[radnor]

It's a big deal because there are several issues at hand, but you are focusing on the issue which is not what makes people angry at Hifiman for.

Firstly, the R10 reached legendary status because 20 years ago it was unique, and while true that it would probably be classified as a pair of headphones that has a peculiar sound tuning, nevertheless it was something which Sony spend a lot of time and effort to design and make.

However, the Sony R10's technical merits as a headphone on its own as measured against modern headphone is actually irrelevant to the discussion and people's issue with Hifiman's move currently at hand.

This is because Hifiman blatantly comes out with a direct ripoff of the housing - which serves as an essential acoustic tuning property of a closed-back headphone and requires many man hours of trial and error to do especially back 20 years ago when prototyping and machinery is a lot less developed than today (no 3D scanner or 3D printing for starters, computing power is also a lot less so computer acoustic simulation would also be extremely difficult) - and shameless admits that they check the patent design and knows that Sony can't sue them (which is essentially acknowledging they ripoff the unique acoustic property of the inside design wholesale), with Hifiman itself being a well known audio/headphone brand, it says a lot about the company doing this because they did not spend the time and effort to make an essential component of the headphone while capitalising both its engineering as well as brand value.

IMO Hifiman had set back the state of Chi-fi 10 years with this move, just when Chi-fi has began to show they are no longer making cheap knockoffs and can go with completely original designs, Hifiman came out to re-solidify that stereotypical imagine of Chinese companies just being ripoffs of other people's hard work.

Chi-fi is incredibly insulting. Who do you think builds your iPhones?

Why is anyone here languishing about a HP that has been dead for 20 years of which Sony does not give a damn about.

Hifi man has done a great thing by bringing back a touch of nostalgia. Great job hifi man!

 

[hollis7]

They would have made an ocean of dineros if they’d done something similar to what Sennheiser did with Drop and the 6XX...only with a brandspanking new (old) HE-5XX...but I guess Hifiman seems to be completely unaware of their finest hour

Well, a man can dream.

 

[powit]

Still can't believe this product is real. Absolutely crazy that they would model it after another companies' product and call it the same exact thing.

 

[radnor]

Still can't believe this product is real. Absolutely crazy that they would model it after another companie's product and call it the same exact thing.

Your lament about a product from 20 years ago that is dead and buried. Hifi man has crafted a great product here... you should be thankful these folks are innovating and creating wonderful products. If not I suggest you bring something to the table vs the complaint.

 

[nanaholic]

Chi-fi is incredibly insulting. Who do you think builds your iPhones?

China doesn't design any of the essential components of the iPhone.

The CPU were designed by ARM and Apple, LCD screens by Korean/Japanese companies, RAM by Samsung, software coded by Apple engineers in Amerca etc. Engineer's of all discipline spend years studying and many more to design the components from scratch for the iPhone.

The Chinese factory only puts together the components together - they are replaceable and not essential to iPhone production. Oh and Foxconn is a TAIWANESE company, not Chinese. This is why Apple can move its iPhone production to India starting this year.

If you think China "builds" the iPhone. You know nothing about engineering or product design, and this is why you can applaud Hifiman's move, which only further shows your ignorance and lack of appreciation for the original people who design and make any sort of products.

 

[radnor]

China doesn't design any of the essential components of the iPhone.

The CPU were designed by ARM and Apple, LCD screens by Korean/Japanese companies, RAM by Samsung, software coded by Apple engineers in Amerca etc. Engineer's of all discipline spend years studying and many more to design the components from scratch for the iPhone.

The Chinese factory only puts together the components together - they are replaceable and not essential to iPhone production. Oh and Foxconn is a TAIWANESE company, not Chinese. This is why Apple can move its iPhone production to India starting this year.

If you think China "builds" the iPhone. You know nothing about engineering or product design, and this is why you can applaud Hifiman's move.

I am based in Silicon Valley and know apple inside and out.

Hifi man should be applauded for their effort bringing both new gen stuff to the table + bringing some nostalgia. Thank you hifi man!

 

[Currawong]

It's a big deal because there are several issues at hand, but you are focusing on the issue which is not what makes people angry at Hifiman for.

I'm talking about the things I want to talk about. I don't have a comment on the reasons people are angry at HiFiMan. Am I allowed to do that? Or do I have to give in to yet another angry mob on here? All that comes to mind is: They copied a design, the patent for which has expired, which Sony doesn't care about any more anyway, beyond using them as marketing for new products. Sorry, other than being mildly curious how the result would sound, I have trouble finding something to be angry at. I'm more disturbed about the attempt to railroad opinion.

The gross irony here is that the people who are angry at HiFiMan, by blowing up this thread, will give these headphones a great deal more attention. This will attract people who end up buying them, and once the mob moves attention elsewhere, as it did with the Susvaras, you'll all have helped HiFiMan sell more of them.

 

[radnor]

I'm talking about the things I want to talk about. I don't have a comment on the reasons people are angry at HiFiMan. Am I allowed to do that? Or do I have to give in to yet another angry mob on here? So, they copied a design, the patent for which has expired, which Sony doesn't care about any more anyway, beyond using them as marketing for new products. Sorry, other than being mildly curious how the result would sound, I have trouble finding something to be angry at. I'm more disturbed about the attempt to railroad opinion.

The gross irony here is that the people who are angry at HiFiMan, by blowing up this thread, will give these headphones a great deal more attention. This will attract people who end up buying them, and once the mob moves attention elsewhere, as it did with the Susvaras, you'll all have helped HiFiMan sell more of them.

Hifi man business is growing leaps and bounds globally. A few haters can’t do anything to this. It’s screaming into an empty void. Congrats to hifi man.... great job fang! Price your HPs however you want! I’ve had great customer service from them.... they won in my books..... I hope they copy Nintendo next.... if these things look like Pokémon but are the best closed on earth people will line up.

 

[nanaholic]

I'm talking about the things I want to talk about. I don't have a comment on the reasons people are angry at HiFiMan. Am I allowed to do that?

Because you started your post with "I don't see the big deal" and proceeded to write your opinion of seeing the Sony R10 being not that special as a headphone, which means you actually did made a comment and took a position on the issue at hand - you've shown you think an old headphone that's not technically special and out of patent should be open for another company to "copy". So don't pretend you didn't take a stance and be defensive about it when being called out for it. You are allowed to have your opinion and nobody's stopping you, but then you should also be prepared when your opinion is challenged on an open discussion forum.

 

[powit]

Your lament about a product from 20 years ago that is dead and buried. Hifi man has crafted a great product here... you should be thankful these folks are innovating and creating wonderful products. If not I suggest you bring something to the table vs the complaint.

I didnt say that I was upset or anything. Just that it was crazy, not sure why you are defending the headphone so much.

I am also failing to see how this is Hifiman "innovating".

 

[radnor]

I didnt say that I was upset or anything. Just that it was crazy, not sure why you are defending the headphone so much.

I am also failing to see how this is Hifiman "innovating".

Have you heard these? Have you heard susvara? It’s self evident hifi man is innovating.

 

[Currawong]

The Chinese factory only puts together the components together - they are replaceable and not essential to iPhone production. Oh and Foxconn is a TAIWANESE company, not Chinese. This is why Apple can move its iPhone production to India starting this year.

Crap! Don't tell the Taiwanese that they aren't Chinese! (Ok, bad humour.)

you've shown you think an old headphone that's not technically special and out of patent should be open for another company to "copy".

No, I didn't say that. I said, as you pointed out, that I "don't see the big deal", but specifically about the Sony R-10s. Maybe I should clarify to be sure: I don't see why people are so worked up about the R10s. My impression of what upsets people is that, specifically, HiFiMan copied the cups of the R10 (and not some other design) and that the R10 is such a special pair of headphones, that copying them is a kind of sacrilege. If I'm wrong, let me know.

 

[radnor]

Crap! Don't tell the Taiwanese that they aren't Chinese! (Ok, bad humour.)



No, I didn't say that. I said, as you pointed out, that I "don't see the big deal", but specifically about the Sony R-10s. Maybe I should clarify to be sure: I don't see why people are so worked up about the R10s. My impression of what upsets people is that, specifically, HiFiMan copied the cups of the R10 (and not some other design) and that the R10 is such a special pair of headphones, that copying them is a kind of sacrilege. If I'm wrong, let me know.

None of the people pretending to be worked up here have ever seen an r10 in person let alone will ever own one. Outrage culture at its finest. I applaud hifi man for being bold!

 

[Mediahound]

I personally don't have a problem with the design as I'm not sure the earcup shape is even something that was patented by Sony. I do take issue with Hifiman naming them the same R10 though.

I think Hifiman would garner a lot less ill-will if they rename these headphones. Just my two cents.

My submission for the name, something like Hifiman Anexea

@Nankai @TeamHiFiMAN

 

[freeza2001]

Crap! Don't tell the Taiwanese that they aren't Chinese! (Ok, bad humour.)



No, I didn't say that. I said, as you pointed out, that I "don't see the big deal", but specifically about the Sony R-10s. Maybe I should clarify to be sure: I don't see why people are so worked up about the R10s. My impression of what upsets people is that, specifically, HiFiMan copied the cups of the R10 (and not some other design) and that the R10 is such a special pair of headphones, that copying them is a kind of sacrilege. If I'm wrong, let me know.

People are upset that they choose to release a pair of highend headphone without original design, who they choose to ripoff from is the second problem.

If hifiman is just a small Chinese company with no history in the headphone market i think no one would care.
But they have been in the game for such a long time with iconic headphone such as the hek and he6. people expect if they are releasing a new totl closeback headphone, its not a knockoff name and design wise.