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raansire7
1507
Sep 25, 2018
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DenonFanboy
825
Sep 25, 2018
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raansire7Good sound is always good sound, we cannot upgrade our ears!
exsomnis
60
Sep 25, 2018
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raansire7That may be true, but do you want to go back after making the step up and discovering that there really are better sounding headphones out there? I know that I haven't listened to my LCD2 much at all since getting an LCD3 a few years ago - not that the LCD2 isn't good, it's awesome but the LCD3 is a level or two up in awesomeness.
And no, headphones really do become obsolete - just try and listen to headphones from the 70s, 80s and early 90s...a lot of them sound horrible compared to today's standards.
I do agree though that we have passed a point in the development of audio/headphones where high fidelity has already been attained at mass market volumes and prices. The HD600 & HD650 are probably the most convenient route markers for this, they're old (20 & 15 years?) but were continuously produced till today - they're still the benchmark at which the sound quality is at an acceptably audiophile level. Yet despite their competence, there is room for progress, hence the introduction of the HD660S.
And no, headphones really do become obsolete - just try and listen to headphones from the 70s, 80s and early 90s...a lot of them sound horrible compared to today's standards.
I do agree though that we have passed a point in the development of audio/headphones where high fidelity has already been attained at mass market volumes and prices. The HD600 & HD650 are probably the most convenient route markers for this, they're old (20 & 15 years?) but were continuously produced till today - they're still the benchmark at which the sound quality is at an acceptably audiophile level. Yet despite their competence, there is room for progress, hence the introduction of the HD660S.
jdeoxys
235
Sep 25, 2018
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exsomnisYou ever try some decades old stax? They're still mind blowing to this day.
exsomnis
60
Sep 25, 2018
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jdeoxysThey would be one of the exceptions, as there always are. I did say 'a lot of', instead of 'all' when referring to old headphones.
Though I must say, I haven't heard really old Staxes but I've listened to the Stax SR-009 - which, even after 8 years, I still consider to be one of, if not the most resolving headphone out there. I also haven't heard the old Orpheus from the mid 90s, which reviewers think is the last word in resolution and clarity in a pair of headphones, but there you go. Exceptions.
Though I must say, I haven't heard really old Staxes but I've listened to the Stax SR-009 - which, even after 8 years, I still consider to be one of, if not the most resolving headphone out there. I also haven't heard the old Orpheus from the mid 90s, which reviewers think is the last word in resolution and clarity in a pair of headphones, but there you go. Exceptions.
hernandoco
242
Sep 26, 2018
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exsomnisThere are some older Sennheiser flagships that still sound great today and pretty comparable to their modern releases. I own an HD540 and an HD430 and to my ears, I enjoy them better than the HD800. That's subjective though. The HD540 and HD430 were 70s-80s design but still excellent in today's music production. You can find a nice pair of these old flagships for under $200. Even less if you're lucky.
JD_dj
7
Oct 2, 2018
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hernandocoStill using my V6 (from 1997) daily (15+ hrs) which I got for $100 or less...
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Did your HD 650 started sounding bad when the HD 800 came out? Did the HD 800 S started sounding bad when the HD 820 came out? Etc. Headphones are one of the best money spends hobby-wise IMHO. Why? In the obsolescence...sense, they never become obsolete like computers, cameras and other software-driven electronics do. God bless!