[Falkentyne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by InFn-0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The most staggering improvement happens under $100, then slowly and slowly the diminishing returns start hitting you hard.

Yes and as you know by all the replies now, different people respond differently to certain sound quality and stage from different cans, and this is also influenced by the type of music you listen to. In reality, the only thing that can judge what is right for you, is your own ears, and your wallet, of course. But if you're upgrading from a $30 headphone to a $200 headphone, no matter what "opinions" are going to be between two different $200 headphones, the difference is like night and day.

But the old dimishing returns really does kick in....similar to CPU upgrades along a product range...

 

[rhythmdevils]

anything above 150 dollars is a direct portal to God

 

[Debuan]

I don't own any $150+ headphones, but I have owned a lot of cheaper headphones. In my opinion sound quality depends on how much you listen to your music.
My earbuds that came with my MP3 player is perfectly fine on the run (biking, running etc.) but I would never for the love of God listen to them at home.

what I'm saying is, if you "listen" to your music, instead of just having it as background noise, you know what the difference is.
That said, more expensive headphones isn't always better... my Grado sounds way better than any former headphone that I've had

 

[Spud of Doom]

If you're interested in AKG 701, might I suggest the Denon AH-D2000 is worth listening to? Even since I listened to the D1001 I became addicted to nice headphones ._.

The problem was a professional video editor I know let me have a listen to his D5000 and now I have my sights set on getting some D2000 cans. First priority is finding some IEMs for portable use, though. Currently deciding between Hifiman RE0 and Fischer Eterna, leaning towards Eterna.


...See what Head-Fi turns you into? And most of this was just because I lurked here to look for recommendations for my first phones (before I got the Denons)

 

[vhbaske]

Quote: "What's so special about $150+ headphones?"

Perhaps you don't have such a discriminative ear. Be thankful to your wallet.

 

[Blu.]

What I meant was that you don't need a car, yet you would have one because it's more convenient, comfortable etc.

It's fulfilling a want not a need.

Expensive headphones work in the same way. You don't need them but it's fulfilling a want whether it's sound quality, comfort or portability. As the cost rises, the wants decrease thereby fulfilling all your expectations. For some it is $1 earbuds but for others it may be a $10 K sound system.

Headphones aren't special. It is the value or actually the value YOU place upon these headphones that causes you to label them as special.

Hope that answers it.

 

[rds]

I think the answer is subjective. The truth is for most active people it's hard to justify an expensive headphone system that keeps you wired in one spot. Most people just don't spend enough time sitting in one location listening to music for it make sense except as an irrational hobby.

Personally the only luxury headphones I could attempt to justify to a person who's income is not high in the 6 figures (and isn't under house arrest or something similar) are IEMs in the $200-300 range, such as shure's se530.

 

[Noobiiee]

Dang! I wish to go bk to 2 months ago when I decided to buy V6 as my 1st pair of audiophile phones. Should have went for the K701 or DT880

Until now I have never heard a proper amped >$300 pair of headphones that are not Beats or Bose. Still I love my V6 and MS1i

 

[momomo6789]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noobiiee /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dang! I wish to go bk to 2 months ago when I decided to buy V6 as my 1st pair of audiophile phones. Should have went for the K701 or DT880 Until now I have never heard a proper amped >$300 pair of headphones that are not Beats or Bose. Still I love my V6 and MS1i

beats /boses are $300 plastic poop

 

[Noobiiee]

well have to thx my boses since they got me on to head-fi

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earbuds /img/forum/go_quote.gif I promise you that I'm not trolling. This is a serious question, and I apologize if I offend any of you. What's so special about them? I've seen people spend thousands of dollars on headphones and headphone equipment. Is the sound quality really worth it? I mean, I'm perfectly fine with my $5 earbuds. In fact, I find the quality of my $5 earbuds amazing. They're comfortable too. Sure, I have to replace them every so often, but I don't mind spending $5. Now, the question here is... how much better does the sound quality get on some... uh, let's say $200 headphones and a $250 amp? Is it really worth the $445 extra? Again, I promise you that I'm not trolling. Please don't get mad at me for asking this. I'm just really confused and don't see how the sound quality can be that much better than my earbuds.

I know it's not your intent to offend.. But this is like me going to AVSforum.com & ask why people spend 200-300 hundred for a blu ray player when I'm using a 25.00 DVD player & buy my DVD's for 6.00.. Then ask if it's really worth the 175 plus premium. Sites like this cater to hardcore headphone enthusiast. To some members dropping 6,000 for a mint pair of R10 is just a drop in the bucket. You couldn't comprehend such a thing cause the ultimate pleasure of music, & or having a headphone that does certain things others can't do, is pretty meaningless to you.. & for the record, a lot is preference.. I know of a member who prefers his SA5000 over the Q010, which street price was 2,600 in 04.. The SA5000 street price is under 400 new.

 

[baka1969]

Here on Head-Fi our headphones are luxuries that become necessities. Once experienced you can't do without them.

 

[hardstyler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2rooi123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif more expensive is better cause the more you pay, the more you think its better and the best. hth

True audiophile eh?

 

[earfonia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earbuds /img/forum/go_quote.gif I promise you that I'm not trolling. This is a serious question, and I apologize if I offend any of you. What's so special about them? I've seen people spend thousands of dollars on headphones and headphone equipment. Is the sound quality really worth it? I mean, I'm perfectly fine with my $5 earbuds. In fact, I find the quality of my $5 earbuds amazing. They're comfortable too. Sure, I have to replace them every so often, but I don't mind spending $5. Now, the question here is... how much better does the sound quality get on some... uh, let's say $200 headphones and a $250 amp? Is it really worth the $445 extra? Again, I promise you that I'm not trolling. Please don't get mad at me for asking this. I'm just really confused and don't see how the sound quality can be that much better than my earbuds.

Well, you will not get the answer by reading this forum...
You have to try them, then, without any words, you'll get the answer

I totally agree with you, that price is not always related with the sound quality.
I had Grado RS1 (now sold), also have many cheapo earbuds. The sound quality difference is great. I just cannot hear the quality of good recordings with low quality earbuds.

But again, quality doesn't always parallel with price. I recently comparing (for a few weeks, not a few minutes), some well known expensive IEMs, mostly above $ 150, and a series of IEM that brand I just knew a few weeks ago. The IEM just cost around $ 30, but sound quality, for my taste, is better than those few hundred dollars IEMs.

So don't get bias with the price, train your ears and trust them

note:
This is the 'new brand' I just knew few weeks back, which sound quality is too good for the price:

Superlux HD381 Series

I bought all three sound profiles, and what best for my ears is the HD381F, the flat profile, white color.

Some pictures of the HD381 series, they are on the right side.

 

[CEE TEE]

I just had the same question and approached it this way with earbuds: bought well-respected $39 Yuin PK3 earbuds from Head Direct and $159 PK1. Put them to my personal test. Without even burn-in or an amp and with little experience, I decided to sell the PK3's. I know my friend at work shouldn't buy the $159 version so I told him that I bought both and that the $159 were worth it to me. I told him I would return the PK3 or he could listen to them and if he wanted them he could buy them from me. Now two others at work want the PK3. I haven't let my friend try the PK1 because he doesn't want to and I don't want him to want what he cannot get. He is just comparing the PK3 to what he had previously and is really enjoying them as they burn in. The PK also require less power, burn-in, and sound great without an amp supposedly. He is happy. I am VERY happy with the PK1 even without amp but will definitely be buying an amp (bigger and better than the $20 Fii0 E5 amp that has been fun to play with and check effect on different genres of music, different phones, and different players). So we're all happy!

But, man, I could tell the difference between PK1 and PK3, from the quality of the sound to the soundstage to the range of frequencies. It is like a rougher sound on the PK3's but would you notice that if the PK3 was only in comparison to a lesser headphone? So, what happens is you experience the jump and then for all sorts of reasons you want that experience again and more and in different areas. Workout phones, home phones, comfortable phones, more clarity, or ones with more bass, nes that are good but you won't worry about breaking/losing/getting wet. It's all over for me now I fear. I gotta say, the new Massive Attack album remixes on my Alessandro MS-1i's had bass sounds that I had NO IDEA were there. And I can't hear them on any other equipment other than quality gear.