[DroneCold]

Oh, and as a related follow-up, are there a few iems and cans one must absolutely listen to before going off and commenting about headphones? A kind of matrix of shared references among audiophiles?

 

[jbrownson]

Hello Head-fi,

I've been lurking for a year or two off and on, but finally making an account.

My journey started w/ Audio-Technica M-50s.

After much reading and largely driven by inner fidelity's review I quickly moved to the Hifiman HE-400s with modified pads as recommended by Zeos. I was very impressed with the experience and after an exploratory trip to LA's "The Source" I walked way with a thinner wallet, a pair of Focal Elears and a Chord Mojo. I quickly realized that I would have to build a whole new music collection.

The Source in LA held a listening event with some very high end equipment including the HE-1, but what really blew my mind was a setup including the Stax 009 and a Woo WES. It was time to take it to the next notch. I eventually acquired Stax L700s and a 353 driver. Once again my music catalog required an update.

Every now and then I'd spend an evening perusing the audiophile corner of the internet and eventually started really drinking the Chord Koolaid. The explanations about the importance of transients makes a lot of sense to me. I experimented w/ upsampling enabled on Audirvana+ going into the Mojo w/ DSD. The Stax suddenly revealed a whole new level of soundstage. My toes tapped uncontrollably, and I'd occasionally be started by a strange voice suddenly calling out from behind me to realize it was simply part of the recording.

I bought a Chord Qutest.

Now I get that same experience (and I think a bit more) w/o all the upsampling on the computer. I find it hard not to stay up until the wee hours listening to "just one more" song. Yet again my entire music collection has new
life.

I have it bad now. I'm eying a 009s, an upgraded electrostat driver (but I'm skeptical of going w/ tubes), or maybe try moving away from the complex drivers required for electrostats w/ a Hugo [TT?] 2 and Focal Utopia. I'd love to hear a Dave, but I'm very afraid I'd like it. I can't wait to try the Chord M Scaler. I seem to be mostly attracted to a transparent/accurate sound with a strong soundstage. I'm not sure I've given tubes a proper chance. I don't think the Stax 353 driver would do 009s justice, but it isn't clear what I'd update it to.

 

[Reverso]

Hello all,

Headphone neophyte here.

With a question:

What kind of progression do you suppose a budding audiophile (with no realistic chance of going to convention) should make in their gear? I'm stuck, as many are, in the mid-fis, and staring down some totl items--which pushes my budget a bit, a discomforting bit. Is the step up in consciousness--knowing the best sounds like/feels like--necessary to the transition, or are there other methods of progression aside from dropping an absurd amount of money? Definitely feeling some acute imposter syndrome, but perhaps that's rightly so, perhaps it's necessary to know and use a certain quality of gear.

I have been collecting audio gear for a few years now, tho a newcomer to the head-fi world. If the same rules apply to 2-channel then here are some loose guidelines to help you prioritize the selection of your components...

1 - Transducers - (aka headphones or speakers) go for the best ones that you can
2 - Source - 2nd most important.
3 - Everything else (amps, cables, etc)

Other helpful guidelines:
-Transducers should be about 2/3 of the cost of your overall system
-When considering upgrading a component, concentrate on the weakest link.

Also take your time in building up your system! There's great performance at all price-points.

 

[Roger Dodger]

Hello Head-fi,

I've been lurking for a year or two off and on, but finally making an account.

My journey started

 

[driven.arun]

HI

im Arun from Mumbai, just joined. Here to say Hi!

My current gear is a new Hiby R3 from kickstarter along with Schiit Fulla 2, AKG K712 pro, Fiio F9 pro, Koss Porta Pro, Parrot Zik 3, Mackie CR3 monitors and some.

Oops, i never realized till now how much stuff i had lying around!

Cheers!

 

[Krunge]

Hello everyone! I'm a musician and a little home studio producer from Spain. All the headphones I have now is the regular AkG k240 and a very old Akai ASE22. I had a senheiser inears that were stolen with my computer bag.
Some times I check new music hardware for music and I knew that some day I will need a inears for monitoring live. I though the only options were the expensive shure and others no cheap good for that, but a few days ago I saw many good ones in aliexpress and amazon for no more than 20€ . So I'm wating for a KZ ED16.
At the same time I was thinking to buy a cheap but a litle good mp3 player. The economy here in Spain is not very great right now so I have to expend only like 20€ for the player. I have been some days looking for info in internet and I found this comunity that looks realy cool for this!
I have seen the people is talking good about the Benjie/AGPTEK ones, like the S5 or the K3... I saw too the K10 that is good for running, but dosen't have the microSD card slot... But I saw in Benjie's website the same K10 with the microSD slot! http://www.benjie-tx.com/wap/MP3HiFiPlayer/255.html
But I think is not in the market already... Only in Alibaba if you buy 500 units!
I can't wait for the new Benjies K10... I think I'm going for the Benjie K3. Well I hope is a good decision.
I'm glad to be here! Thank you!

 

[Prince Duke Electorate]

Hello, everyone! I've been reading Head-Fi on and off for a couple years, but finally decided to join today! Currently, I'm using a HD 6xx through an Element, although I'm waiting to receive a Focal Elex

 

[serman005]

HI

im Arun from Mumbai, just joined. Here to say Hi!

My current gear is a new Hiby R3 from kickstarter along with Schiit Fulla 2, AKG K712 pro, Fiio F9 pro, Koss Porta Pro, Parrot Zik 3, Mackie CR3 monitors and some.

Oops, i never realized till now how much stuff i had lying around!

Cheers!

Welcome, Arun!! That's some nice gear you've got. Sorry about your wallet! All the best/Serman005...

 

[DroneCold]

I have been collecting audio gear for a few years now, tho a newcomer to the head-fi world. If the same rules apply to 2-channel then here are some loose guidelines to help you prioritize the selection of your components...

1 - Transducers - (aka headphones or speakers) go for the best ones that you can
2 - Source - 2nd most important.
3 - Everything else (amps, cables, etc)

Other helpful guidelines:
-Transducers should be about 2/3 of the cost of your overall system
-When considering upgrading a component, concentrate on the weakest link.

Also take your time in building up your system! There's great performance at all price-points.

Wow, wonderfully summarized! Reverso's 2/3rd's rule, you can take that with you anywhere and I should think that'd hold! When you say "go for the best ones you can" are you suggesting exercising some patience and then entering straight into the totl market, mid-fi be damned? Or are there any virtues to progressing through the ranks, trading slowly up, as it were? I'm definitely at that impasse right now, and it really is shocking how much more you can get for 900 (used) than 700 (used), but that extra 200 is, at least psychologically, a miserable stretch to accept. Part of me also thinks that, returning to my earlier question, hearing those more middling players will clarify my reasoning for investing up (or not) into the upper realms. Right now I just feel completely swept up and away from my senses in the dice game of description I see around headphone impressions. There are just so many terms, terms which probably have to be heard to be understood, it's ironically harder for me to fully articulate what I might want. My use for them aside, they're very seductive too, everything reads to perfection; very hard to know what's just poetry and what's actually befitting the headphone in question.

Anyway, sorry to ramble, thank you again for your reply!

 

[Reverso]

Wow, wonderfully summarized! Reverso's 2/3rd's rule, you can take that with you anywhere and I should think that'd hold! When you say "go for the best ones you can" are you suggesting exercising some patience and then entering straight into the totl market, mid-fi be damned? Or are there any virtues to progressing through the ranks, trading slowly up, as it were?

I'm glad you found my advice to be helpful! Regarding progression through gear, this comes down to your philosophy on how you spend your leisure money. I have contemplated 2 possible paths: (1) Progress through components of increasing quality and sell the inferior gear. Or (2) delay the immediate satisfaction and go directly for the end game component.

The former prolongs the magic and the latter saves you money in the long run. Personally, approach (2) better suits my preference and comfort level. Gear always depreciates on resale, so persistent gear-flipping will inevitably result in the loss of hundreds (and possibly thousands) of dollars. Why go through the hassle and lost money like that?

There will be a price-point where you get diminishing returns in performance. After demo'ing several headphones, ranging from $300 to $4000, I determined the sound quality in the $1000-$4000 range was more subjective than objective. I chose the $1400 headphones (Focal Clear) over the $4000 (Audeze LCD-4) headphones.

I chose the Clear's because prices above that range yielded diminishing returns for my ears. Note that my ears are tied to my wallet and the desire to fund other gear purchases and hobbies.

Your ears may decide that the point of diminishing returns falls elsewhere along the price-performance curve. I strongly encourage you try headphones at a local store to make the determination for yourself!

 

[SadPandaz]

Hi everyone

I live in SoCal, I enjoy audio but I'm sure everyone is here for that same reason. I happen to find this as a recommendation to buy 2nd market audio stuff. I'm not usually a forum type of guy. I usually tend lurk around the marketplace, I have been on bladeforums to buy and sell parts of my blade collections. I'm happy that there is a place like this for audio equipment.

 

[trailerking]

Howdy Folks,

As someone who ordered a Smyth Realiser A16 through Kickstarter I thought I better become active on that thread. Additionally if/when I receive it I'm probably going to need to update my headphones as well as I'd love to share PRIRs. FYI: I live in Culver City, CA.

 

[S.T.A.L.K.E.R.]

Hello everyone,

Although I am coming from an gaming world, I am still someone who appreciates good sound, because I know how important component of overall gaming immersion it is.

Greetings from the Zone.

 

[serman005]

Hi everyone

I live in SoCal, I enjoy audio but I'm sure everyone is here for that same reason. I happen to find this as a recommendation to buy 2nd market audio stuff. I'm not usually a forum type of guy. I usually tend lurk around the marketplace, I have been on bladeforums to buy and sell parts of my blade collections. I'm happy that there is a place like this for audio equipment.

Welcome aboard, @SadPandaz!!

 

[dabarbrie]

Hi all...I'm new as of about 2 weeks ago (I think). I love all different kinds of music. I can appreciate basically anything outside of country and gangster rap.
I've been doing research, driving myself crazy looking for a good introductory pair of headphones. Preferably earbud type headphones. I have the Bose Bluetooth headphones (not the noise cancelling ones) which I like. I don't have any amazing high quality music or equipment to deliver it. I just want to get the best sound for me and I am open to suggestions. Thanks and nice to be here.