Do you guys think a headphone that cost £200+ over 10 years ago is still better than a cheap headphone brand new today?

I feel like the rate of quality increase isn’t anywhere near as fast as something like smartphones & the old headphones would still be better? Anyone have any input on this?

  • AdeptFelix@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Try 25 years. The Sennheiser HD600 is still considered great.

    I will say that there’s a way better selection of great headphones now than pretty much ever, but things largely haven’t changed. Planar headphones were the biggest thing to happen since then and they’re not necessarily better than old dynamic drivers, just better at different things.

    At the end of the day, a headphone just turns squiggly electric waves into a medium that wiggles and pushes air in ways that make noise. Tech advances don’t really do much to change that basic concept.

    • Arnval0@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I mean planars are not new either, yamaha started making them in the the 70s and many others like fostex have been making them for quite some time. They just fell out of fashion for a bit.

      • Flamebomb790@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Yeah I wish e stats were more common since the only ones I can think of are STAX, Koss, and He-1 lol . I know they are annoying since they require an electrolizer and have a bag on something like it around them to keep off the dust

          • gregtofu@alien.topBEnglish
            1·
            10 months ago

            And boi would I love to get my hands on a Bravura someday. Never has the opportunity to try out estats, and I really wanna.

      • AdeptFelix@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        I knew the tech was around for a long while, it was just so uncommon until recently. I guess that’s an even bigger indication of how little tech advancements there have really been in headphones.