[ev13wt]

Sorry to be a necromancer but I've been really occupied with things like measurements and such when I bought equipment.
I'm pretty new at this and I was planning larger and larger purchases, but I think I figured out the best way to pick audio gear.
I needed a new IEM as carrying my full sized headphones was too inconvenient.
I read, researched and looked up reviews of a bunch of possible candidates, made a short list then made my way to Minidisc in Sydney.
I tried a few IEMs and then walked away with one that I hadn't even considered (the ATH-LS70). They didn't have rave reviews and I had no idea what was their frequency response or even the impedance.
So why did I buy them?
Because when I put them on, it made me smile.

Original beat by dre also made a lot of people smile.

But I know what you are saying.

 

[gazzington]

Thing is those beats 2 are fun but only if you get them for a low price. Obviously hd800s make me smile more but for hip hop I prob do prefer beats, noontec or monster DNA.

 

[Killcomic]

Original beat by dre also made a lot of people smile.

But I know what you are saying.

But really, people listen to music to enjoy music, not to impress audiophiles.
To be honest, if Beats made me smile, I would've bought them.... unfortunately they make me face palm.

 

[Redcarmoose]

A huge part of this hobby is going back and hearing old 1970s Classic Rock which was what everyone was into. The party rock stuff like Led Zeppelin or Judas Priest is great to listen to today, especially if you have new gear that shows more detail. It's hearing songs you may have known for 30 years but better gear may show little extras, like multi guitar tracks or room echo on the drums.

Somehow there is simply something special about it like needing glasses then getting glasses, then seeing a painting you know and love in better detail than before. It's actually slightly more pretty.


This maybe goes against the theme of the thread? But this always remains a true and lasting audiophile concept. As our ears start to loose the high frequency hearing, you simply replace it with better gear.

 

[dysonapr]

I learned a valuable lesson in 1975. A friend played Stanley Clarke's "School Days" on his father's QUAD + Thorens system (very high-end then). It sounded glorious. I bought the record and played it on the system I could afford at the time. It did not sound remotely as good.

Do not listen to (or even look at) gear you cannot afford, or objectively justify to yourself even if you can. In this context, ignorance really is bliss.

 

[Killcomic]

I learned a valuable lesson in 1975. A friend played Stanley Clarke's "School Days" on his father's QUAD + Thorens system (very high-end then). It sounded glorious. I bought the record and played it on the system I could afford at the time. It did not sound remotely as good.

Do not listen to (or even look at) gear you cannot afford, or objectively justify to yourself even if you can. In this context, ignorance really is bliss.

This holds true today, but I think this is more relevant to things like headphones and speakers.
I'm in the mind that even cheap sources these days will provide you with perfectly faithful sound reproduction.

 

[MisterMudd]

This holds true today, but I think this is more relevant to things like headphones and speakers.
I'm in the mind that even cheap sources these days will provide you with perfectly faithful sound reproduction.

Regarding cheap sources I could not agree more. My Benjie K9 has awesome mids, which I can't pull out of my other daps. That said, it still has a very balanced sound to it.

 

[bigshot]

Usually, the main reason to buy one DAP or DAC or amp over another is features.

 

[Killcomic]

Usually, the main reason to buy one DAP or DAC or amp over another is features.

Or if you like the way it colours the sound.
My Fiio x1 2nd gen colours the sound when in headphone mode by upping the mid/low bass. When in line out mode, it sounds perfectly flat and just like any other sorce.
I'm starting to believe cheap DAPs colour the sound to make cheap IEMs sound better.

 

[bigshot]

The DAP isn't coloring the sound. You're just getting a different impedance. The DAP is putting out the same sound, it just interacts with the headphones differently. With line out all DAPs should sound the same.

 

[JaeYoon]

The DAP isn't coloring the sound. You're just getting a different impedance. The DAP is putting out the same sound, it just interacts with the headphones differently. With line out all DAPs should sound the same.

It makes really just funny how people shell out money for daps in $1000 to $3000+ range from ibasso to sony to A&K, etc

 

[Killcomic]

The DAP isn't coloring the sound. You're just getting a different impedance. The DAP is putting out the same sound, it just interacts with the headphones differently. With line out all DAPs should sound the same.

So you have to get matching headphones to ensure the sound is transparent?
Just when I things got simpler, it just gets trickier!
It appears that to enjoy this hobby you need a degree in electrical engineering.

 

[JaeYoon]

So you have to get matching headphones to ensure the sound is transparent?
Just when I things got simpler, it just gets trickier!
It appears that to enjoy this hobby you need a degree in electrical engineering.

The bonus is if you got one though. You can avoid most audiophile products.

You can pick non-expensive but perfectly fine audio equipment and save a lot of money compared to others on this site.

Well you don't need an EE degree. Just some looking around and looking up terms and articles and this part of the site

 

[Killcomic]

The bonus is if you got one though. You can avoid most audiophile products.

You can pick non-expensive but perfectly fine audio equipment and save a lot of money compared to others on this site.

Well you don't need an EE degree. Just some looking around and looking up terms and articles and this part of the site

Don't get me wrong, I've learned a lot from hanging around here but it always seems like there's another rabbit hole I've missed.
I feel that my X1ii and my LS70 work pretty well together, shame about the lag though.

 

[71 dB]

It appears that to enjoy this hobby you need a degree in electrical engineering.

Degree in electric engineering helps. At least I feel that way myself.