I would say that it’s your equipment and your hearing. Most people when they start off can’t tell the difference between a high quality mp3 and a lossless file. Then they upgrade their equipment and sometimes still might not be able to tell the difference. After listening for a period of time and really start noticing different parts of music they they have never noticed before, start to hear what is good quality, and really more develop their hearing they can come back and hear the difference. Hearing is a skill and something that you can develop. Better headphones allow you to better that skill and get more out of your music experience imo
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Alright, thanks for clarifying, I’ve honestly been really eager to get started and everything, but funds for me are pretty scarce, and considering my insatiable appetite for new tech, and college applications looming ever closer, it seems like I will be waiting for awhile to get the headphones, amp, and dac.
You can still learn and develop active listening techniques in the meantime though if you want to 
You would be surprised what it can do even with less then ideal audio equipment. Also perhaps get a pair of koss ksc75s. Will do you more then just fine for the time being
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They look… really simplistic? How would these go up against Krakens if they’re not in the same price range? Not to be rude, but that’s my assumption bias going off again.
I shall let others in the community inform you
I am part of that club personally I have some very sharp headphones and cant really tell 320 kbs mp3’s and FLAC unless I really focus on certain things such as the clash of a cymbals or the highs on a violin and my hearing is pretty good for my age. but when your splitting hairs like that it’s not worth the trouble.
so simply krakens are among some of the worst tuned headsets Ive had the trouble of stumbling upon personally. the bass is heavy leaks into the mids the high mids are recessed and a lot of the highs are boosted making a very v shaped sound signature decent if implemented right ( which they are not) and a terrible sound signature for gaming.
now compared to the ksc 75’s. the ksc 75’s are what most people consider more neutral . with a emphasis on the midbass and a little bit on the treble. the mids are neutral. for the price they are great and personally wouyld take anyday over the krakens. if you are curious about an open back experience these are a great starting point. I’m not going to tell you they are more detailed than the krakens but to me certainly a more enjoyable experience for both gaming and music. if you do like a little bit more oomph on the low end check out the kph 30i.
some mistakes lots of new people make are"more bass=better sound" I find many techtubers like unbox therapy put too much emphasis on bassbass means nothing when you cant hear other more important frequencies. another one is judging a headphone based on first impresions, while I personally don’t believe in burn in I do believe in getting used to a sound. I find it takes a bit of time to really analyse how a headphone sounds and understand all the nuances and caveats maybe take a couple of days to really get used to. now for the price of a meal and a drink plus morning coffee the KSC 75’s are an awesome pick I implore you to check out some reviews.
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There you go lol. Something to look into
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Now that I think of it, I feel more comfortable with on or over ears rather than in ears. Considering the convenience of wireless for a more portable setup, are there any on/over ear wireless headphones around the Airpod’s price point? I was looking at Solo3 wireless… but I figured there ought to be something else out there that might also work well.
There is the Bluetooth Audio Technica m50x, the Bang & Olufsen h4 or h9i works too. You could find these refurbished or used, or possibly catch a sale
V moda Crossfade wireless works too. There are other options as well that I can add when I have time
Weren’t the ath-M50x lambasted for being pretty bad headphones? What’s different between the wireless and the wired ones?
They aren’t my favorite, but they aren’t that bad of you compare it to other wireless for the price range. If you wanted to, you could grab a m40x and a Bluetooth module, so that works. Also the difference is one is wired and the other is wireless, pretty similar though
I see, well I would greatly appreciate if you would let me know if there are any other options aside the ones you’ve already listed. I did manage to try both the M50x wireless, and the Solo 3 wireless, and to be honest, considering what I listen to, they wouldn’t necessarily be a bad buy for me. Same goes for the M50x, just with a bit less of that low end that the beats offer, along with the outstanding integrated connectivity from using alot of Apple products on the go.
There are higher end options, but tbh if you like how simple the solo3’s are for usability, and if you like the sound, you could just go with those. They really aren’t as bad as they used to be. I don’t think the beats hate is as deserved as it used to be, so I would say if you liked them then just go with them tbh.
sound is subjective. if you enjoy it, that’s all that matters. if you enjoy what would appear to be the lesser headphone after listening to what is thought to be better…again, that’s all that matters. good audio isn’t about snobbery. it’s about enjoyment! 
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Yup, pretty much it. I know a fair bit of people who prefer a cheaper or “not good” headphone over much more expensive or prestigious/generally accepted headphones
ignorance is bliss 
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Well in that case, these people had listened to a fair bit of high end and totl, but went with what they liked more, even though it was very low end in comparison.
But yes generally ignorance is bliss, and it can be nice to not have experienced higher up the ladder, and just be happy with what you have now.
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Smy…never listen to expensive headphones. you will have an epiphany and realize that a $4000 headphone isn’t snake oil. I’ve been corrupted…and it will only leave you for want if $4000 isn’t ever going to be in your budget.
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the nice thing I realized after listening to a lot of expensicve headphones is nhow much I didn’t like a lot of expensive sennheisers and certain high end headphones because a lot of them felt like I stopped having fun with the headphones. but I do love me some LCD 2c, dt 1990, stax and focal elex’s but I kinda hate all the senns from the hd 700 and on. have yet to try myself a he 1. but personaly have yet to find a headphone at that price point that has justified the price point to me cause mid fi has gotten so good recently with massdrop offering and chi fi