[WilliamLeonhart]

  Small but competitive... very. 
 

Non-audiophile reactions to high-end headphones Part II

Why would you spend $2k on an audio system that has like... NO BASS? 

This was me, 10 years ago:
"Wow this must be expensive huh? My chest feels tightened by the bass!"

 

[zorin]

  Agreed!
 



 
Denon D5K + Lawton pads + Hardware EQ = 
 
My mate freaked out when he heard the bass from this rig!
 
As much as he asked, I wouldn't tell him how much it has cost me.

Tell him, be honest. Tell him that quality comes at a cost.

 

[BillsonChang007]

  Tell him, be honest. Tell him that quality comes at a cost.

I have come to a conclusion to not tell some people the true cost I spent on audio... In my country, you can probably by a second hand used car already 

 

[lookingforIEMs]

In my country, you can probably by a second hand used car already 

If only I can say that for my country

 

[kilspeed111]

  I have come to a conclusion to not tell some people the true cost I spent on audio... In my country, you can probably by a second hand used car already 

That's the reply I get when I tell people how much my HD800 retails for. Not even talking amps or DACs. "Dude you could've gotten an all inclusive vacation, or a used car for that money!". Yes, that would've been possible, but I find my money to be better invested in a pair of headphones as I use them over 8 hours a day, I don't like vacations, and I'm not even close to my drivers license, is the usual response I give. And ofcourse offer them a listen when possible.

 

[BillsonChang007]

That's the reply I get when I tell people how much my HD800 retails for. Not even talking amps or DACs. "Dude you could've gotten an all inclusive vacation, or a used car for that money!". Yes, that would've been possible, but I find my money to be better invested in a pair of headphones as I use them over 8 hours a day, I don't like vacations, and I'm not even close to my drivers license, is the usual response I give. And ofcourse offer them a listen when possible.

As much as I love audio, I would take vacation over it which is why, I usually have vacations once or twice every year. But I would agree with you! I spend a lot of my time listening to music via speaker/headphone so investing in audio is worth it.

Here's the formula: 1hr = $1. If you spend 5 hours a day using it, it will be 1825hours a year. Headphones like HD800 are expected to last 10 years and thats 18250hr!

 

[bearFNF]

As much as I love audio, I would take vacation over it which is why, I usually have vacations once or twice every year. But I would agree with you! I spend a lot of my time listening to music via speaker/headphone so investing in audio is worth it.

Here's the formula: 1hr = $1. If you spend 5 hours a day using it, it will be 1825hours a year. Headphones like HD800 are expected to last 10 years and thats 18250hr!

It's your formula...so you can ignore me.

  JMHO but I would say my enjoyment/time is worth more than a $1 and hour, quite a bit more actually, but that is just me...

 

 

[DonutDeflector]

As much as I love audio, I would take vacation over it which is why, I usually have vacations once or twice every year. But I would agree with you! I spend a lot of my time listening to music via speaker/headphone so investing in audio is worth it.

Here's the formula: 1hr = $1. If you spend 5 hours a day using it, it will be 1825hours a year. Headphones like HD800 are expected to last 10 years and thats 18250hr!

That's actually a good formula and even conservative. It makes sense to spend money on something you like (food, clothes, computers, etc.). If you like food but only ate bread every day would that be good? No. Same with anything else!

 

[BillsonChang007]

That's actually a good formula and even conservative. It makes sense to spend money on something you like (food, clothes, computers, etc.). If you like food but only ate bread every day would that be good? No. Same with anything else!

I like that thinking!

  It's your formula...so you can ignore me.

  JMHO but I would say my enjoyment/time is worth more than a $1 and hour, quite a bit more actually, but that is just me...

 

The amount can be anything of your choice. So let's call it x now 

 

[kageroh]

I started years ago with some low-level, but already better AKGs (can't remember the model right now), and, for the beginner, increasingly expensive in-ears for mobile purposes. The last ones I bought were UE 700, and I really loved those while they lasted. After returning them for the third time for exchange due to cable breaks, I finally decided to get something more sturdy. So I started looking around for good mid-class over-ears that wouldn't make my wallet cry (at least not too much), and finally decided on the DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm Beyerdynamics. I had them delivered to my work adress and my colleague looked at me a bit strangely when I unwrapped them with the happiness of a child at christmas, but I didn't care much, and even less so when I plugged them into my J3 ... I think I was mentally drooling a bit at that point XD ... By now they are used to me wearing them at times, so I don't get "the look" any more, and my colleague listened to them and liked them too, even though I doubt he'd buy some for himself.
 
As for other's reactions, I've been carrying them around wherever I go, and aside from the usual grin-to-smirk variance on public transit (you know, from "oh god that's clunky" to "yummy, I want that too!") I got mostly good reactions from my friends. One of my friends asked about them, so I put them on her head while playing "Eternal Return" from the Dragon's Dogma Soundtrack, and she almost instantly got that drooly, happy grin we know all too well. Then she wordlessly took it off and placed it on her boyfriend's head, with an even greater similar reaction. After zoning off quite a bit during the song's duration he turned to me and asked how much they cost me, I told him 130€ (which was true), and he turned to his girlfriend (who are both short on money) and just said "Where can we get 130€ from? I need those!"
 
At least those two certainly show promise
 
As for certain fandoms that are more likely to get introduced to audiophilia, I definitely agree that both anime lovers and gamers are more open to it, as both fandoms have a rather large and deep collection of truly amazing soundtracks, and I like both of them.

 

[Danpyre]

  I started years ago with some low-level, but already better AKGs (can't remember the model right now), and, for the beginner, increasingly expensive in-ears for mobile purposes. The last ones I bought were UE 700, and I really loved those while they lasted. After returning them for the third time for exchange due to cable breaks, I finally decided to get something more sturdy. So I started looking around for good mid-class over-ears that wouldn't make my wallet cry (at least not too much), and finally decided on the DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm Beyerdynamics. I had them delivered to my work adress and my colleague looked at me a bit strangely when I unwrapped them with the happiness of a child at christmas, but I didn't care much, and even less so when I plugged them into my J3 ... I think I was mentally drooling a bit at that point XD ... By now they are used to me wearing them at times, so I don't get "the look" any more, and my colleague listened to them and liked them too, even though I doubt he'd buy some for himself.
 
As for other's reactions, I've been carrying them around wherever I go, and aside from the usual grin-to-smirk variance on public transit (you know, from "oh god that's clunky" to "yummy, I want that too!") I got mostly good reactions from my friends. One of my friends asked about them, so I put them on her head while playing "Eternal Return" from the Dragon's Dogma Soundtrack, and she almost instantly got that drooly, happy grin we know all too well. Then she wordlessly took it off and placed it on her boyfriend's head, with an even greater similar reaction. After zoning off quite a bit during the song's duration he turned to me and asked how much they cost me, I told him 130€ (which was true), and he turned to his girlfriend (who are both short on money) and just said "Where can we get 130€ from? I need those!"
 
At least those two certainly show promise
 
As for certain fandoms that are more likely to get introduced to audiophilia, I definitely agree that both anime lovers and gamers are more open to it, as both fandoms have a rather large and deep collection of truly amazing soundtracks, and I like both of them.

You forgot the bronies. 

 

[kageroh]

True, there's a lot of amazing fan-made music (both electronic and "classic" / orchestral) that is loosely or more closely connected to the brony fandom too. And then there's artists like https://www.youtube.com/user/MandoPony who originated there, but by now make fan music to games too, like Five Nights at Freddy's.

 

[thatBeatsguy]

You forgot the bronies. 

As an ex-brony (to all you bronies who think you can't escape the fandom, you can)...Ugh.
I refuse to listen to "brony music," as much as it sounds like a proper song without the brony tag. But then again, there are these hints that separate brony music from regular music, which is why I detest it to no end.

 

[Danpyre]

 
As an ex-brony (to all you bronies who think you can't escape the fandom, you can)...Ugh.
I refuse to listen to "brony music," as much as it sounds like a proper song without the brony tag. But then again, there are these hints that separate brony music from regular music, which is why I detest it to no end.

Even the instrumentals with no lyrics?

 

[thatBeatsguy]

  Even the instrumentals with no lyrics?

Even that crap.