This is my hobby and whenever I get bored I check used headphones selling forum and source selling forum. I know I have financial constraint to further upgrade. However, whenever I see a good deal I keep get urge to upgrade and try out new things. Its very ambivalent. Rationally I want to stop but emotionally I get urge for better gears. Its like addiction I guess. If anyone went through similar experience or phase and successfully got out of this let me know. I would appreciate some tips.
How do you guys stop wanting to upgrade?
- Thread starter mrjaybird
- Start date
The only way is to completely give-up on participating in forums like this 
Sebasistan
100+ Head-Fier
The only way is to completely give-up on participating in forums like this
This has a lot to do with it I think.
If you stick around here and keep reading experiences from people about gear you don't have - but gear you could have if you bought it since it's within range of your disposable income? That's dangerous and will keep you getting new stuff all the time. Especially once you fall into a chifi rabbit hole. Before you know it you're buying a new set of sub-$100 IEMs from Aliexpress once a month - and cables. And ear tips. And storage. And then you get an item that doesn't QUITE work with your gear, be it lack of synergy or power, then you read about how other people really like that item that doesn't work with your gear and you start investigating what could work better with it, then you start researching new DAPs, maybe a DAC, then a new, hot chi-fi IEM comes out, rinse, repeat...
Audiophilia is a cargo cult. Once it has its claws in you... You better quit the forum since, you know, after a while if you don't buy new gear, you have nothing really new to say. Oh hey I really liked these cans I bought a month ago. I mean I still like them. Hey guys, guess who's STILL really liking those cans I got a year ago?
I wouldn't say the only winning move is not to play.
Hobbies are hobbies, and how much you spend on it ultimately depend on you and what you want to spend.
But unless you approach this whole thing in a very utilitarian way ("I want something that sounds good and plays all my music"), it can just draw you in.
I guess it is a bit comparable to sneaker collecting as a hobby. You can approach it in a utilitarian way ("I need a pair of cool shoes"), or you can get serious and start hunting down like, uh, idk, old Jordans or OG Osiris, or whatnot and slide into the slightly cargo-cult-ish aspect where you no longer buy things to do things with them, but you buy things to buy things (and I guess to talk about them...).
There’s a 12 Step Program that may help you with your addiction. All you need to do to join is to admit you‘re an audiophile addict and introduce yourself thus : “Hi, my name is mrjaybird and I’m an audiophile”.
UntilThen
Headphoneus Supremus
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You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave
But you can never leave
Jones Bob
1000+ Head-Fier
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When you get so low on cash, you can’t even afford Top Ramen.
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Sebasistan
100+ Head-Fier
Just boil the stock cables. Good source of iron.
TheKDreamer
New Head-Fier
Here is a solution.
Win the Powerball Lottery - the current jackpot is 149 million USD.
I'm pretty sure that will be enough to satisfy most people's audible needs... most people...
Other than that, normal people just set a budget, and try to keep to that budget.
Win the Powerball Lottery - the current jackpot is 149 million USD.
I'm pretty sure that will be enough to satisfy most people's audible needs... most people...
Other than that, normal people just set a budget, and try to keep to that budget.
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It is just like this with any hobby....you just can’t stop unless you quit
ProtegeManiac
Headphoneus Supremus
Wanting to listen to music than improving minor details in how that same music is reproduced.
Same way I still have my X100, and only got an X-T10 because UWA manual lenses made UWA photography relatively cheap (and I got the X-T10 NOS a year after the X-T20 came out).
I'm typing this on a Skylake-Pascal rig and I've only just got the real jones to get a new computer with Zen3 and Ampere or Navi (or used 9700K and Turing) just to finally wring out 70fps on a 1440p display (only has 75hz since I got it primarily for photo editing, but at least I can get rid of stuttering on Total War: Three Kingdoms). These past two years I spent more on mice thanks to the switches breaking.
I'm also still using a King Deluxe 1200 and Suehiro Rika 5000. Haven't had the jones to get Cerax stones, not seriously anyway. Not to mention the King does a better job of contributing to a kasumi finish on my knives a heck of a lot better than the high polish off a Cerax 1000 (or hell, a Chosera 1000).
Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
The door in (music) is the same door out.
I haven't purchased anything new in almost 2 years. I've checked out. I'm done. Last new thing I purchased was the IER-Z1R in February 2019. People argue with me about it. You know the whole story about the baby crabs pulling the other small baby crabs back into the jar as they are trying to escape too, and don't want to see anyone free. The crabs below hate to envision anyone free. They grab their buddies by the leg just as they make it out and prevent them from reaching total freedom.
That concept in itself is human nature. So beware of people not helping you.
To get out you must consider simply one single thing.
1. Contentment of playback.
The really crazy thing is when you see people buying the same stuff over and over. That or actually going backwards. The thing you have to realize is the humans mind's ability to derive pleasure with contrasts. An ice-cream on a hot summer day is the poetic definition of contrast. People go from detailed to warm to cold signatures and think they are moving forward, when in reality they are moving in circles. I'm not arguing the technology not moving forward.....it is moving forward. Look at IEMs from 10 years ago. Look at DAPs from 10 years ago. Still who cares?
It's about knowing your signature and finding something that is exciting enough and fun enough that you can forget about equipment. Everyone likes new toys. If you were raised in the Western World you are programed since 4 years old to accept and be moved by the endorphin reflex of new gear. Your endorphin reflex could be from women, or gambling or buying property or cars. It really doesn't matter what you get. The way to win is to know when you have purchased enough. A member needs to know when they have enough gear. I've been lucky to get cool stuff in the mail for free, but I never asked for it? I may relapse into another buying curve but I'm really questioning why I would? The makers have planned the viewpoint of stuff getting obsolete. The makers are also the crabs pulling you back in. The makers have stuff planned for a year from now, yet they make it seem all like cutting edge advancements. If you try and call them on the BS they ask "Are you an engineer?" lol
I don't need to be an engineer, I'm a chronic consumer.
2. Music is the key.
Music and the exciting payback was the key that got you started here and it's also the door out. That door leads to a sunset where you seriously don't care. A place where you can view others as the total idiots they are. Have you ever seen the mice on cocaine pulling the lever to get more cocaine 1000-2000-10,000 times before falling to their death from exhaustion? That's Head-Fi.
I haven't purchased anything new in almost 2 years. I've checked out. I'm done. Last new thing I purchased was the IER-Z1R in February 2019. People argue with me about it. You know the whole story about the baby crabs pulling the other small baby crabs back into the jar as they are trying to escape too, and don't want to see anyone free. The crabs below hate to envision anyone free. They grab their buddies by the leg just as they make it out and prevent them from reaching total freedom.
That concept in itself is human nature. So beware of people not helping you.
To get out you must consider simply one single thing.
1. Contentment of playback.
The really crazy thing is when you see people buying the same stuff over and over. That or actually going backwards. The thing you have to realize is the humans mind's ability to derive pleasure with contrasts. An ice-cream on a hot summer day is the poetic definition of contrast. People go from detailed to warm to cold signatures and think they are moving forward, when in reality they are moving in circles. I'm not arguing the technology not moving forward.....it is moving forward. Look at IEMs from 10 years ago. Look at DAPs from 10 years ago. Still who cares?
It's about knowing your signature and finding something that is exciting enough and fun enough that you can forget about equipment. Everyone likes new toys. If you were raised in the Western World you are programed since 4 years old to accept and be moved by the endorphin reflex of new gear. Your endorphin reflex could be from women, or gambling or buying property or cars. It really doesn't matter what you get. The way to win is to know when you have purchased enough. A member needs to know when they have enough gear. I've been lucky to get cool stuff in the mail for free, but I never asked for it? I may relapse into another buying curve but I'm really questioning why I would? The makers have planned the viewpoint of stuff getting obsolete. The makers are also the crabs pulling you back in. The makers have stuff planned for a year from now, yet they make it seem all like cutting edge advancements. If you try and call them on the BS they ask "Are you an engineer?" lol
I don't need to be an engineer, I'm a chronic consumer.
2. Music is the key.
Music and the exciting payback was the key that got you started here and it's also the door out. That door leads to a sunset where you seriously don't care. A place where you can view others as the total idiots they are. Have you ever seen the mice on cocaine pulling the lever to get more cocaine 1000-2000-10,000 times before falling to their death from exhaustion? That's Head-Fi.
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UntilThen
Headphoneus Supremus
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This is how I got into Head-Fi. My son brought this home one day many years ago. I was real curious that it had one tiny tube. Prior to that, I've not heard of Head-Fi. So that's the start of my journey with tube amps, solid state amps, headphones, dacs, etc.
Moral of the story is never be enticed by a small tiny cute amp with a little tube.
Moral of the story is never be enticed by a small tiny cute amp with a little tube.
fractus2
Headphoneus Supremus
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I've found that with any hobby, setting a time limit always helps guard against impulse buying and buyer's remorse. e.g. 1 month. As soon a the new shiny object grabs your attention, you have to wait 1 month before you even think about buying it. More times than not, when the times up so is the interest.
Stereo Skunk
Previously known as bledwhite409
Yea. I don't even care about sound anymore. I just pick ones I think look good, match and are comfortable. Let my ears adapt to whatever crap comes out of it. LOL
And yes, focus on finding new music and collecting the good stuff.
And yes, focus on finding new music and collecting the good stuff.
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