[disastermouse]

Hey all,
 
I know some people scoff at the prices we pay to - in the eyes of others - merely spoil our ears or sense of uniqueness; however I think most of us know that headphones are actually the cheapest way to audio-nirvana.  My HD 650s are only 'Mid-Fi'.  Nonetheless, music that I know well is now nearly bringing me to tears with its passion and power.  That's well worth the price of admission, and although I may be a freak of sorts, it's not necessarily for this desire.
 
Why have headphones not broken consumer consciousness yet?  I speak only for the West, of course - they may be huge in Asia for all I know, but I'm not moving to a land without an alphabet....even if the girls are petite and adorable.
 
We hate Beats - but Beats have driven droves of the hitherto suckered to Head-Fi to get schooled on better values and better sound-quality cans.  In a way, we may end up owing them for a surge in headphone popularity.
 
The question is this:  Will this popularity surge to the mainstream?  Like wine did in the 80s and microbrews in the 90s, is a wave of head-contained audiophilia nearly upon us?

 

[ChopaH]

I believe it will become mainstream. The Beats drove me to this forum and caused my friends to buy skullcandies (I think eventually they will see the difference between those and my M50's thus leading them to take the next step).

 

[disastermouse]

M50s seem to be the gateway drug of the week, don't they?

 

[TobaccoRoad]

I think it already is. Nowadays everyone is aware of lower-end Sennheiser and Audio Technica and we have hundreds of reviews on Amazon to prove it. But if you're talking high end models then no it will never be mainstream, especially in this economy will it ever be normal to spend thousands of dollars on audio equipment. That would be ridiculous.

 

[ChopaH]

I think they go hand in hand with people looking for entry level high quality headphones, that's the case for me at least. With people just becoming involved in Head-Fi they don't want to jump right into spending nearly $500, so for the price, the M50's are perfect for "testing the waters" if you will. They still sound great unamped which saves an extra couple hundred dollars, can be used for portable use, and the strong sounding bass is perfect for the genre of music I listen too. I know that my curiosity is going to get the best of me though and eventually I will pair them with a DAC and amp once my funds allow me, then eventually a nicer pair of cans as well.
 
EDIT: Along with Tobacco's point about the state of the economy.

 

[Cdis99]

Have to agree with ChopaH.
 
After doing extensive research I came to the conclusion that for that first set of entry level phones, the M50 were right for me. Neutral sound, good bass, and pretty good soundstage which will be even better when I buy the Shure 840 pads and an e9 or e7 (possibly).
 
I do agree that the Beats are a step into phones going mainstream. I see TONS of DJ's wearing these in music videos nowadays, and it just makes people want them even more. Plus, they are pretty stylish, but the price tag/quality just isn't for me. As I know it's not for most of you as well 

 

[Sccrfreak342]

By mainstream, do you mean wearing them around in public, or just more people using them in general?  If it's the latter, then I agree with the fact that they will become mainstream with more and more people realizing that their money can be better spent than on beats or the like.  However, the former is a bit more difficult to predict.  A lot of people (at least, people I know and see) seem to be very conscious about looks.  The beats have that "look" about them, the "I'd wear these in public" type of look.  A lot of headphones that are much better (not to mention cheaper) do not have the same style.  M50's, SRH440's/840's, etc, albeit better options, may not be what people want to wear around in public.  While there are some that do have a sort of "sex appeal" (the Phiaton MS 400's come to mind), there aren't enough choices in my opinion to create the same mainstream-type effect.

 

[12345142]

It's true that a lot more stylish headphones are coming out, after companies have realized that there's a market for them. Just look at Skullcandy's commercial success among youth. I don't think truly high-end headphones will ever become mainstream, though. Companies like Ultrasone and Beyerdynamic don't sell their products in big-box stores, nor do they have much of a marketing focus, so naturally the average consumer will gravitate towards the heavily marketed brands such as Monster and Bose (unfortunately), which sound good enough for them.

 

[TheHavak]

I would say beats are mainstream now but I don't believe headphones will be worn as commonly as IEMs or ibuds for a very long time.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

I would say beats are mainstream now but I don't believe headphones will be worn as commonly as IEMs or ibuds for a very long time.

i agree with you there. although i am starting to see alot more over the ear headphones around where i live. it seems people are realizeing they sound better. although i see alot of skullcandies i am starting to see jvc and sony alot. i have seen a few with bose and monster beats though.

 

[12345142]

Quote:

I would say beats are mainstream now but I don't believe headphones will be worn as commonly as IEMs or ibuds for a very long time.

No doubt about that, iBuds are free.

 

[disastermouse]

Quote:

It's true that a lot more stylish headphones are coming out, after companies have realized that there's a market for them. Just look at Skullcandy's commercial success among youth. I don't think truly high-end headphones will ever become mainstream, though. Companies like Ultrasone and Beyerdynamic don't sell their products in big-box stores, nor do they have much of a marketing focus, so naturally the average consumer will gravitate towards the heavily marketed brands such as Monster and Bose (unfortunately), which sound good enough for them.

Who buys from big-boxes anymore?
 
I get everything from Amazon - makes Amazon Prime worth the price - and you can get 'everyman' reviews...some of them are awful, but they are much more useful than going it based on marketing materials - that's how a lot of people end up with Beats - then they come here to brag and end up crestfallen.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

Quote:

It's true that a lot more stylish headphones are coming out, after companies have realized that there's a market for them. Just look at Skullcandy's commercial success among youth. I don't think truly high-end headphones will ever become mainstream, though. Companies like Ultrasone and Beyerdynamic don't sell their products in big-box stores, nor do they have much of a marketing focus, so naturally the average consumer will gravitate towards the heavily marketed brands such as Monster and Bose (unfortunately), which sound good enough for them.

Who buys from big-boxes anymore?
 
I get everything from Amazon - makes Amazon Prime worth the price - and you can get 'everyman' reviews...some of them are awful, but they are much more useful than going it based on marketing materials - that's how a lot of people end up with Beats - then they come here to brag and end up crestfallen.

well i bought my shure srh750dj headphones from futureshop which is owned by best buy. apparently they were the best headphones they had.

 

[2enty3]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

It's true that a lot more stylish headphones are coming out, after companies have realized that there's a market for them. Just look at Skullcandy's commercial success among youth. I don't think truly high-end headphones will ever become mainstream, though. Companies like Ultrasone and Beyerdynamic don't sell their products in big-box stores, nor do they have much of a marketing focus, so naturally the average consumer will gravitate towards the heavily marketed brands such as Monster and Bose (unfortunately), which sound good enough for them.

Who buys from big-boxes anymore?
 
I get everything from Amazon - makes Amazon Prime worth the price - and you can get 'everyman' reviews...some of them are awful, but they are much more useful than going it based on marketing materials - that's how a lot of people end up with Beats - then they come here to brag and end up crestfallen.

well i bought my shure srh750dj headphones from futureshop which is owned by best buy. apparently they were the best headphones they had.

That's what they always say. ; P

 

[ChopaH]

Speaking to how often I see the Beats, I play AAU basketball (if you want an explanation I could explain or just google) and at everyone of my tournaments there are soooo many there. Half of the teams that're sponsored give each player a pair so everyone on the team has them. And a bunch of other kids have their own as well. Lebron James and other NBA players can be seen wearing them as well. They're doing a fantastic job of marketing to the basketball community, even though I'm positive this is due to most basketball players listening to hip hop. But as far as just in the basketball community, the Beats are already considered mainstream.