Keep it up Tyller! On other note, maybe someone should start a company making easy to deploy soundproof booth, the noise for audio evaluation is unbearable.
I remember seeing a bunch of them over the years at CES and other shows, but it doesn't seem like they caught on. Guess exhibitors prioritize floor space and openness over the ability to demo their products at their full potential.
If you see the Klipsch booth, I would appreciate it if you pressurized them to release 4,4 mm terminated versions of their X12 and X20 IEM's. Thanks =)
That's exactly the problem. The price gouging in this industry has reached unbelievable levels, and very few of the options available above 1000 dollars are even close to being worth their price. Just because other companies (cough, hifiman) are pushing the limits of pricing far beyond what they should be, doesn't mean everybody needs to hop onto that bandwagon just because they can.
@ metal571 - What about 100 000 dollars speakers ? These days one cannot buy top rate speakers for less than 50 000 dollars. and some say that the minimum cost of good speakers is not 50 000 but 100 000 dollars. Compared to speakers headphones are dirt cheap. That is why more and more people buy headphones. This said, audio outfits like Hifiman, Audez'e, Focal and Final Audio do price their headphones for the wallets of drug barons. 2000 USD for ADX5000 is nothing compared to what the headphones of those manufacturers cost.
sszorin oh yeah I'll never argue that headphones are much cheaper to get into than speakers. Just not a fan of this multi kilobuck trend that seems to keep getting worse all the time.
sszorin speakers don't start at that price you can get top rate speakers for much less. Just don't go for the boutique stuff. But you have to consider that speakers need a room, they are much bigger, can require expensive crossovers, the drivers are much more expensive and the amps are too. The price gouging has typically been reserved to the boutique speaker, cable , and DAC amp market. The issue is, is that the headphone market is much smaller at the high end and scales a lot more. The high end has become the boutique market, whereas with speakers there is a lot more high end stuff for cheaper
Dear Headphone companies - STOP TAKING THE PISS OUT OF PEOPLE WITH YOUR RIDICULOUS PRICES. For example you can buy Sennheiser HD540 Reference gold for £150 that will easily match and often out perform most any headphone on the market to day and its 30+ years old!
I agree the pricing is getting dumb, but seems to me a lot of people don't mind splurging on headphones these days. Audeze seems to be doing well right? Otherwise they wouldn't do it.
A very small minority of people will buy them BUT they have no choice. If you want a headphone of a [perceived current market value in terms of quality] you have to pay 100's of pounds/ Its a bit like trains at Christmas. Because people HAVE to use them they bump the prices up. I wouldn't mind SO much IF they were consistently improving the sound BUT since that magic time just before digital took over and the engineers had to tune by ear with analog equipment - the realism / quality has skydived. TECHNICALLY modern headphones are good BUT they have lost all sense of natural organic emotive human made/played/sung music. I just think we have lost SO much since digital, so called music came to be. No time to elaborate but I hope people get my drift :D
I heard CDs play like I was really there so honestly I think you're a bit full of yourself. It all depends on the recording, mastering and playback gear.
Yes there are some rare, well recorded and mastered CD's but compared to say: Verve records in the 1960's . . . Night and day. I think you shouldn't judge people and mildly insult them. Im very passionate about beautifully played, recorded and mastered audio. Sorry if you find that demeaning. Even Sennheiser are currently working on headphones for kids with phones. . . which is fine but compared to what they COULD produce and are capable of producing...just sad (in a way) How many young people have only heard compressed lifeless music on their phones through 'extra bass' headphones? If they are happy thats fine but to hear music as it Actually sounds live is a magical experience. PS - Have you heard the new Gillian Welch CD - sounds amazing!
Keep it up Tyller! On other note, maybe someone should start a company making easy to deploy soundproof booth, the noise for audio evaluation is unbearable.
I remember seeing a bunch of them over the years at CES and other shows, but it doesn't seem like they caught on. Guess exhibitors prioritize floor space and openness over the ability to demo their products at their full potential.
That sucks.
In the smaller headphone meets, I always wanted an hour of silence to truly evaluate gear.
If you see the Klipsch booth, I would appreciate it if you pressurized them to release 4,4 mm terminated versions of their X12 and X20 IEM's. Thanks =)
Will this dethrone the hd800 and become the next headphone that is brighter than the sun?
Obviously, the comparison to be made would be against the Sennheiser HD800S.
*Shakes my fist* WHERE ARE THE WINGS?!
It is surprising that a $2000.00 headphones sounds good?
This better sound unreal for that price.
2000 dollars is pretty cheap. Other flagship headphones are much more expensive.
That's exactly the problem. The price gouging in this industry has reached unbelievable levels, and very few of the options available above 1000 dollars are even close to being worth their price. Just because other companies (cough, hifiman) are pushing the limits of pricing far beyond what they should be, doesn't mean everybody needs to hop onto that bandwagon just because they can.
@ metal571 - What about 100 000 dollars speakers ? These days one cannot buy top rate speakers for less than 50 000 dollars. and some say that the minimum cost of good speakers is not 50 000 but 100 000 dollars. Compared to speakers headphones are dirt cheap. That is why more and more people buy headphones.
This said, audio outfits like Hifiman, Audez'e, Focal and Final Audio do price their headphones for the wallets of drug barons. 2000 USD for ADX5000 is nothing compared to what the headphones of those manufacturers cost.
sszorin oh yeah I'll never argue that headphones are much cheaper to get into than speakers. Just not a fan of this multi kilobuck trend that seems to keep getting worse all the time.
sszorin speakers don't start at that price you can get top rate speakers for much less. Just don't go for the boutique stuff. But you have to consider that speakers need a room, they are much bigger, can require expensive crossovers, the drivers are much more expensive and the amps are too.
The price gouging has typically been reserved to the boutique speaker, cable , and DAC amp market.
The issue is, is that the headphone market is much smaller at the high end and scales a lot more. The high end has become the boutique market, whereas with speakers there is a lot more high end stuff for cheaper
Dear Headphone companies - STOP TAKING THE PISS OUT OF PEOPLE WITH YOUR RIDICULOUS PRICES. For example you can buy Sennheiser HD540 Reference gold for £150 that will easily match and often out perform most any headphone on the market to day and its 30+ years old!
It won't even outperform the HD6X0 and you can get those for 150 used.
I agree the pricing is getting dumb, but seems to me a lot of people don't mind splurging on headphones these days. Audeze seems to be doing well right? Otherwise they wouldn't do it.
A very small minority of people will buy them BUT they have no choice. If you want a headphone of a [perceived current market value in terms of quality] you have to pay 100's of pounds/ Its a bit like trains at Christmas. Because people HAVE to use them they bump the prices up. I wouldn't mind SO much IF they were consistently improving the sound BUT since that magic time just before digital took over and the engineers had to tune by ear with analog equipment - the realism / quality has skydived. TECHNICALLY modern headphones are good BUT they have lost all sense of natural organic emotive human made/played/sung music. I just think we have lost SO much since digital, so called music came to be. No time to elaborate but I hope people get my drift :D
I heard CDs play like I was really there so honestly I think you're a bit full of yourself. It all depends on the recording, mastering and playback gear.
Yes there are some rare, well recorded and mastered CD's but compared to say: Verve records in the 1960's . . . Night and day. I think you shouldn't judge people and mildly insult them. Im very passionate about beautifully played, recorded and mastered audio. Sorry if you find that demeaning. Even Sennheiser are currently working on headphones for kids with phones. . . which is fine but compared to what they COULD produce and are capable of producing...just sad (in a way) How many young people have only heard compressed lifeless music on their phones through 'extra bass' headphones? If they are happy thats fine but to hear music as it Actually sounds live is a magical experience. PS - Have you heard the new Gillian Welch CD - sounds amazing!
same stuff each year