The diary entries of a little girl who is now 30! ~ Part 2 - Page 293

The UE900 just sounds dead compared to the Flat4.

Edit: The UE900 "comes alive" a bit when the volume is cranked. Not a good IEM for low-level listening to my ears. Still, the presentation on the UE900 is much more relaxed. Not a natural relaxed like the SR-007 or something, but a rolled-off dynamic FAD kinda relaxed. It's easy to listen to and sort of forget about. I visualize it as some stoner guy with shaggy hair and a neckbeard sitting in a chair half asleep. When you try to ask him something, he kinda comes to and goes "wuh---?" and looks around. You repeat the question. He just sits there and eventually waves his hand in dismissal, mumbling something before going back into his trance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by compoopers 

The more I listen to my Sony Z1000s, the less I feel like I want other headphones. Maybe I can just stop here and save money.
Yes, the "comparisons" say that there are vastly better things, even for similar prices. But I don't really feel unsatisfied with them, so I've realized that I don't see the reason to buy more.

I still think the Z1000 is a good headphone. I'd take it over a lot of other similarly priced stuff atm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by compoopers 


Yes, I agree. I think it's more about me just losing interest in the "upgrade wars" and being content with what I have -- I have a great fascination of your hobby of collecting headphones and all of your observations, but as a mere audio enthusiast, I'm finding myself satisfied at the moment. Plus I'm a student and don't have the kind of money to spend on amassing a worthwhile collection, anyway. I've been trying to reevaluate my fiscal situation and spending my money as soon as I earn it on headphones when I'm not even 20 years old seems irresponsible.

There's no rush. Enjoy what you have now, and as the years go buy you can experiment with new stuff and enjoy it along the way.

When I was 20, I had a pair of $30 earbuds and that was pretty much it. I always laughed to myself when I heard about audiophiles spending three figures on cables and stuff, because to me it seemed like they were never actually into music despite obsessing about fidelity. This hobby is utterly insane to outsiders; I think most people would find spending $300,000 on a car more reasonable than spending $2000 on a headphone amplifier.

Just some advice. In a few years there should be some really amazing entry level electrostatic stuff out thanks to Stax being bought out by Edifier. I'd suggest going that route when you're ready. That was a turning point for me when I was a senior in college: hearing some SR-404s out of an SRM-323. My system was maybe $1000 total, including my Rega P1 and bookshelf Sony CD player. Yet that system is still one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had in this hobby, and oddly enough almost everything after that has been an attempt to approximate that experience.

That's why I say the whole "it's a journey" thing is kind of bunk. I think for a lot of people, it's more like repetition compulsion. Rather than trying to get to where you're going, I think a lot of head-fiers actually trying to not get to where they're going. Desire is only desire so long as it remains unfulfilled. Sure, we learn about stuff along the way, and in that sense we grow as hobbyists. However I get a bit weary when I hear about people who have only been into this hobby for like three months who have already splurged on an Orpheus rig or SR-009 setup. It would be fine and dandy to go for the pinnacle if one simply wanted the best and to be done with it, but I think upgraditis isn't really about getting better gear so much as just getting different gear. They're still going to be getting new stuff in a few months time, and having started off at the summit, they're going to find almost everything afterward a disappointment, which will in turn fuel more gear-chasing and more consumption until they burn out at the end of the year and get disillusioned and sick of this hobby. This actually happened to me when I first joined head-fi, and why I left for the first half of 2011.

Quote:

Originally Posted by driver 8 

 came with retarded oversights or defects.  I mean, I love my TH900's, but they were technically assembled incorrectly, my LCD-2's could crack at any moment, my Palladiums have chemical reactions with human skin, Hifiman didn't used to driver match, etc... There's nothing wrong with sticking to gear that's proven the test of time.

Well, the Ultrasone PROline headbands would snap in half fairly easily. They eventually fixed it with the transition from PROline to PRO I believe. Grados (at any price point) also have issues like sloppy glue work, gimbals coming off, etc. As for HiFiMan, the relatively less expensive HE-400 also had a ton of problems when it launched.

But yeah, the TH900 hinge thing is inexcusable. Anyone taking like a minute to double check could see the problem easily; I'm wondering how they even made it past inspection.

Try spending $7k on the Muramasa and having the wooden display box arrive with a huge crack in the lid, one of the channel designators fallen off and left to bounce around across precious metal surfaces in shipping, and the headphone stand literally bent at a 45 degree angle.... ;____;

So I realized yesterday that this month is going to be extremely hectic. I need to finish lesson planning and get ready for the new semester, help a friend move out of her apartment, and start working out the logistics behind *my* upcoming move. Also at some point I need to schedule an appointment to see the new audiologist I found for JH16 Pro ear impressions. I don't like having my order with JHA in limbo-land for too long, but that may need to wait until the end of the month given my schedule. The timing isn't very good, but I wanted to utilize the holiday sale while it lasted, so dems th' breaks.

Speaking of not-so-good timing, I placed my order with Amazon.co.jp right as the folks at Tenso left their offices for the holidays. Thankfully they accepted the package---finally---and now my JVC FXZ200 and Senn IE800 are on their way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by driver 8 

Were you over there when Tzvi's TH900's came in with the pads backwards?  It's a nonissue since you can rotate them, but lol.

 

As for your Muramasa... did someone, like, attack them?  That's insane.  I remember reading about your box, but that other stuff is news to me.

No, I wasn't aware that happened. That's ridiculous. Do they use chimpanzees to assemble them or something?

I got a response from UE, and the rep. didn't seem to know what I was talking about regarding the smaller tuning boxes that could be sent out to customers. Which is frustrating, because in Average_Joe's review he says:

"There were select locations throughout the US, but that was limiting.  UE has come up with a better solution, a smaller box that can be sent to the customer, allowing people to tune the PRM in the comfort of their own home."

Also a rep. from UE posts this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by VL 

First of all, thank you Joe for the great and detailed review!   

 

Apologies to everyone if this seems like a sales post, but I wanted to let everyone know that we have a much smaller version to "check out" if you cannot find a rep close to you.  Give us a call if you like to play with this.

 

(source: http://www.head-fi.org/t/640220/custom-iem-review-ultimate-ears-personal-reference-monitor-your-sound#post_8938759)

So when I sent them an e-mail, I was kinda hoping they'd know what I was talking about, but it seems like not everyone is on the same page here. I sent him the links above, so we'll see what he says. Or if he can put me through to someone who knows what I'm talking about.

Kinda silly when we're talking about something so expensive....