[Phalangees]

  Dunno, believe what you want to, but I don't think digital EQ will make music less transparent...

 

  I believe that it's possible, but I have no idea if it does or not. I usually use a flat EQ with headphones, but I definitely do a custom EQ for all my speakers.

 
My point isn't one of transparency, it's just that the original PCM bit stream is changed. The 0's and 1's that are on the CD and manipulated by a digital equalizer. For better or for worse is up to the individual listener. It's just been my impression from lurking here that Head-Fi doesn't like losing bits, so I tried to follow suit. Ultimately, I enjoy using an EQ, so I've started using one again. It sounds better to me, so I'm going to do it.

 

[p a t r i c k]

  I then obtained my first "nice" earphones, the Shure E2Cs. It was an incredible experience unlike any, and I will never forget it. It was like adding an entire new dimension to the music I had already grown to love. It's cliche, but I got to hear all of my music "for the first time" again! It was fantastic.
 
Since then, I've been trying to recreate that moment, with no success. The amount I spend on hifi equipment (HE-400, Schiit Magni/Modi, etc.) continues to rise, and yet I can't seem to hit that nirvana I experienced with the first listen through those now-defunct E2Cs.

 
I think that a big part of what you are experiencing is simply that Hi Fi is not really about listening to music. It is a consumerist exercise. The way it works is the Hi Fi industry and its advocates (mostly so-called "reviewers") convince you that you will only be happy if you buy more of the expensive equipment. However once you actually have the new equipment the work begins to get you to buy even more expensive equipment to replace that.
 
All of this consumerist activity is a huge distraction from actually listening to music. The consumerist thing is based on anxiety, that what you have is not good enough. It is very destructive to the enjoyment of music.
 
I am not above this myself. I have a range of headphones, more than I need, for example.
 
The cure is to try to avoid the publications of the Hi Fi industry. Also keep away from blogs etc. Get into online discussions about music, not equipment. Here at Head-Fi this music forum is the best one. So come here and avoid the others. Really avoid the Hi Fi "upgrade" thing where you buy a new "upgrade" every few months. This is a killer to actually listening to and enjoying music.

 

[Skooter]

@nipenthe-

I didn't find your story depressing but in some ways a nice story of battling life and succeeding.

Ian had some great advice - the exciting part of listening to music is exploring and discovering. Don't confuse that with other factors like equipment, substances, hearing range, etc.

There are major hurdles to getting source material and hi-fi equipment to sound great. Most systems just sounds terrible. I have has the opportunity to hear some of the more expensive equipment whilst traveling around world and virtually all of it sounds lousy, flat, boring, fake, uninspiring. . . Head fi is the same.

Get a nice 70s fm tuner and roof antenna; get it aligned and serviced by a good tech. They sound like magic, are cheap and are a great way of exploring new music.

Of course there were a lot more FM stations and record companies had huge budgets to release so much music when you were younger. But there are still some talented musicians and releases these days in most genres.

Summary - Get off the equipment treadmill, test some simple equipment at a dealer that sounds fun on your music and enjoy.

 

[iAmCodeMonkey]

"I think that a big part of what you are experiencing is simply that Hi Fi is not really about listening to music. It is a consumerist exercise. The way it works is the Hi Fi industry and its advocates (mostly so-called "reviewers") convince you that you will only be happy if you buy more of the expensive equipment. However once you actually have the new equipment the work begins to get you to buy even more expensive equipment to replace that."
 
Agreed. I have to say, the people who are replacing their gear every five months, rather than every five years, have more money than sense. Case in point:
 
I own a September 2014 issue of The Absolute Sound, and in this mag I have seen a set of floorstanding loudspeakers that retail for $97,500. For JUST the speakers. No, I am not joking. And as always, they are called the best thing since sliced bread that make music sound more real than ever. Go out and see a live concert for less money! I also saw a $16,000 DAC. No digital-to-analog-converter is worth that much. How much "fidelity" do these people need?!
 
LOL