[fallingyuki]

After looking at some headphones (sub £150) I noticed something which is probably wrong but I thought I'd ask. On this forum and a few others, people seem to perpetually recommend the same headphones for years, I don't know why but speculate it is either because manufacturers aren't making newer models and are just updating older cans with newer internals, or certain headphones are as good as they are now as they were when they came out. I just wanted to know I wouldn't be hindering myself by buying something that came out in, well 2005! If you take the ath m50 which are the ones I see being recommended most often.
 
Just to reiterate I have NO clue about the audio world but it was just a thought.
 
Ta

 

[ThinkAwesome]

Headphones change very slowly for consumer electronics. You wouldn't be hindering yourself by buying a 2005 era headphone. Some oft recommended headphones like the Koss PortaPro or Sony MDR-V6 are much, much older. 

 

[elwappo99]

Quote:

After looking at some headphones (sub £150) I noticed something which is probably wrong but I thought I'd ask. On this forum and a few others, people seem to perpetually recommend the same headphones for years, I don't know why but speculate it is either because manufacturers aren't making newer models and are just updating older cans with newer internals, or certain headphones are as good as they are now as they were when they came out. I just wanted to know I wouldn't be hindering myself by buying something that came out in, well 2005! If you take the ath m50 which are the ones I see being recommended most often.
 
Just to reiterate I have NO clue about the audio world but it was just a thought.
 
Ta

 
Quote:

Headphones change very slowly for consumer electronics. You wouldn't be hindering yourself by buying a 2005 era headphone. Some oft recommended headphones like the Koss PortaPro or Sony MDR-V6 are much, much older. 

 
I think ThinkAwesome pretty much hit it. I've been into this hobby for a number of years. I've gone up and down the chain of "high end" audio equipment, followed all the releases, etc. In the end, There's a lot of marketing and not that many "drastic" improvements in sound. Anyone who says they've "revolutionized sound" is trying to get your money. 

 

[kramer5150]

Yup. Good sound is good sound regardless of age. In terms of headphones

 

[Redo]

It works this way for speakers too.

 

[Currawong]

Some of the more exotic technologies have made their way down to more sane prices, such as ribbon tweeters in speakers. You can buy a pair of Emotiva Airmotiv 4s for under $400 and they sound fantastic.  In headphones, the biggest upset has been orthodynamic (planar) models, the price now in the mid-hundreds for most Hifiman models. With IEMs it is even better. I reckon models such as Sony's XBA series and some of the Audio Technica line are a steal at their prices, all way below $200.

 

[proton007]

@fallingyuki
Some of the headphones like the Sennheiser HD600/650 are even older (1996 and 2003).
I'm guessing there isn't much to change in this technology, like Currawong says, Orthos are the newer breed.
 
But, favorites always remain that, and coupled with a pretty long release cycle, it explains the scenario you just mentioned.
Nothing to worry though. Get a good headphone and you're set for another 10 years.