Doing your research should help minimize the risk of picking something too far off the mark. Obviously finding a dealer online with a good return policy would be one way to go, but you can also consider buying used headphones and in the event you make a mistake with sound, fit, etc. you can resell them with little/no loss as long as you buy well. Best of luck.
Auditioning headphones (ethically)?
I've had some good headphones and I want to move up to some very good headphones. I'm thinking about the obvious ones in the $1500 range: 800s, Clear MG, Arya.
Given that one needs to live with headphones for a while for both sound quality and comfort, how do people audition two or three pairs at once? Do you buy them from the same site and return what you don't want to keep? Do you buy them from different sources and return what you want? Are there any concerns about doing this, ethical or financial? I've read the policies on Headphones.com, the Cable Co., AudioAdvisor, etc--most have generous return policies but they seem to be centered on one-at-a-time purchases.
Anyway, all this is obvious. I'm sure many of you have faced this question. What do you guys do?
Given that one needs to live with headphones for a while for both sound quality and comfort, how do people audition two or three pairs at once? Do you buy them from the same site and return what you don't want to keep? Do you buy them from different sources and return what you want? Are there any concerns about doing this, ethical or financial? I've read the policies on Headphones.com, the Cable Co., AudioAdvisor, etc--most have generous return policies but they seem to be centered on one-at-a-time purchases.
Anyway, all this is obvious. I'm sure many of you have faced this question. What do you guys do?
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@northman, The Cable Company has a Headphone Lending Library, you can borrow multiple models. I’m not affiliated with them but have made purchases. https://www.thecableco.com/the-cable-company-headphone-lending-library Good luck, enjoy your quest. |
@bslon, thank you so much. I read in another headphones thread here that the Cable Company had a good policy but I couldn't find it on their website. That's great. I have an account with them and will most likely try that. @orgillian, thank you. I've had Grados for at least twenty years, the SR-60, SR-80, and now the RS2E. They're incredibly comfortable and I love the Grado sound. Long story short, I want to branch out. |
- 36 posts total