[LizardKing1]

I think a lot of posters misunderstood the OP, it was just an idea, and one that would have near-0 cost to the companies and could never possibly decrease their sales.

 

[gduck]

I would prefer names too, but in the end, it doesn't really matter, as long as they use a good system and don't make it complicated, as one poster commented the confusing grado lineup where sr80 is better than sr60 but rs1 is better than rs2. I quite like westone for that matter, simple and easy to follow, 1=1 armature, 2=2, and so on. UMX series intended for musician and just the number 1,2,3 denotes to consumers. In terms of using names, i don't think thats enough to relate to sales boosts or the like, packaging/design/marketing would play a bigger role.
 

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

I think a lot of posters misunderstood the OP, it was just an idea, and one that would have near-0 cost to the companies and could never possibly decrease their sales.

That's basically it.  Thank you for understanding.  I would add that to the end of "Do you personally prefer it or not."

 

[drez]

Numbering does have a logic to it and allows an easy understanding of a product's place within a series (independent of price of course.)  A name without a number also lends itself to disconnection from the manufacturing brand - for example in cars where the model has a name rather than a number, it can be described without mentioning the brand eg. Hyundai Santa Fe vs. BMW 325.  In the age of computer search engines, model numbering, and its attendant requirement for stating manufacturer name will bring up numerous related models once search term runs dry, improving search engine optimisation.
 
I dont think having a fancy name like "raffiatto" would improve a model's appeal, at least to me.  Look at the above examples in cars - which would you rather have, which sounds better when describing it to other people?  I personally think Sennheiser  HD800 sounds more impressive than Audio Technica Raffinato - mainly because Sennhesier has put so much money into marketing their products and has a strong image of high class products among people.  If you mention Audio Technical Raffiato most people a) won't know the brand or b) won't know whether the model is good or not.
 
Naming systems also have a lot to do with the intended image of a brand.  AKG, Sennheiser, Ultrasone and Beyerdynamic are all professional audio products and, with the notable exception being AKG Q701, want their model naming system to suite this image.  Naming the models makes them seem a little suspect - its not what professional audio companies do.
 
I think the reason why Monster and Dkullkandy do so well is a) because skullkandy are cheap and look good and b) because they have extensive marketing and store presence.  This is the same reason Sennheiser are so popular even with numbered naming system - the cachet is in the brand name, product design and, well to be honest, high sounding number.  I honestly have no idea whether I am to be more impressed with "Raffinato" or "Grandioso" as these are both abstract concepts apart from being Italian superlatives which most unclassy people would think are classy (eg. Homer Simpson shopping for a TV.)  Monster marketing is doing so well because they pull in the name cachet of recording artists who are popular AND plaster this marketing faf in EVERY audio store AND charge inordinate sums for their inferior products.  
 
Its a great recipe, but it only sells to kids - but maybe this is the key here.  Kids are naive enough to buy anything they think is cool.  Adults on the other hand usually look for brand reputability.  Its two totally different makets, and two totally different marketing strategies.  Personally I think AKG are incorrect with their new marketing - kids wont like the sound of the Q701, or for that matter the Beyerdynamic dt880.  Then they'l complain to their mates how bad the AKG is.  The marketing needs to match the product.
 
Audio Technica know this very well - why do you think their wooden high end headphones have names like "Grandioso" while their professional serious products have names like ath-ad1000PRM.  You immediately know that one is targeted at rich older gentlemen or occasional lady (who aren't Italian and therefore immune to the "fancy" factor) who want a relaxing and warm listening experience to sooth their aged, time worn ears.   ath-ad1000PRM sounds like a motorcycle name, and really wont appeal to this person.  Raffinato sounds pleasing and has a romantic association for most people with Italy, and sounds like it will do very well for music suited to a "mature" taste (more often than not Bocelli and that Austrian douche on the violin - as these are what is marketed most strongly.)  

 

[khaos974]

Quote:

I think a lot of it also has to do with cultures. If you are going to make a japanese product and sell it in the states, you do not want to name something the 'wang' for example, though I know a company did for craps and giggles. By naming something with a number their are no mistakes that can be made. Also other cultures, like the Germans have just always been doing things that way. In my opinion Germany and Japan make the best electronics and products so if thats the way they want to do things its all good to me. 

 
Sorry, I could resist http://www.fannywang.com/, who is also a Head-Fi sponsor.



 
 

 

[AuralRelations]

I for one would love to see a Grado named "Exploding Raptor Jesus." 
 
In all seriousness, marketing doesn't seem to be a priority for many boutique audio manufacturers. I think forums like Head-fi, meet ups, and word of mouth all do above and beyond what buying a TV commercial would do for these companies. I think a lot of companies want to stay small so that they can focus on quality. 
 
Maybe I'm just a nerd, but I love number and letters. I have no problem memorizing headphone names. 

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

That's probably why BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, and Audi are so unsuccessful too. Or Intel, AMD, and Nvidia. There are many, many companies that simply number their product lines, and I find it easier to follow actually as generally you can tell where a product falls based on the number. Higher number=higher perfomance (usually).

To me anyway I really couldn't care less what a company names their product. Performance is probably 99.9%, looks .09%, everything else .01%.

agreed, pc specs are pretty much number based, the fact that intel named it's generation chips, Sandy and Ivy is well a big thing for them even lol, any one remember Pentium 1 2 3 and well 4 then Pentium D lol, consider me happy for an Ivy bridge lol
 
Non the less, yea who cares for names, makes it easier to tell what I have, plus who wants to typt Monster Beats by Dre, I'd rather slame out Mdr Xb 700 

 

[shuman0101]

Agreed. When someone asks me what headphones I have its annoying to answer "audio technica eh tee ech em fifty el ees".. I'd prefer if it was something thats simpler and easier to remember.

 

[autoteleology]

I know a little bit about branding and marketing, so I want to share my opinion on this.

I think it's pretty obvious that companies at least need to name their products something memorable so that their products are clearly differentiated from each other, whether it's a model number, like the M50, or a name such as "Beats Studio". The name should both describe the product's position in terms of performance, but also be memorable and clearly distinguishable from other products in the product line.  The actual form doesn't matter as long as it creates clear contrast between all of the products as to not cause choice paralysis and confusion to the consumer.

Names are not necessarily the solution to this problem; FiiO recently renamed all of their products with the name of a mountain, and not only are these names completely unindicative of anything about the product, the names themselves are hard to remember.

 

[Tsujigiri]

I think the numbering makes the product appear more mature, and gives you an idea of what to expect. Like with Beyer's DT series, you know that the higher the number, the more open it is. With Sennheiser's HD's, the higher numbers typically mean higher end.

 

[autoteleology]

I think the numbering makes the product appear more mature, and gives you an idea of what to expect. Like with Beyer's DT series, you know that the higher the number, the more open it is. With Sennheiser's HD's, the higher numbers typically mean higher end.

 
Except that these numbering conventions aren't always correct (ever heard of Sennheiser's HD1000?), and are meaningless outside of the individual product lines when it isn't consistent across ALL products (what is better, a DT250 or a DT770?)

 

[Makiah S]

I still like numbers, it's more technical and less childish. Kid's toys have NAMES, big boi toys are named after numbers! lol 

 

[Aaron94]

I was under the impression that certain companies add in the letters so as not to increase the length of the name. 
 
Such as the Sennheiser HD series, I thought the HD stood for High Definition.
 
Or the AKG Q701, the Q is for Quincy Adams.
 
The T in Beyerdynamics T** series represents their Tesla technology.
 
Im sure with some digging alot more of these sort of things could be discovered.

 

[autoteleology]

I'm pretty sure the HD in Sennheiser's names is for "Headphone Dynamic" or something along those lines, considering that the Orpheus/ Baby Orpheus, the HE90/HE60, are electrostatic headphones.

 

[Tsujigiri]

Quote:

 
Except that these numbering conventions aren't always correct (ever heard of Sennheiser's HD1000?), and are meaningless outside of the individual product lines when it isn't consistent across ALL products (what is better, a DT250 or a DT770?)

Not always, but they give you a general idea. Keep in mind that these products weren't all released at the same time, although they happen to be selling them concurrently now. Kind of like how Mercedes model numbers correlate to features within a class and year, but won't tell you anything accurate when you compare them to model numbers of the same class from a different year.