[Rockwell75]

I thought it was when the most important pill you took that started with a V no longer means Vitamin.

LMAO

My grandfather had a saying: "When it hurts to pee the game is basically over."

 

[Tanalasta]

Good for you. Then, you will be able to afford the $10k IEMs that come out in a couple of years.

Unless you go on and progress to a Masters or PhD.

Enjoying the Isabellae although it’s a tad more forward than I’m used to. I’m rather content how it pairs with the m11pro rather than TOTL stuff.

As for 10k? I’d aim second hand where possible. But Isabellae and/or Trailii. If you can’t afford Trailii then I like the Andromeda 2020 as near the sweet spot for VFM

Full sized cans, I’d get a Naim Uniti Headphone edition and Utopia with a cable upgrade.

Have I blown the budget yet?

 

[Rockwell75]

Unless you go on and progress to a Masters or PhD.

This program funnels into a Masters, which is my plan.

Enjoying the Isabellae although it’s a tad more forward than I’m used to. I’m rather content how it pairs with the m11pro rather than TOTL stuff.

I think synergy plays a huge role-- it plays very well with my Shanling M8 in that regard...everything is "just right".

As for 10k? I’d aim second hand where possible. But Isabellae and/or Trailii. If you can’t afford Trailii then I like the Andromeda 2020 as near the sweet spot for VFM

I often describe Isa as Andro-like tuning in a single DD and it's that timbre which ultimately wins the day for me. Andro 2020 is similarly seductive and coherent, however.

 

[fzman]

I think old ages is when you are of an age where there are no living cougars to hit on you

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Unless you go on and progress to a Masters or PhD.

Enjoying the Isabellae although it’s a tad more forward than I’m used to. I’m rather content how it pairs with the m11pro rather than TOTL stuff.

As for 10k? I’d aim second hand where possible. But Isabellae and/or Trailii. If you can’t afford Trailii then I like the Andromeda 2020 as near the sweet spot for VFM

Full sized cans, I’d get a Naim Uniti Headphone edition and Utopia with a cable upgrade.

Have I blown the budget yet?

I have so blown by my barriers for purchases that with audio, money doesn't mean anything anymore. A year ago, there was no way I would spend more than $800 for an IEM. 6 months ago, there is no way I would spend more than $1500 for an IEM. 3 months ago, there is no way I would spend over $2000 for an IEM. Now, I"ve spent over $5000 for an IEM and I still can't believe it. I am really trying to hold the line on cables. I still haven't spent over $1000 on a cable if you don't count the one that came with the IEMs I purchased. I have to avoid listening to any of those cables because I am sure if I hear one, I'll buy it.

 

[Rockwell75]

I have so blown by my barriers for purchases that with audio, money doesn't mean anything anymore. A year ago, there was no way I would spend more than $800 for an IEM. 6 months ago, there is no way I would spend more than $1500 for an IEM. 3 months ago, there is no way I would spend over $2000 for an IEM. Now, I"ve spent over $5000 for an IEM and I still can't believe it. I am really trying to hold the line on cables. I still haven't spent over $1000 on a cable if you don't count the one that came with the IEMs I purchased. I have to avoid listening to any of those cables because I am sure if I hear one, I'll buy it.

Tell me about it! This whole phase of my hobby life began almost 3 years ago when I "stretched" my budget to attain a pair of CFA Comets after purchasing a Sennheser PXC 550 bluetooth headset. Everything's a blur after that.

 

[endless402]

I have so blown by my barriers for purchases that with audio, money doesn't mean anything anymore. A year ago, there was no way I would spend more than $800 for an IEM. 6 months ago, there is no way I would spend more than $1500 for an IEM. 3 months ago, there is no way I would spend over $2000 for an IEM. Now, I"ve spent over $5000 for an IEM and I still can't believe it. I am really trying to hold the line on cables. I still haven't spent over $1000 on a cable if you don't count the one that came with the IEMs I purchased. I have to avoid listening to any of those cables because I am sure if I hear one, I'll buy it.

Gets worse if you ever go the speaker route….

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Gets worse if you ever go the speaker route….

Fortunately, I don't currently have a room that I can dedicate to listening like @bigbeans does. If I did, I would probably be in big trouble.

 

[DanielListening]

Definitely stay away from two channel.

 

[feverfive]

Gets worse if you ever go the speaker route….

My IRL audio buddies call me a bit of a unicorn. I actually started out in 2-channel speaker world as a pre-teen at the feet of a wealthy uncle. I moved away from traditional setups to desktop nearfield as a late teen when I got to college, then to headphones, thus I joined head-fi. I did the "ascend to summit-fi" thing for a bit, but pretty quickly went the other direction after a flirtation with summit-fi protable (I decided at the time, ~8 years ago now) there were too many trade-offs and my money commitment wasn't worth the results, so I settled into mid-fi and mostly left the hobby (the online community aspects of it at least) for over 5 years. The pandemic brought me back a little over a year ago, and now I am in low'ish hi-fi world, I guess, hahaha.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

My IRL audio buddies call me a bit of a unicorn. I actually started out in 2-channel speaker world as a pre-teen at the feet of a wealthy uncle. I moved away from traditional setups to desktop nearfield as a late teen when I got to college, then to headphones, thus I joined head-fi. I did the "ascend to summit-fi" thing for a bit, but pretty quickly went the other direction after a flirtation with summit-fi protable (I decided at the time, ~8 years ago now) there were too many trade-offs and my money commitment wasn't worth the results, so I settled into mid-fi and mostly left the hobby (the online community aspects of it at least) for over 5 years. The pandemic brought me back a little over a year ago, and now I am in low'ish hi-fi world, I guess, hahaha.

for only a short while.....

 

[snapandslide]

I have so blown by my barriers for purchases that with audio, money doesn't mean anything anymore. A year ago, there was no way I would spend more than $800 for an IEM. 6 months ago, there is no way I would spend more than $1500 for an IEM. 3 months ago, there is no way I would spend over $2000 for an IEM. Now, I"ve spent over $5000 for an IEM and I still can't believe it. I am really trying to hold the line on cables. I still haven't spent over $1000 on a cable if you don't count the one that came with the IEMs I purchased. I have to avoid listening to any of those cables because I am sure if I hear one, I'll buy it.

You and I have followed a similar path. I'm also very much avoiding trying any cables beyond what my IEMs came with. I'm screwed otherwise.

 

[feverfive]

for only a short while.....

Heh, I have no idea where I go from here, to be sure. I can also say, however, I am not necessarily on some inexorable journey back to summit-fi. I've been at this long enough to know better than be overly confident ahead of time where my preferences/tolerances will take me, sure. That said, I'm just as comfortable in a cheap no-tell motel as I am the Four Seasons, hahahaha.

It also wouldn't be surprising to me at all if I am all "peace out!" at any moment. I've known for quite some time I am not really a "hobbyist" like many of y'all are. I am more of a plebeian consumer who happens to enjoy some of the community aspects of audio. And that is probably what has kept me from staying down in the rabbit hole for very long during my time being "involved" with audio.

 

[Rockwell75]

A couple goodies on the way— balanced cable for Reborn plus an adapter I’ve wanted for a while.

 

[claud W]

Forgive me Father for I have sinned....... Just ordered a PW #5 like Rocky and a PW #10 same specs and a PW Loki.