[psgarcha92]

And that too, judging just on the ter "Bass", bass can be bloomy, can have no definition at all, can cover all the other sounds playing behind, but they would be loke, WOW, Bass.

 

[Satellite_6]

When my friend tried my HD 485's (which are bass monsters) - out of a speaker amplifier btw - he commented "this sucks, there's no bass!" What a crackhead. . .
 
I immediately tried them on and thought they had way too much. . . they're no good without EQing.

 

[melomaniac]

anyone who comes to my place sees at least one pair of (large!) speakers, and at least one pair of headphones. even if they just come to the door to deliver a parcel they're likely to see that kind of stuff, so I get lots of comments. but I find that almost everyone loves some kind of gadget, and I just shrug it off as that with people who would never allow a magnepan into their house, and wouldn't dream of spending money on headphones. they have gardening tools, or kitchen gadgets, or bicycle repair gear, or sewing machines, or whatever it may be... in short, my advice would be to just offer a self-deprecating smile and shrug.

 

[Napilopez]

I've actually been pretty lucky on this front, because virtually everyone I've showed my headphones to have been impressed, for a couple of reason. For one, my sound signature preferences are likely more appealing to the general public than many other audiophiles, as I tend to lean towards a more V-shaped or signature in my headphones. It sounds more "natural" to me, even if not as balanced. Secondly, I sometimes "cheat" a bit when showing off my gear to my friends, playing a song I know might sound particularly good through the headphones, or using settings I wouldn't normally listen with all the time, such as a cross-feed/surround sound virtualizer. Still, though I usually let them know that those aren't my normal settinsg, I do like to present my gear in the way that would most likely appeal to my audience.

I also agree very stronly with Uncle Erik that a good portion of why people think lesser products sound good is because they don't listen to enough live music, and/or only have super boomy bass for reference as "good"

 

[leshka]

well i am just a  newbie to this hobby but i have to agree with everything said on this thread. i recently bout a pair of westone 4's and shared my purchase info with a friend of mine. she got so aggravated with the fact that i drop'd $450 on my IEM's and proceeded to tell me that all you really need are a $10 pair of skullcandys. i guess that was my first lesson of why "not" to share my IEM info. i tried to informer on why they cost so much but i still didn't get through to her. owell like ounce said on this thread "a lost cause." some people just cant understand these things, but luckily my family does since they all have there own hobbies.

 

[SpecterJin]

Quote:

well i am just a  newbie to this hobby but i have to agree with everything said on this thread. i recently bout a pair of westone 4's and shared my purchase info with a friend of mine. she got so aggravated with the fact that i drop'd $450 on my IEM's and proceeded to tell me that all you really need are a $10 pair of skullcandys. i guess that was my first lesson of why "not" to share my IEM info. i tried to informer on why they cost so much but i still didn't get through to her. owell like ounce said on this thread "a lost cause." some people just cant understand these things, but luckily my family does since they all have there own hobbies.

next time, share the sound, not the price haha
 
 

 

[Spyro]

I have purchased over 25 IEM's over the years and enjoyed most of them.  I would guess there are several hundred IEM's/earbuds to choose from nowadays.  I currently own JH13 which costs $1,049.  Is it worth it?  Only the buyer can determine that.  However as far as SQ goes and whether a person can differeniate it or not there is no denying it is among Top 5 IEM's in the world period!...and that's what it costs.

 

[sari0n]

Customs just look so pro that my friends don't argue, even if they're only triple.fi 10 remolds =P
Plus they can't even try them to on to compare so most of them just accept that they're better.

 

[JosephKim]

Sounds is absolutely subjective. If some people prefer skullcandy over a high end IEM, let them be. I think some people are just born with better hearing than others. Also, i think your own musicality plays a role too. I just know so many people who are 'tone deaf', cant hear little things in music (emotions in instruments, subtleties, etc.). If youre one of those people theres no sense in buying high end headphones. I think theres probably a lot of people right here on head-fi who are like that but just like the thought of being an audiophile lol. Or are bored and its just something to do. Save your money!

 

[JeFFz]

No point explaining to them, they won't understand lol... My friend would try my earphones and say they sound just like apple ear buds but honestly i get a feeling that they didn't get the fit right.

 

[leshka]

Quote:

next time, share the sound, not the price haha
 
 

you're right but i highly doubt she would've still understood lol.
 
 

 

[psgarcha92]

Just a few moments ago, my i showed my ZEROs to my sister (Honestly, i dont like them very much though), and she was like, yeah, the phones i use with my cellphone (5 USD cost) sound better than these.i promised myself, i am never going to show any earphones to anybody from now on.good that i dint tell her the price.

 

[Foress]

Quote:

I think many of us were once like that... judging sound quality by quantity of bass (I know I was). But our tastes changed over time as we learned to appreciate and become accustomed to good sound across the entire spectrum. So don't hate or laugh. If probably the majority of these "non-audiophiles" were given a pair of good phones to use for a while, they'll probably grow out of their ignorance.

well, couldn't have said it better.

 

[Narcosynthesis]

You will find the same reaction to virtually any hobby, whether yours or someone else...
 
To us a nice set of headphones sound great and are worth the money, to others they don't have enough bass or are just excessive.
To some a $3000 guitar is a beautiful sounding and playing thing, to others a $300 guitar does all they need.
Some people feel it worth it buying fresh coffee beans, then roasting, grinding and preparing them all themselves on thousands of dollars worth of equipment for the perfect cup, others are happy with instant or starbucks.
Others are happy paying out $1000 for a camera lens, not counting the $2000 spent no the camera itself and the hundreds spent on tripods, memory cards, batteries, etc.. Many are happy with the camera in a cellphone.
Fashionistas will spend thousands on new clothes to satisfy current trends, some are happy in jeans and a hoodie...
 
My reaction? Live and let live... They may think I spend silly money on something they feel is worthless, I bet they spend just as much on something I personally think idiotic.

 

[FDS]

I've actually managed to convert a surprising number of the people I talk to. If nothing else I can explain the benefits of lossless rips over their 128kbps mp3s / 192kbps aac on their ipod that they are usually not even aware they are listening to.
Quote:

You will find the same reaction to virtually any hobby, whether yours or someone else...
 

This is true. I don't bother trying to justify paying more for an IPS monitor or mechanical keyboard. Usually a proper explanation is too wordy and confusing for everyday conversation anyway. Sometimes it's just better to "let it go."