[AdamCalifornia]

What country makes the best designed and engineered Full-size Dynamic headphones?

This thread is only about dynamic headphones.


The inspiration for this thread was provided by:

Quote:

For over 60 years, AKG has built a reputation as one of the world's most elite manufacturers of headphones. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the "city of music", AKG has incredible engineers and an intellectual base with more than 1,500 worldwide patents. AKG engineers have one of the largest and most advanced acoustics laboratories in Europe, enabling them to fine-tune products to the highest degree.

(From the MusicDirect catalogue)


For a slightly different version of the above text see AKG K1000 Headphones: Elusive but Superb ....


Austria, but what about other countries? - I thought.
This has lead to the title of this thread.


[size=x-large]Life is too short to listen to bad headphones![/size]

************************************************** ********

Remark
In this thread Full-size type of headphones include Circumaural, Supra-aural
and AKG K1000 types of headphones.

This means that we do not consider here the following types of headphones:
- IEMs (aka intra-aural, in-ear, ear canal)
- earbuds

Although I use 'makes' in the title we consider headphones made in the past too,
eg. AKG K1000, HD 580, and many others.

************************************************** ********

Example

Suppose that you own the AKG K1000 and the Sennheiser HD580 (both discontinued in very recent years)
and the Sony MDR-SA5000 (still in production).
Assume that those are the only headphones you really know.
How would you vote? I guess, that it's a no-brainer. - Because of the legendary K1000 you would vote for Austria.



I suggest that for practical reasons we consider the price range, say: $80 - $2,000.
(Perhaps some of you will also consider much more expensive heaphones.)


[size=x-large]Enjoy![/size]

P.S.
This poll is in the same vein as What country produces the best engineered cars...?.

 

[progo]

Have to agree-- the K1000 is so marvelous and lively that no German can can beat them. Having heard headphonies from the US, Germany and Austria, only the latter survives.

 

[krmathis]

I say Germany... For their Sennheiser HD800.
The word makes is very important, as it exclude 'phones no longer in production. Hence countries who made 'phones like the AKG K1000, Sony MDR-R10, Grado PS1, .. may be out.

 

[AdamCalifornia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by progo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have to agree-- the K1000 is so marvelous and lively that no German can can beat them. Having heard headphonies from the US, Germany and Austria, only the latter survives.

As a reward I am singing

for you, but did you vote for Austria?

I like that 'headphonies'! Very cool!

 

[AdamCalifornia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif I say Germany... For their Sennheiser HD800. The word makes is very important, as it exclude 'phones no longer in production. Hence countries who made 'phones like the AKG K1000, Sony MDR-R10, Grado PS1, .. may be out.

This is NOT true!
You see that I included the AKG K1000.

 

[nc8000]

Hard choice between Germany with HD800 and Ultrasone EditionX and Japan with R10 and L3000. Went with Japan in the end (and then throw in Stax to force the scales even further).

 

[atothex]

Sony

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamCalifornia /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is NOT true! You see that I included the AKG K1000.

Makes refer to current time, not the past. For past times we use the word made...
At least in my world it does.

Edit:
Sorry if I misread the thread topic, and 'phones no longer in production are included as well, cause then my vote goes to Austria.
For their AKG K1000.

 

[Ra97oR]

Japan have too many company that make good headphone, even without STAX.

 

[AdamCalifornia]

... the following example to my op.

Quote:

Example Suppose that you own the AKG K1000 and the Sennheiser HD580 (both discontinued in very recent years) and the Sony MDR-SA5000 (still in production). Assume that those are the only headphones you really know. How would you vote? I guess, that it's a no-brainer. - Because of the legendary K1000 you would vote for Austria.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atothex /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sony

Also known as Japan.

 

[csommers]

Schland

 

[Bengt77]

Japan for sure. But then again, I'm a bit of an Audio-Technica fan...

 

[AdamCalifornia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bengt77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Japan for sure. But then again, I'm a bit of an Audio-Technica fan...

If I've understood you correctly. Isn't Audio-Technica a Japanese company?

From the Audio-Technica website:
Quote:

Audio-Technica—Audio pioneer in high-performance sound design Established in 1962, Audio-Technica is a worldwide group of companies devoted to the design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of problem-solving audio equipment

From Wikipedia:
-Technica Corporation (株式会社オーディオテクニカ, Kabushiki-gaisha Ōdio Tekunika?), established in 1962 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a company that designs and manufactures professional wired and wireless microphones, headphones, phonographic magnetic cartridges, and other audio equipment.


Since it is headquartered in Japan, isn't it a worldwide or global Japanese company like Sony?

 

[boomana]

This thread is 100% meaningless.