Blue Looks good enough but natural titanium is gorgeous. I did picked up blue because I like subtle colors plus I always use a case, this time i went with the torras ultra thin and spygen enzo aramid, both cases add a flair to the phone which is something you can look into if you end up choosing a color you’re not 100% happy with.
The problem with that perception is that there’s no linear way to measure improvement in the space as there’s no objective way to declare a “better sound”. It’s not like a cellphone that can claim x16 speed, x10 storage.
Also don’t forget we’re getting improvements in the space, while entry level headphones have barely improved now have sub 200$ planars, Audeze is doing 300$ gaming headsets, headphones are using newer technologies in their drivers. It is no longer a Sennheiser vs Beyer / Audio Technica, now there’s a lot more options.