[LucasKA]

How do I resist? I'll let you know when I find out
How do I stop buying gear? When I run out of money for food and actual space for new gear in my room. I counted once and I had 6 or 7 headphone amps on my nightstand. That's when it was time to get rid of some

Yeah same here, need to sell of my not used headphone amp...I got a main amp in my best system (Mass Kobo 394ii), a home office amp (Liquid Gold X), and bed amp (Vincent VH1-Pre) and a studio amp (Musical Fidelity X Can V3)...its hard to sell them!

I've enjoyed widening out my range of options. But there are a few pieces of good gear that I use most often. Strangely enough not all of those are expensive


There is something to be said for listening to music you are familiar with through different gear. Details you missed become more apparent (or hidden). It can be like hearing the difference between a studio album, live recording or another artist's cover version. I find the ice cream analogy interesting. Like ice cream, listening to metal shelled IEMs in cold weather can make your ears cold and uncomfortable!

Interesting you said about listening to the familiar gear with different ear when further down the journey...I was with my partner yesterday and we were listening to my first hi-fi set up (I am selling her), Streamer into an vintage amp into old TOTL speaker (Yamaha WXC-50+ Technics SUV4X + Totem Signature One if you are interested), it still sounded amazing with good stage and dynamic, but I noticed my ear kept on picking up and compare to my current system and how lacking my first system had become, but at the same time being nostalgic and remembering the first time you had a proper set up. Its not head-fi related but I thought it was an interesting observation!

 

[FYFL]

This is a semi-serious question, but I do want to know what is your personal way/story to help you not buy new gear...

In Jan 2021, the first hi-fi headphone I bought new was the Hifiman Ananda, which was £699 new (90% of my audio gear are 2nd hand), at that time, I thought £699 was a very large sum and I had spent hours/days/weeks during research until deciding upon it. I then dived into Head-fi and discover more wonderful vintage headphones like Yamaha HP-1 and AKG K340. Then I bought my first Chi-fi IEM Linsoul KZ ZSX , then another one LZ A7, then my first serious DAC, Chord Mojo, followed by first DAP, Xuelin 1969, then a serious serious DAC, RME ADI-2, then a fun casual headphone Meze Classic 99 and I thought I was happy...

For about 2 yrs, I didn't come to Head-fi as regularly as before, but recently I had finished a big chunk of projects and with some disposable income, I came back looking to upgrade, and then bought a Oriolus Reborn, and a Cayin N8, which I always wanted and came up with a good price that is hard to resist, then quickly followed by CA Andromeda (again very good deal)....

Then I was on a big job in London and got some time to kill, so I walked into a hi-fi shop in Wimbledon and asked to hear Emperyan and Focal Utopia to compare them on my N8, what a big mistake that was...

I ended up buying a Focal Utopia at a good price, which was really mind blowing, then I started looking at my DAC and felt maybe it needed something better, so comes Ayre Codex, HD800 and Monolith Liquid Gold (LauX)...

At the moment, I am looking for a a pair of closed headphone, OBravo headphone and DC Aeon Close RT for the next purchase, and realised that I had really got enough stuff now.

I am not mentally ill (well the mentally illed always say that) and is not in financial ruin (not yet), and do no harm to others (unless they steal my headphone), I am enjoying music even more now and knows better what I like, so it had been a really satisfying journey.

I looked at the profile of some of the members here who has huge collections and some members who had only a few...and I wonder how do you control yourself...? Do you just reach Summit-fi with Holo May, Pass Lab HPA-1, EAR Amp, Audio-GD, Cardas Clear, DanaCable, Susvara, Stax SR09, LCD-?,

Thank you

There’s always something new that will tempt your curiosity and temptation to “upgrade”. Especially for younger audiophiles who are still trying to figure things out. And are gradually increasing their earnings while they become more mature professionally and extra disposable spending on their favorite toys isn’t such a burden.
I think it’s easier at the later years when your idea of a good sound is firmly formed and limitations are understood. Then, all you have left is music enjoyment and occasional changes in gear due to failure or other circumstances.

 

[shwnwllms]

Buy a Holo May. You’ll need at least 500 hours to burn it in (you won’t want to buy anything until it finishes and when it does you’ll be too broke to afford anything else)

 

[Carpet]

Given that you feel the need to read this thread you already have more gear than you can justify. Just rotate through what you already have. Something that you haven't listened to in a while will have novelty value, in contrast to what you have been using recently. Be aware of the lure of marketing. Getting people to buy things that they don't want, don't need and can't afford, is not an honorable profession. Lastly, don't buy every incremental improvement, save up and buy something significantly better, or accept that what you have is good enough for now.

 

[FYFL]

I don't know if anyone noticed that people who actually reached certain level of music reproduction refinement, usually concentrate more on discussing music than gear and buzz words. Not to say that their gear meets everyone's standard of 'music reproduction nirvana' (whatever that means) but it's certainly good enough to take full advantage of music that is put out today or the one from the past. Digital or vinyl, it doesn't matter what your preferred media of choice is. When you find yourself for the very first time to enjoy the music and not an upgrade, then you know.

 

[chesebert]

Someone should start a thread and get people to contribute gear stack that they have been actively using for at least a year without making any change.

 

[Carpet]

Someone should start a thread and get people to contribute gear stack that they have been actively using for at least a year without making any change.

Both of them are probably just using PMs or are no longer active on the forums!

 

[LucasKA]

Someone should start a thread and get people to contribute gear stack that they have been actively using for at least a year without making any change.

Hahaha that is a good point…I wonder how many of them are active here…

After all, once we are satisfied with our urge for gear and reached the end, we may not linger here

 

[dcguy73]

Run out of money. That’s what works for me.

 

[Carpet]

Run out of money. That’s what works for me.

Is that before or after you extend your credit limit, or get another card?

 

[dcguy73]

Is that before or after you extend your credit limit, or get another card?

Let's not go there. It leads into a deep, dark hole, and I still have a lot of payments to make.

 

[Pazzi]

I have gone down the road of getting too much hear in one hobby but have learned from that and now I manage to avoid it.

One good approach is whever you get to the point that you know exactly what you want to buy and are sure about it... Wait a week or 2 weeks before hitting the buy button. You may find that a lot of the time you end up never hitting the buy button as you give yourself time to get over the feeling that you just have to have whatever it is.

 

[Carpet]

Do not touch your phone or check your e-mail during November? Dang it too late!

 

[Cheesebuggah]

I find not having enough money to be very effective. Other than that, doing cheap mods that are reversible could make you less bored of your current gear. Once you get bored of that signature, you either find another mod or you could revert it back to stock.

 

[Carpet]

Tip rolling is pretty cheap, that provides a bit of variation. Going back to gear you haven't used for a while. Even listening to different music as a last resort. It seems to be variety as much as improvement that drives us. Even old gear that doesn't sound good is worth listening to. It makes me more aware of how good my other sets are!