[wingtsun]

I came into this hobby 20 years ago and spent many an hour on this site chatting about equipment. In 2009 our son came along and my priorities changed and so I took a break from everything for nearly a decade, although I still ran a nice speaker system.

Forward wind to 2021 and lockdown and I decided to have a play again. I admit that I'm a miniature junkie and love everything compact and small, probably due to spending 20 years travelling around the world and the need to keep things lightweight and small. I've also been known as an equipment junkie and love the latest and greatest. Anyways, I digress. A few weeks ago, as I returned to the hobby, I mused on past mistakes. Before my son arrived I remember becoming turned off by the hobby. Why? I wasn't enjoying listening to the music anymore. I'd become so obsessed with equipment and cables that I sat for hours and hours listening to the same few CDs that I knew back to front, analysing any small improvement a given piece of equipment or cable gave me. The problem was, there was no end to it. No sooner had one upgrade improved my system it was time to sell it and buy another and then listen to the same CDs over and over and over..

I had amps and DACs from HeadRoom, Ray Samuels, Rudistor, LaRocco and goodness knows who else. A Naim CD3.5 supplied the transport and eventually ended with my trusty HD650s. I had Genelec monitor speakers hooked up and I must admit that for casual listening I preferred the speakers. Over the years I sold the Naim and and all the amps/DACs, keeping only one of each.. the HeadRoom Ultra Micro DAC and amp and I still have that combo today.

So what turned me off the hobby, I thought, before starting again? Well, I came to it to get a better "listening" experience. What I ended up with was an obsessive "analysing" experience. So this time I decided to not repeat those same mistakes. I prefer speakers so I went with speakers, although I've kept my highly modified Grado SR80is and do use them when my son is in bed. I enjoy the sound of some Bose speakers and they do produce some very compact units which I like so I bought a set of demo Music Monitors. I answered a FB marketplace ad for an Arcam Alpha 7SE for £20 which is a stellar CD transport for any money, let alone 20 quid. The HeadRoom Ultra Micro DAC/Amp keep the signal the way I like it and now I've introduced a Schiit Loki to help me just micro-manage the sound signal.

Cables.. oh my word.. the time and money I wasted on cables.. COPPER! PURE COPPER! That's what I enjoy! It feels so good to be free of the never-ending cable facade! I already know what I like and what works so lets not screw around with those anymore. I have some great cables from a UK supplier known as UK-CBE. I've had one of his coaxial cables in my system for 15 years and it sounds brilliant and cost £25 for a 1.5m cable. So, when I needed a 0.5m 3.5mm to 3.5mm, two x 3.5mm to dual RCA and a 0.5mm coaxial I knew exactly where to go and all done for under £100.

Now I do still spend silly money on this hobby but what do I now spend it on? CDs!! Lots of great music! Why? There's no need to keep buying the latest and greatest. I already know what my ears like and the system I have now addresses that beautifully. It's not expensive, slightly out of date, detailed but not overly but damn, it sounds good and I love my music!

So which camp do you fall into? Do you love listening to your music or are you still in "analyse" mode? If the latter, be careful. Both "burn out" and "burn in" are true in this hobby. Stay safe all!!

 

[bagwell359]

I actually have done both things in series for over 30 years.

Basically, at some point I want to get the best audio (to me, who else?) I can get for a general price range. For that you need to listen to new equipment (in system), check the press, check your audio friends/sites for ideas.

When you finally seem to be at a point of diminishing returns, but still putting out resources (time/money) is the time to stop. Stop reading, discussing, endless analysis. Enjoy it.

Using that ying/yang method I've had systems that I enjoyed for decades with few changes, little dissatisfaction. If it wasn't for my need to get into headphones in 2015, I'd still be running the same amp (for 19 years), pre-amp (16), speakers (15), TT/tone-arm (25), cables (25), tube traps (26) - with no issues other than downsizing forcing the change.

You can have your cake and eat it too. Takes patience, money, time, and will power.

As for right now, happy with my source: TIDAL/UAPP/LG v40, dac: Gumby 1, amp: Rag 1, amp: BHC, cans: HE-500, Senn 600. If I had the ready cash I'd buy the Susvara (open box ~$3800) and E2 (used mint $1350) , HE5-LE, 4XX, FH500RP. Open box Susvara ($3800), used mint E2 ($1350). If I sell all that stuff I can have the E2 with loose change added. Hmmm. I really like the 6sev1, but not the staging - E2 covers that. Susvara wipes out the HEX v2. 500 and 600 never sell those. Like to get an 800S on to the BHC to see if its worth it - probably not.

 

[peskypesky]

I love music and immerse myself in it all day long, every day.

I rarely analyze. I'm totally happy with my set-up. I listen to AAC and mp3 files. Or Spotify. I use my laptop or one of my inexpensive DAPS. I listen on headphones (Takstar Pro 82), IEM's or my Klipsch ProMedia speakers. I have no expensive gear, but what I do have sounds great.

I honestly have zero desire for gear. I just love listening to music.

 

[wingtsun]

I love music and immerse myself in it all day long, every day.

I rarely analyze. I'm totally happy with my set-up. I listen to AAC and mp3 files. Or Spotify. I use my laptop or one of my inexpensive DAPS. I listen on headphones (Takstar Pro 82), IEM's or my Klipsch ProMedia speakers. I have no expensive gear, but what I do have sounds great.

I honestly have zero desire for gear. I just love listening to music.

Brilliant! Love seeing you're using a CMOY! Haven't seen those mentioned in a while. Remember making one many moons ago!

 

[bagwell359]

I love music and immerse myself in it all day long, every day.

I rarely analyze. I'm totally happy with my set-up. I listen to AAC and mp3 files. Or Spotify. I use my laptop or one of my inexpensive DAPS. I listen on headphones (Takstar Pro 82), IEM's or my Klipsch ProMedia speakers. I have no expensive gear, but what I do have sounds great.

I honestly have zero desire for gear. I just love listening to music.

Of course this is THE best method, but the worms they got into my brain, so in order to satiate them, I do my method.

Very admirable and impressive -because its so dao.

 

[Sefelt103]

I switch from one to the other. I imagine people with HD800/S, DT1990s, Focal Utopias etc. listening to recordings and experiencing a lower level of music enjoyment. Not always because the recording is bad either. Sometimes I want more analysis other times more enjoyment but the two are intertwined. It’s curiosity about headphones, DACs, amplifiers and the elimination of distortion that fights with Apple Music out of an iPad’s headphone out.

 

[Mink]

I always listen to music first, but it is inevitable that I start listening more analytical when I get a new pair of headphones. Whether I like it or not, I start comparing to other pairs I own.
The solution would be to never buy another pair again, but I have a materialistic side as well, I like the get new things every now and then.
Good headphones aren't that expensive. Anything around 300 USD is a likely candidate for me.
And there is this thing "flavor", that different tuning and tonal balance. True, music comes first, but good sound in itself is addictive as well. Good sound in my book doesn't mean reference sound. A muddy sound, with fat bass and thick low mids can be very pleasing and can sound good. Details are overrated.

 

[wingtsun]

I always listen to music first, but it is inevitable that I start listening more analytical when I get a new pair of headphones. Whether I like it or not, I start comparing to other pairs I own.
The solution would be to never buy another pair again, but I have a materialistic side as well, I like the get new things every now and then.
Good headphones aren't that expensive. Anything around 300 USD is a likely candidate for me.
And there is this thing "flavor", that different tuning and tonal balance. True, music comes first, but good sound in itself is addictive as well. Good sound in my book doesn't mean reference sound. A muddy sound, with fat bass and thick low mids can be very pleasing and can sound good. Details are overrated.

Agreed. Reference music is overrated. I disagree with those who say your equipment should simply transfer an exact copy of what was recorded in the studio. Why? Sometimes what was recorded in the studio wasn't great quality-wise and in order to enjoy it it needs help. Plus.. music is about enjoyment/entertainment. If music presented a certain way does not entertain me but does when slightly "coloured" then so be it.

Like you, though, I still like to play and that means the odd purchase and trial. I've just popped a Shiit Loki into my system and am enjoying playing with it. What I've personally stopped doing is continually changing out my systems. I have a good handle on what I like and what I "need" in my system. The only thing I'm considering is another set of Genelecs. I enjoyed my last set and whilst they're very neutral monitor speakers the Loki will allow me to colour them a bit and I'm very curious how that might work out.

 

[FullBright1]

I analyze headphones using music when i first buy headphones.

If im Mastering music for a client, then i analyze more then enjoy.

If im writing music and finish, then record, i listen......but once i mix, i analyze.

If im just enjoying new music, then i just enjoy it, and typically the headphones i enjoy the most tend to analyze it, so....its both.