Outside of going to an audiophile store (which there are none nearby me), it seems many on this sub are often purchasing headphones with the intent to just try them. They'll give em a good critical listen, and if they dont like em, ship em back. Amazon seems to be popular for this.
But I dont get how this works. I dont trust Amazon's "free returns" policy as they've screwed me numerous times in the past (non headphone related). Furthermore, free returns are often not free at all, and I see tons of fine print about restocking fees, return fees, etc etc. So how are you guys managing to test so many headphones before buying them?
I know headphones.com has a 365d return policy, but at least they're transparent and tell you upfront that there are restocking fees (as opposed to Amazon which is the exact opposite). So at least you can budget and act accordingly. But again, I ask - how are you guys doing this? Is Amazon really being that good to you guys and I just have the worst luck in the world? Help!
I go to meets (Head-fi has a forum for organizing meets in an area), I go to expos (haven't been to CanJam yet, but I went to Capital Audiofest this past month), and I demo at stores. The trick to store demos is to combine them with travel. If you are ever traveling somewhere for work or holiday or whatever, look up if there are any audio stores in the area you're visiting and see if you can add a visit to your itinerary. That's how I visited The Source AV near LA last week; I was in the area visiting my wife's family and took the time to visit the store. Note that few stores are dedicated to headphones. Most will mainly deal in speakers and may have a few headphones on the side. If you're looking at expensive headphones (I'd consider >$800 expensive), it really makes sense to wait for a demo opportunity before buying. If you're looking at the topmost echelon of cost, like several thousand dollars, I think it's absolutely worth spending a few hundred to travel to a store to demo a few pairs. Otherwise, no matter how many reviews you read online, you're still essentially gambling on the purchase.
I also never liked the buy then return process.
Head-Fi is such.... argh... I wanted to love it, but it's just so infuriating! The Voodoo is so incredibly strong with the majority of people there!
Sorry, what do you mean by “voodoo” ?
There are the people who talk about which cables to use to make the sound brighter or warmer or whatever. All sorts of odd tweaks and somewhat suspect suggestions on improving sound quality.
That stuff just doesn't bother me. I ignore it, or politely decline the option. Some people are more... sensitive to the existence of that sort of thing.