[courierdriver]

wow thanks bro, my wallet really thank you... , this hobby is really expensive if you are not smart

You are welcome! And you are correct...this hobby can become very expensive and addictive if you are not careful. It can also make you leave it, like I did for several years. Happily, I've been back for a couple of years now and I like how many less expensive options are now available. Not only that, but they sound far better than what was available 10 or 15 years ago, and for considerably less money. One thing that I've learned though; is that audiophiles are fickle and always looking for that next best thing that they want to upgrade to. Often, they want to finance their next new purchase by selling the recently purchased stuff that they don't like. That's good news for many of us who can't afford or justify the brand new in box pricetag.

 

[alamnp]

Yep +1 for getting second hand gear. I managed to snag a few midfi IEMs over the last few years, sometimes at 20 - 50% of the original price at a local classified ads. I also do sell away unused stuff that I bought, at a loss, it's part of the hobby (and also cause the eagle eyed wife will give trouble if my table has too many IEMs, so unfortunately some must go before more can come in). The only exception is I don't sell review units though, I don't think it is ethical, I'll send the expensive loaner ones back to the store, but cheap ones that are even more expensive to send back to china (than their cost), I'll give to charity or friends who need an IEM.

I know people are wary in this covid climate about using used gear, but just disinfect them with alcohol wipes. The only issues I have encountered with 2nd hand gear is in two areas:
1) How to disinfected headphone pads? I have to resort to buying brand new pads. Anybody have any good tips?
2) The need to reshell customs -> quite a pain sometimes, need to send to a reliable place to reshell, which does add to costs.

lol baskingshark, I think my wife should meet your wife...

I guess all of us here are pretty similar... eagle eyed wife... make that two lol

 

[baskingshark]

lol baskingshark, I think my wife should meet your wife...

I guess all of us here are pretty similar... eagle eyed wife... make that two lol

I have had to resort to not buying headphones anymore. Cause headphones are too obvious for the eagle eyed wife when the package comes in the mail. And also extremely obvious when using it at home.

IEMs are the way to go. Smaller and more inconspicuous. KZs all look the same to her. Just get black and silver conventional coloured IEMs, don't get some obviously wrong coloured IEMs like the radioactive green BLON BL-05S, that one she also realized it was a new IEM.




I took the Oppoty opportunity to try to disguise the BLON BL-05S (top picture) as the preexisting Moondrop SSR (bottom picture), (since both came in a garish radioactive green colour). Unfortunately, no dice. The Moondrop anime waifu box wasn’t present and it was just a lame mispelling of Oppoty and Belief on the box that let the cat out of the bag.

Pro tip to get past eagle eyed partners: stick to black or silver coloured IEMs.

 

[courierdriver]

Yep +1 for getting second hand gear. I managed to snag a few midfi IEMs over the last few years, sometimes at 20 - 50% of the original price at a local classified ads. I also do sell away unused stuff that I bought, at a loss, it's part of the hobby (and also cause the eagle eyed wife will give trouble if my table has too many IEMs, so unfortunately some must go before more can come in). The only exception is I don't sell review units though, I don't think it is ethical, I'll send the expensive loaner ones back to the store, but cheap ones that are even more expensive to send back to china (than their cost), I'll give to charity or friends who need an IEM.

I know people are wary in this covid climate about using used gear, but just disinfect them with alcohol wipes. The only issues I have encountered with 2nd hand gear is in two areas:
1) How to disinfected headphone pads? I have to resort to buying brand new pads. Anybody have any good tips?
2) The need to reshell customs -> quite a pain sometimes, need to send to a reliable place to reshell, which does add to costs.

+1 for alcohol wipes! I use them on everything I buy, whether it's new or used. As for headphone pads...sorry, I don't have an answer for that; other than a full replacement. Personally, if I was selling a set of headphones; I'd include a pair of unused replacement pads in unsealed packaging. That way, the buyer could be confident that the headphones had something uncontaminated to use with their new/used purchase.

 

[baskingshark]

It is really getting ridiculous. The CCA CS16 just came out recently (and probably most folks haven't even gotten the CS16 that they ordered), and now a new CCA pokemon has come:

Link here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIkpHv1p6ec/

Looks to be a 1DD + 6BA set called the CCA CKX. Another silly alphabet soup. Another pokemon. Another beta test unit?

 

[unifutomaki]

It is really getting ridiculous. The CCA CS16 just came out recently (and probably most folks haven't even gotten the CS16 that they ordered), and now a new CCA pokemon has come:




Link here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIkpHv1p6ec/

Looks to be a 1DD + 6BA set called the CCA CKX. Another silly alphabet soup. Another pokemon. Another beta test unit?

Wait a minute, are there in fact two new models coming out (top and bottom pictures look different)? Goodness.

 

[Nimweth]

It is really getting ridiculous. The CCA CS16 just came out recently (and probably most folks haven't even gotten the CS16 that they ordered), and now a new CCA pokemon has come:




Link here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIkpHv1p6ec/

Looks to be a 1DD + 6BA set called the CCA CKX. Another silly alphabet soup. Another pokemon. Another beta test unit?

I think KZ/CCA IEMs are evolving into new Pokemon!

 

[Nimweth]

Wait a minute, are there in fact two new models coming out (top and bottom pictures look different)? Goodness.

Well spotted. Perhaps the CKX is CCA's version of the ZAX.

 

[MacAttack7]

What does it mean if I hear a lot of static when plugging my ASF's into the port on my cheap Creative desktop speakers?
I don't think there is any hiss when using with my iPod, so it's specific to the speakers.....they have a little headphone port on them.

 

[gr33nhorn]

is the static still there when you plug it directly to the motherboard (or whatever source the creative is hooked to)?

generally for cheap pc speakers, the headphone jack is driven by the speaker amp circuit - which tends to be have very poor signal/noise

 

[MacAttack7]

is the static still there when you plug it directly to the motherboard (or whatever source the creative is hooked to)?

generally for cheap pc speakers, the headphone jack is driven by the speaker amp circuit - which tends to be have very poor signal/noise

If I plug directly into my tower the static is gone, so I guess it just has something to do with the speaker amp circuit as you mentioned.
I've seen similar desktop speakers dismantled, and they do not scream quality.

 

[macky112]

Hi all,

I am looking for a budget bass monster IEM, and the closest one I have would be the KZ ZS7.

My question is, has anyone here heard both the ZS7 and the Smabat Black Bat or its clone, Tiandirenhe TD06, to give me a comparison?

Thanks in advance!

 

[gr33nhorn]

in my opinion, the ZS7 is a "extremely bassy" headphone which otherwise meets other audiophile standards for resolution, frequency response etc.
It is not a head massaging "bass at all costs monster". That in my book is the humble sony XB50. I have purchased every sub $100 IEM that was awarded the Basshead crown for the past several months (ibasso IT00, KZ ZS7, Blon03(!), NiceHCK EP10, Y5000, TFZ no3.... longer list, but should give you some ideas) and not a single one of them (well except maybe the EP10) comes close to the XB50 with or without EQ.

 

[IEMusic]

That in my book is the humble sony XB50. I have purchased every sub $100 IEM that was awarded the Basshead crown for the past several months (ibasso IT00, KZ ZS7, Blon03(!), NiceHCK EP10, Y5000, TFZ no3.... longer list, but should give you some ideas) and not a single one of them (well except maybe the EP10) comes close to the XB50 with or without EQ.

This IEM? https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRXB50AP-Extra-Earbud-Headset/dp/B00JRD13T8

 

[moondowner]

I have had to resort to not buying headphones anymore. Cause headphones are too obvious for the eagle eyed wife when the package comes in the mail. And also extremely obvious when using it at home.

IEMs are the way to go. Smaller and more inconspicuous. KZs all look the same to her. Just get black and silver conventional coloured IEMs, don't get some obviously wrong coloured IEMs like the radioactive green BLON BL-05S, that one she also realized it was a new IEM.




I took the Oppoty opportunity to try to disguise the BLON BL-05S (top picture) as the preexisting Moondrop SSR (bottom picture), (since both came in a garish radioactive green colour). Unfortunately, no dice. The Moondrop anime waifu box wasn’t present and it was just a lame mispelling of Oppoty and Belief on the box that let the cat out of the bag.

Pro tip to get past eagle eyed partners: stick to black or silver coloured IEMs.

Why go through all this when there's an easier solution. Agree for both of you to have an X amount per month to spend on whatever desired. I call it the random budget.

So I spend it on gear from AliExpress, my partner on cosmetics, nail salons and related.

Win - win