The AKG headphones should be cheaper i think. and ive heard in reviews that the k712 should be 100 to 200$ dollars less
No China and yes. The Romanian factory is new for coming expansion and growth in EU.
Both of my HD6XX where Ireland made but right after that, they started coming from Romania.
I would guess the higher end models are now Ireland made and more rest is Romania?
Of course not.
It would be bad business (brand) to sell them more cheaply and there is one other key factor as well. Amount. Very different story to make 10.000 units than 150.000 units or +milj. units.
Headphones like the Utopia. They probably make them in same factory as other Focal headphones so staff / solid cost’s are about the same, basic raw materials are bought large amounts.
Marketing/brand as another. Same with every other product and brand or image.
Best example is Apple, you think the +1000$ phones cost that much to make? lol few years ago there was cut down of phone costs. The best iPhone costs to made was like 140$. All included, why sell them with +900$?
If a top end line headphone would cost to make 500$, why not sell them 3000$ or so?
If cost and demand meet, there is business.
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I mean I would be happy to pay more for half the stuff on koss if I got better build quality
You may have something there Rice. *hint *hint looking at you Koss >.> 
The aeon2 in some ways is better, since it comes in open and closed variants. It’s also planar so it creates a fuller sound. That said, it can’t really compete with the fine detail the clear can render. It’s close but back to back there’s a very clear difference. The longer I own both of them the more different they sound to me.
I feel the same way about sennheiser. Every time I’ve touched a pair of sennheisers i get immediate “cheap” alarms. I know they last, but it’s kind of the way Toyota engines last, they run like shit forever.
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Yup, there’s a reason Apple has billions in cash. They are absolute experts in creating demand and balancing that against the maximum potential profit. They sell an experience, and the illusion of belonging to an exclusive club.
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Sennheiser HD800/800s
I think since the 6xx is 200$ the hd600 should be also. That also goes in with its value in my estimation
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Anything that uses Beryllium is gonna be really expensive.
Surprisingly. Arm Macs and Big Sur have turned off so many creatives from Apple that its basically guaranteed that its lost its creator class credentials
yeah i agree. certain technologies will make these products expensive. but not that expensive. a headphone thats 2000$ possibly. a headphone thats 4000$ im more skeptical of.
Flagships are a bit of a weird part of marketing. They know specifically they’re not going to sell many of them. They mostly exist as a value proposition, to customers that if they have something THIS ABSURDLY EXPENSIVE AND WELL BUILT then the tech and quality must trickle down to the lower tier stuff.
Hell its mostly why the mac pro exists now, despite them having been creator class models, no exists to be the big ticket item people gawk at at an apple store.
I mean Hifiman has an 8000 dollar set of planars lol
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well, think of how much it would actually cost if that was 20 hours of work by a journeyman? That’s 4 grand in service wages just to make the frame!
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Interesting. Developers only seem to care to the extent of comparability, which shouldn’t be a heavy lift. At least the ones I know are looking forward to it. Shit maybe we won’t have a lap heater anymore.
yeah compared to the likes of sub $200 beyers which look cheap but feel solid and hifimans that are heavy feel like tanks but have had build problems in the past. senns are reliable but so feel cheap. they do make up for it by manufacturing in more expensive markets or at least used to manufacture in ireland. but sennheiser isnt very up to par but they are at least reliable and consistent.
On @MazeFrame 's request I’ve moved all the computer 
related stuff to the “let’s talk about computers” thread 
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While a definite upgrade, I can recommend the AKG K612 as a better value than the K712, based on current US pricing. The K712 have more vocal intimacy and deeper sub-bass while retaining the same soundstage characteristics as the K612, but they are not particularly more revealing.
K612 is virtually identical to the analytical k702 but the k702 is more refined, has a detachable cable, and has deeper pads. They are close to being the same headphone with some minor differences. K712 is closer to the Q701 iirc.
The K712’s have a 62 Ohm impedance vs. the 120 Ohm of the K612. Despite this you would probably want an amp they are strangely somewhat demanding in power. The K612’s do not have a detachable cable while the K712’s do.The K712 is made in Slovakia, while the K612 either comes from China or Austria. There are basically 2 models of the 612 that you should be aware of depending on the generation and if I recall correctly theres multiple variations to the k702 as well. The K712 have more bass and treble detail than the K612. Though sound is very similar overall as the only one of this series that sounds particularly very different was the K7xx…Lastly, The 712 has memory foam vs. the velour of the 612. If an upgrade at all it’s slight with differences
Regardless, buying any of these headphones you are probably better off buying used if you are in the USA as for some reason the companies wish to price these in the upper $250 - $350s despite being able to be purchased hundreds of dollars less
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