[LizardKing1]

Quote:

You can, but you shouldn't, because all you're doing is filling up the forum with noise IMO.

This is an example of why you shouldn't post recommendations of products you don't own and have zero experience with. Your recommendations will cause people to buy products. If they are unhappy, because of YOUR posts, they will have wasted their money. Do you think this is ok?
 

I wouldn't say that this is the same thing as recommending products you haven't heard. The technical limitations of OTL tube amps are well known and not in dispute. 
 

I'd say you shouldn't post at all in this case.

 
I'm sorry, I thought it was clear that the second quote of mine was a joke.
I shouldn't really bother in replying, but I will anyway and with lots sentences. I will still post in these cases I mentioned, and if I was a newcomer asking for hep I'd welcome anyone giving this kind of advice. If I can't decide between 2 models, of course input from someone who owns both would be ideal, but someone who only owns one can have a very valid opinion like "model X is really good for your preferences" because it at least tells you one of your choices will probably do good. 
 
As for the noise, lol. At least I'm giving input on the subject. Many posts here of people asking for advice get like 1 or 2 replies, and all of these members whining about people giving unexperienced views don't really ever bother helping those newcomers, otherwise new threads wouldn't go almost unanswered. When they do help I'll stop posting, but until then I think a partial help is better than no help at all. When someone with obviously more experience in that  particular situation (X vs Y) than me posts, I never try to kid myself or the OP into believing I can actually argue. But to actually call my help 'noise' is a bit excessive.
 
A good example of 'regurgitative' advice, where I have no personal experience: currently I've been searching for a neutral, well-extended, very detailed full-sized headphone. People were talking mostly about 3 models: DT880 600ohm, K701 and SRH940. I tried the K702, but let's pretend like I didn't. If someone else with the same preferences asks for advice, after explaining I don't own or have tried any of these, I'll inform him I was searching for the same thing, mention the 3 models that get most mention in this category and how they compare from what I've read. If I can find a review I'll post it. In no way am I trying to get audiophile cred, but I am trying to give good advice to someone in a particular subject which I have searched quite a lot, and honestly I think this is very helpful to him/her/it.

 

[Navyblue]

I have been away for a while, and I find that:

- Most people who posts here are new, and joined within the past year.
- Those people who used to post here either stopped posting, or got banned.

- The quality of information here has gone down, like earlier posters aptly described, it felt like it's full of 12-year-old here.

After reading this thread, glad to know that I am not crazy.

Like most people who have been away for a while, there seems to be a lot more headphone now, so I started to look around. I find that when I look for opinion, there are a few. But when I ask for experience, there tend to be none.

For example:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/595134/thunderpants-vs-hd650-stock-or-otherwise
 
And with the recent introduction of thousand dollars headphone, some newer people seem to get snobby and crap on the used-to-be-trifecta (HD650, K701, DT880)

.
 
I am surprised that it is even debatable that if one has never heard of a certain piece of gear, you are not supposed to act like you have heard it. I don't want to sound old (neither am I), but it used to be common sense. Guess how hype and rumors are started? And if you felt that you can point someone in the right direction, why not say it like it really is? Like "these are a list of headphone that many seem consider bassy, although I haven't heard them all", rather than "these headphones are bassy". What is so hard about it?
 
I agree that ultimately the reader have to filter the crap out, but it's be nice to have less crap to swim in. And yeah, that 3-month-old Headphoneous Supremous label is a big red flag.

But to be fair, this is not new though. I've learned to put more weight in words of long time audiophile then some kid who claim to be audiophile but seem to know little about the audio world, this thread has a bunch of them.

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/544391/you-know-youre-an-audiophile-when
 
There are occasions that I want to start a thread on a similar vein, I am glad that the OP did it.

 

[rainblack]

[size=medium]Like I said earlier, I’ve been here for more than a year, but joined only a few months ago (oh and I’m a not-so-young-newbie); during all that time I was looking for « the right first mid-fi pair » but never bothered posting a thread saying « I need the best headphones for me with X budget ».[/size]
 
[size=medium]Why? First off because I’m wise enough to know that I would’ve got quite a few recommendations from newbies bringing up always the same few headphones (with no experience, nothing concrete, simple “buy these, they are sick”) that were recommended for everyone with that same budget, plus I wouldn’t get the juice / info from experienced actual audiophiles that I was looking for sadly. Experienced ppl’s advice is hard to get / find now. [/size]
 
[size=medium]How can you see this? Well the obvious is when no one is asking the OP further info / questions on technical stuff I didn’t even know about until I started reading OLD threads (2006-2009). That is one way of sorting out ppl with experience vs ppl with one pair of headphones they enjoy. When I see someone asking at least “what source”, “what amp impedance” (still have so much to learn…) etc. now that’s a good simple sign of “experience” I’m looking for. [/size]
 
[size=medium]So until there’s a new part of this forum where you can ask brilliant questions and only experienced wise ppl will be allowed to answer (I’m not asking for this… I know it would be a nightmare to administrate)… I’m digging up old threads [/size]J

 

[Chris J]

"Life is a system of half truths and lies,
Opportunistic, convenient evasions."
 
Langston Hughes
poet, playwright, social activist, novelist

 

[drtturnip]

One big problem is people not using the search tool and asking the same question over and over and over...When I  suggested someone use it to find an answer I was chided by another member as if I broke protocol. Also new members ( I include myself ) are just trying to be helpful and probably post too often. 

 

[jgray91]

Quote:

One big problem is people not using the search tool and asking the same question over and over and over...When I  suggested someone use it to find an answer I was chided by another member as if I broke protocol. Also new members ( I include myself ) are just trying to be helpful and probably post too often. 

I agree, and I use the search function most of the time, but I wish I use more. For some reason, the search function seems to like digging up FS threads more. And I've been seeing some, if not most of the more senior members (in join date, not post) said something like the search function is somewhat broken.

 

[thedjswn]

The problem is that no matter how well you understand the technical aspects of a headphone and general sound, when you tell someone about a set of cans, you are giving your opinion. Whether your opinion is based on actually hearing the 'phones, or reading about them, it is still your opinion.  "Objective" data cannot give a realistic understanding of how something actually sounds.
For example: the infamous ath-m50 
according to it's frequency response graph (taken from both innerfidelity and headroom)  it should be a fairly mid centric headphone.
 However, anyone that has heard one could tell you that it's not.
 
Oh, and on a bit of a side note:
Here is a list of "facts" that I have garnered from several years of lurking around headfi.
 
1. Beats brand headphones are the worst thing ever made, anyone that says otherwise is an idiot and should probably be shot.
2. Bose headphones sound terrible. the only reason anyone buys them is because they have tricked into giving their money away based solely on name brand recognition. Bose is a    
    conspiracy crafted by the same guys that killed J.F.K.
3. On the eighth day, God made the ath-m50.
4. Bass is bad, you don't want it. If your head phones have any bass in them, you're probably just a "basshead" and don't have any appreciation for real music.
    Unless you listen to dubstep,
    then it's okay.
5. Skullcandy headphones are for children. Partially deaf children with no fashion sense.
6. If you own headphones manufactured by either Sennheiser, Grado or Audeze and you spent more than $600 on them, Guess what? You're better than everyone else!
 
7. If you haven't yet spent at least $20,000 on your set up,
    (dac, tube amp, mahogany headphone stand, acoustically tiled listening room, and of course handmade planar magnetic headphones crafted out of agarwood cups with amur leopard skin  
    pads recabled with platinum coated oxygen free silver cables.)
    Then you should consider upgrading immediately.

 

[drtturnip]

Quote:

The problem is that no matter how well you understand the technical aspects of a headphone and general sound, when you tell someone about a set of cans, you are giving your opinion. Whether your opinion is based on actually hearing the 'phones, or reading about them, it is still your opinion.  "Objective" data cannot give a realistic understanding of how something actually sounds.
For example: the infamous ath-m50 
according to it's frequency response graph (taken from both innerfidelity and headroom)  it should be a fairly mid centric headphone.
 However, anyone that has heard one could tell you that it's not.
 
Oh, and on a bit of a side note:
Here is a list of "facts" that I have garnered from several years of lurking around headfi.
 
1. Beats brand headphones are the worst thing ever made, anyone that says otherwise is an idiot and should probably be shot.
2. Bose headphones sound terrible. the only reason anyone buys them is because they have tricked into giving their money away based solely on name brand recognition. Bose is a    
    conspiracy crafted by the same guys that killed J.F.K.
3. On the eighth day, God made the ath-m50.
4. Bass is bad, you don't want it. If your head phones have any bass in them, you're probably just a "basshead" and don't have any appreciation for real music.
    Unless you listen to dubstep,
    then it's okay.
5. Skullcandy headphones are for children. Partially deaf children with no fashion sense.
6. If you own headphones manufactured by either Sennheiser, Grado or Audeze and you spent more than $600 on them, Guess what? You're better than everyone else!
 
7. If you haven't yet spent at least $20,000 on your set up,
    (dac, tube amp, mahogany headphone stand, acoustically tiled listening room, and of course handmade planar magnetic headphones crafted out of agarwood cups with amur leopard skin  
    pads recabled with platinum coated oxygen free silver cables.)
    Then you should consider upgrading immediately.

Now thats funny. Well put.
 
 

 

[jgray91]

Quote:

The problem is that no matter how well you understand the technical aspects of a headphone and general sound, when you tell someone about a set of cans, you are giving your opinion. Whether your opinion is based on actually hearing the 'phones, or reading about them, it is still your opinion.  "Objective" data cannot give a realistic understanding of how something actually sounds.
For example: the infamous ath-m50 
according to it's frequency response graph (taken from both innerfidelity and headroom)  it should be a fairly mid centric headphone.
 However, anyone that has heard one could tell you that it's not.
 
Oh, and on a bit of a side note:
Here is a list of "facts" that I have garnered from several years of lurking around headfi.
 
1. Beats brand headphones are the worst thing ever made, anyone that says otherwise is an idiot and should probably be shot.
2. Bose headphones sound terrible. the only reason anyone buys them is because they have tricked into giving their money away based solely on name brand recognition. Bose is a    
    conspiracy crafted by the same guys that killed J.F.K.
3. On the eighth day, God made the ath-m50.
4. Bass is bad, you don't want it. If your head phones have any bass in them, you're probably just a "basshead" and don't have any appreciation for real music.
    Unless you listen to dubstep,
    then it's okay.
5. Skullcandy headphones are for children. Partially deaf children with no fashion sense.
6. If you own headphones manufactured by either Sennheiser, Grado or Audeze and you spent more than $600 on them, Guess what? You're better than everyone else!
 
7. If you haven't yet spent at least $20,000 on your set up,
    (dac, tube amp, mahogany headphone stand, acoustically tiled listening room, and of course handmade planar magnetic headphones crafted out of agarwood cups with amur leopard skin  
    pads recabled with platinum coated oxygen free silver cables.)
    Then you should consider upgrading immediately.

LOL this gave off the impressions of cults.

 

[thedips]

Quote:

One big problem is people not using the search tool and asking the same question over and over and over...When I  suggested someone use it to find an answer I was chided by another member as if I broke protocol. Also new members ( I include myself ) are just trying to be helpful and probably post too often. 

 
long time member here.. (posting here and there as it pertains to me) i think this is also something i notice quite a bit.  its like i can leave the forum and come back every few yrs and see literally the same questions flooding the top.  with a few other flame threads mixed in. 
 
What headphones for me? 
are grados good?
beats/bose sucks! post your opinions 
etc.
 
but in the end even though there is an increasing number of equipment, gear, etc. there will be an increasing number of reviews and people contributing.  just learn to filter out the noise and move along.  
before.. my setup hasn't really changed and my most recent purchases were my GRADO HF2s (based on a lot of forum member input) and for my brother some DENONs (because i realized the grado house sound wasn't for him {and btw he loved his BOSE QCs until they were stolen at school} )  as much as i hate the trolls as well, its the interwebs... filtering the thru the crap i just part of the experience.
 
 

 

[GigaFi]

There's no such thing as "noise" on forums, that's just silly!

 

[thedips]

Quote:

There's no such thing as "noise" on forums, that's just silly!

 

 

 

[Coq de Combat]

Quote:

LOL this gave off the impressions of cults.

Well, read some of these "Impressions"- or "Appreciation"-threads. You'll soon find out that 'cults' are not necessarily far off. Some are just outright crazy in that regard.. Two of them comes to mind that are in the portable headphones section.

 

[jgray91]

Quote:

Well, read some of these "Impressions"- or "Appreciation"-threads. You'll soon find out that 'cults' are not necessarily far off. Some are just outright crazy in that regard.. Two of them comes to mind that are in the portable headphones section.

LOL I hope I didn't order me some cultphones. :x

 

[Coq de Combat]

Quote:

LOL I hope I didn't order me some cultphones. :x

LOL, I know I have, although I've got to say that I really like the M50s.
 
I can see why the majority would be tired of them seeing as they are slightly overrated in the sense that they were recommended far too often and no matter what people were wanting. You'll soon find out that there are other headphones that has the same overpresentation right now, but I'm going to keep it down for a bit for the time being. Anyway, it's not a bad headphone; I'd put it on par with D2000 in terms of enjoyment when listening to it despite being technically inferior. However, I wouldn't recommend them to everyone except for those that I think would like them (slightly V-shaped sound, deep:ish bass response, and so on). It's the same with the Ultrasone Pro 900 - I rarely recommend them to anyone due to their S-logic (which probably won't fit everyone) and especially not as a first can despite the fact that I really like their sound signature.
 
Oh well, enough off-topic. Where were we, cults, ah yes..