Auditioning headphones (ethically)?

During my search for the perfect headphone (which never ends), I attended a few high end hifi shows. I recall going to RMAF and shows in California where they had whole ballrooms devoted to headphones. I was able to audition a lot of high quality, expensive phones and amps. My favorite phones were Stax, Fostex and Audeze. I still recall the Blue Hawaii tube amps and the magic they made with Stax headphones. I now own the Stax 009s and Audeze LCD-XC, but the Blue Hawaii is still on the horizon.

 Like the poster above, I switch between the two phones but my preference are the Stax 009 phones, which replaced my earlier Stax Lambda Pro version. My point is that, if cost is an issue, start with a model a little lower in the line. There are hundreds to choose from, and obviously you can’t audition them all. There is no "perfect, ultimate" headphone, just one that you prefer. Although you can’t audition every headphone available, you might try trusting those on this forum, and others, to help narrow your search.

northman,

If you look at my comment above, you’ll see that I prefer the Stax headphones over the Audeze. Obviously, that’s a personal choice but it’s due to two things; the heavier weight of the Audeze phones, and the transparent sound that electrostatic phones offer, in the case of the Stax.

In fairness to Audeze, my LCD-XC are not their top of the line. I like the sound of the Audeze phones but I found that the heaviness resulted in shorter listening sessions, although many people love those phones. Also, don’t discount the value of a dedicated headphone amp. I recommend one with tubes.