Headset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

[noobItUp]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

[attachment=0:3utj0u6i]muchwin.jpg[/attachment:3utj0u6i]

 

[Death_Reincarnated]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

Regarding headhpones and headset; I was refering to the differnece between head-phones/sets and earphones, apologies for the mistake and confusion.

Gamers use headsets because it has microphones to talk with their teammates.
Copper is a good conductor, gold is better so theres the reason for the price difference since gold is worth more than copper.

I beg to differ. The ammount of gold used is so small that the price would not jump to those kind of prices. It is the manufacturing side of things (and possibly something like shipping and labour) that inflates the cost i presume.

When you buy a product, you buy the whole package not just one aspect plus there is no need for high impedance devices for portable audio devices since they're powered by batteries.

Thats the problem, there is no sufficent power to drive higher impedance devices. This is a big issue in car stereo systems since you only have what... 13.8V coming out? Headphones generally have higher impedance than earphones thus meaning that more power is needed at generally higher voltages.

Are you an idiot??? oh wait nevermind......... the point was to test the sound from one control source.

If the sound/control source is faulty than sound coming from any speaker that is attached to that faulty sound/control source will sound bad...WTF man? Who would use a faulty control source in the first place???

Once again, not everyone uses their headsets purely on games, its all purpose hence they'll spend more on it because they can.
As for the comfort factor, yeah death cheap headsets lined with synthetic leather is going to be way more comfortable than the premium headsets lined with genuine leather stripped from the finest virgin calf straight out of its mothers behind.

Headphones/set generaly cost more than earphones. Simple and the myshopping webiste result I showed you clearly indicates this. If both an earphone and headphone set were lined with finest virgin leather which one would you reckon would cost more? You see more people with earphones these days than headphones/sets because of the price and size. In all cases the sound quality is just as good so this brings me back to the original point I made...why bother paying $150 when you can pay $20-30 for same sound quality and for general purpose...or have you forgotten what I was pointing out in the first place???

The other thing I was not sure about was wether manufacturing side of things inflated the cost of headphones/sets so much or is it due (maybe even in conjunction) of use of exotic materials/compounds, and afcourse the size of the item.

P=V^2/R to infinity and beyond!

 

[SkankyMoe]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

 

[i0nwr1t3r]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

@ D_R & nelots
Thank you both for what is a genuinely EPIC post!!!

You both seem to have some technical understanding of audio hardware,so I'll try to be as specific as I can to help you out here.
When I am not on ET & Vent, I am playing music via my soundcard which I will be upgrading later this year (won't use my onboard sound,it doesn't measure up to my sound card)which is most of my time!
I use windows media player / vlc with div-X codec installed but I almost never play any song in mp3 format at 128 Kbps (sounds like garbage) ,192 Kbps is my minimum if I can help it & I import all my CD's at 320 Kbps.
The headphones are for great sound & comfort,whereas I have a voice like a braying mule so no mic will ever make me sound good,so it's a secondary & disposable if need be & replaced item (the mic).
Headsets from what I have heard here & googling have an inferior sound quality but have a built in mic with noise reduction & tend to have a inferior build quality.
Why did I choose DJ headphones even if I don't have professional equipment you ask?
When you wear them for spans of 6 hours & longer multiple times a week,things like comfort after prolonged periods & durability become the kinds of issues the DJ's etc have already factored into the equipment they use & buy besides the obvious sound quality.
If I used them for vent only I have $20 headphones for that which are pretty comfortable but they just don't stack up next to what I have just purchased.

I looked on Headphonic Forums before I posted here to get a better understanding of what kind of headphones / headset's I should have considered before posting here where ppl actually use the equipment regularly & tend to have an idea of what products are good & which to avoid,knowing gamers abuse equipment more than average.

What I am looking for is a balanced perspective based on technical knowledge or user experience & I must admit I have not been disappointed so far!!

Thank You Gentlemen.

i0n

 

[G-Train]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

apologies for the mistake and confusion.

Wow.

 

[nelots]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

I beg to differ. The ammount of gold used is so small that the price would not jump to those kind of prices. It is the manufacturing side of things (and possibly something like shipping and labour) that inflates the cost i presume.

The materials used in producing headsets/phones are only one factor in the pricing. For audio devices gold plating is used on the audio jacks and whether its a small or large amount, the point is the materials used is of higher quality thus the premium pricing.
Also you should note that the price of gold is around $20-$30USD per gram.

Thats the problem, there is no sufficent power to drive higher impedance devices. This is a big issue in car stereo systems since you only have what... 13.8V coming out? Headphones generally have higher impedance than earphones thus meaning that more power is needed at generally higher voltages.

Car stereo systems are boosted by amplifiers, same with high-end headphones, they have incorporated mini-amplifiers to boost performance which also depletes any portable systems power very quickly which is why lower impedance devices are more desired and fetch the higher prices.

If the sound/control source is faulty than sound coming from any speaker that is attached to that faulty sound/control source will sound bad...WTF man? Who would use a faulty control source in the first place???

Fact is premium devices have features that improves poor sound sources. Things such as noise canceling, I can't really remember but it either removes high or low frequencies so theres less or no static inference and etc. Those kind of features are not available on the cheap ones which also plays a major factor in the pricing.

Headphones/set generaly cost more than earphones. Simple and the myshopping webiste result I showed you clearly indicates this. If both an earphone and headphone set were lined with finest virgin leather which one would you reckon would cost more? You see more people with earphones these days than headphones/sets because of the price and size. In all cases the sound quality is just as good so this brings me back to the original point I made...why bother paying $150 when you can pay $20-30 for same sound quality and for general purpose...or have you forgotten what I was pointing out in the first place???

We were talking about headsets and headphones not earphones.
Earphones are just earpieces connected by wire whilst headset/phones are mini speakers connected by wire with a head wrap around piece.
I'm sure I won't need to expand on this since its obvious why headsets/headphones are more dearer than earphones already but seriously you have no idea on consumer goods or the economy so lets just leave it at that.

The other thing I was not sure about was wether manufacturing side of things inflated the cost of headphones/sets so much or is it due (maybe even in conjunction) of use of exotic materials/compounds, and afcourse the size of the item.
P=V^2/R to infinity and beyond!

Manufacturing costs are peanuts compared to retail markups. Thats what happens when you have to factor in storage, security and advertising costs along with every other expense required to run a retail store.

 

[Death_Reincarnated]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

The materials used in producing headsets/phones are only one factor in the pricing. For audio devices gold plating is used on the audio jacks and whether its a small or large amount, the point is the materials used is of higher quality thus the premium pricing.
Also you should note that the price of gold is around $20-$30USD per gram.

The ammount of gold used is s**t f**l all in either of the devices. From memory you can use either Chemical Vapour Deposition or Electrolisis that is usually used to plate conducting materials on the surface. It usually turns out to be in the 100s' of microns of thickness but the process itself is costly. PCBs are cheap as to make thesedays and the wiring is simple. Magnet which drives the speaker costs nothing TBH unless you apply rare earth magnets (now those costs a fair bit). I think the price really inflates due to manufacturing/labour, having extras added to the device, materials used within the entire device and the more people the item has to go thorugh the higher the end price will be.

Car stereo systems are boosted by amplifiers, same with high-end headphones, they have incorporated mini-amplifiers to boost performance which also depletes any portable systems power very quickly which is why lower impedance devices are more desired and fetch the higher prices.

See the problem you face with in a car stereo is YOU indeed need an amplifier but thus inturn you need thicker cabling which in turn increases impedance. Just follow P=V^2/R and youll figure out what i'm talking about. If you apply too much current through thin wires then they can melt or crack, to overcome this you either can have thicker cables or better conducting materials.

Fact is premium devices have features that improves poor sound sources. Things such as noise canceling, I can't really remember but it either removes high or low frequencies so theres less or no static inference and etc. Those kind of features are not available on the cheap ones which also plays a major factor in the pricing.

I agree about premium devices improving sound but thesedays you can get cheap audio emitter device which has good enough sound for you to listen to clearly. If you want those extras then afcourse you will need to pay more. Noise canceling removes lower-end frequences via ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) since higher frequencies are more difficult to remove with the electronics used. Noise in the higher frequency region is usually reduced via materials which are made to reduce the ability of sound to penetrate. There are other methods but I'm not sure what they are; I would have to find out.

We were talking about headsets and headphones not earphones.
Earphones are just earpieces connected by wire whilst headset/phones are mini speakers connected by wire with a head wrap around piece.
I'm sure I won't need to expand on this since its obvious why headsets/headphones are more dearer than earphones already but seriously you have no idea on consumer goods or the economy so lets just leave it at that.

Its obvious that headphones/sets will be dearer than earphones but what is interesting that a general heaphone will cost more than earphones, even though both have identical functions and assuming both produce same sound quality from the standard item (i.e. no extras). This is what I wanted to figure out, why such a price difference and to me the obivous difference (and increased price tag for headphones) would have to come from more (expensive) materials used and the manufacturing...but I just find it odd.

Manufacturing costs are peanuts compared to retail markups. Thats what happens when you have to factor in storage, security and advertising costs along with every other expense required to run a retail store.

Hence why a relatively cheap set of earphones can still work just as well as the one which was advertised and stored under security. You can still get good sound quality from a cheaper item than one which was marked up due to all of the factors you have mentioned above. Sound quality in sound emitting devices these days is quite good in cheap units so IMO there is no need to buy an expensive unit when you can get the similar sound quality from a cheap unit. If you want all of those extras and you need them then go for it. IMO having an ANC in your earphone is good as well when your on the train or on the plane because you wont need to increase the volume so much but then again its a matter of opinion and who likes to listen to louder music or quiter with better noise reduction.

As for headphones VS headsets. I would go for a headset which you can remove the microphone if you are not intending on using it, or any headset since it gets rid of the wiring for the microhpone being around (that is if you are talking/listening alot rather than just listening). ANC would be a benefit if you have a noisy household or are on the move. I would not go for ones which have premium materials used, its a waste of money and unless you will be taking them off and slamming it into the desk because you got TK in ET, then one would assume you would take good care of the item. The sound quality is decent in majoroity of the audio emitting units (i.e. headphones, headsets, earphones) these days but there will always be those people who want an uber crystal clear sound so the best way would be 'try before you buy'. What usually puts down the sound quality is the manufacturing side since the basics like magnet, copper, PCB, and diaphragm are of good standard these days. In the end I would get something midprice range so that you are assured fo good quality but are not paying too much for extras which wou would not use. I use Pioneer earphones ($20) and logitech micriphone with stand ($15) and when I came on vent last week someone said they want to make sex with my voice... (who was that lol). What you need to take into account is also the sound quality that people are emitting and in Venti you can set this but it costs you more bandwidth and vice-versa.

 

[SkankyMoe]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

Hmm, Lunch time already

 

[Sunncaeks]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

 

[nelots]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

The ammount of gold used is s**t f**l all in either of the devices. From memory you can use either Chemical Vapour Deposition or Electrolisis that is usually used to plate conducting materials on the surface. It usually turns out to be in the 100s' of microns of thickness but the process itself is costly. PCBs are cheap as to make thesedays and the wiring is simple. Magnet which drives the speaker costs nothing TBH unless you apply rare earth magnets (now those costs a fair bit). I think the price really inflates due to manufacturing/labour, having extras added to the device, materials used within the entire device and the more people the item has to go thorugh the higher the end price will be.

Gold is one aspect, the others are solid silver wiring which costs alot compared to generic copper audio cables. Just fyi, premium devices come standard with at least 1.5m wiring and an additional 50cm extension.
Price of gold per gram is about $20-$30USD, price per gram for silver is about $15-$20USD, u do da maff and thats just the raw material without the electro plating etc.

See the problem you face with in a car stereo is YOU indeed need an amplifier but thus inturn you need thicker cabling which in turn increases impedance. Just follow P=V^2/R and youll figure out what i'm talking about. If you apply too much current through thin wires then they can melt or crack, to overcome this you either can have thicker cables or better conducting materials.

That is why premium devices use solid silver wiring, lower impedance with the same result as copper wires that is 3-5times thicker.

I agree about premium devices improving sound but thesedays you can get cheap audio emitter device which has good enough sound for you to listen to clearly. If you want those extras then afcourse you will need to pay more. Noise canceling removes lower-end frequences via ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) since higher frequencies are more difficult to remove with the electronics used. Noise in the higher frequency region is usually reduced via materials which are made to reduce the ability of sound to penetrate. There are other methods but I'm not sure what they are; I would have to find out.

You can wipe a baby's arse with normal tissues or use wet baby wipes. They both do the same job but the wet baby wipes are better.

Its obvious that headphones/sets will be dearer than earphones but what is interesting that a general heaphone will cost more than earphones, even though both have identical functions and assuming both produce same sound quality from the standard item (i.e. no extras). This is what I wanted to figure out, why such a price difference and to me the obivous difference (and increased price tag for headphones) would have to come from more (expensive) materials used and the manufacturing...but I just find it odd.

Man you really are stupid, you're like asking why is a compact car more expensive than a 4WD. Earphones are just earpieces with wires, headsets have additional parts such as the ear coupling, wrap around head piece, cushions and lining. All those components need to be designed and are additional design/material costs.

Hence why a relatively cheap set of earphones can still work just as well as the one which was advertised and stored under security.

Wow you really have no idea how consumer products flow through from manufacturer to retail stores nor the various expenses required.

You can still get good sound quality from a cheaper item than one which was marked up due to all of the factors you have mentioned above. Sound quality in sound emitting devices these days is quite good in cheap units so IMO there is no need to buy an expensive unit when you can get the similar sound quality from a cheap unit. If you want all of those extras and you need them then go for it. IMO having an ANC in your earphone is good as well when your on the train or on the plane because you wont need to increase the volume so much but then again its a matter of opinion and who likes to listen to louder music or quiter with better noise reduction.

Are you.... nevermind, sound quality is just one aspect, when buying an item you pay for the entire package. Its not a car where you can choose optional extras and install add-on features.

 

[Death_Reincarnated]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

Gold is one aspect, the others are solid silver wiring which costs alot compared to generic copper audio cables. Just fyi, premium devices come standard with at least 1.5m wiring and an additional 50cm extension.
Price of gold per gram is about $20-$30USD, price per gram for silver is about $15-$20USD, u do da maff and thats just the raw material without the electro plating etc.

Do you even know how much is plated anyways??? LOL the ammount of gold /silver or what ever plated per metre length is bobbla all. You only need to coat a thin layer to make the device reasonably more conductive. Lets say a 1m cord with a 100microninch (0.00254cm) gold plating on a 0.5mm thick wire with gold trading at ~$39AUS; this equates to 0.08g of gold used, therefore the cost would be about ~$3. You dont need a thick coating but because of properties of gold (for example) it is hard to plate it and therefore the manufacturing is where it escalates the cost.

That is why premium devices use solid silver wiring, lower impedance with the same result as copper wires that is 3-5times thicker.

Devices which do not need a large current to be used; otherwise you would need thicker silver wires which would mean more $$$.

Man you really are stupid, you're like asking why is a compact car more expensive than a 4WD. Earphones are just earpieces with wires, headsets have additional parts such as the ear coupling, wrap around head piece, cushions and lining. All those components need to be designed and are additional design/material costs.

I was curious because the cost of the material is realtively low but I was wondering if the price is higher due to other factors such as manufacturing, thats all. And there you go instead of anwsering a legit question you call me stupid... /FF

Wow you really have no idea how consumer products flow through from manufacturer to retail stores nor the various expenses required.

No not really, hence why I asked....hard to believe? Or would you prefer if i span some crap so you could have a go since your you know it all cos your an (ex) businessman. The way I understand it is that the more hands the item has to go through the more expensive it will be but in all cases the quality of the items can be similar yet how it gets to shelf could determine the price...just shows that its not alwyas necessary to buy a higher priced item for similar quality.

Are you.... nevermind, sound quality is just one aspect, when buying an item you pay for the entire package. Its not a car where you can choose optional extras and install add-on features.

So you cant choose 7 airbags instead of 5, cant chose a sunroof, or metail paint, cant chose wether you want leather seats or not?????????...In retrospect you can chose if you want to buy an item with gold/silver in the wires, you can chose wether you want virgin leather around your ears or some old hag of a muff, you can chose wether you want your speakers to have some general magnet or a neodymium based magnet,....YES you can chose what you want and it can improve the sound quality but the way the audio devices are made nowadays, it gives you decent quality sound with general materials used. Because the manufacturing has been "perfected" it reduces the price considerably. Remember when flat panel TVs first came out? $15000 for one of those or more and now look at the prices. Similar technology and materials applied yet the price is lower. Technology moves forward and manufacturing techniques will improve so you do have choices. Sound quality in audio devices, like image quality on flat panel dispaly TVs, is good enough for general purpouse but if you want better then you need to pay extra and this means having the choice to do so..which you do.

 

[nelots]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

Death were you born stupid or did this develop through life?
Why are you so keen on arguing that two devices made of different materials are of the same quality? why do you insist that devices with 10 features shouldn't cost more than devices with less than 5 features? do you really think the material costs of headsets/phones are lower than earphones even though they require 30% materials to produce?
Fact is premium devices are designed and produced with the best in mind. Variations of this will be produced with lower quality materials will affect the quality of the end product.
Pricing isn't just determined by material costs, value added features along with post sale support are the major factors after design costs.
As for your comments on Tv's, isn't it obvious that new technologies will fetch high costs because well it's new so the production costs will flow through.
Also demand and supply plays another factor since new technology produces alot of hype driving prices up due to limited supply.
Once mass production is established costs will decrease dramatically and will flow through generally within 6-12months.

 

[i0nwr1t3r]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

For those who were talking about impedance of microphones,I have a link here that may be of interest,but it's a bit technical so if someone doesn't mind translating into layman's terms anything relevant,I'd be grateful.

http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/us_pro_ea_connectingmics

Cheers

 

[Death_Reincarnated]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

Death were you born stupid or did this develop through life?
Why are you so keen on arguing that two devices made of different materials are of the same quality? why do you insist that devices with 10 features shouldn't cost more than devices with less than 5 features?

You have totally missed the point here. What I was saying is that the technology in sound emitting devices thesedays produces decent sound in even the cheapest units but it longevity can be somewhat short. When I flew with VirginBlue 2yrs ago they were giving out free earphones for use with their intergrated TVs i brought it back and actually used it. The sound was good in them but the quality of it was bad since when I have tugged on the cables few many times they snapped off. Both earphones and headphones/sets are build in similar manner but what is intereting to see is that headphones/sets tend to be more expensive; I wanted to try and pinpoint the reason and it is most likely a combination of materials used (and how much) as well as being able to support extra functions, but now we also see thsoe extra functions being implemented into earphones YET the price could/would well be lower.

do you really think the material costs of headsets/phones are lower than earphones even though they require 30% materials to produce?

WTF no I dont think that, I was arguing the opposite. You got it confuzzled. Ammount of material used in headphones/sets is more than in earphones but one thing I know is whn the item you buy is more compact (and this is where technology has being progressing in the last decade) you tend to pay more than for a bulky item.

Fact is premium devices are designed and produced with the best in mind. Variations of this will be produced with lower quality materials will affect the quality of the end product.
Pricing isn't just determined by material costs, value added features along with post sale support are the major factors after design costs.

Afcourse that premium devices will have that edge over quality but the general quality of sound for general use can be achieved these days even in the dogiest of items. This is a fact since the technology has progressed far enough to achieve this...and I've heard it first hand over and over again. I can tell the difference but for general purpose use (eg. listening to music at home) you listen to good sound without needing to buy a high priced item. If the features are new then the price will get inflated alot more but item handling and post sale support is where the price is infalted unfairly imo and the buyer tends to get ripped of even though the sound quality between those kind of items and those which you would nto factor in those costs would be of similar value...not all items but general sale items.

As for your comments on Tv's, isn't it obvious that new technologies will fetch high costs because well it's new so the production costs will flow through.
Also demand and supply plays another factor since new technology produces alot of hype driving prices up due to limited supply.
Once mass production is established costs will decrease dramatically and will flow through generally within 6-12months.

And this happens with any new technological breakthrough. Take the 5.1surround sound in your headphones for example; this to me is quite a new feature but watch how the price drops down after the technology is improved. In the end if you dont want/need to use those features then you would inevitable getting ripped off even though say 2.0 stereo sound coming from that kind of headphone would be as good as something mid-lowrange earphone. The consumer really has to know what he wants and alot of the times people buy things with those extra features (because its there) but dont use them. So going back to sound quality between high price items and low....technology is able to deliver good sound in both cases but extra features and better materials in premium devices is what gives it the edge...iv you really desire it or need it...but in my case I dont.

@ion Interms of impedance you do not want the resistance of the microphone to be greater than the resistance of the sound card, otherwise the sound card will not obtain any electrical signal (i.e no sound will arrive into the sound card).
Think of it this way: You are in a room and want to go to the next room through a door. The more people stand in your way in the first room the harder it will be for you to go through the door into the next room. So to put this in perspective; you are the sound packet (i.e. electrical signal), the people are the resistance (i.e. electrical impedance) in the first room (which is the mircrophone) and the second room is the sound card.
The acoustic energy you provide by talking needs to be amplified and converted into an electrical signal than can be transmitted through the wires and into the sound card. The site basically talk about trying to conenct a professional microhpone with an XLR type connector to a typical sound card found in your computer and how to go about it. Let me know what else you need to understand from this. I understand the electrical science behind this but I really have not studied this before. The science in this might be confusing for some but I hope you can understand some of this to get a better understading impedance (http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Jan03/a ... rkshop.asp)

 

[SkankyMoe]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

Hmm, Lunch time again already, there is plenty for me to feast upon.

 

[nelots]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

Yes Death, sound quality isn't compromised when different materials are used let alone the difference in cone design and etc.
Can you answer me this Death, How does Bang & Olufsen audio systems produce a superior sound compared to Phillips range even though Bang & Olufsen uses phillips hardware???
Since you have a science background I'm not going to attempt to challenge the conundrum of why compact devices costs more than bulky items. I mean bulky items can be made by human labour instead of being produced by millions of dollars worth of robotics. Hell, bulky devices are HUGE so they won't have to deal with volatility problems in compact devices.
Also as a consumer you sound very knowledgeable, I mean new products are an instant rip off because they have value added features!!! THAT'S BLASPHEMY!!!
Oh wait you seem to have forgotten that manufacturers will produce various models to cater for each general sector.
Obviously I've been way over my head with this topic so I'll concede because you are the economics, manufacturing and pricing guru of this community.
Please continue spreading your views so everyone can benefit from your brilliance.

 

[Death_Reincarnated]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

Yes Death, sound quality isn't compromised when different materials are used let alone the difference in cone design and etc.
Can you answer me this Death, How does Bang & Olufsen audio systems produce a superior sound compared to Phillips range even though Bang & Olufsen uses phillips hardware???

Bang & Olufsen is a Danish company which has been working on producing audio devices for years. They cater for specific people with cutting edge technological advances in audio designs and features. How do I know of them...not googling but a friend of mine bought some audio stuff from them ages ago. The hardware may come from Phillips but its how you make the hardware work, what kind of labour goes into the hardware and obviously where its produced. All of these factors are added into the price of the item and you can be assured that quality might as well be great since that particular company has been in the market for a long time and they would be reliable but sound quality would be just as good as any other company in similar position using similar technology. I never implied that sound quality from an average audio device with average hardware would be of same quality as ones from high end, what I implied was that the technological advances in audio speakers deliver decent sound even from a cheap unit. Sure you may hear differences between both of them but if you are looking for earphones/headphones for casual use then there is no need of buying something that costs $100+.

Since you have a science background I'm not going to attempt to challenge the conundrum of why compact devices costs more than bulky items. I mean bulky items can be made by human labour instead of being produced by millions of dollars worth of robotics. Hell, bulky devices are HUGE so they won't have to deal with volatility problems in compact devices.

Headphones=bulky, earphones =compact...yet headphones cost more....you do da mafffffffff.
Here is one of the early radios:

And here is a radio thesedays:

Also as a consumer you sound very knowledgeable, I mean new products are an instant rip off because they have value added features!!! THAT'S BLASPHEMY!!!
Oh wait you seem to have forgotten that manufacturers will produce various models to cater for each general sector.

More compact, more features and more of everything yet if you compare the price when both of these items came out then both would have cost alot since it was new technology at some stage. Same thing goes for earphones/headphones/headsets. What is important however to note is the sound quality, in that its of good quality for general purpose. You superior audio then go for it BUT the fact stands that audio quality theseday is good even in the lower quality sound systems.

Obviously I've been way over my head with this topic so I'll concede because you are the economics, manufacturing and pricing guru of this community.
Please continue spreading your views so everyone can benefit from your brilliance.

LOL you cannot argue anymore so you use reverse psychology to conclude your argument in that you concede. Your looking at this whole thing from a business perspective but what you fail to understand is the quality of technology in the average device these days. Any new feature that is produced in a ndevice will always increase the price but the item will still function in the same way as an older item..unless you want those extra features.

Here is something to finish up my post:
Car amplifiers made by Orion are made by hand and come from America (from memory). They are not renowned but their quality is of the highest possible. Although the quality is high, other companies can produce similar quality amps yet their price is lower than of those Orion amps. Just because the item is of high quality it does not necesseraly imply that items of lower price will not function just as well. A consumer has to search around and work out what they want but its is not alwyas necesseary to buy a more costly item just because it uses better materials or it has quality assurance. Audio devices have come far in this regard so you can count on that you will get decent sound coming from the most basic items but wether it will last or it will work with more complex and higher end devices is another matter. I'm not saying everyone should buy cheap items but technology has reached a level where items are cheap yet produce good sound quality.

Nelots you do make valid points and I understand them but i feel that it is you who is being narrowminded and cannot accept somone else opinion because it is different to yours. My friend and I used to make amps, put speakers together, hook up radios etc etc etc back in high school days. His room was filled with ~20Lead-Acid batteris and powered his stereo, speakers, subs, lighting...it was like a friggin disco room...we learned alot about audio electronics and I have learned alot from him and so has he...so I have been exposed to audio electronics quite abit over that time..you may not believe me and what i'm saying is valid...but you think about it because it feels that i'm discussing this topic with someone who has little knowledge of audio electronics..and if this is the case then your points/arguments are skewed and somewhat invalid. I dont know as much as you in the business department, economy and consumer but at least im trying to learn more about it and keep an open mind.

 

[nelots]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

I never implied that sound quality from an average audio device with average hardware would be of same quality as ones from high end

Now, what was I thinking to have thought that.......

Any kind of ear/head phone speaker can reproduce that sound clearly and its not necessary to buy items that cost $100+ to listen to sound when you can do it with the same quality as a $20-30 headphone

Headphones=bulky, earphones =compact...yet headphones cost more....you do da mafffffffff.

Isn't it obvious that headphones require more design work compared to earphones thus the price difference?
Your attempts with the radios are wrong as well. The equivalence should be between a normal radio vs a portable radio not your retro vs modern radios.

BUT the fact stands that audio quality theseday is good even in the lower quality sound systems.

I disagree simply because those systems use cut down generic hardware. They don't focus on producing a device with sound quality in mind, instead they just produce a device that just makes noise.

Any new feature that is produced in a ndevice will always increase the price but the item will still function in the same way as an older item..unless you want those extra features.

Really??? I've always thought new features were meant to improve an existing device, you know like how mechanics will tune engines to make them perform better. I guess your scientific background is way over my league. You win again death.........

Here is something to finish up my post:
Car amplifiers made by Orion are made by hand and come from America (from memory). They are not renowned but their quality is of the highest possible. Although the quality is high, other companies can produce similar quality amps yet their price is lower than of those Orion amps. Just because the item is of high quality it does not necesseraly imply that items of lower price will not function just as well. A consumer has to search around and work out what they want but its is not alwyas necesseary to buy a more costly item just because it uses better materials or it has quality assurance. Audio devices have come far in this regard so you can count on that you will get decent sound coming from the most basic items but wether it will last or it will work with more complex and higher end devices is another matter. I'm not saying everyone should buy cheap items but technology has reached a level where items are cheap yet produce good sound quality.

Did I say buy the most expensive device on the market??? I may have mentioned the saying "You get what you pay for" but that wasn't the point. I've always said premium devices as in made and designed for enthusists not overpriced imotations.

Nelots you do make valid points and I understand them but i feel that it is you who is being narrowminded and cannot accept somone else opinion because it is different to yours.

Maybe or it might just be that you're wrong? or can't comprehend that someone is actually trying to answer the questions you made about why there is a price difference between two products? Then again maybe my egotistic nature is flarring up again........ I guess its back to Dr Noob for some more advanced treatment.

My friend and I used to make amps, put speakers together, hook up radios etc etc etc back in high school days. ...so I have been exposed to audio electronics quite abit over that time..you may not believe me and what i'm saying is valid...but you think about it because it feels that i'm discussing this topic with someone who has little knowledge of audio electronics..and if this is the case then your points/arguments are skewed and somewhat invalid. I dont know as much as you in the business department, economy and consumer but at least im trying to learn more about it and keep an open mind.

Oh no, my points are skewed because obviously your backyard DIY sessions in a mates house bears way more weight than someone who has spent years working with manufacturers of which one happens to be in the audio industry producing, yes, you've guessed it, headphones/sets and earphones. I'm sorry to rain on you like that, I didn't know you're that experienced compared to my narrowminded self

His room was filled with ~20Lead-Acid batteris and powered his stereo, speakers, subs, lighting...it was like a friggin disco room...we learned alot about audio electronics and I have learned alot from him and so has he

My apologises on my comments earlier, you obviously weren't born stupid.

 

[Frogma]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

This reminds me of those fights that you see on movies right before they kiss.

 

[nelots]

Re: Heaset vs headphones & stand alone mic?

This reminds me of those fights that you see on movies right before they kiss.

You watch movies where guys fight before they kiss???