[jerg]

Quote:

wasnt there a thread by jude saying they were actually pretty good?$$

A headphone that breaks, and costs $250 but only has a $100 sound, is no good headphone.
 
That thread only meant that the sound doesn't sound like some $10 plastic you find in the garbage can, no more, no less.

 

[Rawrbington]

I think you can get Shure srh840s from apple

 

[caracara08]

at least the 10$ plastic is 10$

 

[technologiq]

Quote:

wasnt there a thread by jude saying they were actually pretty good?$$

This thread right here.
 
That thread was one of the most compelling reasons that I bought the Aviators.  And the sound quality IS pretty good, I won't argue there.  I would say the sound was much cleaner than what came out of the V-Moda Crossfades.   But the build quality sucks.  If Skullcandy can fix their quality control issues I think they'd actually have a quality set of cans.  Until then however...

 

[wind016]

A better headphone for the same price with similar sonic characteristics, better quality and sound is the Ultrasone HFI 580.

 

[caracara08]

Quote:

This thread right here.
 
That thread was one of the most compelling reasons that I bought the Aviators.  And the sound quality IS pretty good, I won't argue there.  I would say the sound was much cleaner than what came out of the V-Moda Crossfades.   But the build quality sucks.  If Skullcandy can fix their quality control issues I think they'd actually have a quality set of cans.  Until then however...

Got 'em! is what the SC ppl are saying. 
 

 

[roma101]

Quote:

This thread right here.
 
That thread was one of the most compelling reasons that I bought the Aviators.  And the sound quality IS pretty good, I won't argue there.  I would say the sound was much cleaner than what came out of the V-Moda Crossfades.   But the build quality sucks.  If Skullcandy can fix their quality control issues I think they'd actually have a quality set of cans.  Until then however...

Agreed about the SQ; the cans are worth it for $150 IMHO. They also scale very highly with a great source. I was interested in them way before the CES thread however (before they came out even) and I'm not surprised Jude had that reaction. My only letdown is the lack of isolation - not the best for NYC subways. Anyway, it sucks hearing the OP's story. Mine are 2 months going strong and I try to be as gentle with them as possible. I might even get them recabled just to change that crappy wire. But all in all, I couldn't be happier with the SQ. Good pick with the M50's btw OP! 

 

 
Quote:

A better headphone for the same price with similar sonic characteristics, better quality and sound is the Ultrasone HFI 580.

How are the mids on the 580's? I'm considering them or the HFI 680's for a future purchase. 

 

[Alghazanth]

Quote:

At lunch I decided to head over to Guitar Center and try a pair of M50's and then to the Apple Store to try a pair of V-Moda crossfades.
 
Before leaving I synced up a few songs I wanted to listen to on my iPhone (this and my MBP will be my most frequently used media players).    I headed down to the Apple store and tried on the Crossfades. I love the way they look and they felt pretty good but the cups felt a little small and I don't have big ears.  I hooked them up to my iPhone and listened and really liked the way they sounded however I felt that it sounded 'soft' or as if there was a thick fabric over the sound.   Specifically I listened to Hotel California (instrumental version from "Hell Freezes Over") by the Eagles and Savior (Rise Against) (both 320kbps - I know, I know..) among others and was pleased by the sound.    I wasn't pleased by how much sound the crossfades let in, nor the fact that even in the Apple Store, which has a lot of loud ambient noise the leakage was pretty bad.  That said however they sounded so much better than the V-Moda IEMs I got at costco a few years ago and the Sony MDREX38iP's that I was using currently.
 
Then I drove over to GuitarCenter on a whim that they would even have the M50's in stock let alone a pair to demo.  I put them on and they felt almost too big, I adjusted and they were immediately quite comfortable.  I plugged them into my iPhone and fired up Hotel California.
 
Sweet mother of god.
 
I think my face started to melt.  Immediately that 'muffled' soft sound I had heard in Hotel California was gone.  Instead I heard individual claps from the audience and the sound of a finger running down the guitar string.   Not to sound too dramatic but it sounded like I was there.  The bass wasn't muddy but instead had a very specific punch to it.   I was very pleased.   Next I fired up Savior and truly experienced what 'soundstage' is.  In the first 10 seconds of vocals in that song it finally sounded like the music wasn't 'in my head' but instead it felt like I was in the studio and could point to where his voice was coming from.  I fired up some other songs and was just floored by the clarity, the bass, the mids, everything.
 
Needless to say I came back, traded the Apple Store card for an Amazon card and just ordered the M50's.  I can't wait to get them although I have a feeling I'll just have to leave them on for a day or so and break them in.  I wanted the Crossfades so bad, mostly because of the look and the fact that they had the iPod controls and mic but after comparing the SQ from them both I'm glad I'm going with the M50's.
 
Thank you Head-Fi, had I not known about this forum I would have happily bought Aviators/Beats/Crossfades and never known what my music was meant to sound like.

Congrats bud, welcome aboard!
 
 

 

[wdahm519]

Are Aviators really $250?  I've never even attempted to look at the price.  That's pretty sad considering you can get DT880's and DT990's (990s for ballpark $200 even) for similar street price.

 

[technologiq]

Are Aviators really $250?  I've never even attempted to look at the price.  That's pretty sad considering you can get DT880's and DT990's (990s for ballpark $200 even) for similar street price.

MSRP is $179 USD but they are going for $149 most everywhere.

 

[HappyDonut]

Jeeze... skull candy's used to be the premium headphones for me... and before I hit these forums, my Beats tour, which now I realize were fake.. no wonder they were sold for 40 bucks... used to be the best things I've ever owned. Granted now that I think about it, I think I was equating the price+name to being quality rather than the actual quality of the phones.
 
Thank you Head-fi.. for enlightening me. 

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Jeeze... skull candy's used to be the premium headphones for me... and before I hit these forums, my Beats tour, which now I realize were fake.. no wonder they were sold for 40 bucks... used to be the best things I've ever owned. Granted now that I think about it, I think I was equating the price+name to being quality rather than the actual quality of the phones.
 
Thank you Head-fi.. for enlightening me. 

From what I've seen and heard, that's the (misinformed) consensus of the general public on everything. In some cases it is true (e.g. automobiles), but obviously with headphones it's a very different story.
 
Btw what knife is that in your avatar? Is that a benchmade?

 

[Alghazanth]

Quote:

Jeeze... skull candy's used to be the premium headphones for me... and before I hit these forums, my Beats tour, which now I realize were fake.. no wonder they were sold for 40 bucks... used to be the best things I've ever owned. Granted now that I think about it, I think I was equating the price+name to being quality rather than the actual quality of the phones.
 
Thank you Head-fi.. for enlightening me. 

Heh, I was worse, I thought nothing was better than iBuds. I didn't even know what bass was until I got my first IEM

 

[HappyDonut]

Haha.. oh the audiophile world... I have two headphones I already love, one's still burning in... and I'm already thinking of the next one.
 
 
Oh the knife in my avatar is a Hinderer Xm-18 3" with a regrind. Never got the chance to write an introduction, but before I started browsing Head-Fi, knives were my main hobby. 

 

[Butler]

In my experience the Aviators have pretty uncontrolled and sloppy bass, it's not powerful or a basshead phone- It's just so sloppy! You'll like your M50s.