[powerhouse64]

My son had been wasting earphones like John Travolta had been wasting gangsters in the "From Paris with Love" movie. Fortunately those crappy fake iPhone plugs or similar didn't make much of a dent in the purse. So one day I decided it's time to "end his suffering" by getting him some decent cans. I wanted him to have open headphones, else I feared that he'd loose contact with the world around him. The best I could find for him were the AKG K142 HD semi-open headphones.
 
Not sure these cans qualify for high-end, but at any case he's sold. He drags them everywhere and is super happy with the sound. Never thought he'd care.

 

[BillsonChang007]

My son had been wasting earphones like John Travolta had been wasting gangsters in the "From Paris with Love" movie. Fortunately those crappy fake iPhone plugs or similar didn't make much of a dent in the purse. So one day I decided it's time to "end his suffering" by getting him some decent cans. I wanted him to have open headphones, else I feared that he'd loose contact with the world around him. The best I could find for him were the AKG K142 HD semi-open headphones.

Not sure these cans qualify for high-end, but at any case he's sold. He drags them everywhere and is super happy with the sound. Never thought he'd care.

Congrats! xD

 

[genclaymore]

I thought about getting my older bro some closed back headphones like DT770 pro-32s or something affordable, tho I doubt he would care enough since he does uses skullcandy headphones, I forgot which ones exactly but their cheaper end ones. I know what type of music he listen to so it wont be hard. Maybe I wont have to hear his rap and gangster rap whenever i go over to vist

 

[Merlyn1955]

I have discovered there are cheaper less expensive and less addictive hobbies then being an audiophile.. Crack cocaine for example..

 

[thatBeatsguy]

I have discovered there are cheaper less expensive and less addictive hobbies then being an audiophile.. Crack cocaine for example..

If you've got the brains, you could even make some money off of it.

 

[Merlyn1955]

To make matters worse, last year I gave my 16-year-old niece, for her birthday a pair of Grado SR80i's... Now I fear that she become addicted also!! :evil:

 

[MachBot]

Too much hobby to cover, too little cash to feed them all..
 
Cameras, audio..
 
Might be getting a guitar somewhere down a road.. 

 

[Mechans1]

It is altogether true that there are many really expensive hobbies involving the acquisition of material things, but you don't always create the same monster you and me had become with headphone gear. It takes a willing and fertile collectors mindset to get consumed by this hobby. Suggesting a only better headphone may be result in just that, a single step and the recipients may be happy and quite satisfied with it. For instance I don't know that smoking some weed will result in a heroine and crack addiction if you want an analogy. So get her the phones and then tell her getting something "better" will be exponentially more expensive and to forget about it, because of the need to upgrade the entire system, it is obvious that becoming an audiophile has its downsides.. Unless she just can't say no of course, then just tell her the slope is slippery and has nearly bankrupted many avid audiophiles. Live with what you got. (advice I never had taken except when imperative. )

 

[BillsonChang007]

Let my younger sister listen to my B&O H6 the other day, then I let her listen to my SR60i modded a few days ago. Every now and then, she ask to borrow the Grado. It's impressive how Grado have not fail to impress anyone!

 

[Merlyn1955]

Grado... The entry level drug to the world of the Audiophile....

 

[genclaymore]

For me it wasn't grado, it was audio techinca then AKG and beyerdynamic made it worst..

 

[kothganesh]

  For me it wasn't grado, it was audio techinca then AKG and beyerdynamic made it worst..

It was Audio Technica, then Hifiman, Audeze, Senn and Stax .............oh my wallet !

 

[MachBot]

Beyer was my first can, my westone 3 come before that.

Got my beyer because it's more convenient than my w3 when using my computer.

 

[streetdragon]

for me it was my friend's srh940 believe it or not, it showed me how lacking in detail my hd202 is (given by the same friend as a bday gift), then i went to a modded hd558 from there.
got an MS1 later, and planning to get a custom made custom one pro for portable use

 

[SSandDigital]

  My son had been wasting earphones like John Travolta had been wasting gangsters in the "From Paris with Love" movie. Fortunately those crappy fake iPhone plugs or similar didn't make much of a dent in the purse. So one day I decided it's time to "end his suffering" by getting him some decent cans. I wanted him to have open headphones, else I feared that he'd loose contact with the world around him. The best I could find for him were the AKG K142 HD semi-open headphones.
 
Not sure these cans qualify for high-end, but at any case he's sold. He drags them everywhere and is super happy with the sound. Never thought he'd care.

 
That's how I justify costs for the higher end headphones.  Not just the sound, but build and durability.  Spend a few hundred on quality pair or buy 10 crappy ones?  SRH840 lasted me many years before finally broke, but that was from constant shoving them into my backpacks, I was not kind to them.  AD900x still look pristine to me and I don't have headphone stand, I expect them to last me another 10 years, but I'll probably upgrade or get something different by then.