[dleblanc343]

So my 11 year old brother and his friend come up to me the other day and his friend asks me "Is it true, do you really have 3 ~1500$ headphones?" And I say yes, why? He wanted to know if it's true that beats aren't good for the price, and I told him.
 
But my brother (knowing that beats are not great for the price) and his friend were making their christmas lists together and both put beats on them. I tried convincing him on amperiors, momentums, M4U's, Spirit Ones, beyer custom headphone, and m-80's. Nope, it's either mixrs or green studio (

).
 
So I told him in that case, what about the vektr, diamond tears or executives? If you're going to go that way, at least get something new/different. He really liked the blue diamond tears from videos/images he saw, so I decided I'd try them out at work to hear how they sound.
 
Today at work, I pulled out the vektr, diamond tears and executives; and to my surprise, they all sounded decent compared to previous beats headphones... But the DT's actually sounded relatively good. To me they're the best sounding monster headphones yet. They're kind of tacky , but I have to say they are impressive looking, and well built. I'm still not keen on spending my money on monster phones for a christmas gift when there are better alternatives, but hey, that's what he wants..
 
 
 
What other cool, trendy headphones would you guys recommend for kids? Maybe there are some other options that I can propose to him.

 

[lubczyk]

Quote:

So my 11 year old brother and his friend come up to me the other day and his friend asks me "Is it true, do you really have 3 ~1500$ headphones?" And I say yes, why? He wanted to know if it's true that beats aren't good for the price, and I told him.
 
But my brother (knowing that beats are not great for the price) and his friend were making their christmas lists together and both put beats on them. I tried convincing him on amperiors, momentums, M4U's, Spirit Ones, beyer custom headphone, and m-80's. Nope, it's either mixrs or green studio (

).
 
So I told him in that case, what about the vektr, diamond tears or executives? If you're going to go that way, at least get something new/different. He really liked the blue diamond tears from videos/images he saw, so I decided I'd try them out at work to hear how they sound.
 
Today at work, I pulled out the vektr, diamond tears and executives; and to my surprise, they all sounded decent compared to previous beats headphones... But the DT's actually sounded relatively good. To me they're the best sounding monster headphones yet. They're kind of tacky , but I have to say they are impressive looking, and well built. I'm still not keen on spending my money on monster phones for a christmas gift when there are better alternatives, but hey, that's what he wants..
 
 
 
What other cool, trendy headphones would you guys recommend for kids? Maybe there are some other options that I can propose to him.

I see quite a few people on the street wearing the V-Moda LPs and M80s. All in the past year, V-Moda seems to have really taken off in my metropolitan area. The new V-Moda M-100s are supposed to be the kings of basshead headphones.

 

[lubczyk]

As an older brother you can really help lead your younger brother into quality products. I wanted some terrible Nintendo N64 flight game one Christmas and instead my brother got me the now infamous Goldeneye game from Rare. Couldn't thank my brother enough.

 

[devouringone3]

If he likes Diamond Tears, Fostex Kotori 201:
 

 
Every parts' color is personalizable. The pair I designed:

 
A tremendous sounding portable fullsize headphone, with plenty of bass at 10 Hz. It comes with a rigid case, for about 200 dollars shipped worldwide from Japan. I can guide you through the very easy process of setting up a tenso.com account for your virtual Japanese address and package forwarding.
 
 
There is also the smaller Kotori 301! but it has been released yet (and I have no idea when)





 

 

[MalVeauX]

Hrm,
 
11 year olds with $300 headphones and a bunch of trashy MP3's from their several hundred dollar iphones.
 
No wonder Monster/SkullCandy/Etc are taking over the market. Who are these parents?
 
Advice: don't give in to the boys. Teach them to work for what they want and they can waste that much money on some plastic neck jewelry when they're old enough to know the difference between product placement and peer fashion pressure and what good audio is.
 
Very best,

 

[KimLaroux]

What's the point of Christmas if you are forced to buy them what they want? I would simply refuse to buy them beats, honestly. You should try to make them realize that they are being slaves to pop culture by wanting those headphones and those headphones only: they disregard their own free will and submit to what others dictate them to want. What's the point for them to own what everybody else already owns? Do they enjoy being sheep? What's more, they pull you into it, even when you know better. It's really disgusting when I think about it. But hey I'm known to have very strong opinions, and I don't have the skills to voice them diplomatically. I'm sure there are ways to say this to a 11 years old, but I don't know them.
 
I personally think a pair of COP or M-100 would make a killer gift. 

 

[thehumantornado]

yeah, not sure the best course of action, but i couldn't do it personally.  buy him halo or something instead and just avoid it completely?

 

[machoboy]

He's 11. Get him counterfeit Beats for $11.95 and watch them rot in a corner a week later. Grouchy old 20-something man advice.

 

[pwnm30rdi3]

Quote:

He's 11. Get him counterfeit Beats for $11.95 and watch them rot in a corner a week later. Grouchy old 20-something man advice.

 
I like this.
 
Hell! Buy him counterfeit beats, when he finds out how bad they are and how poorly they are built he will put them in the corner. You can say, I told you so!
Next christmas get him something nicer. Sub ~$200

 

[devouringone3]

Oh, if it is that kind of "I want to have the same as they" gift, he won't look at the sound quality. They want to own Beats only to own Beats, and not to actually listen to music.
 
It's hard to refuse that kind of gift to a younger one; he won't think or want to hear of anything else.
 
Personally I would sit next to him and explain him like an adult that:
-- you buy things to use them, not for a brand label; make sure that he knows he could get a genuinely better sounding headphone even more adapted to his needs for the same price
-- it is more rewarding to bet on individuality than trying to copy the others; if he can impress the girls with the sound quality of his headphone, he will become a lot more popular than any Beats owner
 
It's a good strategy to go towards the other stylishly designed headphones that are here to compete against Beats and make a compromise. Not only they will be better, your brother will a lot more original with these instead.

 

[dleblanc343]

Hey thanks for the input guys. Those custom fostex are very interesting, I will definitely be showing him those.

On another note, it's hard to negotiate with a 11 year old who can't appreciate something like an HD800 or and lcd3 that is available in his home. Granted he already knows the difference between a lossy file and a lossless, most of the music he will be listening is from my collection.

I definitely don't want to support monster, but I also want him to learn to become a critical listener, and if its monster or nothing; may as well get monster's flagship. The DT are about on the same level as the HD25-1 II with better bass and high peaks control but lesser imaging and spaciousness. Quite frankly, for the price I get them for they're good cans, but boy are they ugly...

Again, I wish he'd take a momentum/ amperior or an esw9, dt1350... But it's not easy. I know entrusting an 11 year old with a pair of pricy phones isn't the most sensible idea, but he has a passion for music in development but also an eye for "swag".

He's also warming up to v-moda luckily since you can have your own custom plates, so maybe it might end up with m80's.

I'll let you guys know how he responds to different phones, and the custom fostex. Otherwise, if there other suggestions or hidden gems, let me know.

 

[Musifier]

Hi so im 13 years old and I have owned The Bose AE2i, UE 6000, and the beautiful UE 9000.So I would personally recommend the UE 6000 just go see Tylls review they are totally stylish like the beats, have better sound than the Amperiors/Momentums and they have ANC! Any question please ask me.
And about the "they have I want it" I totally understand it, like in my school almost all my friends have Beats I tell them that they suck but they think they are the best sounding headphones, I live in Mexico and I'm in the US right now so I can't wait to show my friends my UE headphones.

Tylls review: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/surprisingly-good-logitec-ue6000-and-ue9000

UE 6000: http://ue.logitech.com/en-us/headphones/ue6000

And yes this is a hidden gem

 

[Christo4]

Quote:

Hey thanks for the input guys. Those custom fostex are very interesting, I will definitely be showing him those.
On another note, it's hard to negotiate with a 11 year old who can't appreciate something like an HD800 or and lcd3 that is available in his home. 

 
Can you be my older brother? oh please please please please

 

[Supertoaster]

He just wants beats because they are beats. Buy him some counterfeit ones (make sure they are the worst possible quality counterfeits) and teach him a lesson.

 

[Christo4]

Someone already suggested that .
Quote:

He's 11. Get him counterfeit Beats for $11.95 and watch them rot in a corner a week later. Grouchy old 20-something man advice.