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Headphone random conversation
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Zed Clampet
Community Contributor
For that price I can just get a band to come set up in my living room. Then an audiophile would show up and comment that it almost sounds like a live performance, but the drums aren't punchy enough.
Colif
On a Journey
NO, Audiophiles would complain the room has bad acoustics and expect you to stick foam on the walls to deaden the sound.
One reason Headphones are easier for me is I don't have to worry about furniture getting in the way of sound. Admittedly I have never bothered with my 5.1 set but I didn't even know about the sound dampening stuff until I started looking at better speakers for the possible future I might have if I don't want to listen to headphones all the time.
One reason Headphones are easier for me is I don't have to worry about furniture getting in the way of sound. Admittedly I have never bothered with my 5.1 set but I didn't even know about the sound dampening stuff until I started looking at better speakers for the possible future I might have if I don't want to listen to headphones all the time.
I don't care if the world best sound experts would have called them godly, I'd call them a scam. If it is not a scam, then it would just have some gibberish expensive module in it, like gold flakes on a burger. There is a limit to how good sound can really get for human ears and when it becomes just dumb. Most people can't even distinguish between high-quality audio setups and those that are more modest if they didn't know anything about the equipment beforehand.
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Colif
On a Journey
They would only be 4th on this list
www.headphonesty.com
much of it is to do with complexity
The ones I listed have 11 drivers per ear
One Dynamic driver - probably for bass
Two types of planar driver - probably for treble
8 Balanced Armatures - fill in the areas not covered by other two, mostly mids and treble I expect.
Fitting all that into a small space, and making it sound good, comes with the ability to charge prices people will pay.
Maybe not me. But others.
There are headphones that cost more again but apart from ones covered in gemstones, the most expensive you can buy now is
but the cost of those includes the amp that is required to run them. Approx 60k or more.
Those are electrostatic headphones compared to the normal headphones people are used to. They need special amps - energizers - just to run them. Video explains differences between normal, planar & electrostatic:
most of the expensive IEM seem to have electrostatics now. They are also becoming available in much cheaper ones (compared to the ones on list anyway).
Next IEM I want has 9 drivers in it, but its no where near their prices.
18 Most Expensive IEMs & Earbuds in the World
Can you imagine dropping 10 grand on a pair of IEMs?
www.headphonesty.com
much of it is to do with complexity
The ones I listed have 11 drivers per ear
One Dynamic driver - probably for bass
Two types of planar driver - probably for treble
8 Balanced Armatures - fill in the areas not covered by other two, mostly mids and treble I expect.
Fitting all that into a small space, and making it sound good, comes with the ability to charge prices people will pay.
Maybe not me. But others.
There are headphones that cost more again but apart from ones covered in gemstones, the most expensive you can buy now is
Those are electrostatic headphones compared to the normal headphones people are used to. They need special amps - energizers - just to run them. Video explains differences between normal, planar & electrostatic:
most of the expensive IEM seem to have electrostatics now. They are also becoming available in much cheaper ones (compared to the ones on list anyway).
Next IEM I want has 9 drivers in it, but its no where near their prices.
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Zed Clampet
Community Contributor
So if someone handed you some $60,000 headphones and said, "Happy Birthday!" would you keep them or sell them.They would only be 4th on this list
18 Most Expensive IEMs & Earbuds in the World
Can you imagine dropping 10 grand on a pair of IEMs?
much of it is to do with complexity
The ones I listed have 11 drivers per ear
One Dynamic driver - probably for bass
Two types of planar driver - probably for treble
8 Balanced Armatures - fill in the areas not covered by other two, mostly mids and treble I expect.
Fitting all that into a small space, and making it sound good, comes with the ability to charge prices people will pay.
Maybe not me. But others.
There are headphones that cost more again but apart from ones covered in gemstones, the most expensive you can buy now is
but the cost of those includes the amp that is required to run them. Approx 60k or more.
Those are electrostatic headphones compared to the normal headphones people are used to. They need special amps - energizers - just to run them. Video explains differences between normal, planar & electrostatic:
most of the expensive IEM seem to have electrostatics now. They are also becoming available in much cheaper ones (compared to the ones on list anyway).
Next IEM I want has 9 drivers in it, but its no where near their prices.
I'm torn. At a minimum, I would open them and listen to them, which would knock a chunk off the price.
I'd sell them, put the money in volatile stocks and then lose everything within seconds.
@Colif I have seen a video of someone (I believe you might have linked it some time ago) opening an expensive amplifier only to find that a lot of it was made in a cheap way. I believe this was from YouTuber Mend it Mark doing repairs on some high end sound equipment. Found it:
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I would sell. My equipment is low/mid and so it’s like watching an 8k film on a CRT.
As for my headphones:
I have some Grado SR325x’s which give nice detail (compared to cheaper headphones I’ve tried). I also have some v-moda m100s (I think) which don’t have the same detail but have great bass. Nothing uber expensive but they do enough for me to really enjoy the music.
As for my headphones:
I have some Grado SR325x’s which give nice detail (compared to cheaper headphones I’ve tried). I also have some v-moda m100s (I think) which don’t have the same detail but have great bass. Nothing uber expensive but they do enough for me to really enjoy the music.
Colif
On a Journey
There is a lot of snake oil claims when it comes to audio, and exploiting peoples lack of knowledge when it comes to what is needed.
The Tom Evans amp was overpriced crap in a box designed to keep you out and make it look magic. On taking it apart Mark revealed it was full of cheap parts and not worth the asking price. All that amp does is power speakers, you can buy hardware for 10% of that cost that does a better job now, it just might not look as good.
I don't think Sennheiser need to stoop to that level as their main business is probably selling headphones already, not over priced hardware to people that don't know any better. The HE 1 is the pinnacle so I doubt they are scamming the people who buy them.
The Main unit of the HE 1 includes a DAC and and Amp and I have seen people use a mobile phone as a source for music to it, so I wouldn't sell it as I know I would never have anything better.
The Tom Evans amp was overpriced crap in a box designed to keep you out and make it look magic. On taking it apart Mark revealed it was full of cheap parts and not worth the asking price. All that amp does is power speakers, you can buy hardware for 10% of that cost that does a better job now, it just might not look as good.
I don't think Sennheiser need to stoop to that level as their main business is probably selling headphones already, not over priced hardware to people that don't know any better. The HE 1 is the pinnacle so I doubt they are scamming the people who buy them.
The Main unit of the HE 1 includes a DAC and and Amp and I have seen people use a mobile phone as a source for music to it, so I wouldn't sell it as I know I would never have anything better.
Colif
On a Journey
If they were a gift, it wouldn't feel right to turn around and just sell it again - unless the person who gave it to me was fine with me doing it. It would probably stay in the family and I would pass it down to next generation, provided it doesn't break down in the mean time.
There are downsides to expensive gifts, if you can't afford to fix them. The guy in the video above only had that unit as it was a broken one, and was being returned back to makers for replacement. It was dropped and part of the Marble case was broken off... when you using White Marble to make your cases, there is a chance its not cheap.
If I bought it, which is unlikely, I would likely also hand it down to next generation...
I don't sell anything I buy, I tend to use it until it dies. And then just retire it.
There are downsides to expensive gifts, if you can't afford to fix them. The guy in the video above only had that unit as it was a broken one, and was being returned back to makers for replacement. It was dropped and part of the Marble case was broken off... when you using White Marble to make your cases, there is a chance its not cheap.
If I bought it, which is unlikely, I would likely also hand it down to next generation...
I don't sell anything I buy, I tend to use it until it dies. And then just retire it.
I bought the first ever model of DSLR (Canon 300D). I paid £700 for it but the technology got outdated very quickly and when I checked 5-10 years ago it was worth about £35.
I agree though, if I was given a £60k set of headphones it would probably be very rude to just sell them without checking.
I agree though, if I was given a £60k set of headphones it would probably be very rude to just sell them without checking.
Colif
On a Journey
if anything the newer versions of that family are more expensive
HE 90 was the original, which came out in 1991, and was priced about 12k but didn't have the same materials
He 1 was released in 2015
I don't see it coming down in price.
There are cheaper electrostatic choices, these are just the best. You can get a energizer and headphone set for about 2k, which is much more realistic.
Sure, they still more expensive than what most people would buy but then they not marketed to them.
HE 90 was the original, which came out in 1991, and was priced about 12k but didn't have the same materials
He 1 was released in 2015
I don't see it coming down in price.
There are cheaper electrostatic choices, these are just the best. You can get a energizer and headphone set for about 2k, which is much more realistic.
Sure, they still more expensive than what most people would buy but then they not marketed to them.
Zed Clampet
Community Contributor
Don't think about your mom giving you those headphones. Um, let's just say you won them in the company Christmas party raffle.
I've decided I would probably keep them. I would feel like the world's biggest loser if I actually paid that much for headphones, so this is the only way I'd ever get these. Can't just sell them off.
I've decided I would probably keep them. I would feel like the world's biggest loser if I actually paid that much for headphones, so this is the only way I'd ever get these. Can't just sell them off.
Colif
On a Journey
Personally, it would still be the same reaction. Keep it unless you aren't amazed by the sound. Don't sell it right away, some of these things your brain has to adjust to the headphones. It can take a few weeks. But if it never clicks, sell it.
Its unclear how many they sell per year. I doubt there are many on the second hand market so what mark down would be on a used is unknown, but if its free... its all profit. The guys on one video said he pay 10k for the broken one... so there could be demand.
But the chances of a work Xmas party raffle having these headphones is really small... 🙂
Zed Clampet
Community Contributor
I need to dig out my DAC before my GPU arrives. I probably have a few more days to dig through my boxes 🙂
Colif
On a Journey
i have too many... but only if you take into account that any digital device that plays digital audio has to have a dac in it.
So
I feel I have enough now. I don't feel like counting them all as then, I forgot my TV as well.
The ones in the TV, phones and PC are hardly at same lvl as the other 4. I think the dac in my headphone amp is probably best one I own. Just based on prices. And its abilities.
So
- Both of my PC has one
- My many phones have one
- I also have a Dongle dac that I rarely use now (I do know where it is though)
- My DAP has a dac built in (actually has two in it, one handles single ended, other balanced)
- My Headphone amp has one
- The Wiim Ultra also has one.
I feel I have enough now. I don't feel like counting them all as then, I forgot my TV as well.
The ones in the TV, phones and PC are hardly at same lvl as the other 4. I think the dac in my headphone amp is probably best one I own. Just based on prices. And its abilities.
Zed Clampet
Community Contributor
I think you have audiophilia and need to see a doctor. (I didn't know audiophilia was actually a word when I typed it)
Zed Clampet
Community Contributor
@Colif So I've been using earbuds for awhile that were plugged into my laptop, which basically had a built in DAC/amp. I thought they sounded decent.
So today I'm on the new desktop and I found my DAC, which was right next to my Bang and Olufsen headphones, which I haven't listened to in years, actually. Sadly the leather earcups are not doing too well, but that's fixable. So, anyway, I had Dolby Atmos on and my DAC/amp going and I plugged in the headphones....It's going to be a long time before I use IEM earbuds again...I was just blown away.
So today I'm on the new desktop and I found my DAC, which was right next to my Bang and Olufsen headphones, which I haven't listened to in years, actually. Sadly the leather earcups are not doing too well, but that's fixable. So, anyway, I had Dolby Atmos on and my DAC/amp going and I plugged in the headphones....It's going to be a long time before I use IEM earbuds again...I was just blown away.
Colif
On a Journey
Earbuds or IEM? As its over 5 years since I used earbuds. Never again.
They have their places, headphones are fine if you not travelling but I can't use my Arya on a bus as everyone else on bus would hear my music really clearly, but my IEM do a better job. IN theory I could wear my focal bathys on a bus as they Blue tooth but they too expensive for that and I always forget them.
Its possible expensive IEM can sound close to over ears in some situations but I won't ever own any of those. My IEM have more bass than my Arya but its nice to have variety.
I don't have anything that works with Dolby Atmos so I don't know what that is like. Maybe one day, not looking at any new audio equipment for a while. I don't think I need any.
They have their places, headphones are fine if you not travelling but I can't use my Arya on a bus as everyone else on bus would hear my music really clearly, but my IEM do a better job. IN theory I could wear my focal bathys on a bus as they Blue tooth but they too expensive for that and I always forget them.
Its possible expensive IEM can sound close to over ears in some situations but I won't ever own any of those. My IEM have more bass than my Arya but its nice to have variety.
I don't have anything that works with Dolby Atmos so I don't know what that is like. Maybe one day, not looking at any new audio equipment for a while. I don't think I need any.
Zed Clampet
Community Contributor
IEMs are a type of earbud.
Colif
On a Journey
Colif
On a Journey
Zed Clampet
Community Contributor
@Colif As of right now, and there could be some user error involved, but I'm as unimpressed by SteelSeries audio software as I was impressed with the mouse software.
Every time anything happens (that's as close as I can narrow it down), I lose the SteelSeries settings in their software. It stays available under Windows Mixer, just not in their own software. As a result, I have to switch to the generic "Headphones" setting, which doesn't utilize the DAC and sounds terrible. Plus, I really need this microphone to work.
Anyway, their customer support is getting back to me later today, so we'll see what's going on (probably something I did).
Every time anything happens (that's as close as I can narrow it down), I lose the SteelSeries settings in their software. It stays available under Windows Mixer, just not in their own software. As a result, I have to switch to the generic "Headphones" setting, which doesn't utilize the DAC and sounds terrible. Plus, I really need this microphone to work.
Anyway, their customer support is getting back to me later today, so we'll see what's going on (probably something I did).
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