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
 
6. DSP.   
7. push of a button.   
But we grade on a curve so you get an "A".   
(boxer12- incomplete. Didn’t show his work ;)
middlemass
903 posts
 
Was trying to edit and deleted instead...funny! Can't believe I missed  6 & 7.


david1949
14 posts
 
As with anything, sound is a preference.  What sounds good to you should be what you buy.  Some prefer lots of bass, some midrange and some treble.  I do believe people think they hear things because of price or name brand.  It would be better if the cost wasn’t shown before you decide.  That would never happen.  
mastering92
870 posts
 
I actually own the Focal Utopia headphones. 

I have to tell you - you are paying for beryllium (a very toxic metal) to be properly implemented inside a headphone. Why? Performance characteristics. Focal and TAD both use beryllium; getting it right isn't an easy task. 

You are also paying for carbon fiber yokes, higher than average build quality, lambskin earpads, and a cool factor/design. Are they worth the money? YES. Focal replaced my busted drivers free of charge. How do they sound? The transducers make all the difference.

You simply can't compare flagship/studio grade driver units in headphones to substandard "consumer grade" celebrity headphones. However, I think what you're saying is that the general population (most people don't care about audio as a hobby) wouldn't be able to tell a difference 🤔

That's because they do not care.
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@asctim,
"From what I’ve heard about pain killing placebos is that they don’t actually work when measuring pain objectively - which is usually done with a range of motion test. A person on a placebo will say they feel better and the pain is less bothersome, but when they are asked to lift their arm up, as in the case of shoulder pain, they can’t actually lift it any higher. With a real pain killer they can - although maybe they shouldn’t!"


Good point.

The placebo effect seems to have no objective foundation on reality and appears be almost entirely generated within the mind of the subject.

That’s why there are regulations that all stage hypnotists are required to adhere to.
The world of the subconscious mind still remains largely unexplored and mysterious over a 100 years after Freud drew our attention to it.

However you can bet your bottom dollar that all kinds of folk, all the way from government research and law enforcement agencies to vast international marketing and advertising departments are all deeply interested in its workings.

Oh what big eyes you have grandma!
The better to help you spend your money my dear!


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