We can take quantitive measurements of freq. resp. distortion figs etc.
Compare those objectively.  Where one model is superior it is noted.
All that is what we refer to as “on paper” model A is better than model b.

Now where the rubber meets the road is the flip-side   In car reviews this happens all the time with head to head match-ups   NOBODY is blindfolded.  They look at the cars. Touch the cars. Feel the cars. DRIVE THE CARS.  Everything is important in that experience. 

Does not the look, feel and overall fitment apply in the world of headphones? 

I can put on a pair of headphones and then put on another set and immediately pick out the differences between the two models.  IF given more time with each model I can then make a decision which model “sounds better” to me.  There is NO NEED for DBX testing for that.  It’s simply pointless.  I own a number of headphones and a couple of them ‘look’ better than the others – however from a performance aspect I can tell both of them lack what the less visually impressive cans do better. 
GASDWD  why must everything come down to DBX TESTING?!:S?

I bike, and I see this kind of stuff on bikes all the time.  They save you 1% on weight, but they make it “artisan” and charge you 50x the price.  Or they don’t even care about the weight and just waive their arms around and say how the yak leather saddle is known to be the height of comfort.  It’s a classic ploy.  Make it look really nice, sound really exotic, and then use only subjective criteria to sell it.  You can’t argue, because it’s all about the “feel.”

It would appear that my satirical mediocrity led me to Poe’s Law myself.

I have a vision of you sitting in a corner with a record and a knitting needle shouting above the scratches that it all sounds the same anyway.

echocolate: what you are looking for is a “USB DAC” (if your headphones are efficient) or a “USB DAC Amp” (if not).  Get one that is 24 bit.  These are widely available for under $100; if you’re not using $2000 headphones, then DACs using the Tenor TE7022 and ESS902x chips can be had for under $50, and sound as good as DACs that cost 10 times as much 5 years ago.

Show me that a hundred listeners have rated them better than a set at one-fifth the price or less (for example my Beyer 880s) in a blind test, and I’ll take this seriously.

I like Nico and the vu… a lot, but more than the music, for me it is also about the art and the scene, along with a really unique personality that I’ve grown attached to.

Also her accent reminds me of my mother and I don’t need to visualize my mom shooting up at the Factory while pregnant with me.

edit: “I heard things in that song I’ve never heard before.” Like what, singing on key?

:)

:D