You are not the first person in my life to make this comparison. Although I don't like the show very much, a lot of people feel I am Chidi.
As my mother once said though, the only reason I have to fret this much is because I'm broke. If I had money, I would just buy whatever I desired, and wouldn't have to think so critically about it. If it ends up being the wrong product, oh well, just resell it and buy something else. What's a $100 loss when you're making 350k a year?
The problem is, when you're broke, and have been saving for a purchase for LITERALLY SEVEN YEARS in this case, any mistake represents a massive setback. If I get the wrong amp, have to resell it, and take that loss, it presents a massive loss of time and work for me. So, sweating every detail.
Haha yeah, I know. People all said that headphones represent 85% of the audio, with music files representing 10%, and the source gear being the last 5%.
And seeing as I couldn't hear more than a 15-20% difference between the 6XX's and the HD800s, so 20% of 85%, it's very doubtful that I'll be able to hear a 10% difference in the 5% category that is source gear. Following this logic, it makes more sense to save money and buy the Jot 2. Or go even cheaper and just buy a JD's atom stack, which objectively measures better than anything from schiit.
The problem is I then read more threads and articles, and people use SUCH STRONG descriptors. They talk like such and such amp absolutely revolutionized their listening experience. That such and such DAC absolutely transformed their music. They make it sound like a 200% difference of a 100% category. I gotta remind myself that it's 5% of 5%.
Yeah. When two products can be compared to reveal a clear winner, I'm good to make a decision. The problem comes when products are almost the same in performance. When there's no CLEAR winner, the decision has to come down to secondary buying traits, like looks, build quality, colour, general "feel", etc. Stuff that arguably doesn't really matter, and which is very subjective. This makes it hard for me to make a decision and feel confident in it. Like you said, it's about flipping a coin. The flip reveals more than the coin does, as in the moment you flip it, you suddenly know which answer you're hoping for.
And for me, I know ahead of time that it's the Lyr. I've had my eyes set on a tube amp from schiit since the days of Valhalla 1. Problem is, I also am rational enough to have dissected that desire, and can admit freely that I don't actually have a REASON to want the lyr as much as I do. It's just a random whim, because I like how tubes look. That's it. I think tubes are neat, cause I'm young enough to have never seen one in person. There's no actual substantive backing for my desire. No actual REASON to want it. Especially considering that the novelty will wear off shortly after purchase. So is another X-hundred dollars really justified for such a flimsy reason?
Im just speaking rhetorically here, to give you all some insight to my psychosis, and why it's seemingly so difficult to make a decision. No clear winner means buying things based on a whim and personal preference. But how does one determine exactly how much money personal preference and whim deserve?
P.s. If anyone wants to tackle the subject, I am still curious as to why/how its worth giving up balanced output on the Jot 2 for tube sound on the Lyr. A lot of people claim balanced sound provides more detail and resolution and clarity, all the same things people claim certain tube amps offer, like the Lyr.
