2. headphones
  3. 168196-159850

So how much do you think the placebo effect impacts our listening preferences?

My hypothesis is that for ~%97 of us, the more a headphone costs the more we will enjoy the headphone.

My secondary hypothesis is that the more I told consumers a headset cost, the more they would enjoy the phones. i.e. a $30 headphone < $300 headphone < $3,000 headphones <<< $30,000 headphones.

I’m willing to bet that if I put the kph 30i drivers in the focal utopia’s chassis and told participants in this fake study that the phones cost $4k.... Everyone except for the 3%ers would never guess something was up. The remaining 97% would have no clue and report that it was the best set they ever heard.

Then if I gave them the kph30i and explained it was $30. 97% of people would crap on them after hearing the same driver in a different chassis.

My ultimate hypothesis is that build quality and price are the two most important factors in determining if people will enjoy a set of headphones. This how I rationalize the HD8XX getting crap on when only 3 people have heard it and publicly provided their opinion lol. "It’s a cheaper 800s, of course it’s going to sound worse!"

mikedangelo
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Who exactly is this "our" who is such a lousy listener they are swayed by such nonsense? This is what psychologists call "projection": when YOU feel a certain way and so you project YOUR frame of mind onto others.

This is a cop out. If you can't hear just say so. No shame. Component evaluation is after all a skill that can be learned and constantly improved. So work on that, and nevermind about the other guy. If this "our" can't evaluate and assess, still in the end he gets the system he wants. What do you care?
tsushima1
1,165 posts
 
“Who exactly is this "our" who is such a lousy listener they are swayed by such nonsense? This is what psychologists call "projection": when YOU feel a certain way and so you project YOUR frame of mind onto others.”

WARNING...WARNING...Irony Reactor Overload...WARNING...WARNING
petg60
1,486 posts
 
My hypothesis is that for ~%97 of us, the more a headphone costs the more we will enjoy the headphone.

From my experience here in Agon 97% of us is way out of your reality.

My ultimate hypothesis is that build quality and price are the two most important factors in determining if people will enjoy a set of headphones.
Glad you limit the list only on headphones.

cd318
2,636 posts
 
@mikedangelo,

Perhaps it’s the 3% that are getting their knickers knotted over sound quality?

For most folks these so called night and day differences are entirely placebo.

There’s a reason why the AT50s and MDR7506 have been around for decades and decades.

When it comes to headphones (cables, amps, cd players etc) the sonic differences between them can indeed be shockingly small.

I’ve got around 7/8 pairs of well respected headphones but the ones I use the most are the Sennheiser PX100s (indoors) and the ultra budget JVC Flats (outdoors).

They not only sound virtually as good as their far more costly counterparts but are considerably more comfortable too.

If I want the best sound quality/comfort ratio I’ll use my Porta Pros.

Sadly I hardly ever bother with my Creative Aurvana or PSB models. Far too heavy and too uncomfortable, and too impractical. Even the Bose set I was given as a present have hardly been used.

I really ought to sell them on as they’ve hardly been used...

I want headphones that not only sound great but those I can also forget I’m wearing.
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,860 posts
 
 Could be.  Try it and see. 
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