[414353]

As far as I have seen there is no place in California (at least the Orange County area) to go and demo headphones. In fact, the brick and mortar shops don't carry them unless your looking for ear buds or Beats.
I have heard about the upcoming CanJam,but right now it looks like I may not be able to make it. That could change still, but I have to consider it may not. I'm also concerned about the location. That is to say I am personally not comfortable in that area at all.
The question is, how does one go about auditioning headphones if in the market for a pair with no place to do so? I'd also like to avoid a string of shipping costs and restock fees as that is not in the budget.
Anyone know of any secret places in the Orange County area to demo cans or something that I was not aware of or anyway to go about it that is pain-free.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Nope - there is no magic sauce. Head-fi meets are your best bet. Otherwise, you just read the reviews and take your best shot. Here's my advice: Stop looking for the perfect headphones. Long-time head-fiers know that they are *never* shopping to buy their LAST headphone, they are simply shopping for their NEXT headphone. Buy them and enjoy them - enjoy them for what they are and what they teach you about their sound signature. When you want something else, then either sell them on the head-fi buy/sell, or keep them in your collection. I think buying and returning is a bad practice - I've never regretted any purchase I've ever made. Even if I don't really love the headphones, they still taught me something and I appreciate them for that.

 

[Mr Rick]

  As far as I have seen there is no place in California (at least the Orange County area) to go and demo headphones. In fact, the brick and mortar shops don't carry them unless your looking for ear buds or Beats.
I have heard about the upcoming CanJam,but right now it looks like I may not be able to make it. That could change still, but I have to consider it may not. I'm also concerned about the location. That is to say I am personally not comfortable in that area at all.
The question is, how does one go about auditioning headphones if in the market for a pair with no place to do so? I'd also like to avoid a string of shipping costs and restock fees as that is not in the budget.
Anyone know of any secret places in the Orange County area to demo cans or something that I was not aware of or anyway to go about it that is pain-free.

Sennheisers are available all over Orange County. Frys has Sony, Audi-Technica and some others.  Do a Google search.
 
Audeze is in Costa Mesa. You might be able to visit them directly.
 
Edit: One last thing. The area around South Coast Plaza, ( CanJam) is probably one of the safest places on the planet!!

 

[414353]

  Sennheisers are available all over Orange County. Frys has Sony, Audi-Technica and some others.  Do a Google search.
 
Audeze is in Costa Mesa. You might be able to visit them directly.
 
Edit: One last thing. The area around South Coast Plaza, ( CanJam) is probably one of the safest places on the planet!!

Hmm, never thought of Frys.
Audeze is so far out of my price range that it comes back around and hits me in the back of the head.

That area around South Coast Plaza is a very uncomfortable place for me. It's kind of a scary place to me. I don't like going into that area unless it is very necessary. Thankfully, 99.9% of the time it is not necessary. I will work up the courage if I can attend the event.

 

[414353]

Nope - there is no magic sauce. Head-fi meets are your best bet. Otherwise, you just read the reviews and take your best shot. Here's my advice: Stop looking for the perfect headphones. Long-time head-fiers know that they are *never* shopping to buy their LAST headphone, they are simply shopping for their NEXT headphone. Buy them and enjoy them - enjoy them for what they are and what they teach you about their sound signature. When you want something else, then either sell them on the head-fi buy/sell, or keep them in your collection. I think buying and returning is a bad practice - I've never regretted any purchase I've ever made. Even if I don't really love the headphones, they still taught me something and I appreciate them for that.

You got that right. I can't do the "take your best shot" thing with speakers and that includes headphones. If this were amps or something then the "take your best shot" method is good.
I'm not looking for perfect as it does not exist. That's like looking for "that live performance sound in my living room", not ever going to happen.
I'm not looking get into the weeds about headphones. To me, they are a necessary evil I have to use on occasion, so I just look for a very comfortable fit and balanced sound quality, not too much bass, but tight and accurate and balanced mids and highs for detail.

 

[serman005]

Budget? Open, or closed? Or do you know?

 

[414353]

  Budget? Open, or closed? Or do you know?

Budget = Around $200 max (give or take $20 or so)
I think I prefer Open, but I've never tried Closed, so I'm willing to taste either one.
Oh yes, around the ear style only please, can't stand on-ear style.

 

[serman005]

I think a (Sennheiser) HD558 or refurbished HD598 would be great, in your price range (both are over-the-ear). The 598 is more detailed--people often say it is more "refined," whatever that means, when compared to the 558, but both are excellent and many experts feel the differences between the two units are merely a matter of taste, rather than of absolute caliber. The 558 has more bass of the two, just so you know. They both use the same drivers--their differences lie elsewhere in construction. Both have very good soundstages. Either way, you cannot really go wrong with one of these two open cans, in my view. The 558 lists for around $180 in the US and a refurbished 598, about the same or a little less (it is about $250 new, for what it's worth). Lastly, there are some mods that can be done to the 558 to enhance detail retrieval and bring it closer to the 598, if you ever got interested in that kind of thing or cared. Not everyone does. Hope this helps.

 

[billybob_jcv]

You park in the hotel parking lot and you are inside the hotel the entire time. Good grief, it's not Afghanistan - it's the Westin in Costa Mesa! There's a concert hall and center for the performing arts right next door. There's no meth dealers or crack wh0res in the lobby...

 

[luvmusik]

also interested in topic.

 

[414353]

  I think a (Sennheiser) HD558 or refurbished HD598 would be great, in your price range (both are over-the-ear). The 598 is more detailed--people often say it is more "refined," whatever that means, when compared to the 558, but both are excellent and many experts feel the differences between the two units are merely a matter of taste, rather than of absolute caliber. The 558 has more bass of the two, just so you know. They both use the same drivers--their differences lie elsewhere in construction. Both have very good soundstages. Either way, you cannot really go wrong with one of these two open cans, in my view. The 558 lists for around $180 in the US and a refurbished 598, about the same or a little less (it is about $250 new, for what it's worth). Lastly, there are some mods that can be done to the 558 to enhance detail retrieval and bring it closer to the 598, if you ever got interested in that kind of thing or cared. Not everyone does. Hope this helps.

Those or two I am considering. In fact, the 558 and 598 I find to be well within my budget actually. The $250 for the 598s is MSRP, so can be had for well under that, new. I have a pair of HD515 which use the same drivers as the 558,598 and I think the 600, but not sure on that. My 515s sound good, but I'm lacking detail and the staging is not that great as they are on the warm side in that something is missing from the high-mids. I'm not going to get rid of them as they will be good spares.
That's why I want to be open to other brands and models as well even though I think  Sennheiser is one of the top three makes.

 

[414353]

You park in the hotel parking lot and you are inside the hotel the entire time. Good grief, it's not Afghanistan - it's the Westin in Costa Mesa! There's a concert hall and center for the performing arts right next door. There's no meth dealers or crack wh0res in the lobby...

It's not all that. It's the overall feel of the area, I just really don't like it.

 

[Mr Rick]

 
It's not all that. It's the overall feel of the area, I just really don't like it.

What area do you live in, if you don't mind my asking?

 

[lusagi]

How about Best buy?  They have free shipping if you spend I think it was about $35.  If you return in-store it's free with no restock within 15 days.  Just don't return too much since they work with a return filing company and record you ID, where you might get banned from returns at any participating stores.

 

[414353]

  What area do you live in, if you don't mind my asking?

Southern Calif and I need to find someplace else. So Cal sucks in almost every way.