Ridiculous
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!"
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One other point - if you know something is better sounding than something else, by recommendation of someone you trust or universal acceptance, sometimes I'll just go for it knowing it is better. For example, I was told by Ron (Martin) Sutherland himself of the Phono Stage company and creator of Martin Logan several decades ago, that my phono stage would sound better with a linear power supply versus the switched one provided as standard. He had just started offering the upgrade of his trickle down technology from a phono stage costing 2.5 times as much as mine. It was a little less than half of what I got the phono stage for, but he said if it was his brother in law, he would tell him to do it, so I just did it. He even helped me install it so I wouldn't have to pay 2 way shipping to Kansas. Could I tell afterwards? Not specifically, but I had also recently upgraded the interconnect from the PS to the amp, but sometimes knowing it is better sounding gives you peace of mind even if you didn't prove it specifically for yourself. Perfect example - rollerblocks isolate components and also transfer vibration out of them. Inside them are ball bearings of certain specifications that make the box float. The new base level (formerly one top from the base) has 10 parts per million of imperfection in the shape/quality of it, and the highest level one, called a "super ball" (I kid you not), has 2.5 ppm, or a 75% reduction in imperfections. The cost of this upgrade is equal to the entire cost of the base rollerblocks with (the newly upgraded) standard bearings. Some people will buy the super balls based on the owner's recommendation knowing they are the best and have that peace of mind. Bear in mind that the previous improvement to the 10 ppm was down from 60 ppm, or an 83% improvement. Talk about the law of diminishing returns....This is the epitome of it, but he sells a ton of them for those who want the absolute best, and if I spent triple on my stereo, I would probably get them. The owner did not recommend them to me based on my system, so he understands how high resolving a system you need to hear or appreciate the improvement. This is the case with fuses, power cords, etc. |
@mahgister you make statements about your system regarding the placement and the presentation you get and how headphones cannot compare. If it's the same system I saw in your picture, how on Earth do you get a sense of space or depth or width or imaging, sound staging, etc. I'm not trying to start an argument or be mean I simply don't understand how you can get that effect with your speakers being where they are. |
@mahgister you make statements about your system regarding the placement and the presentation you get and how headphones cannot compare. If it’s the same system I saw in your picture, how on Earth do you get a sense of space or depth or width or imaging, sound staging, etc. I’m not trying to start an argument or be mean I simply don’t understand how you can get that effect with your speakers being where they are.You are perfectly right.... Now i can understand what your sarcasm was hiding ....I apologize to you because i could be rude if someone seems to mock me...I am human.... Yes it is impossible to reach a good level of depth imaging and listener involvement in my square room 13 feet 1/2 with speakers on desk and one in one of the corner of the room, creating an imbalance in the imaging... BUT....... Acoustic material treatment rightfully done, and more than that a grid of rightfully located Helmholtz resonators which are finely tuned to the speakers/room relation, and which some are located at critical spots, or near each driver speakers in an symmetrical way, COULD create all the S.Q. imaging, soundstage, and more important natural timbre experience and listener inclusion in the music stage with some good recordings... I succeed in making the walls of my room being friends and no more foes.... I create 40 Helmholtz resonators of different size mechanically adjustable in length, orientation, and size to do it....At no cost....Even with empty toilet paper roll... 😊 When i listen music i listen the sound and dont look at my silly room in the dark.... All my posts here are there to promote creativity at no cost not bragging about my piece of gear which are only average but very good for their price..... No headphones i own and no system i listen to make me desesperate about my actual S.Q. in my room.... that speak volume....It is not the best but...... I live very well with it..... Acoustic is the queen, and all others pieces of gear and tweaks are the 7 working dwarves.... |
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