[sephka]

Well. I usually don't react to this subject with much enthusiasm. The average Joe can blast his street-styles until the cows come home, and it's ok with me. However, when friends bash you for spending a decent dollar on headphones, it matters a little more. A friend of mine did just that, and on a livejournal (accompanied with the usual "What? $300 headphones?!?!?" replies,) so it's kind of documented forever and what have you. Now, my question is...what is the mentality here? I think I know the answer, so perhaps this is just an excuse to vent. But, really, sound quality through speakers is socially acceptable, as is the large cost associated with it, but not headphones that sound decent and cost into the double digits?

 

[Carlos3]

A friend commenting on my new MPX3: "That seems like an awful lot just to listen to your headphones."

 

[Rizumu]

I don't think anyone else I know really takes me seriously (in regards to this hobby). But they don't poke fun much, just are quietly bemused by it, so I don't really care. But yeah, when your friends start bashing you...that would irk me as well. It's not like we call them ignorant sheep, slaves to the marketing and brand-recognition of Sony and Bose. Er, wait, maybe we do...But at least we have the decency to do it behind their backs and not publicly!

Really, it's the culture. Everyone is used to using the freebies that come with their Aiwa portables or grabbing whatever else is on display in their Circuit City. So people don't regard headphones as something of much value or worth spending a lot on, and if anyone does spend a lot of them, it's perceived as weird or eccentric and so it's something for them to make fun of.

It tweaks me though, y'know. If you buy a $400 Digital Audio Player, why does it come with uber-crappy phones? It's like companies know most people don't care or know about good sound, so they don't even bother and cut corners to save on costs. Like the iRiver iHP-100 and iHP-120. In Korea they come with PX100's, but here we get MX300's. It's like they're playing on the ignorance of the masses. Instead of turning people on to good sound, let's just keep them in the dark.

It seems like headphones are more of a fashion statement nowadays. You can either buy one of the fancy/stylish earclip or streetstyle designs, or if you want to spend some more and look really cool, get some Sony VXXX or DJ phones. Yeah! Those look so awesome, especially when you walk around in them and act like you're hot stuff.

 

[lan]

It's a matter of personal valueation of the goods. Maybe you can ask some girls why they spend like $200 on some shoes or $50 for some makeup X, Y, Z. I don't bother asking that question but just see how good they look or hey, listen to my headphones and you will understand.

 

[ArChaos]

I think there is a simple one-word answer to this: ***IGNORANCE***

... which almost always borders by inference to another one word answer
***STUPIDITY***

( the best description for people who are reluctant to check out on things in order to gain better KNOWLEDGE )

 

[williamgoody]

I fully agree with Rizumu.

Don't forget, the common folk have been getting free headphones with almost all of the portable equipment they've been buying over the years. So they may also have the perception that it's really foolish to buy something when you're already getting it for free.

I see this everyday at work. It's extrememly difficult to get someone to even think about buying a $25 pair of Portapro's with their CD players.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by williamgoody Don't forget, the common folk have been getting free headphones with almost all of the portable equipment they've been buying over the years. So they may also have the perception that it's really foolish to buy something when you're already getting it for free.

And the common folk is completely ignorant of the fact that most of those freebie headphones are sonic ear-bleeds even at extremely low volume levels!

 

[MD1032]

You can't blame them. 300 bucks is a pretty crazy amount of money, and all just to get a pair of headphones. When I first visited headroom and saw the Ety ER-4S's for 300 bucks I must have pressed refresh a couple dozen times. 300 bucks fora few pieces of plastic molded around a driver that costs 20 cents to make? Who the ****** were these people? How little I knew then.

 

[wallijonn]

just say that $300 headphones produce less distortion. then have them go crazy trying to identify distortion in their music.

 

[usc goose]

Quote:

Originally posted by MD1032 You can't blame them. 300 bucks is a pretty crazy amount of money, and all just to get a pair of headphones. When I first visited headroom and saw the Ety ER-4S's for 300 bucks I must have pressed refresh a couple dozen times. 300 bucks fora few pieces of plastic molded around a driver that costs 20 cents to make? Who the ****** were these people? How little I knew then.

same way i felt about 700 dollar rs-1s. how long ago that was...

and i think the headphone obsession is also a little weird because as much as you'll try and defend it, it is ultimately a very solitary and withdrawn activity.

 

[MusicLover]

I'm as pissed off at these people as much as anyone else here, mainly due an incident I had in school a while ago. You know what I think? Soon, maybe a few years from now, high end headphones will be almost as popular as high end speakers, then everyone will suddenly be laughing at the ignorant people from before.

 

[sephka]

Quote:

Originally posted by lan It's a matter of personal valueation of the goods. Maybe you can ask some girls why they spend like $200 on some shoes or $50 for some makeup X, Y, Z. I don't bother asking that question but just see how good they look or hey, listen to my headphones and you will understand.

I had a similar thought myself. I know a rather superficial person, very concerned with their outward appearance, who values clothing a bunch. And I can understand where she's coming from (I'm good with that ;0,) but I can't completely relate. I think there are also some ignorance issues involved in the value we place in things. Realistically, clothes do impress people to some degree, so if you care about that stuff, it'd be ignorant to dress sloppy. /end rant

 

[sephka]

I figured I ought to post what the person said about yours truly. Here it is, verbatim:

"But do you know what the most bizarre type of elitist is? A HEADPHONE ELITIST. That's right, a friggin' HEADPHONE ELITIST. I know one! He's all like "That's good and all, but it sounds BETTER with headphones lolololololololol". Friggin' scary, guys. Friggin' scary."

 

[raif]

have you guys ever been over to caraudioforum.com. Thats what happens when everyone starts liking the same stuff you do. I for one really enjoy the fact that no one "gets" my headphone fetish, I get to be unique without trying to be different.

 

[soundboy]

It only shows you know how to appreciate the finer things in life. Most people can hardly figure out how to put on their headphones correctly, so asking them to buy $300.00 headphones is absolutely out of the question.

Try explaining headphone amps to these people....