Most under-rated headphones...

[obobskivich]

The Apple earbuds aren't anything special, but the Apple IEMs I love. Fantastic sound from dual drivers for just $80.

Apple IEMs?

 

[audiofan]

Of all I've heard before, DT231 Pro should've some love!

i agree.

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

Apple IEMs?

 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/apple-apple-in-ear-headphones-with-remote-and-mic/reviews
 
ADDIEM - haven't tried them, but have seen a lot of people rate them as a value option. 

 

[Gwarmi]

 Nice segway ~ I always wondered what happened to the Skunkworks project between Neil Young
 and the late Steve Jobes - talk of a new audiophile proprietary file format and the use of exclusive
 Wolfson or other circuitry to give the rising audiophile masses their due.
 
 Not much has progressed I take, a real shame - I was just down at the local hypermart just now
 - guy behind the counter freaked out upon seeing someone wearing GS1000i's out in public 
 (he had no idea what they were) - gave him an earful of Ennio Morricone's best just from the iShuffle
 and you could literally see his eyes bug out from his skull! No, not from the treble extension but
 rather the sudden revelation that headphones can sound extraordinary.

 

[obobskivich]

I don't know what's weirder yet simultaneously cooler - that you wear GS-1000's in public, or that you share so willingly.

 

[manveru]

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I think the biggest drive right now is the "headphones as fashion accessory" coupled with the whole iPod generation noise that you're getting at - and that'll die down as those people age and buy into speakers (which is the interesting bit of the trend - and I base this on what I've observed here, lots of kiddos buying headphones for college or because mom and dad are sick of hearing their PC speakers, and it's a compromise for them; a lot of longer-time posters seem to be getting that maybe Erik had the right idea all along).

 
I don't really give a crap about fashion and mostly only use headphones at home, but I'm already done. I've reached satisfaction as far as my main headphone "setup" goes. (22 yr old student by the way.) Any more serious money in the future I would rather spend on speakers, though even then I don't plan to go really crazy. 

 

[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

I think the biggest drive right now is the "headphones as fashion accessory" coupled with the whole iPod generation noise that you're getting at - and that'll die down as those people age and buy into speakers (which is the interesting bit of the trend - and I base this on what I've observed here, lots of kiddos buying headphones for college or because mom and dad are sick of hearing their PC speakers, and it's a compromise for them; a lot of longer-time posters seem to be getting that maybe Erik had the right idea all along).
Oh and remember that, at least in the US, most of those "aging hi-fi guys" are up to their hairline in debt and barely treading water to stay in their houses.

 
For me, the whole move toward headphones started with the computer room's unsuitability toward a surround speaker system, and then I heard the wonders of binaural audio and what it could do for gaming. Not disturbing the rest of the family was just a neat extra perk. Now here I am, buying used Stax setups of all things...
 
Now, if I could afford the speakers themselves, the amps to drive them, and a proper acoustically-optimized room to put them in, I might pursue a surround Quad ESL-57 or ESL-63 setup given what I've heard about those...I still have my doubts that a typical 5.1/7.1 arrangement of speakers will give me the seamless 3D sound sensation that binaural mixes over headphones do, though.
 
I know, you're probably thinking "Why the heck are you looking at electrostatics when on a budget?", but the sound presentation is just unlike anything else I've ever heard, and at least used "lower-end" gear is reasonably affordable and still sounds nice! It's not like I NEED the SR-009 and a BHSE to enjoy my music at all.
 
As for "aging hi-fi guys" being up in debt, that hits a bit too close to home with my family's current financial situation...but when my stepfather still had a nicely-paying job, he'd put down a good bit of money for decent audio gear. In particular, he's still fond of his 70's-era Sansui gear, ranging from an 8080DB receiver that stays boxed up to a pair of SP-2500X floorstanders that still see use in the living room, and I'm using one of his older Onkyo receivers (won't let me touch the 8080DB) just to drive my Stax transformer box. None of it is hugely expensive audiophile-grade stuff by any means, but if the reviews I can dig up are anything to go by, most of it was fairly well-regarded for the time.
 
 

how i see it, there is no such thing as lo-fi,mid-fi or hi-fi. it's just a mind set people make up to feel special and have a good feeling deep down inside. it's just an illusion that we perceive as an absolute, just like time and space. it's there but, then again it's not. we only ''think'' it exist to give us a purpose. well,that's how i see it with people and this so called ''hobby'' or, i guess any hobby in general.

 

That's what happens when everyone's sucked up in The Grand Illusion...come on in and see what's happening, pay your price, get your tickets for the show!

 

[ssrock64]

One that always comes into my head is the Pioneer HDJ-2000. It's such a fantastic headphone to be ignored. It's got a fantastic sound signature, great imaging, above-par soundstage, great response in all ranges, and so much more detail than any other "DJ" headphone on the market. It's also built with durability in mind, and looks great to boot! It's everything to Beats Pro should've been: a competitive, great-sounding professional headphone that pleases the ears of everyone who listens to it while retaining great design and construction. I can't believe it's not one of the highest-recommended cans on Head-Fi.
 
 

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[obobskivich]

Are they comfortable?

And didn't Tyll review that one a while ago?

And, third and fourth questions: isn't there a gold-plated version? And how much does it cost (not the gold one, well I guess you could price that too but it's probably ridiculous, I mean the one in your image though).

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

Are they comfortable?
And didn't Tyll review that one a while ago?
And, third and fourth questions: isn't there a gold-plated version? And how much does it cost (not the gold one, well I guess you could price that too but it's probably ridiculous, I mean the one in your image though).

If you're talking about the HDJ-2000, they're damn comfortable. And yes, there have been a lot of stupid coverings done to them. There's a bedazzled version that was done at one point. I believe they're available from under $300 online, but you'll have to pay $350 at Best Buy.

 

[roma101]

X2 for the HDJ-2000. When I owned them I loved them. Would've kept them if they isolated better for portable use. The only other thing is that the ear cups are shallow - it could be uncomfortable for anyone who has bigger ears. Still wonderful cans in their own right.

 

[Lazwarth]

Sony MDR NC13, nobody has ever heard of them and for 60$ they were much better than the CX300 I auditioned.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

One that always comes into my head is the Pioneer HDJ-2000. It's such a fantastic headphone to be ignored. It's got a fantastic sound signature, great imaging, above-par soundstage, great response in all ranges, and so much more detail than any other "DJ" headphone on the market. It's also built with durability in mind, and looks great to boot! It's everything to Beats Pro should've been: a competitive, great-sounding professional headphone that pleases the ears of everyone who listens to it while retaining great design and construction. I can't believe it's not one of the highest-recommended cans on Head-Fi.
 
 

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I would love to try this, but it's soooo expensive. $349 retail. Yuck. I guess i'm cheap. I've already read that they lack a bit of sub-bass.
I've heard them at Best Buy and felt they were up there with the DJ100 and HD-380. Nothing else there on demo I liked much. The HDJ-1500 sounded very bad to me.
 
The price is maybe why more people haven't tried it..

 

[warrenpchi]

Quote:

I would love to try this, but it's soooo expensive. $349 retail. Yuck.

 
Yeah but the thing is all metal and has cool articulating joints and stuff - its like made from the bodies of fallen Autobots or something.  A steep price to be sure, but at $349 it's still $50 cheaper than Beats Pros (which just take the cake in terms of being expensive for no good reason).

 

[Extra]

Amazon actually has the HDJ-2000's for about $250 and an all black version for about $300