Quote:
Originally Posted by dcpoor /img/forum/go_quote.gif
....It seems like the HF2 may have a difficult time living up to the expectations set by the HF1. HF1's are renowned for being great "bang for the buck", a steal at the original $199, and even comparable to higher end reference series Grados....
|
No doubt about it, the HF1 set up some very high expectations. It will always be hard to beat the bang-for-the-buck that the HF1 was at its original price of $200. Like I said, it was (and maybe still is) the best bang-for-the-buck headphone I've come across to this day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcpoor /img/forum/go_quote.gif
....From reading jude's impressions, I get the picture of them being HF1's with just slightly more detail but at over twice the cost....
|
The HF2 is not the HF1, though they do sound of the same family, no doubt. To my ears, the HF2 is simply the better headphone, and extra refinement overall is nothing to sneeze at if you're an audiophile. I think even those that still own the HF1 will be a generally very happy bunch when they get their HF2's. Of course, those few who aren't will almost certainly be able to (at least) get their money back by selling them on the used market.
As for it being more than twice the original price of the HF1: That's certainly accurate. Again, the HF1 was extraordinary at the price, to my ears (and the ears of many others). But 481 of them are out there, and that's it. And if you want the HF-1 now, you'll have to get it used, and probably for not a heck of a lot less (if at all less) than the HF-2 today (which, again, to me, is a better headphone).
All that said, I'm not going to try to convince you that the HF2 is worth it to you. Listen to it if you can get your ears on it and decide for yourself. I have a feeling that no matter what I say, every unit made will end up being spoken for anyway--so there will undoubtedly be an HF2 for you to listen to at local meets at some point. By then, however, if you do decide you like it, you may have to go to the used market for one--and, at that point, I don't think you'll be concerned about whether or not it's worth it for $429, as there's probably a good chance that $429 will be as in-the-past as the HF1 at $200.
By the way, I regret not buying myself a second HF1, but, as with the HF2, part of the spirit of the thing was a maximum of one HF1 per member, and I abided by it--the jude abides.
However, if anyone here has an excellent condition, functions-perfectly, unmodified HF-1 he's willing to sell for even $250 plus shipping (a 25% premium over the original sale price), I kid you not when I say I'll buy it from you now. (No joke, PM me if you fit that bill.)
