn't stop there: must buy ever more expensive amps, DAC's. Oh, and it doesn't stop there, either. Must recable, and recable again. Must mod. Wood is better than, whatever. 
 
It's like watching a dog chase it's own tail. At under $30 the ksc75's plus a headband plus shipping, is likely to get you 95% of the way towards the VERY BEST headphones AT ANY PRICE. They are certainly likely to exceed just about anything else out there up to $150 or $180 aside from grado sr60i's. 
 
It's really sad watching people waste their time and money their entire lives over non-existent, pseudo-incremental gains in sound quality. 
 
That's the sad delusion of shopping addiction: nothing you buy is ever enough: once the "high" of a new purchase wears off, you have to buy something else, something typically more expensive in a never ending spiral of debt.
 
PATHETIC!

 
than go enjoy your ksc75's.
 
whats pathetic is judging people for doing what they want to do.
 
are they hurting you?  are they harming anyone?  
 
just because you dont think its worth it doesnt mean everyone will follow suit.
 
pathetic troll

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

 
than go enjoy your ksc75's.
 
whats pathetic is judging people for doing what they want to do.
 
are they hurting you?  are they harming anyone?  
 
just because you dont think its worth it doesnt mean everyone will follow suit.
 
pathetic troll

 
Funny thing is that I completely agree with both of you lol!

 

[TekeRugburn]

Quote:

 
Funny thing is that I completely agree with both of you lol!

 
i could care less what his opinion is...worthless to me.
 
but just dont be a ****** bag about it.
 
like he's someone that people should listen to....can't stand people like that.
 
What he done for society?  or even contributed to this community?
 
not much apparently

 

[julian67]

Funny thing is that I completely agree with both of you lol!

Exactly. They are a nice earphone but that doesn't mean people have some psychological difficulty or mental deficiency for preferring something else. Or for liking the Koss. Or both. Or the other way round.

I've been listening with my Koss (how worrying does that sound?) a lot for the last few days. Yesterday they were on my ears almost all day. As an all round headphone they are not perfect and also not close to being perfect but they can be very good and sometimes even excellent. I would really hesitate to call them a giant killer these days. If you look around you can get them for $15. But you can get Sony MDR V6 for $55. This is not like the difference between being able to afford $50 headphones and $500 or $1000 headphones. It's $40 more to get something so good and so well made that it has been a standard piece of kit in music and broadcast studios for about the same amount of time that Koss have been marketing their 60 ohm driver varieties. The Koss has a really great midrange, absolutely enjoyable, and a top end which is clear and brilliant but not harsh, but its bottom end lacks weight and there is no ignoring this and there's not really any correcting it either. Listening to some Vivaldi motets or Monteverdi vespers these Koss phones are compelling and superb and alive. Listen to some rock or orchestral music and that absence of deep bass does prevent enjoying the music in the same unaffected way. I've been playing with different equalizers to try to add some bass but in the end the drivers are just about at their limit already. You can add maybe 2 dB at 50 Hz and beyond that you can expect distortion, occasionally even quite bad distortion. That is probably the biggest difference between these Koss 'phones and others with a similar sonic style that have better drivers, better enclosures and yes a bigger price tag. I'm not saying that being more expensive means being better because clearly there is plenty of awful rubbish available and even popular at $50 and $100 and more. It's also well worth noting that not everyone likes this kind of quite airy and very transparent sound and many people will feel completely comfortable with a budget headphone sacrificing some top end fizz for a slightly weightier and better defined bass. Sennheiser know what they are doing!

This morning I switched from the KSC75 to my Shure SE215. It's a huge contrast as the Shures have emphasised but not uncontrolled bass but roll off the high frequencies quite noticeably. It does take a few minutes to adjust mentally. Much as I like the Koss (I'm really struggling since finding out what this word means in Arabic) .... Much as I like the Koss, if I had to choose I would choose the Shures. And if someone else with the same choice chose the Koss I wouldn't think it was because they were crazy or deluded or wrong. We all love Koss. Most people even remember their first Koss.