[longbowbbs]

Is the abyss really worth 3x of the HD800 price?

welcome to the last 2%......Price escalates right at the very tip of the summit.
 
And of course not everyone agrees it is better. Also an occupational hazard for the Audiophile.....

 

[Moonhead]

I have not listen to Abyss, but is there any headphones worth there price, I doubt it.
But then again if you want a top tier headphone for your money, HD800 cant be beaten, IMO.

 

[koiloco]

Is the abyss really worth 3x of the HD800 price?

IMO, nope.  I also personally don't think the abyss is clearly better than HD800 while Stax 009 is.
As always, there're people who would disagree.  

 

 

[Justin_Time]

Is the abyss really worth 3x of the HD800 price?

Is the Abyss better than the HD800? No doubt.  Is it three times better?  Absolutely not! 

 

But remember that most of the headphones discussed here are way past the point of diminishing return in terms of price relative to performance--average folks use crappy $50 headphones and the best quality to price ratio is probably way back there around $200-$300 (just a wild guess).

 
If we give most of the excellent headphones discussed here on HeadFi a rating of 90 points or higher (out of 100) in terms of sound, a small improvement from 90 to 95 points (roughly a 5% improvement) with easily double the price from say $500 to $1000.
 
As we climb higher still into the rarified air of the best headphones, a small improvement of a few percentage points from say 95 to 97 points will likely double the price again to near $2,000.  Let's just assume that the Abyss is near perfection at 98-99 points, then its price will easily double again or triple for an even smaller improvement.
 

That's the way it is with everything near the very top-end of quality and far beyond the point of diminishing return.  I am not saying that a few percent improvement is not important--obviously it is to many of us, myself included--but at the highest level of performance, the improvement will be necessarily smaller and the cost differential disproportionately larger.
 

That is why I look at the current trend of price escalation for headphone (and IEM) gears with a certain amount of apprehension.  I have witnessed the disppearance of High-End Audio for average Audiophiles in the past decade, victim of a mindless pursuit of perfection which inflated the costs of High-End Stereo completely out of reach of all but multi-millionaires and billionaires:  $30,000 turntable, $5,000 cartridge, $50,000 amp and $100,000 speakers, which also need $10,000 cables.  Yikes!  The vast majority of audiophiles who supported High-End Stereo for over 30 years were left out in the cold. 

 

Hopefully, I am counting on the very different structure of the business these days to prevent such calamity from happening as small companies with excellent and modestly-priced products can make a breakthrough far easier than it used to be. But I am not holding my breath.

 

So back to your questions:  Is the Abyss at a whopping $5,000 better than the $1,600 HD800? Absolutely.  Is it three times better?  Absolutely not!  Just like the $1,600 HD800 is not twice (if at all) better than the $800 HE-560 or 2.5 times better than the Grado SR325i. Not even close! 

 

But I do feel fortunate I can still (barely) afford cans like the Abyss or Stax SR-009 today. Who knows. Five to ten years from now, they may be considered real bargains.    

 

[immtbiker]

...but is there any headphones worth there price, I doubt it...
 

 
I think that the Sennheiser HD600's were well worth their asking price during their run.
 
Some headphones are worth their attainable price. The cost of materials and R&D, as well
as their musical presentation can make the price valid.
 
Were the R10's and the HE-90's worth $4-8K? Not likely. But if you have the money to spend, then the
other fun part of this hobby, "the thrill of the chase" can be quite satisfying.
 
Also, any headphone that holds or grows it's value, is worth it's money. You get to enjoy them, and then get most or all
of your money back.
 
Is a $3000 1960's restored GTO worth $40,000? Well…that's another thread! 

 

[magiccabbage]

The Abyss is just far too ugly. My god the thing is horrible! 

 

[Moonhead]

I think that the Sennheiser HD600's were well worth their asking price during their run.

Some headphones are worth their attainable price. The cost of materials and R&D, as well
as their musical presentation can make the price valid.

Were the R10's and the HE-90's worth $4-8K? Not likely. But if you have the money to spend, then the
other fun part of this hobby, "the thrill of the chase" can be quite satisfying.

Also, any headphone that holds or grows it's value, is worth it's money. You get to enjoy them, and then get most or all
of your money back.

Is a $3000 1960's restored GTO worth $40,000? Well…that's another thread! 

Good point Biker, sadly i Never listen to HD600 or HD650 for that matter, but i guess you could be right with the old school Sennheiser.
I forgot to point out that many headphones are not worth there asking price if you look at it as an overall value with the poor craftsmanship and cheap cables many companies offer.

 

[pearljam50000]

Amazing post "Justin_Time"
Thanks!

 

[nigeljames]

Does the Abyss have a similar character as the HD800's?
 
Unless you compare 2 phones with a similar character I don't know how anyone could possibly say one phone is better than another.
 
Preferable maybe but better...

 

[Justin_Time]

Amazing post "Justin_Time"
Thanks!

THANKS!!!
 
Just rumination of an old curmudgeon.

 

[Justin_Time]

  The Abyss is just far too ugly. My god the thing is horrible! 

I laughed so hard my ribs hurt!
 
Thanks!

 

[Jodet]

  The Abyss is just far too ugly. My god the thing is horrible! 

 
Well, maybe some people like their headphones to look like medieval torture devices. 

 

[ToddTheMetalGod]

Well, maybe some people like their headphones to look like medieval torture devices. 

People that listen to black metal ?

 

[bearFNF]

People that listen to black metal

?

S&M-Fi???  heh,
 
I thought the Abyss were ~ok~, but not worth the $$$

 

[James-uk]

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/JPSLabsAbyssAB1266.pdf

How these things can even be mentioned in the same sentence as the hd800 is beyond me. They are not even playing the same sport never mind in the same league!