maybe if you include the china market but i dont think those people would be making posts on reddit

with eq maybe without id give it a pass.

Don't get any planars if you don't have a sufficiently powerful amp/dac+amp combo, i tried and failed using qudelix 5k with hifiman 400i or whatever the heck they are called. I just got an fiio k7 so that unlocked some possibilities, however I'm in the same boat as you, I really want to get planars but i can't trust hifiman at this point and i don't know what to get other than Monoprice 1060...

Eh. I just want to try planar. Is it worth it for me to drop money on a mid-range hifiman? Or would an entry level one work? Or maybe secondhand LCD-2c?

From what I understand they fixed the HE-4XX's design flaws after 2018... ...but you might want to add zip ties anyway.

I'm waiting for when my HE-4XX start to fall apart. I got them November 2021, but they are still going good. I bought a new cable shortly after getting them because of how bad it was and recently replaced the pads because the old ones flattened agar a year of use. I love how they sound so much.

>r70x

as an audio technica expert, these are way to much money for what they are

I know the cable is pure dog shit, but I am not sure why every shit on the build quality?

I didn't have issues with the cable, but it is the cheapest I've ever felt and very short, so I bought some long and braided fancy ones.

Probably has something to do with overall sales numbers due to barriers of entry.

*cries in truth*

I miss my Arya Stealth. Much nicer than the V2 IMO.

Agreed and I haven't personally seen anyone yet saying their Arya Stealth broke, I love mine and build is solid enough for me to not worry.

Yeah I’ve been leaning towards the same thought. I told them I would like to them personally inspect the headband drivers of the next pair before shipping so they will not have to do this again. They said they would comply with those test for me. So if my next pair arrives with no issues I’ll be please with the customer service.

I think most issues are with the lower tier headphones. Arya Stealth Magnet, HE1000 V2/ SE and Susvara I have barely heard QC issues at all (me being an Arya owner for a while now).

Seriously. I loved my HE-4XX (before it completely fell apart on me) but the first thing I had to do was buy a new cable because the factory one was cutting out, then the ear cups broke off. On the bright side I haven't had any such problems with my Sundara, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Fostex? I love the Dekoni Blue

Bought HE400SEs a year ago which are used daily and they're fine so far (knock on wood).

I bought the HE1000se, and they’re my favorite pair so far. Yes, the cables are shit and yes I bought a custom cable for them, but other than that they’re great. Haven’t had any QC issues so far.

Got me some HE-X4(well, my brother got them and i traded him my 99 noirs for them, NEVER BUYING MASSDROP AGAIN) and the cable is the softest thing i ever felt, like the cables that go into the headphone are straight up hollow, and this seems to be the upper end of hifiman cables.... How long will they last?

Yeah they’re definitely worth the money, they sound fab

When the headband eventually wears out, they force you to pay $75 to replace the entire assembly instead of just the band. I tried to replace just the band and very quickly realized it was seemingly intentionally designed to never allow someone to work on them. I loved the sound, but I'll never buy another Hifiman again.

oh yeah I was wondered that too.

Using Amazon's ranked number of a Hifiman Sundara within the category of electronics, Scopes estimates 3090 of them are sold per month.

Given that Hifiman have multiple lines of cheap headphones and that they operate around the world. I think millions could very well be the case.

As far as B-stock goes, I wonder how much of these issues are due to human error. I think a lot of stuff slides through the QA process at a lot of companies and I've seen it first hand like for example where some kid will get bored or lazy after churning out repairs all day or functionality testing and its nearing time to go home or the weekend and obvious issues will be signed off on, considered 'good enough' or ignored.

It does feel like a lotto sometimes, no matter what company you decide to buy from. Personally I've never had good luck with b-stock items from any company but that's just probably my luck. I can't tell somebody how many times I've ordered b-stock items and it was super obvious that if somebody did a proper functionality test or used the item it shouldn't have been resold or passed an inspection.

Hopefully your next headphone is a good one!

Monolith Monoprice m1060? I seriously consider them an option but it's not yet set in stone