Limited edition / serial number craze....

[PinkFloyd]

Is it just me or is there a "limited edition / serial number" craze sweeping Head-Fi these days?

Not naming any products, past or present, but what's with this latest craze of buying something, that nobody has heard, purely on the basis that it is limited edition or comes with a special serial number

I really really am finding it hard to get my head around this, what ever happened to the "listen before you buy" philosophy where you would purchase something on the merit of its sound quality and suitability in your system?

So now we all pile in like sheep and buy something because of its "limited edition" status without so much as a brief audition to establish it "works" let alone "sounds good"

Somebody help me to understand this new phenomenon, maybe I'm just totally out of the loop and missing something here but I buy solely on the merit of the sound quality not on the "number" or "limited edition" status of it.

 

[seacard]

I think a part of it is the fact that limited edition products can later be resold at a profit (usually) even if the purchaser does not like it.

Some companies more than others have really caught on to this principle, and put out a limited edition product every few months / years (e.g. Audiotechnica).

 

[Thaddy]

I think you answered it yourself PinkFloyd...
Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd ...it is limited edition or comes with a special serial number ...

Plus, if you wait too long to read those reviews of the product, what happens if they sell out by then? Then you gotta shell out more dough to buy a used product.

Anyways, I actually agree with you Pink, I don't understand the craze myself. Hell, after buying the HF-1's I had a moment of clarity where I was like "What, I don't even like Grado's, what am I thinking?"

 

[ken36]

I don't get a chance to listen before buying. Wish I did.

 

[granodemostasa]

on the HF-1, i wasn't into it, ignored it for months until i actually heard it...it's an impressive can and, in a way, everything i want out of a grado...so i tried to get it...i failed, so now i've gone back to working on my original rig.
On the Cordafive, i had the HAI MKII, and didnt' know what upgrade path to take from there...simply put, this new amp makes the decision easy since it's an upgraded version.
On an observational point: i've noticed that alarge part of the thing is being driven (for the HF-1 at least) by new members...which lead me to fear speculation on headphone prices.
On the headfive, there is this thing about having the HF-1 number be the same as the headfive number....but i can't quite figure out why.
Edit: also there is that whole thing of trying to get people to switch to your side; suddenly all those who were headroom/gilmore lite people are going to Meier, it's an excellent marketing move...and once people are hooked on crossfeed there's no going back.

 

[enjoi_rootbeer]

Well things like the HF-1's and now the Cordafive are sold and reasonable prices. rather then spending 600$+ for RS-1, you can (or could've) gotten a pair of HF-1's and have almost the same sound for a third of the price. same goes with the Cordafive. If there was a limited edition Senn like the Orpheus only for Head-fi sold at a very reasonable price, i think everyone would just go insane.

 

[RB26DETT]

Usually cans that have limited production will appreciate in prices and surely have better resale value..

So when one buys a limited can, and they dun really like the sonic signature, they can be quite assured that they may be able to sell them at a profit, if not at minimum loss..

Take a look at Audio Techinca...

 

[viator122]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seacard I think a part of it is the fact that limited edition products can later be resold at a profit (usually) even if the purchaser does not like it.

No offense intended, but this is a little bit circular: you can only resell at a profit because there is a craze for limited edition/special serial number products in the first place. Obviously, speculation can snowball the effects of this type of FOTM/craze/whatever, but you still need to address the question of why the craze starts in the first place. I think it stems from the fact that many excellent headphones in the past have gone out of production. Everyone is afraid that they'll miss out on something awesome (K1000, R10, HP1000, DT531) so they make sure to avoid that risk.

 

[allenf]

It is a Head-Fi community thing I think, and by owning - and publishing - the s/n of the two products one validates one position within the Head-Fi community. Not to mention the donations that Head-Fi receives from the sales.
But let's not debate the ethics of buying for a quick turnaround and profit on rarity value eh?

 

[meat01]

Quote:

I really really am finding it hard to get my head around this, what ever happened to the "listen before you buy" philosophy where you would purchase something on the merit of its sound quality and suitability in your system?

If it is limited edition, you either buy it or you get left out. You really don't always have the luxury of hearing it, before you buy it. If you don't like it, you can, in some cases, return it, or sell it (probably at a profit).

I have also never heard any of the DIY amps that I built, before I bought the parts.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meat01 If it is limited edition, you either buy it or you get left out. You really don't always have the luxury of hearing it, before you buy it. If you don't like it, you can, in some cases, return it, or sell it (probably at a profit). I have also never heard any of the DIY amps that I built, before I bought the parts.

So. Armed with this information "any" manufacturer can cotton onto this idea and release a "special edition Head-Fi" one off, never to be repeated, celebratory item and he will be guaranteed to shift the lot in an instant.

Well, if that's the way it's going...............

 

[viator122]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd So. Armed with this information "any" manufacturer can cotton onto this idea and release a "special edition Head-Fi" one off, never to be repeated, celebratory item and he will be guaranteed to shift the lot in an instant. Well, if that's the way it's going...............

I don't even think it has to be Head-Fi related. Just tack on "LTD" to any currently popular headphone and you'll sell a whole bunch real fast. All you need is a silk screen machine.

HD650LTD
K701LTD
E5LTD
...
...
...

This is nothing against Head-Fiers, I think this phenomenon applies to almost all types of products. Think about DVDs: you've got the initial release, director's cut, widescreen, enhanced, etc. Or remastered CDs, special edition CDs with a "bonus disc," etc.

 

[Ernie II]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viator122 I don't even think it has to be Head-Fi related. Just tack on "LTD" to any currently popular headphone and you'll sell a whole bunch real fast. All you need is a silk screen machine. HD650LTD K701LTD E5LTD ... ... ... This is nothing against Head-Fiers, I think this phenomenon applies to almost all types of products. Think about DVDs: you've got the initial release, director's cut, widescreen, enhanced, etc. Or remastered CDs, special edition CDs with a "bonus disc," etc.

I agree about the limited edition thing to a point. Sure, it's a contradiction in terms with "special edition" mass produced products. But in the world of headfi and other specialist markets, generally you can be assured that such articles are genuinely "limited edition" and not sold using cheap marketing gimmicks. There is a difference.

 

[zowie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viator122 No offense intended, but this is a little bit circular: you can only resell at a profit because there is a craze for limited edition/special serial number products in the first place. Obviously, speculation can snowball the effects of this type of FOTM/craze/whatever, but you still need to address the question of why the craze starts in the first place. I think it stems from the fact that many excellent headphones in the past have gone out of production. Everyone is afraid that they'll miss out on something awesome (K1000, R10, HP1000, DT531) so they make sure to avoid that risk.

That's right, except I'd go further and say it's truly just a marketing gimmick. If there's a limited edition of 5,000 but the market only wants 2,000, well BFD. Plenty of limited edition stuff depreciates, oftentimes to an extra degree because people paid more than it was worth initially because of the limited edition hype. Seinfeld did a joke about the Ford Ltd.: limited to what, 2 million?

The way I look at it, if I miss out on something awesome, so be it. If lived this much of my life without it, whatever "it" is, I can do without it in the future too, just like the other 4+ billion people who get along fine without one.

 

[viator122]

Why else would you make a limited edition except as a cash grab? For the life of me I can't think of a good reason for Audio-Technica to make a limited edition version of the A900. If the improvements are real, and it seems from review here that they are, why stop making them? The only thing I can think of is that sales are slow on the A900, so you tweak them, crank up the price, call them A900LTD and move a whole bunch really quickly. There might not be enough room in their lineup for another headphone on a permanent basis, but they can still make a quick buck. Now I'm not trying to say this is an evil or predatory practice, I'm just saying manufacturers aren't stupid; they understand supply and demand quite well.