On the issue or product variance, it actually happens a lot with raw speaker drivers. Much of the time, the drivers don't even remotely match the specs. In my experience, only the "megabuck" speaker drivers costing $200+ have consistent quality that matches the specs (I'm thinking the Seas and ScanSpeak drivers mainly.)

In terms of the peaks of raw speaker drivers, it's not uncommon to see differences in the peaks of 5-8 db or see them vary in frequency a thousand hertz or so.

Frankly, I don't have confidence that AKG really gives a sh1t. This is what pisses me off about these headphone manufacturers. The K812 appears to be yet another one of these "me too" and "let's rip people off" entrants in the so called TOTL arena.

Even though Sennheiser's HD800's is bright to my ears, at least Senn seems to really care about quality (and this approach to quality even goes down to the HD600 and HD800). The HD800's driver response is fairly smooth, with the 5-6k peak (evidently caused by the cup) easily correctable with mods or EQ. One may not like the HD800's sound or looks, but when we examine the HD800, it's a fricking engineering marvel.

The K812? AKG throws in a cheap-ass headphone stand to make us feel better.

At least they didn't pull a beyer and decide to call it a day after creating a strong magnet and forget about basics like dampening.

I don't know, I think AKG made somewhat of an effort though it's certainly an overpriced one. From a technology standpoint it's kind of hard to one-up the ring transducer.

Resources shouldn't be much of an issue for AKG since they operate under Harman Group.

hello,

i am also wondering about the whole TOTL headphone business.

i am rather new to this hobby. i started out with a pair of Shure 210 (not certain of the model number now) and moved on to Etymotic ER-4S's when the Shure's broke based on a review on iPod Lounge.

what i was looking for was portability, isolation and accuracy.

prior to that it was whatever SONY looked good at less than $100US.

i enjoy my AKG K550's but my hearing is far gone enough (especially at the high end) that i may not hear the problems other folks have.

the GYTW was gifted (by me) with the NAD HP-50 and LOVES them. she had perfect pitch as a player and can still hear only what the angels can.

many years ago in a galaxy far, far away, i lusted after STAX as in my (teenaged) mind they could be the best sound i could even aspire to own, discounting a Mac stack and a pair of Klipschorns i really wanted (even imagining how to afford the house i would need to put them in.)

it appears to me that at this point i have stumbled into yet another situation where the makers are pushing prices that have no relationship to performance, just to boast a high MSRP.

Tyll is spot on with his piece on Inner Fidelity that head-fi is a distorted market.

you kids out there (get off my lawn!) are spending tons of money on fashion accessories that appear to be headphones. but the head-fi market seems to be the providence of makers who are pushing prices to make their products as unattainable as those STAX were when i had all those spots.

is there a sweet spot in this hobby? is there an ultimate set of cans (or collection of cans, DACs and amps) that one can aspire to without making a fool of oneself? or is it all subjective?

i find that my household is slowly acquiring a collection of mid level gears that allow us to enjoy the music we love when on-the-go, chilling away from the kids (or the parents) or working in the salt mines to make all that possible.

what is troubling is the seeming need of makers to market a $1kUS+ can so they can say "Hey, we have one too." regardless of its sonic value.

sample variation at this level of cost is unacceptable. when i buy a box of pocket matches at 50ct, i expect them all to light. if they don't, i try another brand.

1499 for a headphone, a good headphone when you genuinely like it.

Unobtainable for consumers with a lower budget, status symbols for those with a high budget.

This strange competition in with prices apart from "we are part of the club too" is also a smart marketing move as consumers are assumed to think "very expensive, it must be good". Present thus position the value proposition in the right way and just wait for the stream of money...

It is not relevant whether the value proposition is better than anything else. What matters is that it gives the consumers the feeling that they are consuming the best they could have possibly purchased. Sometimes I thoroughly detest marketing...