Has the headphone stuff (headfi) becoming ridiculously expensive?

[richard12511]

I had all those headphones and I can say my Clears surpass an HD 800(S) easily IMO. I have all the "detail" and "clarity" I previously had with the 800, but without the harshness and way better bass response. The only thing that isn't as good on the Clears is the "soundstage" is smaller, but it isn't even close to be claustrophobic. Enjoy your purchase regardless.

Just ordered a pair of Clear Pros in the Red/Black on Amazon. Should be here by Sunday, free return if I end up still liking the HD 800 better for some reason. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Jimbob54]

Just ordered a pair of Clear Pros in the Red/Black on Amazon. Should be here by Sunday, free return if I end up still liking the HD 800 better for some reason. Thanks for the recommendation.

Snap. Coming tomorrow or Monday. Must say I like the pro look more than grey. Ebay though, so little bit of risk!

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Way back in 2003 when i just stumbled upon headfi , headphones such as hd600 , Grado RS1, iems such as Etymotic er4p/s were considered very expensive high end headphones. And there are those out of production headphones such as Sony R10 , Sennheiser orpheus , they were considered legendary , unobtainable stuff.

Fast forward to present , in matter of 17 years,the headfi had grown massively. Headphones and amplifiers that were considered expensive and high end in the past are budget stuff now. New companies /brands come out of nowhere and produce headphones iem, daps which cost more and more. USD 5k Headphones, USD3k IEMs , USD 3K daps??? Goes on and on. I recently had a brief audition of the 15K T&A headphone system and i felt it was overpriced.

Its getting silly I feel for the way things are now in the headphone/iem audio industry. Its like companies are competing to rip consumers off by keep producing newer products of ever increasing price tag with no end at sight! Anyone has similar opinion?

I do. Around 2015, the companies made a series of flagship headphones like the LCD 3, LCD X, HD 800, etc all for $2000 or less, and those represented the pinacle of what could be achieved with headphone technology. Problem is, there also existed an entire market of headphone audiophools who believed that still more could be achieved by spending even more. Result is the $4-$5 k flagships which are no better than those $1-2k flagships from 2015. And of course there are still the fools who buy $5 k headphone amps, when spening even $650 for a Yulong is really an overspend.

 

[raistlin65]

I have speakers and subwoofers. I can hear them in my whole house. And they sound better.

I only wear headphones at home if it's late at night and I can't use speakers.

Plus, do I want to wear a corded headphone when doing something like cooking dinner with knives and flame?

Easy fix. You just run the cord down through your shirt and out the bottom. Took my 16-year-old to teach me that. lol

 

[watchnerd]

Easy fix. You just run the cord down through your shirt and out the bottom. Took my 16-year-old to teach me that. lol

I can't fit a turntable in my bottoms.

I might be able to fit a reel to reel deck, but only if I ditch the Studer for a Nagra.

 

[raistlin65]

I can't fit a turntable in my bottoms.

I might be able to fit a reel to reel deck, but only if I ditch the Studer for a Nagra.

Hopefully, you have enough digital media that you can find something to listen to when using knives or playing with fire.

 

[watchnerd]

Hopefully, you have enough digital media that you can find something to listen to when using knives or playing with fire.

So I'm forced to listen to only 1 of my 3 mediums and I have to get a DAP and I have to be anti-social by wearing headphones while cooking and I have to run a cord down the inside of my shirt?

What's the upside to all this?

 

[Jimbob54]

So I'm forced to listen to only 1 of my 3 mediums and I have to get a DAP and I have to be anti-social by wearing headphones while cooking and I have to run a cord down the inside of my shirt?

What's the upside to all this?

A DAP? Are you mad?

 

[Jimbob54]

I can fit a turntable in my bottom.

FIFY

TMI but I could find places where that kind of talent can be very lucrative.

 

[raistlin65]

So I'm forced to listen to only 1 of my 3 mediums and I have to get a DAP and I have to be anti-social by wearing headphones while cooking and I have to run a cord down the inside of my shirt?

What's the upside to all this?

You aren't forced to do anything. Don't be dramatic.

But if running a headphone wire down the inside of your shirt would cause trauma, then it sounds like you should stick with lossy Bluetooth audio.

 

[Robin L]

So I'm forced to listen to only 1 of my 3 mediums and I have to get a DAP and I have to be anti-social by wearing headphones while cooking and I have to run a cord down the inside of my shirt?

What's the upside to all this?

The girls go mad for that sort of thing.

Trust me on this one.

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

You aren't forced to do anything. Don't be dramatic.

But if running a headphone wire down the inside of your shirt would cause trauma, then it sounds like you should stick with lossy Bluetooth audio.

Actually, when I'm up and moving about but want to listen to some music, bluetooth into my BTR1k and a set of cheap earbuds (Yincrows or RY4S or Pandas) are a shockingly good-sounding and convenient solution. I hate iems. Can't ever get them to fit well and hate having them shoved in my ears.

 

[watchnerd]

You aren't forced to do anything. Don't be dramatic.

But if running a headphone wire down the inside of your shirt would cause trauma, then it sounds like you should stick with lossy Bluetooth audio.

Trauma indeed.

Who wants a pec rash after it's freshly waxed?

Re: Bluetooth

Is aptX HD no good?

I thought it was lossless.

 

[watchnerd]

A DAP? Are you mad?

I mean aren't all the baller mobile head fi guys into DAPs?

I thought it was de rigeur for corded can wearing if you don't want to be laughed at for using a smart phone.

 

[Robin L]

I mean aren't all the baller mobile head fi guys into DAPs?

I thought it was de rigeur for corded can wearing if you don't want to be laughed at for using a smart phone.

A lot easier to sneak into your drawers as well.

 

[raistlin65]

Trauma indeed.

Who wants a pec rash after it's freshly waxed?

Re: Bluetooth

Is aptX HD no good?

I thought it was lossless.

Tip: baby powder

Re: lossy Bluetooth headphones

Haven't really found a pair that I thought was of great audio quality yet.

Besides, am I the only one that enjoys using open headphones to do stuff around the house? Kind of nice to have that bigger sound stage over closed, and while also not having my ears closed off from the environment around me. My HD660S have been great for that.

Although not too great when using the vacuum. lol

 

[WLVCA]

Thanks!

It looks like it's made of the same dri-weave material as my underwear:

I guess if that keeps my tackle nicely aerated, it will work for my ears, too.

Ordered.

I have Hifiman Sundara headphones that ship with the Pali Pads. I do not recommend the pads due to poor quality.

The glue failed on both of my pads so that the cover pulled away from the plastic ring and exposed the foam.

This happened after maybe 50 hours of use.

 

[bobbooo]

I have Hifiman Sundara headphones that ship with the Pali Pads. I do not recommend the pads due to poor quality.

The glue failed on both of my pads so that they cover pulled away from the plastic ring and exposed the foam.

This happened after maybe 50 hours of use.

When did you buy your Sundara? There was a revision to the pads that has reportedly made them much more durable, and significantly improved sound quality too, see below.

Original:

With new pads:

 

[WLVCA]

March of 2019.

When was the change made?

 

[bobbooo]

March of 2019.

When was the change made?

No-one really knows for sure, and even if they did, old stock could still have been in circulation after the change.

This is the only official statement on revisions by HifiMan (my emphasis), made in February of this year it seems:

There is no official version 2 of the HiFiMAN Sundara. Neither the drivers nor the cups have had any changes or silent revisions to them in the past calendar year. The only changes have been a cosmetic improvement to the dust cover, as well as improvements to the pad structure to ensure reliability and longevity. There have not been any changes to the pad material.