[lior777]

Hi, I'm looking for a new headphone that has a close profile sound to the TINHiFi T2 Plus (lost to me)

 

[536129]

just curious, maybe you could get another one new on sale? ive tried a ton of stuff in the past and havent come across anything that sounds super similar. its a unique sound. I say, if you loved that previous model, get the same one instead of gamble on something new. ppl tend to go for the newest thing and forget about the older models when some are still great so you dont hear it talked about alot anymore.

 

[redrol]

Yeah the hype train keeps on running but 'older' sets don't get worse they just age like fine wine

 

[Redcarmoose]

Consumerism forges ahead on the disenchantment of past IEMs, only to be seen at times for what it is, a game. Often new stuff is simply a variable of flavors like lemon-chocolate cake. But we believe, and that's all that matters, as it's all between the ears, literally!

 

[Podster]

Yeah the hype train keeps on running but 'older' sets don't get worse they just age like fine wine

Indeed, everything I got is old but they all still sound great

 

[r31ya]

Yeah the hype train keeps on running but 'older' sets don't get worse they just age like fine wine

as long as the tuning and timbre is good they will age like a fine wine
but if all they have is "tech" at cost of lots of other things (being sibilant, metalic sounding), they will age like milk in this fast chifi world.

 

[Carpet]

as long as the tuning and timbre is good they will age like a fine wine
but if all they have is "tech" at cost of lots of other things (being sibilant, metalic sounding), they will age like milk in this fast chifi world.

ChiFi reminds me of the old adage "Never mind the quality feel the width".

What I want to buy is one good IEM (okay, probably more than one, I'm not that disciplined ).

The industry seems to want to throw ten pieces of overhyped crap at me every time I blink.

It is rare that a hype train turns out to be a real gem, they are often hidden amongst the off casts that fly under the radar. Also tending to get discounted as overstocks, to clear the shelves for the next FOTM.

So the thing that really pays off is patience. The only problem is that we want it right bloody now!

 

[baskingshark]

ChiFi reminds me of the old adage "Never mind the quality feel the width".

What I want to buy is one good IEM (okay, probably more than one, I'm not that disciplined ).

The industry seems to want to throw ten pieces of overhyped crap at me every time I blink.

It is rare that a hype train turns out to be a real gem, they are often hidden amongst the off casts that fly under the radar. Also tending to get discounted as overstocks, to clear the shelves for the next FOTM.

So the thing that really pays off is patience. The only problem is that we want it right bloody now!

Yeah it really seems 80% of weekly CHIFI budget spam releases are sidegrades. Very few get talked about after the initial first 2 weeks of hype - a good gauge if something is legit, is if it is still recommended and talked about 3 months post-release.

I've learned this the hard way: buying many budget sidegrades actually adds up to a TOTL IEM one day, and most will end up unused in some dark drawer.

Perhaps budget CHIFI are very good for exploring various sound signatures to see what you like or dislike. But once you know what you want, it will be wise to upgrade up the ladder, and perhaps call it a day. Between MidFI to TOTL, you perhaps get 20% improvement but pay 10x more, so the sweetspot to hedge against diminishing returns is probably at the MidFI segment.

Of course there is a FOMO on new releases, and sometimes the journey is more important than the destination, so easier said than done.

 

[PROblemdetected]

Even having on the same collection the ZEN PROs, EJ07M or FH9 with some cheap stuff like Bl05s, BA10 I still enjoying some of then and teach me about "expensive is not always the best".

I recently sell my andromedas because the FA7s is better iem in all technicalities and character.

So the sub100 (and sub200) bracket got some interesting equipment to my taste.

Anyways, the hype trains and the quantity of releases makes this hobby more difficult everyday. Be careful about some youtubers and reviewers trying to sell you stuff.

 

[Carpet]

Even having on the same collection the ZEN PROs, EJ07M or FH9 with some cheap stuff like Bl05s, BA10 I still enjoying some of then and teach me about "expensive is not always the best".

I recently sell my andromedas because the FA7s is better iem in all technicalities and character.

So the sub100 (and sub200) bracket got some interesting equipment to my taste.

Anyways, the hype trains and the quantity of releases makes this hobby more difficult everyday. Be careful about some youtubers and reviewers trying to sell you stuff.

6D sound effects must be pretty amazing. I guess a 3D sound stage just isn't that impressive anymore!

 

[iFi audio]

'older' sets don't get worse they just age like fine wine

That's true, the industry has many legendary products held in high regard by users here on HF

 

[FastAndClean]

I have only one IEM now, it is damn old but gold, ER4S, love this thing

 

[harry501501]

I kinda gave up spending money on the budget chifi, sub £100 market. Apart for maybe a nicer cable or a driver that's usually only used in higher priced models, nothing improves on the older budget sets of years gone by sound wise. I bet if I bought something being hyped right now cheap, I could go into my box full of oldies and find something I bought back then at the same price or cheaper, that sounds exactly the same (or better).

I totally agree with @baskingshark that most budget chifi are side grades and that your better buying something mid tier every now and then. I prefer to buy and sell on eBay, hopefully buy something pre-owned and decent to keep me having fun in this hobby and continue enjoying music.

I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from buying budget gear btw, I'd be a hypocrite if I did, as I did my time buying a new hyped set every 3-4 weeks lol... Just look at my purchase history lol. Looking back tho, I regret buying so much so quick as I was definitely not doing it for music enjoyment. More to say I got it and could chat about it. I'd have the same playlist to test them and lucky if I got to the end of a single song at times before jumping to the next to test bass or compare mids and take notes lol.

 

[iFi audio]

I kinda gave up spending money on the budget chifi, sub £100 market. Apart for maybe a nicer cable or a driver that's usually only used in higher priced models, nothing improves on the older budget sets of years gone by sound wise. I bet if I bought something being hyped right now cheap, I could go into my box full of oldies and find something I bought back then at the same price or cheaper, that sounds exactly the same (or better).

I totally agree with @baskingshark that most budget chifi are side grades and that your better buying something mid tier every now and then. I prefer to buy and sell on eBay, hopefully buy something pre-owned and decent to keep me having fun in this hobby and continue enjoying music.

I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from buying budget gear btw, I'd be a hypocrite if I did, as I did my time buying a new hyped set every 3-4 weeks lol... Just look at my purchase history lol. Looking back tho, I regret buying so much so quick as I was definitely not doing it for music enjoyment. More to say I got it and could chat about it. I'd have the same playlist to test them and lucky if I got to the end of a single song at times before jumping to the next to test bass or compare mids and take notes lol.

Thanks, that's a very reasonable honest perspective. I think that the nature of this hobby is to get new products. Yours were budget IEMs, other folks collect big cans and someone else hoards desktop DACs. More importantly, you're past that stage now and I imagine wiser as far as audio expenses go

 

[Surf Monkey]

Consumerism forges ahead on the disenchantment of past IEMs, only to be seen at times for what it is, a game. Often new stuff is simply a variable of flavors like lemon-chocolate cake. But we believe, and that's all that matters, as it's all between the ears, literally!

The marketing methodology is highly refined at this point. I watched (and participated in) the same thing with “tactical” flashlights. A mania develops around a product segment that’s seeing rapid innovation, real or imagined. The temptation is to jump right into the middle of the feeding frenzy, but restraint is key. Wait on the fringe and see which morsels are tastiest before making a move.