[MICHAELSD]

For many years the market leaders like Bose and Beats have been underwhelming in execution, sound quality, and build quality -- yet people continued to buy them in multitudes. After testing out the newest models from both though, namely the QC35 and Solo3 respectively, it's clear that they're both finally doing more than manipulating their marketing: they're becoming best-in-class.
 
There are potentially better options from Sony and Sennheiser depending on exactly what a consumer is after from a pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, but the QC35 do sound very good for their intended purpose and it seems most critics can agree that Bose has the best noise-cancelling on the market -- thereby making the QC35 a good buy, if not a bit overpriced and lacking in build quality with a plasticy feel. However, when it comes to the Beats Solo3 Tyll from InnerFidelity had called the Solo2 best-in-class for an on-ear headphone in its price range and in my opinion the Solo3 sounds even better. Couple that with 40 hours of battery life, and the Solo3 is ostensibly a class-leader in quality for a wireless on-ear headphone.
 
Point being, the most mainstream audio brands are finally investing in R&D for their sound and features to match their popularity. Even more niche previously fashion-first headphone brands like V-MODA have been releasing headphones with best-in-class audio as this forum knows well with the crowd-sourced M-100, besting out proven audio brands like Sennheiser and Audio Technica for top spots in wired over-ear headphone recommendations.
 
Just two years ago many of the headphones available in a retail setting that had a heavy marketing push behind them sounded underwhelming and were unadvisable buys for the money. Now though, almost every popular brand is creating genuinely good headphones with reasons beyond marketing why they are worth a purchase. Innovation in the headphone market is about to reach a pinnacle where good audio can be found just about everywhere, along with features that make a headphone like the oft-recommended Audio Technica M-50x feel like a prehistoric artifact. It's happening, and the most unlikely brands to audiophiles are the ones making the push.

 

[H20Fidelity]

IMO its quite clear companies like Bose, Beats could produce fantastic sounding headphones up with the realms of audiophile quality, look at the resources and budgets they could allocate. But they choose not to because they can keep the expenses down and still sell well. Its also probably obvious companies like this have the next few generations planned ahead and will slowly improve them so mainstream consumers pay for the next model. Its all marketting tactic, what you're seeing is them slowly advancing to keep mainstream consumbers interested. Overall they have very little interest in playing our game, you're merely seeing them edging the performance forward so it sells.

 

[MICHAELSD]

IMO its quite clear companies like Bose, Beats could produce fantastic sounding headphones up with the realms of audiophile quality, look at the resources and budgets they could allocate. But they choose not to because they can keep the expenses down and still sell well. Its also probably obvious companies like this have the next few generations planned ahead and will slowly improve them so mainstream consumers pay for the next model. Its all marketting tactic, what you're seeing is them slowly advancing to keep mainstream consumbers interested. Overall they have very little interest in playing our game, you're merely seeing them edging the performance forward so it sells.

Interesting point. Considering their budgets and talent they likely are purposefully holding back the sound quality of their headphones so that every year they can release a new headphone that sounds a tad better than the previous year. It'd be far more preferable to us if they invested in new technologies like superior driver materials and housings, but to the rest of the market minimal annual improvements are sufficient.

 

[ryanjsoo]

Honestly, most people can't tell a difference in sound quality anyway. I often let my friends test out my Sennheiser ie800's and they often say that the ie800 "sounds distorted". They're probably not used to the detail, perhaps they were listening to youtube rips and were hearing the compression artefacts, I'm not sure. Regardless, none of them say "wow!" 
 
What buyers will notice instead, is a sleek design that hugs the neck, ala Beats, or vacuum-like noise cancellation such as that on Bose's higher end headphones. I've personally owned the QC25 and QC35 and think that the sound quality isn't bad at all and that the noise cancellation really is uncanny (though the Sony MDR-1000x is pretty darn close). That being said, I would take a headphone like the Oppo PM3 over them anyday, the high end is the just too restrained for my tastes and the low end is lacking definition and texture (but of course, it's not a bad sound for travel). On the flipside, one could consider something like the Sony MDR-1A a consumer headphone and to my ear, those are a very competent headphone for their now reduced price, it's a complicated dilemma.  
 
So personally I think consumer headphones have a way to go before they can match up to the scrutinising head-fi ear, but while one would think that sound would be the most important aspect of a headphone, ironically, this is actually the least recognised aspect of headphones to the vast majority of buyers. Retail stores are very much superficial experiences, buyers just want to walk in and leave with something shiny. So if your headphone is the best sounding in the world but isn't marketable nor fashionable, tough luck, it isn't going to sell and I think that perfectly describes the majority of headphones that are so beloved on head-fi such as the Hifiman HE400 and Sennheiser HD600. Of course, those particular headphones were never intended to be fashionable since they're at-home headphones, but on a surface level, I wouldn't be as compelled to even try them out as a set of Beats Studio 2.0's for example.