>Yes, I got these on Dankpod's reccommendation. Apparently a bunch of people on here hate them but I can't figure out why other than weird elitism

You'll see that a lot around here for sure. The tricky part about headphones/speakers is that people will have different views on how things should sound, and everybody will hear a headphone/speaker differently depending on several factors (mainly size/shape of head, ears, ear canals, etc). Plenty of people have told me they don't like the headphones I own, and vice versa.

The Samson SR850 from my understanding is a headphone that is rather bright sounding (heavier in the treble and deficient in the bass). Depending on the person they might be painful/sharp to listen to because of that brightness, or might not have as much slam in the bass as someone would like. The unevenness of their sound is the main reason some people will not like them.

People not liking treble and discomfort doesn't make them elitist dude. You're in a community of people who are lauding the salnotes zero, the quarks dsp, nearly the entire koss budget lineup, and the apple dongle. The elitism dankpods talks about is far more delegated to forums like headfi.

TL;DR Dankpods is awesome, and you are not the only one who likes those Samsons; you do you, and enjoy your new headphones! Also, calling people elitist here will just make them dislike you.

I'm pretty new to the hobby too, and I also like Dankpods and bought the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros on his recommendation. I love them, although a lot of people think they are too bright. I personally like their sound, and I also like the Moondrop Chu's sound, which is also a little bright, and that's alright. It's alright to like bright. It doesn't make those who don't care for it elitist, though. You're just going to offend people who otherwise would probably have been cool with you by calling them elitist, but they'll also probably forget this post, so just be nicer moving forward, and you'll be fine. Welcome to the headphone hobby and the headphone sub-Reddit.

I have the Salnotes Zero, and I think they sound great. They are a fine introduction into IEMs, and even though I like the Chu at the same price, I would recommend the Zero over them because the ear hooks are much more comfortable and functional on the Zero, and the cable doesn't suck as bad (and is replaceable, unlike the Chu).

I have never heard the Samsons, but Dankpods is not the only one who likes them. I watched a review of the AKG K52s, which I own, from a long-haired European guy (German?) who liked both the Samsons and the K52s at their price point. What's most important is that you like them, so let no one steal your joy.

If you like a wide soundstage, and you want to explore other (relatively) inexpensive headphones, you might also try the AKG K52 (also under $50, like your Samsons, and also with a wide soundstage), and the Philips SHP9600 (a bit more, but you can find deals, like the $60 pair I bought on Black Friday), which is a nice introduction to open-back headphones. The K52 seems to get pretty much universal love, with the caveat "at it's price," but the Philips gets mixed reviews, in part due to deep appreciation for its predecessor, with which it apparently has little in common. I do not let them steal my joy; I love the way the Philips sound (I would describe them as warm, but the treble is still fine), and they definitely have a wide soundstage. Indeed, it seems as if the music is all around my head, maybe coming from a foot away. You might try them, too.

I considered the BTR5, also because of Dankpods, but while researching it, I decided instead on the Qudelix 5K, but I'm sure the BTR is also a great little amp. I do not honestly hear a huge difference with it on the Philips or AKG cans, but I hear a difference with the budget planars I bought (HE-X4) and the Hurr Durr 6 Hungeos that I nabbed on sale (was saving for the 6XX, but when I saw the OG's for nearly the same price, I just pulled the trigger on them and have no regrets). I also think I hear a difference with the DT770s, but that might be placebo effect. It also might be a legit sound difference.

That's part of the problem with evaluating these things, and it's one of the reasons not to get too hung up on the disagreements within the community. Some people will say that burn in makes a difference (I burned in my Arias and my Philips headphones with 100 hours of pink noise but burned in nothing else, and I don't hear a difference), while others say it is snake oil, and there are other, similar disagreements about things like cables. Anyway, the BTR5 may not make a noticeable difference with the Samsons, but it will make them somewhat more portable, and it certainly won't hurt.

Congrats man. You'll enjoy them. Just take care of the cables. They are not very durable. If you are planning to get the Salnotes Zero, check out Tangzu Wan'er too. I've got the Zeros and they are amazing for the price.

I bought them on Dankpod's recommendation too, they were my first ever proper full-sized HPs. I absolutely loved them, very detailed sound signature, excellent soundstage and directional imaging. I used to use them for hours and hours to end. But they are too much for me nowadays and I can't listen to them without EQing (pretty cool how our tastes change). They would instantly destroy my eardrums once I put very fast and bright songs on them it's crazy. I don't think being sensitive to trebles make us audiophiles elitists, it's just us having a preference. The term may work better on the peeps that believe in those expensive TOTL DACs, amps and c*bles snake oil stuffs.

If you ever feel the harshness of the trebs people here all raves about, you can stuff a layer or two of TP behind the fabric ear pads as filters and it works pretty well taming them. Surprisingly these cans actually have pretty boosted and punchy fun bass once you unshelve the right end of them! The vocals come across cleanly too despite the filters. They also react well to eq, I tuned mine really aggressively and they don't distort at all.

And lastly congrats on your new entry to the hobby, it's only getting better from here.