Why are all the best cans discontinued?

[drlee27]

Btw, where can you still purchase th K1000 headphones? Some sellers must still have some in stock.

 

[smeggy]

Personally I think they discontinued them all because they knew I couldn't afford them, and without my patronage what's the point in making them?

Maybe one day K1000's will come down in price enough so that even I can afford a set.

 

[Salt Peanuts]

As for Stax discontinuing/replacing models, the company did go out of business in 1995 (the company came back as Stax LTD. the following year). The current Stax is technically a different company than the original Stax company, though they are one and same in the practical sense.

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salt Peanuts As for Stax discontinuing/replacing models, the company did go out of business in 1995. The current Stax is technically a different company than the original Stax company, though they are one and same in the practical sense.

The company direction did seem to shift somewhat after going under.

 

[dannyandelyse]

Jason,

Law of nature......
Everything in it's own time.

 

[bangraman]

There'll be new ones. Sony? Who knows... It's lost it's way, and it's still for the most part populated by people who're terrified they'll get the sack. Not a good environment for considered R&D.


I wouldn't rule out the Korean and Chinese companies from releasing statement products in the near future.


Audio-Technica.... come on, the 15th Anniversary of the Chairman's First Time He Thought About Releasing Limited Edition Phones must be coming up shortly

The German companies are pretty pragmatic. I guess they feel they don't need statement products to sell their more profitable wares.


I guess Grado should seriously think about limited edition distressed-chic phones since it's what the clientele seems to responds to. You should be able to specify the number of frayed stitches on the headband, the ropeyness of the diaphragm movement, roughness of the glueing and the fading of any paintwork.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn Yeah, can you imagine Joe Grado saying "I'm designing these cans so that some day some punk in NYC can play his 256 VBR AAC tracks thru his PC via iTunes out to a soundcard that puts out a digital optical signal..." And yet he made cans that can handle it, and more. Awesome.

Not at all suprizing to me. He used vinyl as his source. IMHO digital still hasn't surpassed analog in SQ. Cleaner backgrounds are the only improvement i'll consede.

 

[swt61]

I think that if you look at the # of people walking around bobbing their heads happily with IPod earbuds spewing out crappy, compressed noise, You have to realise most people don't know any better. And the ones that think they're upgrading to better SQ are reeled in by the B_SE marketing hype. They must be getting better SQ because they paid $300.00! So most people either can't tell the difference or don't care. My point is the market for high end headphones gets smaller all the time.

 

[zChan]

It is sad that only the Omega II remains in the +$1000.

On the bright side, you didn't join head-fi right now.

Think of the horror of finding out the fact that most of the best headphones were discontinued the previous year, just before you joined up!

 

[shplorgh]

*looks at all his cans*

Oh crap.

But seriously it's not that bad, it's more like "why are all the best cans limited", like all of the AT's, and the PS-1. Audio-Technica seems to release a new one every year though, and next year is their 45th anniversary so who knows. The PS-1 wasn't even supposed to be released to the public, the HP-1000's simply aren't going to be made as John replaced Joe years ago, the 010 might be discontinued because of bad business decisions by Sony, but don't forget that it originally replaced the R10, and as for the K1000, well who knows, same with the Senn 'stats.

 

[Nomad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zChan It is sad that only the Omega II remains in the +$1000. On the bright side, you didn't join head-fi right now. Think of the horror of finding out the fact that most of the best headphones were discontinued the previous year, just before you joined up!

That's pretty much my case. All my best cans were purchased after being discontinued.

Still catching up, though.

These are really bad times for high-end headphones.

 

[gpalmer]

Uhhh, personally I think the query answers the question. It's akin to asking why every 50 meter dash run in the world isn't run in record time. If it were easy to bring out real world class stand out headphones everyone would be doing it and they'd also always be available. Of course, then they wouldn't be world class stand outs, they'd be the headphones you listed as also rans.

 

[Tachikoma]

Well, even world records are broken every 2-3 years. How long has it been since the orpheus was introduced?

 

[seacard]

I am interested in the implications of this thread. Technology has improved dramatically over the last few years. Today's $200 computer blows away a $20,000 one from the 80's. Today's $3000 TV destroys a $10,000 TV from just a few years back. iPods, XBOX 360, PSP, etc. etc. etc.

However, in the audiophile world, there's this strange pull the other way. There's a strong preference for things old (vinyl, tubes, etc.). Same with headphones... some of these headphones that today are regarded as greatest of all time got very little attention when they were in production.

Obviously there are two possibilities:

1) Audio technology is different from all others in the world and has actually gone backwards while the rest of the tech world was moving forward; or

2) Audio technology is no different from all others, and has moved forward, and just like IBM can sell a computer for $1000 that used to cost $5000, Sennheiser or AKG or Sony can sell a much better headphone (or at least a "no worse" headphone) for much less money.

Obviously, on Head-fi the former is the leading opinion. But is that the universal understanding, and if so, why is this the case?

 

[Tachikoma]

Speaker/headphone technology is supposedly a very "mature" technology, but I think it has more to do with the manufacturers not trying hard enough to better their products. And, I don't think the "market is too small" cliche still holds true; just look at the interest in more economical audiophile products. (KSC-35 anyone?) By lowering the "entry fee" to the high-end audio world... who knows what could happen? Maybe in a few years, $150 phones that completely destroy the daddy orpheus?