[Guy 13]

HI,
Laurindo passed away in 1995:
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurindo_Almeida

but Amazon is plenty of his CDs:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/188-7248166-3566603?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=laurindo+de+almeida

And his LA Four group:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=LA+four

Hi FULLRANGEMAN and all Audio Circle members.

Thanks for the links/information on Laurindo Almeida.

I also have one of his CD.

Guy 13

[stevenkelby]

Thanks George, hope it sells well for you but I'll stick with stereo

FRM and Guy, I love Laurindo too

[Bemopti123]

Is it me or is the headphone design simply gaudy.  While design can help, it will not ameliorate questionable sound.  I don't know, everyone, even my dog might be interested in jumping into the headphone bandwagon.  I still remember the days when Martin Logan stood for audiophile planar loudspeakers and nothing else.  Since they began to advertise in AA, I simply saw a plethora of mass produced items that are but an insult to where the company began.  I guess it is a sign of the times and the need to squeeze a $ from every and each corner of a diminishing audio market.   

[Guy 13]

Is it me or is the headphone design simply gaudy.  While design can help, it will not ameliorate questionable sound.  I don't know, everyone, even my dog might be interested in jumping into the headphone bandwagon.  I still remember the days when Martin Logan stood for audiophile planar loudspeakers and nothing else.  Since they began to advertise in AA, I simply saw a plethora of mass produced items that are but an insult to where the company began.  I guess it is a sign of the times and the need to squeeze a $ from every and each corner of a diminishing audio market.   

Hi Bemopti123 and all Audio Circle members.

I agree 200% with the content of your post.

Guy 13

[FullRangeMan]

Is it me or is the headphone design simply gaudy.  While design can help, it will not ameliorate questionable sound.  I don't know, everyone, even my dog might be interested in jumping into the headphone bandwagon.  I still remember the days when Martin Logan stood for audiophile planar loudspeakers and nothing else.  Since they began to advertise in AA, I simply saw a plethora of mass produced items that are but an insult to where the company began.  I guess it is a sign of the times and the need to squeeze a $ from every and each corner of a diminishing audio market.   

May this be a new Carver Co. titanic ??

[eclein]

They look really funky to me. Won't even consider them for that reason myself. 

[Bemopti123]

$300 is a lot of money for a non proven design.  If you notice, there are plenty of $300 headphones from Focal, Martin Logan now, PSB etc...they all have almost the same features, active noise reduction circuitry, gaudy designs truly worthy to decorate some truly horrible 1980s B horror flick and are pushed everywhere by advertisement $$$$....and to make them all more questionable, most of the reviews that they provide are either mostly positive by some respected publications.....BUT if you read really, quite carefully, most of reviewers of any worth will put a couple of choice words as caveats to all the hyperbole they have written about before.  One must consider that these writers also need to make a paycheck via their magazines and their magazines via advertisement dollars.

Until true users and headfiers are willing to spend/'waste' $300, there will not be a balanced review of such designs.

I have spent hundreds of $$$$ in headphones but ALL of them were on traditional headphone manufacturers, Etymotic, Sennheiser, AKG and the last two headphones in my collection, Beyerdynamic. 

That leather and gaudy design that ML chose belong in a bad, seedy, third rate str-p bar or something...and not in any serious audiophile's head.  hahahahah

[dB Cooper]

Bemopti, I would like to shake your (virtual) hand. I agree with you 300%. (Had to outbid guy13  ) Well put.

We are in what should be a new "golden age" of headphones. Thanks in part to the rise of portable audio, there are more headphone choices than ever, and some, like the Senn HD800, Audeze LCD, Beyer T1, and Hifiman planars, are setting new performance benchmarks. And there are others that give excellent performance at more cost-conscious price points. But unfortunately, these have to compete for the customer's attention with "look at me" kitsch-fashion-statement type crapola like this, this, this, and ugh...THESE. Compared to these, the M-L's are a shining example of good taste. (And don't get me started on that Dr. Dre caca.)

I obviously haven't heard all the "fashionista" headphones, but I work in a place that sells quite a few of them and the ones I have heard all have one thing in common: THEY SUCK. Unless you like car-stereo type bloated boomy bass (the usual reason they suck.)

 The problem with the above (and others of their ilk) is that they sound just as ugly as they look. While appearance takes a back seat to SQ for me, I would tend to avoid something that is fugly for no reason. And some of my favored brands seem to be following this marketing direction, even Sennheiser and Beyer, so I guess I better shop soon for the second set I have been thinking about, before the mfr's all decide that anyone who has outgrown acne is not worth marketing to...

[eclein]

I see so many new/old names in headphones now its amazing. The thing that bugs me and I'm thankful I know better is some of the new ones that come out from a known name that maybe hasn't done headphones at all before and get touted as the "ONE" or its so revolutionary.....I've heard some of the ugly new ones and they sound like cars with huge subwoofers and look worse. I have been lucky to find so many good and exceptionally good cans and IEM's that do it for me without wasting my money. I buy used from head-fi or find a lower tier Bang For The Buck can and they are fine.
 I've got some expensive ones but only after hearing thoughts from people I read all the time and get a feel for.
There are some seriously ugly headphones out there for sure......but choice is a good thing especially in headphones.

[dB Cooper]

I see so many new/old names in headphones now its amazing.

Harman-Kardon is another that is an old name in audio but new to headphones. I've heard their full size on-ear CL headphones and the sound was pretty good; I can't wear ear pad cans for long though. They look kinda like oven mitts however.

[SteveFord]

http://headphones.harmankardon.com/index.htm

I like Harman Kardon products but I don't know about those...

[Guy 13]

Hi all Audio Circle members.

This is what happened to cheap headphones with cheap leatherette
after only one year of usage.

It's like they say:

You get what you paid for.
By the way, I only paid 15 USD for those Aoniks brand
made on planet China.

Guy13

[dB Cooper]

Yeah, I'll avoid Aoniks...

[Guy 13]

Yeah, I'll avoid Aoniks...

Hi db Cooper and all Audio Circle members.

Those Aoniks where used for Skype on my computer.

Today, I just bought for 7 USD a pair of Microlab K250
with foam ear pads, not cheap leatherette,
hopefully the foam will not dry-up within a few months.

I still have my Sennheiser HD-570,
but can use them with Skype on my computer,
because it does not have a microphone.

Guy 13

[TheChairGuy]

I think those M-L's are nice looking.....but, the premium materials, Apple-approved microphone, sealed housing don't add up to USD$300 retail.

You can buy $50 Panasonic 'phones with 35mm drivers that'll do much the same thing...without the premium materials, of course.  35mm is going to sound small because they are small.  I'd take my chances with 6 Panny 'phones that they'd end up lasting longer than 1 overpriced Martin Logan.

So many jumping into the headphone business now that it's big business....I think I read its now a $6billion a year category.  But so many have ill-conceived offerings because of it.  Big brands seem to be trying to cash in on their cache as speaker manufacturers without offering substantive value for their offerings.

[Guy 13]

I think those M-L's are nice looking.....but, the premium materials, Apple-approved microphone, sealed housing don't add up to USD$300 retail.

You can buy $50 Panasonic 'phones with 35mm drivers that'll do much the same thing...without the premium materials, of course.  35mm is going to sound small because they are small.  I'd take my chances with 6 Panny 'phones that they'd end up lasting longer than 1 overpriced Martin Logan.

So many jumping into the headphone business now that it's big business....I think I read its now a $6billion a year category.  But so many have ill-conceived offerings because of it.  Big brands seem to be trying to cash in on their cache as speaker manufacturers without offering substantive value for their offerings.

Hi Chair Guy and all Audio Circle members.

All those well established audio manufacturers,
why do they have to get into all the new trends
that pop up daily?
Headphones is now the new trend,
lets get into it and let's make more money,
increase sales,
meet our quotas,
increase dividends to share holders, etc...
It's all about the F*** money all the time.
Excuse me if I get carried away, but I am so fed-up
with all those people only thinking about money.
O.K. enough now !

Guy 13





 

[eclein]

Guy 13 I'm with you on that but I understand why, its about staying open I think more and more as margins shrink and people use the web to search out the best deal. So many places have free shipping and searching for deals is as easy as a free software app its become totally about price for some and name for others in a lot of cases. Customer service has completely changed as far as I can tell and that to me was the concrete of business and why many store fronts have gone away.

I'm lucky and grateful for sites like ours here where the real word on equipment always gets fleshed out and saves folks like me the heartache of wasting funds that for everyone have become so hard to come by. I hear ya!!!

[Mikeinsacramento]

Hi Chair Guy and all Audio Circle members.

All those well established audio manufacturers,
why do they have to get into all the new trends
that pop up daily?
Headphones is now the new trend,
lets get into it and let's make more money,
increase sales,
meet our quotas,
increase dividends to share holders, etc...
It's all about the F*** money all the time.
Excuse me if I get carried away, but I am so fed-up
with all those people only thinking about money.
O.K. enough now !

Guy 13

Yeah, that capitalism BS is for the birds.

[Guy 13]

Guy 13 I'm with you on that but I understand why, its about staying open I think more and more as margins shrink and people use the web to search out the best deal. So many places have free shipping and searching for deals is as easy as a free software app its become totally about price for some and name for others in a lot of cases. Customer service has completely changed as far as I can tell and that to me was the concrete of business and why many store fronts have gone away.

I'm lucky and grateful for sites like ours here where the real word on equipment always gets fleshed out and saves folks like me the heartache of wasting funds that for everyone have become so hard to come by. I hear ya!!!

Hi eclein and all Audio Circle members.

I understand that businesses have to make money and survive,
I also understand that consumers want to pay as little as possible.

What will the future bring for the consumer, will all the brick and mortar stores disapear ?

Buying via the Internet is convenient, but some people like me will always need to talk to a real person from time to time and for some products.

Warehouse like Amazon have very little overhead, stores have rent and much lower volume of sales, not easy for them.

Six months ago, when I was in Montreal, Canada I went to Walmart,
I was surprised to see everything that had on their shelves:

Water house, dishes, curtain, food, wireless phones and much, much more, but like many of those super store, service and technical advise sucks...

But, you go there because you know what you want and you are not looking for advice, you are looking for low, low prices and that's exactly what you get.

Guy 13
 

[FullRangeMan]

In my country salesman does not have a good reputation, the advise a salesman had to offer are biased and rarely find someone who will value it.

These audio shopkeepers and his astronomical prices equivalent to the price of an apartment/house, yet are shielded and protected by a local magazine, which already decadent and embarrassed in their own words.

These audio/video dealers only want gullible customers and with a pocket full of money.
They are harsh and rough with demanding customers that have product knowledge, so its shops are often empty.