[LugBug1]

Heres some impressions I made of the some other hp's in comparison. Its buzzin on this thread I can tell ye! 

 
HD800 or HE500 (upgrading from the HD6XX/Q701) impressions. 

 

[Sorrodje]

  I've been hp slumming it since I got my HD800's (well, after 6 months of getting them). I like buying headphones. I also still really like the past flagships. I've re-bought both the HD600 and K701 since getting the HD800 and still enjoy them immensely. And yes it really does make you appreciate the 800's even more. I'm close to getting another Grado actually... 225 or something just for fun. I used to own those and the RS1. Kinda miss em..

 
One more time ... +1 
 
I've even re-bought equipment i sold to some friends of mine. 

 

 

[LugBug1]

   
One more time ... +1 
 
I've even re-bought equipment i sold to some friends of mine. 

 

 

 

[Sonido]

Here's an interesting thought. We get enjoyment when listening to better gear for the first time. Endorphins are released, but eventually you get used to it and the amount of endorphins levels out. Then you get even better gear and the endorphins peak again, but after a while it levels out again. I'm willing to bet if you objectively measured the levelled out (latent) endorphin levels, it wouldn't be very different, if at all different. Sure other bias comes into play such as money spent, but I think that affects the peak endorphin levels more so than the latent levels. This is because our bodies are not wired to keep a constant high. By this argument, most headphones that you view as an improvement all end up giving the same amount of pleasure once you're used to it. And thus the reason we can never stop upgrading. We are all addicts looking to get that peak endorphin high again and again. Similar concept to drug tolerance, and drugs give you same pleasures as far as your body releasing endorphins. I guess the only economical way about this it's weaning yourself off high fidelity for a while until you're used to $20 headphones again and when you don't think they sound like complete crap, then take out your old headphones you had that got you to where you are now and repeat the same journey again. But who really wants to listen to cheap headphones for an extended time? I guess the true answer is don't do drugs, err, don't care to get that next high so you won't feel the urge to upgrade.

To expand on the eerily similar drug parallels, I notice we constantly argue what sounds better and some bring out objectivity and some say it's all subjective. Well imagine you have a high tolerance to alcohol cuz you have been drinking for a while now. Your friend doesn't drink and has a low tolerance. He gets drunk after two beers, and you've had four beers but aren't even tipsy. Who's having a better time? Sure four beers is objectively more than two, but your friend is having a better time, and has more endorphins pumping through his brain. This is why I'm not surprised if mass customers would get similar enjoyment from their Beats compared to me and my HD800. I would say I'm an objective guy in the whole objective vs subjective war. I'm all about the objective levels of endorphins you got pumping through your body when listening to a pair of headphones.

 

[LugBug1]

Here's an interesting thought. We get enjoyment when listening to better gear for the first time. Endorphins are released, but eventually you get used to it and the amount of endorphins levels out. Then you get even better gear and the endorphins peak again, but after a while it levels out again. I'm willing to bet if you objectively measured the levelled out (latent) endorphin levels, it wouldn't be very different, if at all different. Sure other bias comes into play such as money spent, but I think that affects the peak endorphin levels more so than the latent levels. This is because our bodies are not wired to keep a constant high. By this argument, most headphones that you view as an improvement all end up giving the same amount of pleasure once you're used to it. And thus the reason we can never stop upgrading. We are all addicts looking to get that peak endorphin high again and again. Similar concept to drug tolerance, and drugs give you same pleasures as far as your body releasing endorphins. I guess the only economical way about this it's weaning yourself off high fidelity for a while until you're used to $20 headphones again and when you don't think they sound like complete crap, then take out your old headphones you had that got you to where you are now and repeat the same journey again. But who really wants to listen to cheap headphones for an extended time? I guess the true answer is don't do drugs, err, don't care to get that next high so you won't feel the urge to upgrade.

Absolutely. All of us get a high when we get something new. Thats exactly why I'm still happy to buy lesser headphones. I know they can't be as good as my HD800 but I still get a buzz/high from getting them. Same with amps - I'm addicted to buying vintage amplifiers. Can't resist a bargain! And I get such a buzz from being the winning bidder. I can't save for the life of me. Why? Because I addicted to buying. Its a disease!! 

 
Thats why when anyone ever mentions that they have found their endgame. We in the know facepalm.  

 

[WNBC]

For me, definitely not more satisfaction but the purchases can initiate the learning process.  And it doesn't mean upgrades as one can learn from sidegrades and downgrades.  The journey is the lesson.  Trying new gear is important and for many of us without friends with gear to borrow it means buying new/used gear.  Everything I know about audio is from head-fi and the PMs from generous members here.  Can't put a price tag on that.  That first HD650 was well worth it to get me engaged in the community.    
 
So, definitely not more satisfaction 3 years later, but more appreciation for the tools that deliver the music.  All we can hope to do is pass down some bit of knowledge to people in our daily lives and maybe save their wallets from head-fi 

.  In the end, it's nice to have the HD800 but one can enjoy music with whatever fits in one's budget.  What is fun is discovering a new album and hearing it for the first time on say a HD800.  I don't know about you all but there are some headphone:album associations that will always stick in my audio memory.  For the HD650 it was the Koln Concert, for the HE-500 it was Hello Troll (Helge Lien Trio), for the LCD-2 it was Joni Mitchell Blue, and now I'm ready for that magic album with the HD800.    
  
 
 
Quote:

Spending more we got some things that are technically better but really when it comes down to it, Does it provide any more enjoyment and satisfaction? Im still on the fence regarding that.

 

[Audio Jester]

A "simple" way to overcome the issue of endorphins and buyers expenditure bias is to try a massive collection of headphones at the same time at a store (or with someone else's collection). During my last trip to Japan I did exactly that. Yodobashi has a wall of heaphones that you can try with many brands. From that experience I was able to quickly find headphones that I enjoyed, and later purchased. When I tried the HD800 I was not immediately drawn to the sound, but there was something in its sonic presentation that gave insight into why it has been such a popular flagship. It was running off the Benchmark DAC2 HGC and although I found the sound lacking I distinctly got the impression that they would scale really well. Personally, I really like the HD650 and running off a BA, it still lives up to the flagship status IMO . But I feel that getting to try so many headphones in quick succession really does highlight the basic traits of them. The next step is to see how far you can push them until either you are happy or broke....

 

[MIKELAP]

  Absolutely. All of us get a high when we get something new. Thats exactly why I'm still happy to buy lesser headphones. I know they can't be as good as my HD800 but I still get a buzz/high from getting them. Same with amps - I'm addicted to buying vintage amplifiers. Can't resist a bargain! And I get such a buzz from being the winning bidder. I can't save for the life of me. Why? Because I addicted to buying. Its a disease!! 

 
Thats why when anyone ever mentions that they have found their endgame. We in the know facepalm.  

 Thats exactly the face my wife gives me when i say thats it , im finish .right before i start lol ,but she always says ya shure why not .You marry those types of girls 

 

 

[philo50]

 

 Thats exactly the face my wife gives me when i say thats it , im finish .right before i start lol ,but she always says ya shure why not .You marry those types of girls 

 

+1.....

 

[Dillan]

Good discussions.  I can for sure say that after getting used to such beautiful sound out of some of the best flagships.. I get a little spoiled.

When you directly compare something "lesser", you get a better appreciation and are reminded of why these beautiful feats of engineering were created. 

 

 

[kvtaco17]

  Good discussions.  I can for sure say that after getting used to such beautiful sound out of some of the best flagships.. I get a little spoiled.

When you directly compare something "lesser", you get a better appreciation and are reminded of why these beautiful feats of engineering were created. 

 

OR just the opposite... sometimes you learn to appreciate the raw sounds of more forward cans!
 
I find myself in a mood often where I appreciate something more forward, aggressive and raw... that's why I have my AD2000x and PS500... they all contrast each other very well... only thing I need now is an RS1 and some Stax!

 

[Dillan]

  OR just the opposite... sometimes you learn to appreciate the raw sounds of more forward cans!
 
I find myself in a mood often where I appreciate something more forward, aggressive and raw... that's why I have my AD2000x and PS500... they all contrast each other very well... only thing I need now is an RS1 and some Stax!

 
 
Well to be fair, I would rather listen to poorly recorded material on something other than the HD800's because they take something well recorded and make it sound spectacular, but on the other side of the coin.. they really show the flaws of recordings also. 

 

[kvtaco17]

   
 
Well to be fair, I would rather listen to poorly recorded material on something other than the HD800's because they take something well recorded and make it sound spectacular, but on the other side of the coin.. they really show the flaws of recordings also. 

Exactly... sometimes I feel they are too good lol

 

[MIKELAP]

 
Exactly... sometimes I feel they are too good lol

Thats why we need a variety of  HP'S. 

 

[koiloco]

...For the HD650 it was the Koln Concert, for the HE-500 it was Hello Troll (Helge Lien Trio), for the LCD-2 it was Joni Mitchell Blue, and now I'm ready for that magic album with the HD800.    ...

I really like the way this man thinks.  He knows the right tools for each job.