The other reason is, almost everyone that bought the 8xx has liked it, and those who tried EQ or modding ended up saying that it improved the sound substantially to their liking. I know there are many other great headphones out there, but the 800 line is very unique in what it is. It's one of the only ones with the sennheiser-like signature sound, with unique features in how it presents soundstage/imaging and orchestral/classical music.