TravAndAlex
New Head-Fier
I believe in bang for the buck and the law of diminishing returns. If I can use the term, I’m an audiophile on a shoestring budget. That being said, I love audio. I love both the emotional ride that music takes you on, and the gear that reproduces it. Since I have little to no musical abilities, the gear that I covet is the playback kind.
I’m drawn to the solid build quality and aesthetics oft found in pre-80’s (now considered vintage) gear. Namely: simplicity in form and function. Crafted from solid, substantial materials like aluminum and wood. Certainly this can be found in modern gear. As a starting point, things don’t need a billion plastic buttons. The fit, feel and finish of the gear bring pleasure to the user beyond simply ‘working’. Of course, just looking good isn’t enough, to be worthy of purchase it has to sound as good as (or better than) it looks.
I shy away from the term audiophile these days for a few reasons. Too often those who identify with the term online, use it as a pedestal to participate in shaming and abuse that seems to be all too inevitable with many hobby groups. Heaven help you if your budget doesn't allow for the high-end purchases, the self-appointed experts often only offer condescension, rather than advice. If you frequent these online communities, obviously it is something you enjoy and have interest in, regardless of your individual budget and taste. I never understand the desire to be a jerk to someone who shares your interests. /end rant.
However, in its simplest definition as a person who is especially interested in high-fidelity sound reproduction, I can rest comfortably. That doesn’t mean I need to purchase equipment that costs more than my budget allows. It just means that for the music that I enjoy, I endeavour to listen to the gear that brings me the greatest pleasure. For me and for my tastes.
I do believe there is a sweet spot where you get great sounding gear at a reasonable price point. (Your definition of reasonable may vary, but hear me out). Hi-Fi (or High Fidelity) equipment is commonly referred to these days to describe very accurate, very expensive playback equipment (speakers, sources or headphones). Lo-Fi (or Low Fidelity) equipment is the other end of the scale: significantly less expensive but compromised sound quality. I believe the sweet spot often resides near the top end of Lo-Fi and in the beginnings of Mid-Fi (a made up term to give the whole scale some depth).
Often yesterday’s Hi-Fi equipment, slips down the slope towards the middle as newer and ‘better’ equipment is released. This does not mean what sounded great yesterday, suddenly changed to sound less great. There is a perfect example in the world of headphones. The Sennheiser 600 was released almost 20 years ago as a very high-end headphone. In fact, it is so good; it is still in production today and is considered by many to be one of the best. However as things evolve, its price point has now slipped to the mid range, with more expensive models above it. Of course this doesn’t mean it sounds worse than before, it still is a great piece of gear. It almost perfectly describes the scale that I work on. To me, the 600 is a very, very good headphone and paying much more would not yield more pleasure for me, and in fact would be unjustifiable. (Note: I haven’t yet justified the purchase price of even a used pair of 600’s, as I find the little brother the 598 an almost perfect bang for the buck option at about half the price).
It’s only in the last few years that I have become interested in headphones as more than just an accessory for exercise. Life changes, such as a new baby have necessitated quieter music listening and I found myself wanting better quality than the basic headphones I had: the Koss Portapro (which in itself is almost legendary as a good sounding, yet very inexpensive headphone). I feel my current modest collection of headphones encapsulates the above philosophy:
Grado 125. A heavily modified, wooden cup beauty with very retro looks and warm folksy sound.
Sennheiser 598. Burl wood and ivory color combo in an amazing does everything well (comfort, looks, sound, pairing with source) headphone. It sounds great with everything and likely would be the headphone I would recommend to anyone considering a first ‘better’ headphone.
Hifiman 400s. Although large and silly looking to wear, this planar headphone sounds just fantastic and doesn’t require an expensive amp to drive it.
Sennheiser Momentum over-ear. While I admit I probably like the looks (brown leather and timeless style) just a bit more than the overall sound quality, unlike the others above, this is a closed headphone and is more appropriate when sound isolation is required. I’ve owned both the over-ear and the on-ear version (which I sold because I preferred the very similar V-Moda XS). The over-ear version has a much more toned down signature than the on-ear.
V-Moda XS. Military grade materials and construction (metal and Kevlar wrapped cables). Folds up tiny. Bass boosted and fun sound signature. If you are travelling or commuting and just having fun listening, these are for you.
Yes, I could sell them all and likely afford one expensive high-end pair of headphones with the required high-end amplifier to drive them. I’ve owned quite a number of different pairs from different manufacturers, but these are the ones that have stuck. For me, finding the deals, comparing the sound to each other and having a collection is just so much more fun. Also, let me be perfectly clear. These headphones sound GREAT. Yes, I can acknowledge that there likely are headphones out there that sound better, but improvements start getting so much smaller and the money required to improve gets so much larger, that they likely aren’t for me.
I’m drawn to the solid build quality and aesthetics oft found in pre-80’s (now considered vintage) gear. Namely: simplicity in form and function. Crafted from solid, substantial materials like aluminum and wood. Certainly this can be found in modern gear. As a starting point, things don’t need a billion plastic buttons. The fit, feel and finish of the gear bring pleasure to the user beyond simply ‘working’. Of course, just looking good isn’t enough, to be worthy of purchase it has to sound as good as (or better than) it looks.
I shy away from the term audiophile these days for a few reasons. Too often those who identify with the term online, use it as a pedestal to participate in shaming and abuse that seems to be all too inevitable with many hobby groups. Heaven help you if your budget doesn't allow for the high-end purchases, the self-appointed experts often only offer condescension, rather than advice. If you frequent these online communities, obviously it is something you enjoy and have interest in, regardless of your individual budget and taste. I never understand the desire to be a jerk to someone who shares your interests. /end rant.
However, in its simplest definition as a person who is especially interested in high-fidelity sound reproduction, I can rest comfortably. That doesn’t mean I need to purchase equipment that costs more than my budget allows. It just means that for the music that I enjoy, I endeavour to listen to the gear that brings me the greatest pleasure. For me and for my tastes.
I do believe there is a sweet spot where you get great sounding gear at a reasonable price point. (Your definition of reasonable may vary, but hear me out). Hi-Fi (or High Fidelity) equipment is commonly referred to these days to describe very accurate, very expensive playback equipment (speakers, sources or headphones). Lo-Fi (or Low Fidelity) equipment is the other end of the scale: significantly less expensive but compromised sound quality. I believe the sweet spot often resides near the top end of Lo-Fi and in the beginnings of Mid-Fi (a made up term to give the whole scale some depth).
Often yesterday’s Hi-Fi equipment, slips down the slope towards the middle as newer and ‘better’ equipment is released. This does not mean what sounded great yesterday, suddenly changed to sound less great. There is a perfect example in the world of headphones. The Sennheiser 600 was released almost 20 years ago as a very high-end headphone. In fact, it is so good; it is still in production today and is considered by many to be one of the best. However as things evolve, its price point has now slipped to the mid range, with more expensive models above it. Of course this doesn’t mean it sounds worse than before, it still is a great piece of gear. It almost perfectly describes the scale that I work on. To me, the 600 is a very, very good headphone and paying much more would not yield more pleasure for me, and in fact would be unjustifiable. (Note: I haven’t yet justified the purchase price of even a used pair of 600’s, as I find the little brother the 598 an almost perfect bang for the buck option at about half the price).
It’s only in the last few years that I have become interested in headphones as more than just an accessory for exercise. Life changes, such as a new baby have necessitated quieter music listening and I found myself wanting better quality than the basic headphones I had: the Koss Portapro (which in itself is almost legendary as a good sounding, yet very inexpensive headphone). I feel my current modest collection of headphones encapsulates the above philosophy:
Grado 125. A heavily modified, wooden cup beauty with very retro looks and warm folksy sound.
Sennheiser 598. Burl wood and ivory color combo in an amazing does everything well (comfort, looks, sound, pairing with source) headphone. It sounds great with everything and likely would be the headphone I would recommend to anyone considering a first ‘better’ headphone.
Hifiman 400s. Although large and silly looking to wear, this planar headphone sounds just fantastic and doesn’t require an expensive amp to drive it.
Sennheiser Momentum over-ear. While I admit I probably like the looks (brown leather and timeless style) just a bit more than the overall sound quality, unlike the others above, this is a closed headphone and is more appropriate when sound isolation is required. I’ve owned both the over-ear and the on-ear version (which I sold because I preferred the very similar V-Moda XS). The over-ear version has a much more toned down signature than the on-ear.
V-Moda XS. Military grade materials and construction (metal and Kevlar wrapped cables). Folds up tiny. Bass boosted and fun sound signature. If you are travelling or commuting and just having fun listening, these are for you.
Yes, I could sell them all and likely afford one expensive high-end pair of headphones with the required high-end amplifier to drive them. I’ve owned quite a number of different pairs from different manufacturers, but these are the ones that have stuck. For me, finding the deals, comparing the sound to each other and having a collection is just so much more fun. Also, let me be perfectly clear. These headphones sound GREAT. Yes, I can acknowledge that there likely are headphones out there that sound better, but improvements start getting so much smaller and the money required to improve gets so much larger, that they likely aren’t for me.
