[koiloco]

Quote:

 
I had no clue what you were talking about so I had to look it up. Ran into this: http://www.koi.jpn.com/index.php/koi-for-sale/all-koi
 
Please tell me there is something wrong with those prices. 

Zoom25,  Your eyes are not playing tricks with you.  While I am not that insane or could afford some of those you see, the cheapest one I bought 4, 5 years ago when it was around 18" or so was $2k.  Forward that price 5 years, add another 14" in length, you could imagine the current price.  So after all, head-fiers are not that crazy in my eyes when it comes to HPs, amps and exotic cables.  I am well prepared. 

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

Zoom25,  Your eyes are not playing tricks with you.  While I am not that insane or could afford some of those you see, the cheapest one I bought 4, 5 years ago when it was around 18" or so was $2k.  Forward that price 5 years, add another 14" in length, you could imagine the current price.  So after all, head-fiers are not that crazy in my eyes when it comes to HPs, amps and exotic cables.  I am well prepared. 

 
Yup, gotcha. You can probably get a Stax out of that koi.

 

[elwappo99]

Quote:

 
Head-fi is in a similar state as well. Summit-fi is still okay, but rest of the threads on the normal headphone thread are quite similar to that subreddit.

 
Yea.... unfortunately so

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Zoom25,  Your eyes are not playing tricks with you.  While I am not that insane or could afford some of those you see, the cheapest one I bought 4, 5 years ago when it was around 18" or so was $2k.  Forward that price 5 years, add another 14" in length, you could imagine the current price.  So after all, head-fiers are not that crazy in my eyes when it comes to HPs, amps and exotic cables.  I am well prepared. 

Wow, that's a lot of money being thrown at scale pigment randomization of fish.
 
Do koi enthusiasts breed their koi and hope for the best? Or do they just grow them?

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

Wow, that's a lot of money being thrown at scale pigment randomization of fish.
 
Do koi enthusiasts breed their koi and hope for the best? Or do they just grow them?

 
Koiloco knows best, but from what I read, getting a "good" pattern that fetches over $1k typically have a rarity of 1 in 5000. I don't see how majority of the koi enthusiasts are going to be raising 5000 of them to get one desirable fish. I'd probably expect this to be more industrialized.

 

[koiloco]

Quote:

Wow, that's a lot of money being thrown at scale pigment randomization of fish.
 
Do koi enthusiasts breed their koi and hope for the best? Or do they just grow them?

@jerg, 
Here in the US, enthusiasts, just like with any other hobbies, try to experience the entire process but most like myself will change direction once realizing the odd.  Here is an example. 10 years ago, I would buy 10 baby kois of good quality @ $200 each (10 - 12") of the type I am interested in and grow them.  Out of those 10, because of sickness, change in pattern/body shape during growth ..., I would be lucky to end up with 1 or 2 at the end of a 2, 3 years grow out that I would consider keeping.  The time, effort and cost are all against me in this scenario.  Therefore, later in the hobby, I would invest in older, more mature(pattern, body...) kois that of course cost at least 10x but it's a safer route.  Breeding koi is an entire different art/skill set that I myself would not dare to venture into because of associated risks/expenses.  Some will do it just for the experience but not for expected return.  I can safely say that koi enthusiasts in other parts of the world follow a similar patterns.  Japan remains not the only one, but the best place/source for super high quality koi and growing environment.  I have friends who went to Japan, bought kois and keep them over there in mud pond for couple years to grow before bringing them back to the US.  I can spend days telling you about this hobby and barely scratch the surface.  It's a fascinating, crazy hobby.  I will leave it as that.

 

[koiloco]

Quote:

 
Koiloco knows best, but from what I read, getting a "good" pattern that fetches over $1k typically have a rarity of 1 in 5000. I don't see how majority of the koi enthusiasts are going to be raising 5000 of them to get one desirable fish. I'd probably expect this to be more industrialized.

koi culling is done at different stages starting not long after hatching depending on the types.  Single color ones don't go through much culling but pattern/multi color ones go through very heavy selection.  Part of the reason why they are expensive.

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

koi culling is done at different stages starting not long after hatching depending on the types.  Single color ones don't go through much culling but pattern/multi color ones go through very heavy selection.  Part of the reason why they are expensive.

 
lol Summit-fi koi fishes. 

 

[michbest]

Ohhh my god! I never thought I'm gonna hear music like that from the headphones!
 
 

 

[modulor]

Quote:

Ohhh my god! I never thought I'm gonna hear music like that from the headphones!
 
 

Very nice picture - perfect for a cellphone background 

 

[koiloco]

Quote:

Ohhh my god! I never thought I'm gonna hear music like that from the headphones!
 
 

Gratz,  like many of us, you will enjoy the HE500 tremendously.  I know I have and will for a long time.  I think Hifiman has hit the perfect perfomance/price balance here and some more.
What amp are you running the HE500 from, btw?

 

[michbest]

I have hifiman Ef-5. I tried few other high quality amps but with ef-5 they sound so life like and rich. Beyerdynamic A1 was good pair with he500 also. Punchier bass and soundstage had more distance from the lisner so some may like that better. Ef-5 convinced me with fuller sound. Its a really good amp.

 

[hifimanrookie]

I have hifiman Ef-5. I tried few other high quality amps but with ef-5 they sound so life like and rich. Beyerdynamic A1 was good pair with he500 also. Punchier bass and soundstage had more distance from the lisner so some may like that better. Ef-5 convinced me with fuller sound. Its a really good amp.

I agree with u that the ef5 is a very good amp forthe he500... I was also thinking bout buying one to replace my humble matrix mstage last year..but i went a different path in the end... Still..very good amp for the money..and U can tune ur sound a bit by changing the opamp and thetube!!. . its worth considering for a he300/400 and 500. For the he6 u can better choose for the ef6.
But most of all its very affordable and the built quality is very good and exotic (two cases). That will look sexy on ur audio table.

 

[tuna47]

I love the 500 and use a lyr with great tubes sounds unbelievable I also have the odac but might try. Bifrost in the future I understand that not much difference using USB

 

[koiloco]

any current HE500 owners here happens to have a mad dog or paradox?  I would like to hear your impression and experience.
I am entertaining the idea of getting a closed ortho pair.  I've been reading other threads but want to hear from people who still own their HE500.