> I just don't understand purchasing headphones 
  > as a fashion statement. I read it as "I want 
  > you to know I like popular brands over high 
  > quality and my own listening experience".

Are your shoes and the rest of your clothing chosen strictly for their functional ability, with zero regard for fashion? If you have a car, what about that? Is your home painted in the cheapest and most durable paint, with zero regard for appearance? What about your laptop bag?

Beats aren't to my taste, although neither are $150 basketball shoes or a lot of other things. I get it, though.