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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
soix
11,250 posts
 
Headphones and speakers are just different. In terms of raw performance (value for the money) headphones are going to outclass speakers.
Where speakers win is with visceral bass that we can feel within a room.
What site do you think you’re on? This is not a Reddit or head-fi thread. Do you even know how ridiculous this sounds? Have you even heard a well-constructed, high-end audio system, or have you just listened to headphones your whole life? — because that’s sure what this sounds like.

Really good headphones at their best sound sound like a good audio system in a really, really small room. And no headphones can come close to everything a high-end audio system can provide. Case in point — I can assess 100% of the quality of a recording on a good home system whereas I’m limited to about 80% with headphones. Soundstage size, depth and dimension, spatial cues, image placement, etc. are all laid bare in a good home system yet merely hinted at relatively with headphones. So if you think the only place speakers win is with bass you have no idea of what you’re talking about or missing.
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jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,926 posts
 
@soix 

we have a new polluter here... don't waste your breath... as we know, this place sorts itself out after before long... juvenile folks like this with very little to contribute won't be around for long

let's just enjoy the music and ignore the noise
jssmith
343 posts
 
If you don't believe the placebo effect can affect your judgement, then you are suffering from the placebo effect.
mastering92
870 posts
 
Okay
@soix 

Read all of this carefully before replying...

The problem with folks who tend to disagree with others on this site is...
1) they are too opinionated (and easily offended)
2) they don't provide any backing to their claims (believe they have all the answers)
3) they don't understand how to have an honest discussion (ramblings, going off topic, etc. like a high school student)

So we disagree about something. WONDERFUL.
Nothing is going to change in real life for either of us.

So you're saying that no single headphone in the world can sound like a speaker? For example, have superb imaging and soundstaging capabilities? Have you heard headphones that cost more than $20? Are you limited to your local Walmart for audio needs? Have you actually worked with professional studio monitors that cost as much as your house?

Have you ever worked in studios, with audio professionals, or even spoken to industry leaders? 🤔 I don't know...but the funny thing is you are so deeply concerned about someone else's viewpoints...you really need to get a life.
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