[markl]

How much would you be willing or able to spend for top-of-the-line, best-of-breed, outstanding, unbelievable dynamic headphones? In other words, how much would you willingly spend on headphones as part of a top-of-the-line system? This can be for existing headphones or even for non-existent fantasy headphones...

crap, for whatever reason, this won't post as a poll as it was intended. Let me try it again....

 

[darkclouds]

Do you mean for a set of the best headphones available, definitively? If that's the case, I'd be willing to go $2k, maybe even $2.5k. Otherwise, for something I think may be the best, $1.5k.

 

[minya]

I chose $900 - 1600. I believe I could snag a pair of Omegas for $1600 new, and once I get rid of this damned iBook, I believe I'm going to do just that.

- Chris

 

[markl]

Darkclouds.. yes as much as you'd be willing to spend on a headphone that is clearly the best ever...

 

[darkclouds]

markl, then I guess $2500 is as far as I'd be willing to go, ever, for a pair of headphones without feeling like I've completely lost every ounce of sanity to this hobby.

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl Darkclouds.. yes as much as you'd be willing to spend on a headphone that is clearly the best ever...

Hmmmmmm......I am now using the HD650/Zu and it is clearly the best ever here. I would spend whatever it takes to get something I think is clearly better, to me, on my system.

 

[ayt999]

considering how I already have an ATH-L3000... I had to go for the $1600 to $4000 range or else I would be contradicting myself.

I need to find a cheaper hobby... this is much more expensive than making dual CPU computers and overclocking them.

 

[agile_one]

$1600 - 4000, but only if the cans are demonstrably better to my ears than ones costing less, as both R10's and Omega II's are.

 

[Geek]

I voted $1600-4000. I would buy a headphone at this price point that had a marked difference over lesser equipment. Fortunately I believe the best headphone on the market today is the HD650 which retails for much less, around $400 depending on location. If I find a headphone that sound incredible, costs thousands of dollars and I have the money, I'd buy it, period.

I can see spending ten thousand bucks on associated equipment for the sennheisers, though, so its really almost the same thing.

Cheers,
Geek

 

[cmascatello]

I could go to $1600+ for either a dynamic full-sized can or an IEM (yes, I am crazy) if I could be guaranteed that it is the BEST thing ever. The Bee's Knees....The Mutt's Nuts....

I figure that I would spend that much or more in upgraditis alone and a definitive "#1" choice would be easy to pull the trigger on/for.

 

[aerius]

Depends. If for whatever reason, spouse, living conditions, whatever, I can't get a decent pair of speakers then I'd say the sky's the limit. In a more realistic world I'll likely have a pretty decent set of speakers around, in which case my budget would top out at about $500-$600 or so.

 

[OakIris]

I voted for the $500-900 range simply because I'm trying to be sane. But, as mentioned by cmascatello, I have already spent well over $2000 on "upgraditis" - different headphones, associated cable upgrades, portable CDPs, new sound cards, headphone amps, etc.. And I won't even include the money I've spent to entirely redo/upgrade my stereo system.

This obsessive hobby of ours is crazy!

I don't think it ever ends - even if you spent $2000 or $4000 dollars on the "Bee's Knees" headphones, I'm sure another pair would come along to wow you and you'd be coveting them.

 

[cmascatello]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OakIris I don't think it ever ends - even if you spent $2000 or $4000 dollars on the "Bee's Knees" headphones, I'm sure another pair would come along to wow you and you'd be coveting them.

I am banking on markl's hypothesis that these cans are the Consensus #1 Champs. Otherwise, you are right that there would always be some coveting going on.

 

[cosmopragma]

I voted for less than 1000 USD.
I can't understand those marketing clowns.
I want to see a R 9.9, without costly wooden parts, without an expensive box, not handpolished by buddhist monks in the state of nirvana, not soaked with the odor of japanese virgins, 500 USD.
The well known effects of economies of scale would probably increase their profits, and we would love them despite their infamous low-fi products.

 

[darkclouds]

Since we're speaking hypothetically here, $4k may not be too much to ask for a pair of headphones that soundstage and image like a good pair of speakers 6-8 ft away with a frequency response of 20hz-25khz and does everything else right in between (ie, tonal balance, comfort, timbre etc.).