CHEAP vs. EXPENSIVE Headphones Challenge! Can Normal People Tell the Difference???

[@ResolveReviews]

I just wanted to add a couple of things. Very obviously this wasn't meant to be scientific, and I think that's where concerns about lack of a control is coming from, which is totally fair. However, the point of this video was NOT to determine if non-audiophiles could tell a difference between cheap and expensive frequency response (or sound quality alone), but rather to determine if non-audiophiles could tell between cheap and expensive HEADPHONES, which includes sound quality but can also include 'feel' and a number of other factors. If you JUST want to control for frequency response, you have to do something like Dr. Olive's virtual headphone test methodology, since weight, comfort, feel, all play a role in preference. But we wanted to see what happens if you include some of that. If you noticed, the rankings at the end were not always based on sound quality alone, and the ones considered most expensive weren't always the ones most preferred. This type of test could've been done without the blindfold even, but it at least makes it so they wouldn't be able to recognize brand names or tell which is which.

[@tysontyson1244]

This video was very entertaining. It also told me that James has an inner headphone enthusiast just waiting to be unleashed. I predict that in five years, James or Han will own a $2,000 headphone system. Grace will happily live on with whatever she already has. Logan as a Koss-Kult member shall spread word of Koss heavenly value scripture to all of his friends during the day, and spend sleepless nights with Sennheiser HD600 playing video games.

[@Tenhys]

_"This type of test could've been done without the blindfold even, but it at least makes it so they wouldn't be able to recognize brand names or tell which is which."_ Incorrect. Not seeing during the listening sessions meant that their brain won't focus on anything else _but_ listening, which does give a better audio experience in the end. On a second, semi-related note, the fact that the black haired guy completely nailed the Focal Clear price absolutely blew me away.

[@ResolveReviews]

@@Tenhys Sure - I only mean that this wasn't ever intended to be about validating the "FR is all there is" point. You could put a bunch of headphones in front of non-audiophiles and have them try them out at their own pace and it would still be interesting to see what they think.

[@ROFLWAFFLELAWL4]

It's also worth noting that this is also a good example of how different people have different ears that have different preferences for what they consider good both in feel/comfort and the sound itself. The "blind" part affects both price bias a well as "listening with your eyes" where something that looks cheap or expensive can positively or negatively affect you through a placebo. So going only through touch and sound give a better impression of how the headphones are subjectively by showing that everyone has different tastes and one persons #1 isn't necessarily anothers.

[@ChefBag]

differences between...one's wireless and the other isn't~

[@-.-1724]

it seemed like grace was least into audio stuff out of them yet her price guesses were almost on point... impressive stuff

[@juanp756]

Women are usually more into looks. I see the same behavior with my wife and sister. While I and my brother always look for the best stuff and sometimes sacrifice looks and even confort. Maybe headphone companies could attract more people building cute headphones

[@ydid687]

i think she's acquainted to the hobby because its not often that a layman guesses 3 or 4 grand for a good sounding headphone because that is just exorbitant she has to be the most into audio stuff not the least

[@SneakyB]

I mean, pyschoacoustic research suggests that women tend to be on the "brighter" end of the harman target curve so it might not be surprising that she likes hifiman sound signature.

[@william57363]

@@ydid687 If she was she wouldn’t have ranked the sonys first and she even said that she isn’t used to these kind of headphones because she uses airpods.

[@ydid687]

@@william57363 neutral headphones sound inferior to the newbies because they are used to liking bass of the distorted kind more but they are on the verge (in just 1 week more their old gear is gonna sound inferior to them others will take 2 to 3 weeks) its not that she's not a layman its just that she's less so than the rest of the 3 guys

[@fez]

> Can "normal people" tell the difference? > "I know the dynamic range of that song..." Find the mistake. 😀

[@Ken-zg3ze]

I feel like letting them touch the headphones takes away the objectiveness of assessing sound quality.

[@maro3600sho]

Just what I was about to say.

[@kenneyt9]

Almost no one knew even after touching em though :p . When he said sennheiser, probably thought the hd560s.

[@Haydos]

@@kenneyt9 maybe but the 600 is the most well known.

[@TheLeftistOwl]

You can't "objectively assess" quality of sound

[@Username_CC_]

No because the build and comfort are a part of the experience

[@antonhelsgaun]

Would've loved to see their reactions to the prices

[@daveguan2432]

Especially that first guy. Thinking the most expensive headphone was only $300 🤣

[@YuhNinja]

​@@daveguan2432Yeah I don't think he realized how are expensive headphones can even get.

[@TheNaughtyType]

You really have to hand it to Koss for being able to pump out cheap headphones that sound good. And with retro styles coming back, they don’t really look that bad either.

[@provisionalhypothesis]

yeah and the great thing about koss is, all you have to do is yank on the cables and they come off.

[@TheNaughtyType]

@@provisionalhypothesis ahaha 🤣. It’s passed a toddler’s abuse so it passes in my books for now.

[@TheNaughtyType]

@residentzero bro try the Moondrop Chu 2. Such a good budget set.

[@TheNaughtyType]

@residentzero the Aria is also great. I find the Chu 2 to be a bit more vocal forward and energetic than the Aria. Though the Aria might have more perceived detail. Depends on what you like in this case. I feel like Crinacle will give the Chu 2 (2) or (3) stars (if that rating system means anything to you)

[@lolilollolilol7773]

Also solid and lifetime warranty

[@samyg123]

Sorry, these aren’t “normal” listeners. If they use words like soundstage and flatness, or can identify a sennheiser product blind folded, they are not an “average joe” off the street.

[@robertct06]

I feel like the girl was the most average joe but did the best. He did say it wasn’t super scientific at the end

[@samyg123]

@@robertct06 I agree. Most non-audiophiles would prioritize light weight builds and V shaped sounds. That’s why Bose and Sony do so well.

[@1988remixx]

@@samyg123 I agree but at the same time based on the genre they all seemed to primarily listen to I would say the Bose/Sony products wouldn’t have done as well? There’s a reason why they were picked. V shapped sounds are primarily dance, electronic, hip hop & R&B which NONE of these testers even chose as a day to day listening genre.

[@samyg123]

@@1988remixx that’s a good point as well, none said they like typical popular music 🤦‍♂️

[@i.Gnarly]

Ahhh yes nothing like gatekeeping the hobby! Those are our words 🤬😡!!!

[@rickybobbysdriver555]

Videos like this are enlightening because so much of how we are influenced is usually determined by price and name brand. Always fun to see how subjective sound is.

[@BALTDGuitar]

I feel like adding a legit bad cheap headphone to the list would be interesting

[@PulledPurk]

yeah, a "cute" pair

[@blackwing1362]

the sonys

[@thirdkey9]

Even as an audiophile, there is only so much I’m willing to sacrifice with headphones because even for dedicated music listening session use, comfort/ergonomics and some convenience is as important as quality sound. I like a balance gestalt. Thanks and hopefully you’ll be doing more of these in the future.

[@waves6952]

Dude's just casually flicking a 6000$ Headphone... (7:18)

[@SteelyDanUnofficial]

It definitely is 200-300$ headphone though.

[@DonJohn87_YT]

Yeah...

[@kiavaxxaskew]

@@SteelyDanUnofficial makes me think. Should i spend thousands on an education to design and build my own headphones, or just spend the 6k on 200-300 dollar materials.

[@agame-jv6zv]

@@kiavaxxaskew just spend 15 on the ksc75 it is life changing

[@DrinkWater713]

​@@kiavaxxaskewPeople who buy 6000 dollars headphones don't need to choose between the two

[@Sutlore007]

HD650 was really a legacy in my audiophile community, one of the best pair along side AKG K-1000 or Grado RS-1 last 10-15 years ago, maybe. One of my friends still have it for daily use.

[@aidencoder]

My HD650 will be buried with me. On my skull.

[@marcelmajercik8374]

@@TheWorldTeacher never heard the 650 but I love my 600. Bought them like 4 months ago.

[@sjqideez6626]

The legendary K1000 was such an important invention & creation in audio, even though it was released in 1989 it still puts so many flagship headphones to shame in many sonic areas (if you have powerful speaker amps to drive them of course).

[@scarlet7960]

Hd 650 hype

[@shawnpwatsons1]

@@aidencoder lol

[@jamesbush2720]

Amazing how close Grace came to the actual price with what appears to be the LEAST experience in the panel. Great job!! I think price/performance is a LOT more accurate on full size headphones as opposed to IEMs.

[@lolilollolilol7773]

She was perfectly capable of discerning sound quality of the phones, but in the end, sound quality wasn't at all her main choice criteria. Unlike audiophiles, what matters most to her is convenience and looks, - as the PortaPro might be the most convenient of them all, but she couldn't stand the (in her words) "computer lab" design -. In that regard, she is probably representative of a large chunk of the population.

[@JoyfulWAVE]

As a producer im using a 180$ AKG and a 49€ Superlux. Both are studio headphones. The AKG has almost no bass at all. But great mid and high details. But i used to push the bass too much. Thats why i got those Superlux DH660 Pro. Great Soundstage and a little bit more bass. And very comfi to wear for many hours. Sometimes i forget that i have them on. But mixing is something new now... because you have to learn new headphones first. But i also use some cheap 20$ Motorola Headphones to check the final mix. A mix should also sound good on crappy headphones. 😜

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

Mastering engineers usually listen to their final masters in their cars, on cheap speakers and Apple earbuds just to make sure it sounds good for most of their customers.

[@mehmetgurdal]

Man blond guy is an audiophile even though he's not aware of it yet. My man even picked on the driver timbre.

[@qboogie]

I love videos where non-audiophiles try out dope gear. The look on their faces is so entertaining

[@vicapple6663]

I'd love to get a top picks for VR headphones from you. VR has very specific needs from headphones: ability to swap out cable with a short 3.5mm cable stability on head (won't move around when being more active) Immersive sound (my personal preference. VR is all about immersion to me)

[@jetfightercn]

for the pure science of sound, you should not have let them touch the headphone. the premium materials and touch could have influenced how they perceived "sound quality". they might perceived as sounding "expensive" due to premium materials touches...

[@madpossum24]

True, yet it seemed none of them liked the Focals, which probably had the most premium feel

[@jetfightercn]

@@madpossum24 I guess they donot like the weight, to become audiophile, one needs to have a strong neck, lol, to have a big headphone on... cheaper headphones typically made with plastic is what regular people are used to...

[@unotoli]

no touch, no price would be fair.

[@ShadowWhippler]

i was waiting for price reveals for the guys who stayed in the hundreds.

[@DaveTheBird]

Great video, it is refreshing to get 'normal', average views on headphones, think audiophiles can get caught in a bubble, I have been selling off a lot of my headphone stuff and just getting reasonably priced earbuds and more portable (small on ear mainly) headphones. I am finding that more fun, it does help that I am an old man now so my hearing is not as good as it was, so planar and electrostax etc. are wasted on me now. To be honest it is more fun in some ways, but I do miss some of the Koss and stax electrostatic headphones that I had a bit....... I think some of the prices now are just crazy though, 5,000 and over for some headphones now, but then I guess may be my age, as I think there was a high end Sony about 20 years ago that maybe cost the equivilant of 5,000 today....

[@Medsas]

the dude recognized sennies by touch... hes definitely not "normal" 🤣

[@Alepap.]

@@Medsas I would too honestly, it something about them being open back and that 2 hump headband that makes it stand out.

[@Medsas]

@@Alepap. we're not normal either we're audiophile nerds 🤣

[@robertreynolds2212]

I currently own a system in the $30k range w/ a few summit-fi headphones in rotation. I haven’t had one friend that wasn’t blown away, a few have even gotten emotional.

[@KenMoreira]

i just want the 1000se

[@floriangopel3909]

@@KenMoreira go for arya stealth it's better 😉

[@sjqideez6626]

@@KenMoreira careful what you wish for ; ) That can has quite a lot of top end energy

[@KenMoreira]

@@sjqideez6626 I have a tube amp, and a spring 3 kte r2r dac I think it'll have great synergy

[@kiavaxxaskew]

Describe your source. What feeds the information to your dac?

[@DanFlashes99]

Audio quality is a bit like wine; our ears and taste buds can both become very refined, with training. But if you don't care or haven't paid attention before, you won't tell much difference between a $10 bottle and a $100 bottle. Same with headphones. Most people are oblivious to how crappy the audio quality is in (most) cheap consumer gear. Therefore, nice equipment will just sound "different somehow" to them, if they notice a difference at all. But audio engineers, mixers and others trained in sound, can EASILY tell a difference.

[@athathsonty2925]

A very appropriate analogy.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

I think people had an inherent bias against koss because of the feel. Would have been interesting if you just sort of placed them around their ears without them feeling it first and then got their initial reaction.

[@LateBandwagon]

Koss are not going to outperform any of these other than the Sony’s as seen from the video

[@Ringleader3rik]

This was cool. I wish you included headphones the average listener would use to highlight the differences. Your choices were all pretty good options. Realistically, the average person isn't going to drop $400 on headphones and the Porta Pro is a cult classic only audiophiles get. It would be nice to see some Beats or Skullcandys included to see if your friends could pick them out.

[@Ringleader3rik]

@Carl Gunderson I have a set of Sony's that I wear on planes. But, I still wouldn't say the "average" person is wearing them. In my extended family, I am the only one who would ever think of spending more than $100 on headphones. I'd also bet they are picking those for ANC, not sound quality.

[@redstang5150]

Totally agree. Just look at the number of ratings on all the sub $200 headphones from all the no-name brands, not to mention the more well known consumer brands that you mentioned. Most people are buying a relatively cheap set and not looking for anything else until those break.

[@nmnate]

Hey Chrono - did you volume match all the headphones beforehand? That can greatly change the perception of detail, bass levels, etc.

[@MildEightnoon]

I don’t usually comment on videos but this was entertaining and enlightening. More of exactly this video with other reviews friends and family would be welcome. It’s really fun to hear people’s reactions and impressions. It also brings this insane hobby down to earth, not everyone cares about sound and will prioritize comfort, makes sense. Keep up the good work!

[@amateurwizard]

Why are you using the 3.5mm port on the WH1000? That bypasses the processor. I'm certain you're not running an EQ

[@Thepapoyboyz]

to be fair. because they all come from the same source. If wh use wireless its will bit different. In this aspect they just try pure tuning from all headphone without eq or app

[@kiavaxxaskew]

wouldn't they sound better if you bypass the built-in dac/amp?

[@amateurwizard]

@@kiavaxxaskew They're designed so that when you're on the go you enjoy a more lively but still accurate version of the music. The 3.5mm jack is for when you want to bypass the DAC and it's super flat. It's not enjoyable to listen to, it's there to give you a choice if you're hooking up to a computer and want your own EQ. 🙂 It might be better quality but it does not sound pleasant at all with no EQ.

[@Gabrielnfs]

Interesting how they noticed an improvement in sound quality but did not rate that improvement to be worth that much more in their price predictions compared to the price jumps the headphones actually displayed. Shows that audiophiles massively overpay in an industry with ridiculously high margins.

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

I don't think the margins are so high because audiophile companies don't sell a lot of product. It's the same in other industries like film cameras. A big chunky cinema camera from Arri or Red costs 80K to way over 100K not because the picture is 100x better than a Sony Alpha. It's because they only sell a couple thousand of each of them.

[@Gabrielnfs]

@@maximilianmustermann5763 It depends on the particular brand and model, sure. But I would bet most products that are above "mid-fi" are grossly overpriced for what they are in this industry.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

Yeah I also think they were probably able to deduce price based on feel which probably added some confirmation bias or placebo when they listened. It's not really entirely possible but it would have been nice to have them listen before they could really get a good sense of the heft or feel of the product with their hands

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

Overpriced, sure. But 1; everything is. And 2; If you want that experience from your music, and you can pay no less to get it, then its worth its price. To give an example. If we think of the clarity and detail of a headphone like a window. The difference between one of the best headphones in the $1-2k category and a TOTL headphone is the window being spotless, and the window not being there at all. If you want the window to no longer exist, then you are willing to pay how ever much more it cost to get that. To that guy, its ENTIRELY worth its value, therfore there value of diminishing returns never applied as to get that experience, they could pay NO LESS for it. Now the reason such a headphone is considered as beyond that curve to you is because you DONT value that requirement relative to its cost of reaching that point. Both of you are completely valid. Doesn’t stop a product being overpriced by other metrics, but you can still find the margin of a product worth paying for. For these people, obviously that wasn't going to be true.

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

Your comment was deleted. I'm unable to see it.

[@audiofile1178]

My take away is that higher price does not equal better sound. The comfort + how closely a Headphone is tuned to your preference is more important.

[@leeasy7112]

It’s called marginal gain.

[@kiavaxxaskew]

no, sound quality is most important. The headphone that sounds the best is the best.

[@Mr.Manson]

@@kiavaxxaskew What good is that for if you can't wear them not even for an hour or if it breaks after some time.

[@falcodarkzz]

Gotta say, this would be much more interesting if they didn't handle them first. That's another layer of bias, and it'd be far more interesting if it was just sound they were judging.

[@johnnyboo9041]

I’ve listened all these minus the Koss and my favourite are the Hd650’s. People always associate price with being better that’s why blind tests are the best! Different strokes for different folks!!

[@wagiqwq]

Koss are godlike

[@reekeen8257]

I love my sennheiser stuff, but I can't go back after living with my focal clear. I'm a fiend for that punch quality. In reality anything above $500 doesn't really significantly improve in quality. You may get another 20% if you go for something like a Stax L700/Susvara/etc

[@esjihn]

7:16 dude just thumped a $6000 headphone.

[@UncensoredJAV]

Some of the people in the video make me think I’m a “normal” person and that they’re the audiphiles LOL

[@dirty_dan75158]

Imagine what they would think of a STAX lambda and then the surprise from the sound lol

[@minidee2194]

True, the headphones selections here are nice but they don't really have that WOW factor to impress the newbies. It's just more detail retrieval and then some more.

[@sjqideez6626]

Absolutely, I’ve shocked many people with a 40+ year old Lamdba can

[@levansaginashviliskidney8726]

550V can be quite shocking, yes

[@rev_dude]

I wish you had included reactions when they found out the headphones cost 30x more than their guess.

[@Jamie-666]

I'm now convinced that, unlike vision, hearing is subjective and varies widely between people. Shape of head, bone density, ear shape etc.

[@sgthjennings]

I love videos/reviews in this aspect. Unbiased initial opinions which of course is subjective but the level of innocence each pair of headphones was granted by the listeners is what stood out the most and pulled me in deeper to hear and understand their overall opinion of each pair. thx guys.

[@ixoye56]

The Sennheiser 600 series should be good enough for most people, it's just a waste of money to buy more expensive headphones imo.

[@nmnate]

As someone that uses a pair of HD6xx daily for at least 6 hours a day... I understand your sentiment. For the average user they're just fantastic. But if you want to spend a bit of money on a hobby, why not? My 'nice' pair of headphones (LCDX 2021) is noticeably different in many ways from the HD 600 series. Both are nice enough to keep me fairly disinterested in buying more headphones 👍

[@lukasjanecka9996]

Not entirely true, but you do have my sympathy :)

[@PhilBushay]

LMAO when he flicked the susvara.

[@bandhanjha8563]

Tbh I used to enjoy music a lot more before I got into this hobby and now I'm always skeptical about what am I missing

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

I have finally just decided to enjoy the gear I have and I have stopped buying new stuff. And I probably won't buy new stuff again until the stuff I have now breaks and even then.... I will be more selective about it.

[@maxcardif9879]

Then you have mental issues that need to be addressed. These are not caused by a hobby, but an addiction. Learn the differences.

[@ChefBag]

Why are the Sony's plugged in? I would think Bluetooth w/the LDAC codec set correctly would have been more realistic...But what do I know...

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

Sure but it should still theoretically compare favorably to it $35 pair. They probably just didn't want to introduce a whole new variable of latency and compression which would have been inevitable with Bluetooth. But sure I mean Sony's view the wired connection as an afterthought. But still even accounting for that, I think an average person would probably assume a $400 pairs back up plan would compare favorably to something like the Porta pro.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

And also, I mean Sony chose to do their wired connection as an afterthought. But they still offer it, so they can be judged for it. And if you introduce wireless, you're adding three new variables at least which could then complicate the test even further. Latency, compression, and the relative comfort of wireless. So I can kind of understand why they didn't do it Bluetooth. I can also understand why some Sony enthusiasts are dissatisfied with the decision but again, Sony didn't have to make the wired connection a complete afterthought.

[@ChefBag]

@@michaelcorcoran8768The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless headset are Premium Noise Canceling Headphones, not plugged in via some janky cord~ I own a set of the XM4s as well as many other Audiophile headphones ranging from less than $100 all the way up to a first car so I feel strongly on this..

[@redstang5150]

One interesting aspect to this was how most of the headphones were open. I only had ever had closed headphones until I got the Senn 650s, and my initial impression wasn't that good. It took me quite a while to get used to them and appreciate what they were doing. I have to think most people that are just buying something to listen to are going to be using closed headphones so these in comparison are going to be quite different.

[@andikawidianto9060]

650 sounds boring at first because I was using fiio e10k as my dac amp, and then i upgrade it to much higher price amp and its sound incredible. Idk if this a placebo effect or not but they definitely sound better with chord mojo, jds lab, schiit, etc

[@objetrumeur]

Seems like the Sony was off. The sound is different when on.

[@sufjanfloofens]

They are just bad sound quality headphones when you compare them to stuff like Sennheiser or even Koss Gear

[@objetrumeur]

@@sufjanfloofens yes but as they have all describe the sound, it's typically like when they are lintened to off

[@LordVictorHalgaard]

They’re terrible either way, but a different kind of terrib,e without their DSP, true.

[@x32i77]

They should have picked up the t+a solitaire T

[@ClintAvila]

This was fun to watch! I have the Arya Stealth and dream of hearing/owning Susvara. I will say that I am still blown away by my HD6XX. They are just such a satisfying headphone that loves to be cranked while not causing fatigue. I use them with a Burson Conductor GT and it is absolutely incredible what these $200 headphones are capable of. And I own other headphones that are more expensive. I've done tests like this with friends and it's very interesting to to hear their take not knowing the different prices of each headphone and just simply saying why they think one pair sounds better than another. This is truly a fun hobby albeit an expensive one after a while. Great video Chrono!

[@ciousli]

Interesting experiment. People often underestimate just how biased auditory perception is. Not to be too melodramatic, but this skill of "analytical listening" or "hearing the gear" that an audiophile develops over time tends to be more of a immersion-breaking curse than anything else (unless you have an unlimited budget of course). It's even worse for musicians. After you've learned how to play a certain piece of music, listening to it will never sound the same to you ever again, usually for the worse. The psychoacoustics iceberg goes much deeper with studys that show how people with perfect pitch typically show a significantly flatter affect to music than people without it. There's also a well-documented phenomenon where perfect pitch people start to experience all music and ambient noise as "sounding wrong" when their hearing starts to deteriorate with age. There's a bittersweet irony in how the human brain manages to make music less enjoyable for those who're particularly good at listening. We should envy those who're able to feel like they want to headbang and air drum to generic music with only some cheap ass in-ears.

[@redstang5150]

The moral here is that ignorance truly can be bliss. I think it's really true that the more you think about and obsess over something the harder it can be to just simply enjoy it. The other thing is that, at least in my experience, my ears like variety. I think your ears adjust to whatever headphones and speakers you always listen to and after a while they start to sound boring/the same. Therefore I enjoy having a collection of headphones and switch up what I'm using every so often, because when I start listening to a different set of headphones, it's like hearing things in a slightly different and new way again, and I start to appreciate how they sound different and how some songs sound better or worse through them.

[@zachbenson9548]

I've always been curious about this sort of thing. I grew up playing bass heavy instruments and currently I prefer bass heavy headphones and iems. Unfortunately that means I'll never be an audiophile according to Reddit but at least I'm happy listening to the stuff I currently have.

[@VexxedSR]

@@zachbenson9548 audiophiles seem to be allergic to large bass quantity even when done well, I wouldn't worry much about it. If it sounds great to you then no one should tell you otherwise.

[@zachbenson9548]

@@VexxedSR you're 100% correct. I spent so much money on endgame headphones and items only to settle for the stuff I didn't know I liked that was far less expensive.

[@FabioKasper]

Good job Chrono. Great video.

[@2slowpoke929]

The girl would be shredded by "le audiophile" community but I did respect how honest she was. No point in having these great sounding 1500 headphones if the person can't wear them for 150 minutes without feeling like their head is caving in. Comfortability matters a lot to non audiophiles more than audiophiles/audio enthusiasts would like to admit

[@iVilliain]

James stumbling upon how good of a deal the Sennheiser HD 500/6xx is, was so endearing! Especially considering how they are many people's first headphone purchase into this hobby including mine. Good eye James! Cool to their practicality on a micro scale.

[@samlee2562]

An easy parallel can be drawn between headphones and cameras.. you can spend 5k on a high-end DSLR but for most people camera phones are fine, and many people prefer the smart images taken with iPhones etc

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

You can also spend over 100K on an Arri cinema camera, but a normie would probably find it way too complicated and also way too big and heavy. It also doesn't make pictures that are simply 20x nicer than a Sony Alpha, the differences will only matter to professionals.

[@redstang5150]

The best camera is the one you have with you.

[@ithelesser9061]

This was interesting, I'd like to see more content like this.

[@JKHYT]

Personally I would have loved to see a Harman target headphone in the mix to see how the science shakes out IRL. Something like the K371 would have been great. Interesting nonetheless, similar to the vid Josh Valour did a while back.

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

The susvara is harman target. You are dummer than I thought.

[@Camphlobactor]

Will you do IEMs next?

[@audio_tron]

I suspect some of these companies possess the capability to deliver a much better headphone with all the convenient modern bells and whistles and they don’t. Focal’s Bathys was a noble stab at it but most people won’t spend that much on an all-in-one. On another note, a video like this for IEMs would be fascinating too, can’t recall if you’ve done that already.

[@Arado159]

I feel the same way. And not even just with headphones but with many audio and tech companies. They need to show something new and improved every year (preferably with new marketable features) to keep consumers interested and to purchase their products, so churning out the very best that they can probably come up with in the foreseeable future could come back to bite them badly.

[@Kekmit]

Koss Porta Pro really do feel like a toy, but sound freaking amazing for the price. They are also EXTREMELY comfortable with yaxi pads, they are so comfy you literally never feel them on your head. And that's coming from a guy who had multiple high-end headphones. I'm still rocking them every day unless I want to enjoy some music or a movie.

[@MarcoBelcastro]

Hmmm. Did you turn on the Sony? If you connect the cable without turning them on it will sound tinny as the high res circuit is bypassed.

[@GoufinAround_]

Not gonna lie, I started to really tell a difference after I had been listening to audiophile grade stuff

[@astroman269]

The problem with the price question for the Sony is the fact that they have to fit in a battery, microphones, etc. on there, which the other headphones do not. They are not exactly catered to the same audience/use case. I have done that exact comparison with different pairs of my own (Sony wh1000-XM4, Shure-SE215k, basic Apple corded headphones, Senn HD599, Drop/Senn HD6xx, Hifiman Sundara) and the sony, though praised by lots of media outlet as an all star pair of headphones when they came out for all of their qualities, actually have very average (if not below average) audio quality if compared side by side to other 'regular' pairs. They have a place in my collection though, because they fit a special niche : audio on the go. It used to be that my SE215k did the job, but then phone manufacturers decided that the audio jack was a waste of time...

[@nitraM321]

it would have been nice to see how they reacted when you told them the susvara’s are 6k, and over 10k with the appropriate gear, when one of your friends thought they cost less than a good cable ;)

[@hifitommy]

it woould be interesting to see what opinions change and why with long term listening such as for a week. i know mine did. i so so like my Hifiman 4XXs and like them better after the headband failed and I got a band with the intermediate comfort strap below the top overhead spring. got the band cheap from ali express. even after a few years of this, I still would like to afford some good electrostats but planars do a credible job. i got a pair of Audeze Maxwells for $329 and like them a lot with some reservations.

[@Greg.Siucrazyforaudio2016]

This proofed that heavy ones are not everyone favourite regardless it's price/sound quality Thank You .

[@CoffeeGameMovie]

Oh man, would love to see the edition XS, it would be very interesting, since build quality is worse, but then the sound is much better than expected.

[@BrenoSalomon]

Very cool. Is good to have something more fun as a video once in a while. A suggestion: try to bring a more diverse group next time. For example, it was strange to see only a single girl give her opinion.

[@Ratgibbon]

4:34 Ah, yes, the Huh-duh Six Hungeos by ol' mate, Senny.

[@attomicrooster7823]

Can someone please tell me every single headphones that was tried in this video? I’m blind so have no idea

[@fangwenzhou5807]

1. Sony WH-1000XM5 2. Koss Porta Pro 3. Sennheiser HD650 4. Focal Clear MG 5. HiFiMan Susvara They all tried the headphones blindfolded in that order.

[@fangwenzhou5807]

Hans, Grace, James and Logan ranked them from least to most favourite. Hans' ranking: Sony, Koss, Focal, Sennheiser, HiFiMan. Grace's ranking: Koss, Focal, HiFiman, Sennheiser, Sony. James' ranking: Sony, Koss, HiFiMan, Sennheiser, Focal. Logan's ranking: Sony, Focal, Sennheiser, Koss, HiFiMan. Everyone besides Grace did not like the Sonys.

[@attomicrooster7823]

@@fangwenzhou5807 thanks a bunch for that dude. I really appreciate it. Focal is my personal favourite and I’ve tried all of those headphones except the cheapest one.

[@hmmnope9231]

@@attomicrooster7823 could I please get your opinion on what you like about the focal?

[@attomicrooster7823]

@@hmmnope9231 well they are literally the most dynamic headphones you can pretty much get and they’re very exciting to listen. Amazing detail retrieval plus they’re extremely easy to drive. I have the clear MG and the Stellea and I love them both. I’ve tried the utopia as well and I’m still unsure as whether I want to purchase it or not.

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke!

[@david5131971]

Grace needs to go to a hearing specialist for ranking the Sony as the best

[@akti4467]

I guess she just dosnt care about detail at all.

[@matthewmanzi9504]

She also kept her hair over her ears for some of them

[@sto-humanfriendly]

What if audiophilia is actually a subjective hobby very much influenced by preference

[@MrDjillest303]

Why would you use a wire on the xm5? Thats crazy! sounds way better wireless

[@chrisharris1522]

he did it to attempt to take the amp and dac out of the equation, a mistake as he probably realises now but they were also the only closed back set so there is that as well

[@PhoggHawk]

Did you have them listen to the XM5 wired, without its internal DAC turned on? That's really not a fair presentation of that headphone. They are primarily wireless Bluetooth and they sound very good when they are processed using the onboard DAC. If this is the case, I don't like that.

[@ChristopherMarshburn]

You must have given them the Sony with factory settings. Because with some EQ adjustment they are phenomenal.

[@raikozy35]

Honestly I think the Sony sounds pretty decent, especially when it's powered on and has has EQ'ed to the listener's preference. Also It's more about the tech, its ANC and it's lightness, not to mention it's microphones. As someone who has 6xx, some Beyers and even the Focal Clear in this video, I still really enjoy my XM5 and don't think the sound is that bad, but clearly I use my xm5 for a very different purpose and setting than my other headphones.

[@TheTastefulThickness]

My xm4s suck

[@TheOpenfield]

They need a lot of EQing (reddit is a nice reference there) to sound passable. But I agree, it's more about the wireless/huge battery and ANC. Combined with a passable sound after some adjustments. Always happy to switch to my Edition XS at home though :)

[@ReederBee]

Cool video format, wanna see more of this

[@Glokta]

'Way too heavy' he says about the Clear MGs. Me watching this with a VC Ironwood on my head - right...

[@aidencoder]

Man I have the XM5, hd650, Focal Clear OG ... didn't agree with these opinions for the most part. Some of it is also like comparing boots to trainers. I adore the XM5, Clears, 650, ... all for different reasons.

[@hmmnope9231]

May I ask what you like about these headphones?

[@aidencoder]

@@hmmnope9231 XM5 for noise cancelling. A relaxed, warm sound (turn off super bass in the app and eq the highs up a touch). Portable and comfy. Clears (OG) super detail and separation. Insightful but a bit fatiguing after a long time. I don't wear them all day. Great for technical mixes and complex music. Can be overestimulating HD650 widely adored for a reason. Soulful, warm, hot chocolate for the ears. They pair with my tube amp. Great for relaxing. Like a good pair of slippers. WF-1000XM4 for on the to noise cancelling. Exercise. Walking. Ie900 for super detailed portable A90/D90 amp and dac power most of them, HD650 through an old woo audio tube amp with TungSol 5994 tubes.

[@hmmnope9231]

@@aidencoder Thank you! I am taking notes and working on finding what works for me! This helps a bunch!! Thank you for your time and effort!!

[@redstang5150]

I have those 3 sets too. I was surprised everyone liked the 650 right off the bat. It took me a while to appreciate them, whereas the Clears jump out at you more initially.

[@projectx5154]

One important thing to know is that normal people just don't know headphones can even go that high in price. I thought the most expensive pair of headphones was 1000$ when I wasn't following the headphones industry

[@dennisthehazarddb1095]

Very nice Idea. I lIke that Format. We see that we have to skill our Ears. I would like to see more Videos like that!

[@cbr900son]

Why would you ask about feel from their hands and not how they feel wearing them?

[@alyx4436]

Very interesting but I feel your synopsis and opinions at the end are completely different to mine. I think this video actually proves that you don't have to spend more money to have a better headphone. It is not that simple. I am sure many of you who have had high-end audio equipment still find flaws in them (you may have returned a pair due to that flaw). It's just a matter of what the deal breaker is for you. For Grace, she was turned off by the weight of the Susvaras but for another person, they might be turned off by more nuanced attributes of the sound. You might like the sound of your Sundaras more but love your cheaper Sennheiser because its light has nicer pads and is more neutral.

[@metalblakedowns]

Did you guys turn on the XM5's before plugging them in? lol Because Sony's headphones sound like trash just using wired, gotta turn em on first before plugging in and I don't think I've ever heard anyone describe their headphones as tinny. And then having them say the next pair has more bass. Sony's headphones are WAY too bassy lmao

[@shashank6393]

1:15 the what? Got me 😂😂😂

[@towsifshahriarshovo]

Amazing video, need more videos like this one🔥🔥🔥

[@Pranav19k94]

I didn't like the Sony when I tried a pair, but every consumer website says they are good sounding. Why this gap in reviews and reality?

[@fabiyeah]

great video!, i'm glad to find that i'm not alone thinking that the Sony sound very poor despite all the hype they have

[@97Syahmie]

God I always love these sorta videos

[@maybe8888]

😼

[@kiavaxxaskew]

God knows, no need to state the obvious.

[@sinistercollector9223]

What amp did you all use? I believe it was that black one in the background but i can't place what amp it is.

[@chrono-headphonereviews242]

It’s the Benchmark HPA4 amplifier and the Burson Composer 3X DAC

[@feelfreetodeviate]

This is great. You guys need to hire this crew, furrealz. I think hearing the rationale for their rankings really drives home the point that "best" is truly subjective for so many reasons.

[@megadoodoo5088]

Probably should use an easy to drive hi-end headphone to represent to summit price range? Like Final D8000p. Susvara do sound like a

[@Its_Quash]

For the xm5s you have to turn them on and connect them with an 3.5. If you don’t they sound bad

[@gabsriel]

When I do the test with my friends and other people at my jobs (I change often) and around 10 headphones of my collection, there is always one that stand out, always to my surprise : Hifiman HE400i (lightly modified)

[@sooryanandanans236]

What mod did u do? Just curious

[@gabsriel]

@@sooryanandanans236 Removed the grill, changed the pads, put a balanced cable (not for a direct change in the sound but more for the added power), and paired with a powerful enough amp. The blind tests were made with this simple configuration. I'm wainting to receive neodymium magnets to attach directly to the drivers to add more mass, accordingly to the "customcans"'s channel suggestions. IMO I tamed the highs and improved the bass and mids by a little margin. EDIT : this pair of headphones are clearly not my favorite, but I'm always surprised that this is a win for "not trained audiophiles" :-) Maybe I got lost at some point...

[@jackcloud8547]

Can confirm, Grace is the typical consumer that prefer's the appearance of the headphones more than the audio quality.

[@rhalfik]

This is how all reviews should be. Unsighted, minimum bias opinions, taken from multiple people. The only thing I'd change is this: ask them to rate the sound before rating the build quality. In serious testing, they attach handles to the headphone so that the lab rats don't get clues from build and design. You'd avoid that situation where a guy recognizes a model or even gets an idea of how much the headphone could be worth. You can always change the order in the edit if it's important to you. If the reviewers took this seriously, the old reviews would quickly become obsolete, because everyone would see how wrong people are when they do sighted reviews. This has been proven scientifically. When people rate the sound of gear they see, they make bad decisions. With some products the opinions are all over the place, with other products they are absurdly inflated.

[@ShaulRosenzweig]

They should have compared apples to apples, without touching, expensive open back studio phones vs samson sr850, expensive iem to salnotes zero... Big question is, can a regular person tell a difference between good chifi vs similar type of phones that cost 100 times as much. As with anything, it is law of diminishing returns. Most people would be quite satisfied with chifi stuff, value proposition, sound for buck, they offer is amazing. Low enough kids can afford them on their allowance. Far better proposition than Alan Sugar's "mug's eyeful" systems I could get when I was a teen. And portapros were probably the only decent pair of phones I could own then.

[@haberdasherrykr8886]

These are stock pictures people?

[@brothatwasepic]

Great vid. Before we were audio enthusiasts expensive = 300 hehe ❤. Susvara cry 😢

[@blackberuang]

WHAT'S THE DAC / AMP?

[@bassandtrebleclef]

Should've thrown in Meze 99 to see their price/performance reactions in comparison to the porta pros.

[@seolab-k5n]

i think for hifi headphone up to the classic flag ship like Sennheiser HD600/650, Beyer DT880, AKG K701, if you want any improvement in sound quality further you'd expect exponential cost.

[@kye903]

Are there any headphone amps that have "digitally controlled gain"...? (to avoid the channel imbalance that you seem to get with most audio interfaces that DON'T have this feature, as per Julian Krause's videos here on KZbin) Ideally I'd like to take a feed out of my Scarlett 18i8 to a quality headphone amp with digitally controlled gain, should such a thing exist. Anyone...?

[@meaninthemirror]

I think that cheap contenders are wrong choice. Too many boutique models. You could pick some of the Samson, AKG, Beyer Dynamics for that range.

[@chunkylover5367]

Completely missed the opportunity of them reacting to the $6k price tag... Especially those that thought it cost a few hundred.

[@ganymeade5151]

JBL660 NC Headphones are as good as headphones costing over $300. I have tried most of the more expensive brands, some in the $300-$600 range. The sound quality of JBL is fantastic and sounds better than some much more expensive cans. JBL is wonderful for ambient, atmospheric, oldies, classic rock, soft rock, Motown, and classical music. If you love heavy base, they are average. The noise cancelling is great. They are comfortable to wear . The construction is high quality. They work great with JBL and Bose speakers and Bluetooth devices. There are some nice protective carrying cases available. They are great for travel. If you want to save money, buy these. You won't be disappointed.