I'm not that old, but i knew good quality when i was a kid. i bought a pair of Austrian made in my early teens. After 20 years the headband wore down and cracked, so it was time for a new pair. These came in and sound just as good as my 25 year old pair of Austrians (even though these are made in china). If you want and insanely good sounding set of cans for (well) under $100, this is a sure bet. Some pairs are still made in Austria, so check your box. You may get lucky. Lastly, lots of reviews talk about items moving around in the packaging, but mine was packed, all in place.