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Hifiman HE1000 Planar Dynamic Headphone
Mar 22, 2015 at 1:03 AM Post #2,566 of 14,685
I can't even justify to myself the money I spend on this hobby, let's not even start thinking of justifying it to others lol :)
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 1:20 AM Post #2,567 of 14,685
Outside of head fi, I don't even mention that I own an expensive set of headphones let alone an Abyss.  I have no trouble justifying the cost but I don't feel like explaining myself to every person I meet.  If someone has no interest in headphones, why bother bringing it up.  If someone pushes you for a price just say that the full setup inclusive of everything costs over a thousand bucks.
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 2:04 AM Post #2,568 of 14,685
the sr009, abyss and now the he1000 are all beyond what i'd feel comfortable paying for a headphone but tyre kicking can be fun :)
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 2:22 AM Post #2,569 of 14,685
I traded the hf-1 for a k1000 (plus cash on my end of course) about 7 years ago...and thought those would be the most expensive pair of headphones i could ever justify owning. now I'm thinking about the sr009 or the he1000 as distinct possibilities and I feel a little silly, to be honest.
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 3:51 AM Post #2,570 of 14,685
Yeah, to be honest I never had any intentions of buying an Abyss at any point in my life due to it's price tag, but I did.  I look at it like this:
 
I never keep anything forever and I will eventually sell them for whatever reason in years to come.  I plan on keeping them for quite a while, but let's just say I move them on after 4 years.  Generally speaking, hifi gear sells for around half it's cost second hand -- Probably worst case scenario in this case because as far as I know, there hasn't been any second hand Abyss sold in Australia so they will likely hold their value quite well, but for the sake of speaking generally, we'll say half.  So over 4 years they've cost me $3000 to own - which is $14.42 a week.  I spend more than that every day on buying my lunch at work.  That's also less than a pack of cigarettes, less than a price of a couple of drinks when you go out etc. etc. you get the idea - I'm just saying I spend $15 every week on stupider stuff.
 
The other thing that annoys me is that people don't see money wastage on other stuff just because it's more common.  As an example, I know someone who bought a second hand Toyota Landcruiser Sahara.  The model that he got is $100k new.  He bought it for $70k one year later with 30,000km on the clock.  That car just cost the first owner $600 a week to own in loss of capital alone, not including probably at least another $100-$200 a week in fuel, services other running costs etc. But nobody says 'what are you wasting your money on a nice car for', they just say 'nice car'.  Even thought it cost literally 50 times the amount it costs me to own an Abyss, but apparently I am the crazy one for wasting so much money.
 
Another is jewelry, you can buy any gemstone you like that looks identical to a precious stone, the only thing you're paying for is exclusivity and bragging rights.  Yet the first thing a woman says when she shows another woman a nice diamond ring is "Is it real?" and if it is, they are extremely impressed by the exorbitant amount of money you must have spent on it unnecessarily.
 
Unfortunately 99.99% of people don't share my perspective.  They just see that when they go to a CD shop that the 8 headphones they have on display range from $29-$249 and that I spent $6000 on mine.
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 4:19 AM Post #2,571 of 14,685
i can understand their perspective tbh. we can rationalise any expensive indulgence and you've done a good job there but to the mainstream it'll still be just that.
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 4:21 AM Post #2,572 of 14,685
Well said, ultimately I think it just comes down to what you value. Obviously, most of us here at Head-Fi are hobbyists and this is what we enjoy, so it is easy to justify expensive headphones because they bring us so much pleasure. For most people, they just do a job, provide music when I want them. As long as they work, I'm good - I don't care how they sound is probably most people's mentality, which explains why you still see so many people using the free Apple earbuds when for just $20 you can get at least a decent pair of IEM's.

I feel the same way about other people's interests and hobbies too, watches are one example that baffles me. I've never understood why people spend thousands on watches when all they do is tell time. It's not like one watch is going to tell you the time better than another watch will, but if that brings you pleasure and enjoyment then by all means go for it. I just don't quite understand the disdain you get when people ask how much your gear costs - I think it's honestly people just don't understand it. Nobody ever asks why you spent so much on your car for example, anyways enough with my rant - thanks for the cost breakdown too Mulder, helps me justify my impending HE-1000 purchase a little more - If I just get lunch out one time less a week for a few years that will should about cover it :)
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 4:51 AM Post #2,574 of 14,685
goldendarko said:
I feel the same way about other people's interests and hobbies too, watches are one example that baffles me. I've never understood why people spend thousands on watches when all they do is tell time. It's not like one watch is going to tell you the time better than another watch will, but if that brings you pleasure and enjoyment then by all means go for it. I just don't quite understand the disdain you get when people ask how much your gear costs - I think it's honestly people just don't understand it. Nobody ever asks why you spent so much on your car for example, anyways enough with my rant - thanks for the cost breakdown too Mulder, helps me justify my impending HE-1000 purchase a little more - If I just get lunch out one time less a week for a few years that will should about cover it
smily_headphones1.gif
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Several decades ago a ROLEX president replied the following to a question referring to the watches market: We are not in the watches business, we are in the luxury products business.
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 5:12 AM Post #2,575 of 14,685
There's the difference, most of us aren't buying expensive headphones because they are simply a luxury and we can afford it, in fact I would be willing to guess most of around here aren't rich, but we scrimp and save to buy our audiophile gear because it brings us so much pleasure.

People buying expensiveswatches are more likely buying them for prestige or style, etc. but even if the HE-1000 is made from the finest of headphone materials, I'm sure that nobody is buying them for the same reasons, because lets be honest, we all look like a bunch of weirdo's with our headphones on anyways :)
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 8:17 AM Post #2,576 of 14,685
I dream about an Lampizator Generation 5 Level 5 + Eddie Current Balancing Act (cinemag output transformer) + Hifiman HE1000 
evil_smiley.gif

 
Mar 22, 2015 at 9:51 AM Post #2,577 of 14,685
The other day a friend who is a big gambler told me I was nuts spending so much money in my toys..... I told her that I respect her preferences because I know she gets fun and enjoyment gambling but the odds are against her so that is really spending money and I rather spend it getting something that will provide me enjoyment for a longer time... 
biggrin.gif
 
 
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Mar 22, 2015 at 9:56 AM Post #2,578 of 14,685
mulder01 said:
  Yeah, to be honest I never had any intentions of buying an Abyss at any point in my life due to it's price tag, but I did.  I look at it like this:
 
I never keep anything forever and I will eventually sell them for whatever reason in years to come.  I plan on keeping them for quite a while, but let's just say I move them on after 4 years.  Generally speaking, hifi gear sells for around half it's cost second hand -- Probably worst case scenario in this case because as far as I know, there hasn't been any second hand Abyss sold in Australia so they will likely hold their value quite well, but for the sake of speaking generally, we'll say half.  So over 4 years they've cost me $3000 to own - which is $14.42 a week.  I spend more than that every day on buying my lunch at work.  That's also less than a pack of cigarettes, less than a price of a couple of drinks when you go out etc. etc. you get the idea - I'm just saying I spend $15 every week on stupider stuff.
 
The other thing that annoys me is that people don't see money wastage on other stuff just because it's more common.  As an example, I know someone who bought a second hand Toyota Landcruiser Sahara.  The model that he got is $100k new.  He bought it for $70k one year later with 30,000km on the clock.  That car just cost the first owner $600 a week to own in loss of capital alone, not including probably at least another $100-$200 a week in fuel, services other running costs etc. But nobody says 'what are you wasting your money on a nice car for', they just say 'nice car'.  Even thought it cost literally 50 times the amount it costs me to own an Abyss, but apparently I am the crazy one for wasting so much money.
 
Another is jewelry, you can buy any gemstone you like that looks identical to a precious stone, the only thing you're paying for is exclusivity and bragging rights.  Yet the first thing a woman says when she shows another woman a nice diamond ring is "Is it real?" and if it is, they are extremely impressed by the exorbitant amount of money you must have spent on it unnecessarily.
 
Unfortunately 99.99% of people don't share my perspective.  They just see that when they go to a CD shop that the 8 headphones they have on display range from $29-$249 and that I spent $6000 on mine.
Click to expand...


I'm .01%
 
Mar 22, 2015 at 10:08 AM Post #2,579 of 14,685
Mar 22, 2015 at 10:47 AM Post #2,580 of 14,685
hun7er said:
  I dream about an Lampizator Generation 5 Level 5 + Eddie Current Balancing Act (cinemag output transformer) + Hifiman HE1000 
evil_smiley.gif
Click to expand...


Audition the Moon 430HA D :¬) You might be surprised.
 
As with Mulder, only my family and closet friends know of my audio equipment, and that's purely out of excitement; wanting to share with them how wonderful the musical experience is.
 
If you're the type of person who listens to music the bulk of the day - that's the bulk of your life. Music is to the spirit as to what food is to the body (forums are for the mind). 
 
Investing in something that enriches that experience, offering you a 24/7 pathway to a wonderfully content and happy state of being, is an invaluable investment.
 
People spend thousands upon thousands over a lifetime trying to achieve that state of being through various endeavours; especially material gain that one brags about. Drinking/drugs are other such avenues. Each time that's an attempt to feel fullfilled. It's a hollow fufillment though, as it attempts to fill a hole with something that is born out of hollow discontent.

To have something at hand that can take you to that place - joy - instantly makes us very lucky indeed. Unless one gets caught up in the mind too much, of course. 

Invest in the best you can. The poor man pays twice. Save if you have to. It's worth it. If it stops the incessant search for better, your quality of life will go up exponentially. You'll both enjoy the music for what it's worth, rather than dissect it, and free up all the hours spent researching and worrying you're missing out. Music that stirs your soul is a gift to yourself and your happiness. You deserve it.
 
TL;DR - buy buy buy :¬)
 
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