[Arkyle]

Now you made me really curious, guys...I want to listen to these skullcrushers now!

 

[wicka]

Quote:

I bought a $20 pair of cans for gaming once a few years back before I got into the audiophile thing. I went back to them recently and had the compulsion to make them violently explode.

I think this is the experience of most people when they're new to headphones/audio. I definitely didn't get the full impact of how much better the sound was until I left my good headphones somewhere and had to fall back on my iPod earbuds.
 
To contribute to the thread: the worst headphones I ever used were the generic $10 Panasonic earbuds you can find pretty much anywhere and come with that little round case the cable rolls up into. They were appreciably worse than the iPod earbuds, which I bought them to replace. I was in college and dead broke and still just threw them away.

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

I heard theyre worse than the aviators but they are actually trying to make everything work.

I'm still skeptical, they shouldve just thrown this idea down the garbage. I dont think buzzes and vibrations will ever really work, atleast they say it wont sound like crap when you turn off the "subwoofer"

I have a tiny (imagine the size of a hydrogen atom, perhaps) bit of respect for Skullcandy, since they seem to be run (if not endorsed) by good people who know that they can and occasionally will (Mix Master, Aviator) make a very good product.
 
That still doesn't really excuse the bright-colored, plasticky trash they put out most of the time, though, but at least they don't promote as the best thing ever to happen to your ears.

 

[xxicrimsonixx]

One that came with a portable CD player I bought ~10 years ago.

 

[Mheat122134]

I tried some fake Beats Tours. Worst headphones ever, no bass at all the mids and highs sounded awfully distorted.

 

[KingNigel42]

You guys have heard of The Sharper Image right? You know, the company that makes Humidifiers, Air Purifiers, and juicers? Well apparently they make earbuds too, and I had the displeasure of listening to them.

A few years ago I found some cheap replacement earbuds in Ross to use until my new Sony headphones came in, and since they were only a dollar, I decided to pick them up. These were by far the worst earbuds I've ever heard. The plastic is so jagged that it feels like you're putting a tack in your ear (Sharper Image... heh.), there's no padding, and the cord snapped after the first few days! But the sound was the worst part. They sounded more like a humidifier than a pair of earbuds. The sound was so bad that half of the time I couldn't even make out the song I was listening to. There were no highs, no lows, no mids just... God awful "noise". It was painful.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

I tried some fake Beats Tours. Worst headphones ever, no bass at all the mids and highs sounded awfully distorted.

oh great, I would resist temptation to get a fake

 

[airo]

Air Canada earbuds. Horrible. Just horrible.

 

[marone]

Probably the 1972-era Koss that I first listened to on a hi-fi, the experience that turned me on to music, sound, and head gear. It's an unfair comparison but the sound was extremely muffled, the pads were hard and made me sweat, and the high end was not there. It was like listening to an 8-track tape but the source was all vinyl early pressings. Yet...that sound got me into this in the first place. Midrange was good but muffled in that 70's gear fashion.

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

Probably the 1972-era Koss that I first listened to on a hi-fi, the experience that turned me on to music, sound, and head gear. It's an unfair comparison but the sound was extremely muffled, the pads were hard and made me sweat, and the high end was not there. It was like listening to an 8-track tape but the source was all vinyl early pressings. Yet...that sound got me into this in the first place. Midrange was good but muffled in that 70's gear fashion.

The headphone that first got me into the hobby was a WeSC, so at least you have that beat 

 

[FlyingFungus]

Not the worst but recently I heard the Bowers&Wilkins line of headphones and wasn't impressed. But than again I didnt demo them for long.

 

[autoteleology]

Not the worst but recently I heard the Bowers&Wilkins line of headphones and wasn't impressed. But than again I didnt demo them for long.

 
This. I found them to be incredibly overhyped.

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

Not the worst but recently I heard the Bowers&Wilkins line of headphones and wasn't impressed. But than again I didnt demo them for long.

Quote:

This. I found them to be incredibly overhyped.

I regrettably heard the P5 again on Sunday when my friend showed up with one around his neck.... not as bad as the P3, but still, that mid bass hump.... *shudder*
He wouldn't listen to my advice and only compared it to the green AKG K430 as a suggestion by the shop worker. He told me the guy working there also said the P5 was designed for classical music, and not to even TRY the Momentum because it was more 'mainstream' 

 
I specifically told him to try out LOADS of headphones before buying, but alas my words fell on deaf ears. I'm showing him my Momentums tonight. Hopefully he kept his receipt. 

 

[autoteleology]

Don't make him feel too bad. 

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

Don't make him feel too bad. 

He said that for him, the P5 was simply audio perfection - exactly what he was looking for, and we already agreed that everyone has differing preferences.
I just hope he doesn't stick to his guns because of pride, but an actual preference.
He listens to mostly heavy/thrash metal, so I think he thoroughly enjoys the super relaxed sound from them.