covertash t1_iyf91k3 wrote on November 30, 2022 at 11:17 PM

To be fair, how exhausting would it be to review a new pair of headphones, and then have to contextualize and make mention of the 376,798 pairs that came before them? Every. Single. Video.

mlh149 t1_iyfb6iy wrote on November 30, 2022 at 11:33 PM

Seems like a good system would be to maybe have a "price point leaderboard" or something with like 5-10 pairs that form the basis for comparisons. Headphones can get moved in or out depending on their performance and stuff. That way you don't have to keep track of the dozens of mediocre sets of cans that pass through your hands every year but can still let people know that the best headphones of 2016 are still relevant or alternatively, you think the market has moved on.

covertash t1_iyfdnch wrote on November 30, 2022 at 11:52 PM

Yeah, when Innerfidelity was still a thing, Tyll used to have the Wall of Fame, which was similar to what you are suggesting, and it was certainly helpful. Crinacle and Resolve have their own respective modern lists as well, with Crinacle's being the more exhaustive one. Both definitely have their place as well.

Ultimately, there's bound to be one or more pairs that won't make the cut, and users may still feel slighted to not get a mention. Also, as odd as it is, the double edged sword sometimes rears its ugly head when pockets of communities adopt said lists as gospel, and anything that falls outside is deemed not worth pursuing, which to me is even worse than having no list at all.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. :/