As I look at my $10 iems in seemingly new physical condition. I wonder what is going inside when I put them on and only hear everything in my right ear. I clicked on this strange site called Head-fi. So began my journey into a world of fitment, value, highs, lows, rolloffs, drivers, frequency, sensitivity, burn in, tiny amps, analyzed and debated with such passion and sometimes misguided expectations.
My head was spinning.
I could not believe someone would even think of paying $400 for these tiny things that were so disposable to me in the past. As I fell further down the rabbit hole I found myself developing my very own misguided expectations. "Hey, if everyone says it's good then it must be good and if they are all paying $400 maybe it's that life changing" I told myself. As the whirlwind snatched me up, I read and read mesmerized as I scrolled through thread after thread finding models and accessories to search for next. "RE0 vs CK10", "TF10 vs SE530", "UM3", "Custom 3", "er4", "t-400", "IEM", "earbuds" on and on. I can be as geeky as I want here!
A week later, with much less sleep pushing me on at work and only one of my ears ringing from trying to over compensate and play my music a little louder so maybe my left ear can get some action as well. I realized I needed to make a decision. How do I justify the cost because now I was a snob, now I felt like a connoisseur and wanted the best.
But wait.
Like everything else there's a middle ground. I don't drive a Ferrari F40 to work everyday, although doing a quarter mile in 11 seconds would remedy my inability to be on time (for anything), I didn't need to (gives me character, it's my "thing" to be late). I don't fly first class, while it's nice and people actually talk to me, I don't need to. So off I go again searching for that sweet spot.
This was much harder.
So much personal opinion, "good at the price", "great sound but bad build quality", "my brother said...", reading comments from people who never owned or listened to a product, at 3am is not fun. Suddenly some Chinese company (ewww) kept coming up. PK what? RE who? $200 for something made in some factory of underpaid laborers from a country that makes rubber dog poop? Then again, iPhone components are also made there, computer chips that sometimes outlast their usefulness are also made there. Then as I stumbled on a newer thread $79!?! $39 for the a basic model with an amp. I could have one of those tiny things! Is this the sweet spot for me? Besides, we're all underpaid and there's nothing wrong with rubber dog poop.
Later, both my ears are getting equal action and fighting a lot less for two months now. My iPod has a backpack and things sound great. But I wondered what those "high end" IEMs sounded like. I dream of a sound stage so wide I can close my eyes and be in Carnegie Hall, so detailed I can hear the conductors baton swishing through the air. I love my RE2's but maybe just maybe with $79 more dollars I can at least feel what it's like to do a quarter mile in 11 seconds.
I should be graced with a set because I'd appreciate it.
Cal
Oh and my birthday is June 9th too. Copy of license available upon request.
