price vs. quality - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 12:24:47 am
content: I have always been amazed by some people's ability to charge for audio products.I listen through lots of headphones, mostly pro gears given to me. In addition, I have bought a couple Grado, Sennheiser and some designer cans I got while in China, with prices ranging from less than $100 to a few hundred dollars.My favorite? A pair of Koss TD/70 "digital" I got in the early 1990s for, if my memory serves me right, $20. The fabrics over the foam has all disintegrated and the paint has all been scratched off. It looks totally garbage.Except this things sounds absolutely amazing to my ears.I don't think the company is still in business but they made one hell of a product.

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 12:44:40 am
content: Audio 'quality' have such subjective properties that it makes little sense to even try and discuss it.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 12:51:30 am
content: Koss are still around, and they have a current model TD85 for around the same (inflation adjusted) price.

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 12:57:10 am
content: Quality v PriceSo difficult to identify where the price gets jacked up.Certainly not by the people who assemble the items - eastern or western.Look somewhere them and the 'boutique' counter.The best way to buy gear like this if possible is from the wholesaler over the counter.It can be done.And go in - knowing the value of the product.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 12:57:28 am
content: Quote from: retrolefty on December 16, 2014, 12:44:40 amVery true , I use Panasonic RP-HT21's. They have been discontinued for some time. I picked up 30 pairs (when on clearance) for a couple bucks each and totally enjoy them.

author: Syntax_Error
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 01:11:00 am
content: The absolute last thing I want to do is introduce or champion audiophile mumbo-jumbo, so please understand that's not the angle I'm coming from, here. With that said, some of my most favorite headphones and amplifiers have been units that I know "color" the sound somewhat. I have listened to amazing sound systems with very low THD+N that didn't sound as good to my ears as more noisy setups. The same has gone for headphones, but I have't listened to quite as good setups in that area.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 01:31:44 am
content: QuoteI love those that color sound, like speakers and headphones,I never understood why someone would buy speakers without auditioning them: they sound so different from brand to brand, and model to model.

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 03:57:56 am
content: My favorite pair of headphones comes from a CD player I bought years ago. The reason? It actually plays the high notes well instead of being tuned to bass like practically every pair of headphones is today. I dont like bass, I like treble.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 04:02:22 am
content: I really like discounted headphones from well known good quality brands. Many years ago, I was pretty impressed by a $10 pair of JVCs. When that broke down, I upgraded to a $20 pair of Klipsch S3s. I have tried more expensive headphones but the slight increase in audio quality just wasn't worth the cost.They also say that Bose (Buy Other Sound Equipment) and Beats are terrible value for the price, but I know a hardcore gamer who says he has tried dozens of headphones and decided to stick to a pair of Beats...

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 04:29:27 am
content: I have found Sony 7056 pro headphones to be just about as good as one can get and they last forever. $99.00 for practically a lifetime investment. As for In ear types the only ones I have ever had that fit right are some rather expensive Audio Technica CKS77BK series ones I won at NAMM in one of those drop your business card type giveaways. Those retail for over $100 which is crazy to me for in ear headphones, but I enjoy them.

author: ampdoctor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 04:49:26 am
content: Try not to confuse audiophile, audiophool, and pro audio equipment.Audiophile equipment is just very good equipment that sounds very good and generally built to to high quality standards. They're priced according to what the market will bear and maximize their profit margin. They're businesses often small LLC's with few relatively few employees looking to make a profit. They're not charities.Audiophool equipment is almost snake oil but not quite. This is the stuff that's built well but is also flashy post modern or retro industrial design. It's marketed with buzzwords and hot buttons to entice people to pay exorbitant amounts of money for equipment that's no better than audiophile equipment.GOOD Pro audio equipment is a completely different animal. It's designed to be used in a studio environment where the end user demands consistent performance extreme linearity or very specific coloration of the sound depending on where it's being used in the signal chain. It can also be used in live performance environments under the worst conditions imaginable and reliability is of primary importance but reliability with outstanding performance is preferred. For the really good equipment you'd see in a top tier studio such as Ocean Way or Abby Road, the build quality and process control used in the manufacture of their equipment is off the rail and it's reflected in the price tag.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 11:35:48 am
content: Quote from: ampdoctor on December 16, 2014, 04:49:26 amThat depends. Some audiophool equipment is worse than cheap no-branded stuff, especially some of those crappy expensive cables with the conductors spaced a huge distance apart which increases the inductance (thus attenuating high frequencies and risking amplifier instability) and noise pick-up.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 11:39:53 am
content: QuoteThey may demand that but not nearly as much as low prices.

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 01:23:48 pm
content: I have a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort I purchased from Ebay maybe a year or two ago, can't remember exactly, they were priced everywhere at £399, I managed to get these at a no reserve auction for £130 (including postage) and although they do sound quite good, they are not "amazing" and the cables feel cheap and of not that good quality, I have a set of Sony £30 headphones which do feel better quality, and the sound is about the same without the noise cancellation.I also have a pair of "gaming" headphones from Amazon which were about £25, and to be honest, again, the sound isn't much different.The beats by dr dre headphones also are not much to write home about.Save your money and get a cheap arse pair of headphones.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2014, 04:36:46 pm
content: All three Bose noise cancelling headphones I've had over the years (QC1, QC2, QC3) have had the same problem with the fabric deteriorating a few months after purchase and peppering my face in black bits. They also all suffered to some extent from feedback. The Bose do sound good to me, but I no longer bother with them for the aforementioned reasons, I use various in-ear jobs despite their lack of physical comfort to me.

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2014, 06:21:11 pm
content: Mine are the QC15 and they have not done the fabric trick you mention, i've had them a while and they get moderate use. Maybe they have improved on them?The sound is better, but not worth the cost if you ask me, and I don't notice it much compared to my Sony ones. All of the ones I have are over ear rather than in ear as I hate those in ear ones with a passion!