Most overrated and most underrated headphones

[estreeter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielCox /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the HD595 is overrated. Sure it's not really mentioned that much and it's still an excellent can to own but it's basically the same as the HD555 - one of the most underrated phones I can think of.

I think the 555 will be mentioned even less now that the new Shures, esp the 'budget' SRH240/SRH440 models, seem to have become the latest Head-Fi FOTM. I may even get a pair of 440s myself at the price they are asking for them - less than the local price for the 555. Happy days are here at last.

One of the mistakes that Head-Fiers, myself included, often make is to assume that the model with the higher number/bigger pricetag *must* be the better model, hence the number of folk who have the 595.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielCox /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the HD595 is overrated. Sure it's not really mentioned that much and it's still an excellent can to own but it's basically the same as the HD555 - one of the most underrated phones I can think of.

I think you mean the 595 is overpriced, not overrated. There's a difference.

 

[Nirvana1000]

I think were including pricing in the picks which is not what over and underrating of this thread is about.It's about people evaluating the number of peoples positive and negative headphone model,picks,posts and threads.

 

[jjsoviet]

Overrated -

Skullcandy. Come on, if you guys go to my country and ask what is the best headphone brand in the market, they'll all proudly say Skullcandy. SRSLY, like, 80% of the students in the college where I study have Skullcandies of all shapes and sizes. I asked an Apple retailer inside the campus about new headphones...guess what? They recommend me Skullies. I tried to be as polite as possible, by leaving quietly. I might stir up a commotion if ever I stayed refute that statement.

Underrated -

Every other brand (except for Bose and Philips too, also overrated here) you can think of. AKG, Sennheiser, Koss, Denon, Beyer... they're EXTREMELY rare in my country. Only about 2-3 specialty shops have those brands available, and I asked them why the brands won't hit mass market. Their answer is simple, it's because of the marketing. If ever there are dedicated retailers set up shop, they'll easily go out of business because no one really knows them. I asked them if they could get some exposure, but they won't because of the risks involved. Competition from Skullcandy and Philips is high, and popularity seems to win people over sound quality.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjsoviet /img/forum/go_quote.gif Overrated - Skullcandy. Come on, if you guys go to my country and ask what is the best headphone brand in the market, they'll all proudly say Skullcandy. SRSLY, like, 80% of the students in the college where I study have Skullcandies of all shapes and sizes. I asked an Apple retailer inside the campus about new headphones...guess what? They recommend me Skullies. I tried to be as polite as possible, by leaving quietly. I might stir up a commotion if ever I stayed refute that statement. Underrated - Every other brand (except for Bose and Philips too, also overrated here) you can think of. AKG, Sennheiser, Koss, Denon, Beyer... they're EXTREMELY rare in my country. Only about 2-3 specialty shops have those brands available, and I asked them why the brands won't hit mass market. Their answer is simple, it's because of the marketing. If ever there are dedicated retailers set up shop, they'll easily go out of business because no one really knows them. I asked them if they could get some exposure, but they won't because of the risks involved. Competition from Skullcandy and Philips is high, and popularity seems to win people over sound quality.

Funny, in my country it's all Sennheiser you see in the electronic stores, though only the cheap ones.
See this site for a typical Dutch offering of popular headphones.....

 

[jjsoviet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiemen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Funny, in my country it's all Sennheiser you see in the electronic shops, though only the cheap ones.

Welcome to the Philippines, my friend.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john53 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Out of my sony str db 840 av reciever,my hd 600(650 cable) was so sibilant,i had to eq -3db to make them listenable.The same out of a nad integrated amp(don't remember model),a yamaha av reciever(don't remember model),ergo amp 1,creek obh 11(only a bit sibilant,not too much),project headbox 1(a bit sibilant)and symphonic line integrated amp(klarheit if i remember correctly)paired with a symphonic line cd player and expensive interconnects. Out of my current amp,they are ok though.

Um, something odd there. Are you suggesting all those other amps were responsible for the sibilance? Because if not, the only possible conclusion is that your present amp is rolled off. Certainly no Nad integrated that I know of will introduce sibilance of itself, and I doubt a Yamaha receiver would either.

Could you estimate how many hours burn in your 600 had when you began auditioning the first of these amps (presumably the Sony), and how many hours it had when you first started using the amp you have now?

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Um, something odd there. Are you suggesting all those other amps were responsible for the sibilance? Because if not, the only possible conclusion is that your present amp is rolled off. Certainly no Nad integrated that I know of will introduce sibilance of itself, and I doubt a Yamaha receiver would either. Could you estimate how many hours burn in your 600 had when you began auditioning the first of these amps (presumably the Sony), and how many hours it had when you first started using the amp you have now?

They had many hours of burn in when i've been using them with the sony av reciever(more than 500).When i tested them with the nad and yamaha,they were almost new,and the sibilance problem was not big though.

When i bought my current amp,i was using them with my sony reciever until the day i bought the amp(x can v8)

The first hours on the x can v8,i noticed sibilance too,but it almost dissapeared after 70-80 hours.

I think that my interconnect is to blame too,i use a monster interlink 200 and i think it's a bit "edgy".


An other reason they were sibilant out of my sony reciever,is because i was using the internal dac of the reciever.Out of the analog output of the sony dvp ns 705v(dvd/sacd player),the sibilant problem was not so big,the sound was smoother.it was a bit sibilant,but not as before(when using the sony reciever's dac)

 

[ear8dmg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think you mean the 595 is overpriced, not overrated. There's a difference.

Definitely overpriced, at least in the UK.

 

[Bostonears]

Underrated: Sennheiser HD580
Overrated: Sennheiser HD650
(I've owned both. The HD650 looks much nicer, but sonically the HD580 holds its own remarkably well.)

 

[brokensound]

Overrated: HD650
Underrated: HD580

The HD650 may have better extension on both ends, but musically it's difficult to call the 650 better than the 580.

 

[matt9292]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioHi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think from my experience, Dr. Dre with Monster products are way too overrated

x2

I don't have much experience but I always hear so much about the SE530's and UM3's which I haven't heard, so I can't compare. I have the triple.fi's and don't think they get enough love.

I know a lot of people with skullcandies, mostly the really cheap in-ear ones and say how good they are...they're not I tell them

Also I might buy a full size pair of headphones and was considering Ultrasone over/underrated?

 

[matt9292]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catharsis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto

Great Store!

 

[eugenius]

Most overrated: I'm trying to decide between the Bose Quietcomfort, the Monster Beats and the HD800.

Most underrated: probably some Ultrasone.

 

[Nirvana1000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt9292 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great Store!

It's the only official authorized retail store that carries the Grado line in Toronto.And they have a great wall of high end headphones to demo.I remember when i was younger they had the Sennheiser HE90 Orpheus system displayed for demo.I think they were going for about $15,000.And i remember listening to them and thinking what's so good about these headphones?And who the hell would pay this amount of money for them?!And now i understand why.