[grokit]

 
Quote:

Would you wear the HD800s in public?

 
I would be willing to be "seen" with the R10, but not so much the HD800 or Edition 10. None qualify as portable though, so the Edition 8 for the win 

 

[Chimera-se]

Yeah, I guess the Ed. 8 is supposed to be more portable since the 1/8" plug...I wonder if they'll do that with the Ed. 10s too.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

Not this guy.  A $3000 Ultrasone?  Seriously!?  That's so funny I literally can not breathe. 

Gotta agree with you on this one. The only Ultrasone that I thought was nice was the Ed. 8. But not $1500 nice. I know they're supposed to be portable headphones, but I would NEVER leave the house with $1500 headphones on my head.

 

[ak622]

Are they justifying the cost by giving an outrageous design and awesome marketing?  That's a lot of cash for a lot of marketing fluff.

 

[reiserFS]

The Ultrasone 10 are good cans, but not worth pricing them over 2,800$ Overpriced for the quality you get from them in my honest opinion.

 

[grokit]

So you don't think they sound that good?
 

 

[runswithaliens]

I'm guessing that eventually somebody will put a review up here on head-fi claiming these are the greatest sounding headphones since the days when men were men, and then a bunch of folks will have to go out and buy one to see for themselves. Then there will be the associated threads trying to find just the perfect amp and source to really bring out that magical sound quality that the original proponents raved about. Maybe I am just being a little cynical...
 
Personally though I don't think these headphones are being marketed with a target audience of the dedicated working-stiff audiophile who craves that ultimate sound. Instead I believe they are aimed at the Rich and Famous types who believe they are getting the very best because the rest of the world can't afford them. Just looking at their luxurious/gaudy appearance seems to point them out as the obvious target.
 
As a bonus I am including the following picture of the type of person who fits the description of somebody in the target market for this new jewelry I mean headphone (and would look like a million bucks wearing them I'm sure).
 

 

[nigeljames]

If she came with the phones I would buy a pair.

 

[wind016]

seriously, i believe most of the hi-fi equipment are targeted towards the rich that are looking for elite fidelity rather than music reproduction. i wouldn't be caught dead listening to rock on the expensive-looking, futuristic, robotic sennheiser hd800, but yes i think it sounds very nice.
 
come on now...  who here plays music and thinks something like the ed10 or the sennheiser hd800 captures the moment of music-making? i feel it captures the moment of self indulgence if anything
 
i have a woo audio 6se because it reminds me of the Eddie Van Halen 5150 half stack i used to play on. i have wood headphones because they remind me of my gibson that i beat on.
sennheiser hd800 reminds me of how much money i can spend and look like a robot
 
but hey, everyone's got their own style

 

[Ypoknons]

Indulgence is what is, indulgence. To me it's generally not a big deal, sure they are better things you can be doing, but if you're generally a smart , help others, try help society and community, or get your professional work done, what's a bit indulgence to me? It becomes a problem when it's clear the person's indulgences interferences with his life or yes, there are rich and stupid people out there, but buying a few luxuries don't send straight there. A luxury headphone, sure $2000 of the money you spend could probably be put to better use, but on the other hand it doesn't produce crazy emissions as you use it, it doesn't have side-effects on others, it's doesn't mess up your mind like drugs. 

 

[InnerSpace]

They're not really expensive.  They're not even much of a paradigm shift, in a world of Staxes and R10s and $10,000 amps.  We all have priorities - I don't care much for new cars or clothes or houses, all of which dwarf the price of the Ed 10s.  But in this case I sense the product itself is mixing the message - if it was milled out of rare metals and looked very technical or industrial, I think we'd see it differently.  I do find it odd that a manufacturer feels obliged to dress up a statement product with those visuals.
 
But having said that, I have a pair on order and will try them out with an open mind.  If they fail to satisfy, I'll sell them and take a loss way smaller than a lease payment on a sports car - or one tank of gas for it.

 

[giedrys]

InnerSpace, I see some logic in your post. Besides, if you can return them with minimal loss in case you don't like them, then why not?

 

[wind016]

im just jealous XD

 

[Danz03]

$2800 is definitely a lot of money to spend on a pair of headphones, but then if they are the 'be all and end all' pair of phones for me, then I think they would be worth it.
 
I know I've spend more than that amount on phones since my Shure E4c, searching for the perfect pair . I don't need a pair of phones that make me go 'Wow!' or give me musical orgasm, I just want something that could give me an honest sound, reproducing the sound or music as it is supposed to sound like. If I'm listening to a recording of a band playing in a garage, I want it to sound exactly like that, and not to have a sound stage as big as the Vienna Opera house. But if I am listening to a recording of a symphony orchestral, I should get the feel that I am actually there. So far I haven't come across anything that even come close. So if the Edition 10s are what I'm looking for, I'm more than willing to pay $2800 for them, but somehow I very much doubt that they are. 

 

[MuppetFace]

Let's see....
 
1. People judging headphones they've never heard? Check.
2. People making snide comments about the price to make themselves feel better? Check.
3. Objectifying women by joking about them being included with the headphones? Check.
 
This thread is AWESOME guys. You are all so cool.