So, what's new? The latest news...
-> Moar celebrity headphones. 50 Cent and others join Dr. Dre in competing for the dollars of impressionable youth. V-MODA shows up and actually markets fashionable AND good-sounding headphones, becomes something of a head-fi phenomenon with the M-80, sets to market even higher-end stuff.
-> Now high-end speaker companies like Focal are trying to cash in on the head-fi crowd by releasing their own branded headphones.
-> Orthos continue to gain in popularity among audiophiles with the release of the LCD-2 rev. 2 and LCD-3. The latter has lots of QC problems, controversy erupts, QC fixed but not really... then possible really fixed? HiFiMan releases easier to drive and more cost effective HE-500 and HE-400. Head-fier Smeggy starts marketing his Thunderpants and the T50RP modding scene continues to grow.
-> Fostex releases their flagship headphone, the TH900, but it's not an ortho much to the disappointment of some. It is, however, one hell of a good dynamic headphone. And really expensive.
-> Speaking of expensive... Final Audio Design breaks new records by announcing the Muramasa VIII, a dynamic headphone that will retail for between $6000 and $8000 USD and weigh enough to cause a neck injury. Due out in June?
-> Stax releases the greatest headphone ever made, the SR-009, but STILL gets bought out by a Chinese company.
-> The rise of really huge audiophile-grade DAPs from HiFiMan, iBasso, and others. Makes portable audio arguably nicer-sounding but also more absurd. The iBasso DX100 is very popular right now, loaded with features, but has a whole mess of UI issues.
-> The rise of $1000+ universal IEMs thanks to Final Audio, AKG, and now VSonic. Controversy amongst head-fiers as to whether they're "worth it" or can compete with custom IEMs. Also the rise of universal-fit semi-custom IEMs like the ASG-1 and FitEar To Go 334. Now you can have the best of both worlds! Maybe. Probably?
-> Unique driver configurations gaining popularity in IEMs. New dual-dynamics like the RedGiant A03, and also dynamic / BA-hybrids like the AKG K3003 and upcoming VSonic GR08.
-> Sennheiser announces the prequel to the HD800, the HD700. The greatest headphone mankind has ever made according to headphonia. Peaky and somewhat disappointing according to some head-fier beta testers. The rest of us may never know since Sennheiser keeps pushing the release date back.
-> Shure releases their first-ever open headphones: the SRH1440 and SRH1840. Reviews mixed so far.
-> Ultrasone actually releases a really balanced-sounding, professional-grade headphone: the Signature Pro. Several older head-fiers still in shock, but recovering slowly.
-> Ray Samuels makes an amp that can blow up your headphones called the Dark Star. Eddie Current and Donald North Audio release new amps too. Oh, and I think people are still waiting for their Blue Hawaiis.
-> Denon drops Fostex as their OEM and goes with another company whose lead designers appear to suffer from some form of degenerative brain illness. This spreads to the president of Denon, and the company puts in motion plans to release what could very well be the ugliest headphones ever made as replacements for the D5000 and D7000.
