What would you tell to someone trying to get into this hobby?

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Zenophix, Mar 24, 2016.

  1. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    This is advice for straight males. This may apply to others too, but I can't be sure (no personal data).

    Buy a set of Beats and be seen in public. Ride the bus, sit in out door coffee shops, walk on the treadmill at the gym, walk your dog downtown, practice Tai Chi in the public square, etc., all while wearing your Beats of course. You are now displaying your hipster prowess, and chicks really dig that. You will soon have hotties flocking around wanting to talk to you. At this point, when you have a target in your sites, casually pull the Beats off your ears and let them drape around your neck, as you chat her up. Watch your success rate soar.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2016
  2. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    I would advise them to be cognizant of the fact that many people are motivated equally or moreso by the thrill of "retail therapy" than they are motivated by music and get sucked into the hype trains because it allows the justification of new purchases and new toys. If you have that kind of cash to spend, enjoy. If not, defer to the veteran listeners like we have in abundance here and use their been there done that experience to separate the wheat from the chaff to save your own money and effort to focus on the time tested and proven quality goods.

    Most people who are gushing over the hot new thing have a limited frame of reference. It probably does sound amazing to them. Some of it may be confirmation bias. Some is inexperience with quality product. Something like a m9xx will be mind blowing to a guy coming from their MacBook headphone out so they'll lavish praise upon it. But it's more of a meh deal value wise for people who already have dedicated components if you can keep your DAC and invest in a more well constructed amp.

    Also remember that many products that are flavor of the month now will be relative unknowns in three years so their resale value will tank.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2016
  3. ButtUglyJeff

    ButtUglyJeff Stunningly beautiful IRL

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    What color Beats should I..... errrrr, my friend get to be most successful in this endeavor?
     
  4. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    I know this is a joke but FYI Brooklyn hipsters aren't wearing beats. They wear retro looking headphones like 1950s flight control headsets and steampunk inspired 1920s Art Deco wireframe sets. No idea if they sound like trash or not. But I'm guessing the fidelity isn't the point. They do look interesting, aesthetically.
     
  5. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    It needs to be this model:

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2016
  6. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    I thought Grado was the approved-but-not-approved-because-that-would-be-mainstream hipster headphone?
     
  7. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    That actually sounds pretty cool. Oh dear. I'm so out of touch. Does this mean that the Beats fashion appliance is no longer in?
     
  8. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    I'm talking about people out in public. Grados wouldn't be practical, even as some kind of statement.
     
  9. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    Both of you were already ruined BEFORE you came over :) I just helped to direct that ruined energy to something meaningful in life. HEHE!


    Bud, sometimes I read these posts from you that are so perfectly expressed, I am just humbled by them. That is truly world class advice...especially number 3. :bow:
     
  10. richard51

    richard51 Mr. Sorbothane

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    i would have liked that someone said to me : « read about sorbothane and buy vintage Stax+ energizer for a ridiculous used price sometime, buy a vintage amplifier to drive it , like sansui au series, and you will smile like me to any costly product hyping ... Remember that the most important criterium for a hifi system is ultimetely : natural rendering of timbre instrument and voice... »

    I have it now for under 500 dollars used dac included... Before that i had read hi fi forum and try this or that (more than one thousand dollars ) and all was shit compared to what i describe and posess now for low cost.... I said all that for the benefit of the one who will trust my advice...and rejoice in audiophile for the poor...:Violin:
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2016
  11. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    Can't agree with this more! Listen if at all possible. Whether here or head-fi, there will be popular 'phones that you may very well expect to like, and then buy them and be disappointed. The TH-X00 were like that for me.
     
  12. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    1.Find something that is comfortable too use for what you want to use it for. Better to have something very comfortable and good sounding than something uncomfortable and great sounding.
    2.Find a reviewer that has the same personal preferences as you.
    3. Get a Clip Zip.
     
  13. Chris F

    Chris F Boyz 4 Now Fanatic - Friend

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    Spend some time training your ears. Before you spend a lot of money learn what type of sound signature and attributes you value the most. Even if you cant nail the exact frequency you should also be able to clue in when things are missing or hyped. There are lots of great free tools for this like Harman How to Listen and the online philips golden ears site.

    Buy a HD650. This is the universal comparison point for all headphones and you should be very familiar with it. You may find you need go no further.

    Attend live concerts; especislly those of unamplfied music like the symphony or jazz. This will give you your benchmark for tonality and many other things.
     
  14. Griffon

    Griffon 2nd biggest asshole on SBAF

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    These are hugely helpful advices.

    One important aspect of training ears is telling if something is a difference than an improvement. I think this is the very trap of the mid-fi purgatory. It is easy to get lost in different tonalities.
     
  15. munch

    munch Friend

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    buying a DAC+amp that together cost more than the HD650 kind of smarts a bit when you're just getting into the hobby IME/IMO. I didn't realize this, though I still liked the HD650 a bit underdriven, but with the unfortunately big issue of bass being boring and quite boomy... :( I tried finding a HP that was the same but better bass, to no avail. SR007 is The One that does it better, but the price is quite unfriendly :p
     
  16. RAZRr1275

    RAZRr1275 Facebook Friend

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    Piggybacking on this, the idea that you should never spend more on an amp/dac than you do headphones is only accurate until you figure out what headphone/headphones you want and if they aren't capable of scaling with better gear. To use the HD650 as an example, it sounds great on an O2/ODAC or a Crack and decent DAC but at the same time I don't feel like I'm wasting anything using them with a ZDT and SFD-1.
     
  17. Dr. Higgs

    Dr. Higgs Boson - Member

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    I see a lot of people around the M & L lines wearing whatever headphones you can get at Urban Outfitters at the time (i.e. those retro looking Panasonics). Bose & Beats seem to be the most common brands across the city, and every once and a while you'll see an M50X. Every time I see an HD25 or CIEM, I try to give a subtle nod of approval.

    • Anyways, I think it's important to consider where & when you're going to be doing most of your listening before you go too far down the rabbit hole. A lot of my listening time is done with my UERMs out of a cell phone for convenience (I know, a travesty).
    • Building amps is more satisfying than buying them.
    • My HD600/650s are the only headphones that have stuck around since I used an O2+ODAC as my main setup, and they sound better than ever.
    • Don't expect miracles (or even really anything above marginal) from an approx. $300 closed back set of headphones. Could have saved myself a lot of money early on if I just went with an HD6X0 and spent the rest on better amps/sources.
    • If somebody posts impressions without mentioning what their reference is, what their tonal preferences are, or what else is in the chain, be very very skeptical. If you can't listen for yourself, try to study reviews from people that have established references/preferences, and then look for consensus between those trusted reviews to determine their credibility and how the piece of gear might suit you.
     
  18. Zenophix

    Zenophix New

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    On a side note i've gotten alot of great advice here and it will be something I take with me on my audio journey. I did manage to pick up a pair of Denon D2000's with under 10 hours of use on them for $220 I already had my Fiio E17k and Fiio K5 as my Dac/Amp not sure if I got a decent deal I think I may have, but appreciate input as well.
     
  19. RAZRr1275

    RAZRr1275 Facebook Friend

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    Good buy - I had the Denons and they are great if you like bass. I later learned that their treble is a bit bright and their mids a bit recessed for my liking but I did like them out of the O2/ODAC that I had at the time. The FIIO gear is good to start on as well. E7/E9 was my first amp/dac. I'm not sure what their most recent offerings sound like, but you went with a good safe choice for an entry level setup that will treat you well until you figure out if upgrading is for you.
     
  20. Zenophix

    Zenophix New

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    Yeah I prefer a warmer sound I like bass as I listen to alot of EDM. I have noticed i'm sensitive to harsh treble, but i'm not afraid to EQ if need be. I read great things about them and pondered on buying them for so long I felt this was a good price for the condition and at minimal it's a collectors item at this point. I know I will continue my audio journey I would just rather continue informed and making smart decisions. I can't thank you all enough for your honest advice alot of the feedback i've received elsewhere didn't feel genuine like it does here.
     

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