[kumar402]

APP is underrated product among audiophiles. Priced right and very nice travel companion.
I love ZMF Atrium btw with EC ZDS.

 

[psy472]

So Summit fi means expensive gear? Anyone here interested in this here palladium coated plastic bag? Works great to cover your headphones in the showers. Only for the low low summit fi price of 9,999.99.

 

[briantrinh86]

Also, why aren't there more women into headphones? I don't get it. Do they not appreciate high quality sound like men? I really can't understand it.

cause they like to spend time on playing with their toys like LV, guccim, chanel, hemes

 

[chesebert]

So Summit fi means expensive gear? Anyone here interested in this here palladium coated plastic bag? Works great to cover your headphones in the showers. Only for the low low summit fi price of 9,999.99.

No schiit aims to be the topmost level gear that’s attainable and they are designed and build to a budget . So not summitfi

 

[psy472]

No schiit aims to be the topmost level gear that’s attainable and they are designed and build to a budget . So not summitfi

OK I understand now. Which is saying my palladium is “unattainable” (totally haven’t made it yet), designed and built without any budget limit (cutting up people’s catalytic convert for palladium cost money and hard work ya know), and therefore must be summitfi For headphones!

 

[theveterans]

sometimes I find cable rolling makes more difference than amp rolling

 

[psy472]

sometimes I find cable rolling makes more difference than amp rolling

I do find some differences in different cables for my Shure IEM and my Moondrop para. Mainly the harsh highs and sibilance are markedly reduced with better cables.

 

[theveterans]

I do find some differences in different cables for my Shure IEM and my Moondrop para. Mainly the harsh highs and sibilance are markedly reduced with better cables.

With Susvara, it's even more apparent from how incredibly sensitive that HP is in revealing chain bottlenecks

 

[Chefguru]

My controversial opinion is that a lot of people in the summit-fi realm have no real ear for the hobby and are just addicted to the materialistic thrill of exploring new items. In other consumeristic spaces (watches, fashion, sports cars) - there is a more exposed acceptance of collectability since the object's purpose is knowingly not the point of purchase. For example, you're not buying a Patek Philippe because you need to tell the time - but you will buy it to have something nice to show off - this is an accepted truth. Even more so, many owners don't actually know why the watch is so expensive or what goes into the craftsmanship of it - they blindly know that they want it because the branding and pride of ownership. In our hi-fi land, this is a strongly contested idea. People with 5+ TOTL will still deny the idea that they are simply hoarding. Perhaps that's why we are akin to this hobby and maybe less so to the others. For us to let go of our money, we need to ensure ourselves there is a functional value, even if in reality there isn't. Yes, my $15,000 headphone system sounds noticeably better than my wife's Apple Airpods Max - but why is it that I need that level of fidelity to enjoy music?

When I first got into the hobby I remember buying a grado hp-1000 because 20 years ago that was considered to be one of the GOATs. I remember listening to it and barely understanding why it was any good. I thought something was wrong with it so I bought a hd600 and had the same response. I liked the idea of a nice headphone, but I didn't have an ear for it yet. It took me some time to notice qualities that were important to me. I think some companies, modern stax is a good example, have decided that the most important thing is the "first impression" response that is produced when demoing the unit. For me that's why there is such a disappointment with the x9000, and to some extent the sr-009s.

 

[theveterans]

Some people chase the dragon by upgrading / swapping their main chain endlessly to get to the unattainable sonic perfection for a single headphone while others are hoarders like you mentioned.

 

[psy472]

My controversial opinion is that a lot of people in the summit-fi realm have no real ear for the hobby and are just addicted to the materialistic thrill of exploring new items. In other consumeristic spaces (watches, fashion, sports cars) - there is a more exposed acceptance of collectability since the object's purpose is knowingly not the point of purchase. For example, you're not buying a Patek Philippe because you need to tell the time - but you will buy it to have something nice to show off - this is an accepted truth. Even more so, many owners don't actually know why the watch is so expensive or what goes into the craftsmanship of it - they blindly know that they want it because the branding and pride of ownership. In our hi-fi land, this is a strongly contested idea. People with 5+ TOTL will still deny the idea that they are simply hoarding. Perhaps that's why we are akin to this hobby and maybe less so to the others. For us to let go of our money, we need to ensure ourselves there is a functional value, even if in reality there isn't. Yes, my $15,000 headphone system sounds noticeably better than my wife's Apple Airpods Max - but why is it that I need that level of fidelity to enjoy music?

When I first got into the hobby I remember buying a grado hp-1000 because 20 years ago that was considered to be one of the GOATs. I remember listening to it and barely understanding why it was any good. I thought something was wrong with it so I bought a hd600 and had the same response. I liked the idea of a nice headphone, but I didn't have an ear for it yet. It took me some time to notice qualities that were important to me. I think some companies, modern stax is a good example, have decided that the most important thing is the "first impression" response that is produced when demoing the unit. For me that's why there is such a disappointment with the x9000, and to some extent the sr-009s.

I know the feeling. I did the same for watches up to last year, funny you talk about Patek. I use the Apple Watch 9 series now because it’s so useful despite my kilobucks watch sitting in their boxes. I think we go through these growth phases. My audio spending right now is still Less than my watches, so I’m still good…I think.

 

[Chefguru]

Some people chase the dragon by upgrading / swapping their main chain endlessly to get to the unattainable sonic perfection for a single headphone while others are hoarders like you mentioned.

This is not the main part of what I’m getting at.

Majority of people in summit-fi are just attracted to shiny things and really don’t have very much experience or perhaps just skill, to even discern what is objectively good. Aka - people with the money to just dive right into TOTL with little appreciation for what they’re even getting. Like someone buying expensive bottles of wine and an undeveloped palette to appreciate it.

[Many luxury products have this sort of dilemma but ours in particular since people’s hearing linearly worsens as they age (but also grow in ability to financially afford).]

While this might seem like a very subjective interest - and I would agree taste does differ among preferences - we have instead created an echo chamber of novices which then affects other’s buying choices … which then cascades into the manufacturing itself being controlled by the process.

My second point is that if we accept that this is inevitable- then the hobby has truly just become another of many other buckets of collectibles with diminished benefit beyond the sense of luxury it provides.

 

[greggf]

The Stax Mafia rub me the wrong way because they are lower class and not elite.

 

[Malcyg]

Funny thread, though I too can’t see it lasting long. With that in mind…….

People can be too concerned and swayed by what other people think rather than having the confidence to use their own ears and judgement as to what gear to choose. Headphones aside, almost all of my gear is not generally applauded on forums - and I like that.

A major irritant for me is the way that some feel that music is a competitive sport and they spend their time touting their chosen gear as ‘the best’. Others with a similar mindset jump in defending their own items as ‘best’ and ‘better than yours’ and round the argument goes. Some seem to enjoy to deliberately provoke.

I see some people proclaiming their latest item as the ‘best’ only to see that some time later, they have sold it and moved on to another ‘best’ item. Some may just be indecisive whilst others may have ulterior motives. Some don’t seem to realise that forums are just a form of marketing and distribution.

Once an item gains a certain level of acceptance, people tend to trot it out as a definitive ‘best’ item feeling fairly safe in being able to expect support from the rest of the group. I respect those who are prepared to stray from the beaten path and use non ‘group approved’ gear and stick to their guns, despite the reaction of naysayers.

Well written audio reviews can be extremely useful - not in making a purchase decision, but in scoping the range of specification, functionality and operation of items of interest in order to determine whether something is worthy of consideration or not.

The behaviours of some posters actually encourages manufacturers to charge higher prices. None of us should want higher prices.

People who strenuously state their opinions as facts and never desist from arguing and shouting down anyone who holds a different opinion. Bits is bits after all.

 

[arijitroy2]

Since it says rambling and open for all area in the hobby:

1. Iems priced more than 1K USD are overpriced. I owned many in 3k-4k range and they weren't any better than 1k ones. I have used and heard earbuds that sounded similarly than the totl iem.

2. So called TOTL iems are not "better" than the less priced ones, but they just offer different way or presenting the music.

3. Using a 2k,3k, USD cable to bring "warmth" to an iem is just . Get a new iem instead!

4. I cannot hear major differences in different DAPs. Heck, in a blind test, I'll probably fail to tell them apart.

5. Why do people post pictures of their order that they placed for a product with their shipping status?

6. Iems that are priced 5k, 6k USD plus, what do I even say?


That was it.