Jaded Audiophile/Headfier Support Group

Discussion in 'General Audio Discussion' started by Rotijon, Sep 1, 2016.

  1. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    This is a support group for fellow bored/jaded audiophiles.

    For me, i went through a phase where i started buying TOTL (Top Of The Line) gear secondhand en masse to try em out and sell them off within a month a two for a small loss. I think i cycled through 10 different TOTL rigs in 12 months.

    I've noticed that these days, i find it hard to enjoy TOTL rigs like i used to. I went to try out the MrSpeakers Ether Flow and Audiogd HE-9 combo. Meh, just meh. Even thought its considered a pretty high end rig.

    I heard the utopia with some Naim amp, again, meh, pretty good but nothing special. Not going to drop 4k for it until it really impresses me.

    Right now, when i listen to music (rarely), i listen through my cheapo tfz or even some cheap senns earphone. And i personally dont feel that need to upgrade. Maybe im getting deaf.. at 25.

    These days, only speakers setups seem to impress me, actually only 2, Absolare 845 and Nagra VPA to Voxactiv's with a kronos pro turntable. But i cant afford it and i have a feeling ill be bored in 2-3 months if i ever owned it. And i doubt i could ever build a room worthy of it. In addition, switching cost and selling cost is much higher for speakers compared to headphones

    This is a thread where one can describe how they found back that spark, or what brings them back to audio, or what keeps you interested in audio, or when they leave the hobby. I still think the best way to keep interested in it is to be a paid reviewer.
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2016
  2. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    I empathise with how you feel. I think this notion treads the line of; at what point are you listening to equipment and and what point are you listening to music. The more I spend on gear the more I listen to equipment, presumably in a subconscious effort to justify the new expense and enjoyment doesn't really come into it. The less I spend on gear, the more I listen to music, which is inherently more fulfilling and enjoyable.
     
  3. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    The equipment has to be capable enough to do the music justice though. More recently GOV2 or Modibit/Vali with HD6x0 come to mind...
     
  4. Eric_C

    Eric_C Friend

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    The secondhand market in my country makes it less attractive to keep trying new gear, and without a whole lot of disposable income on my end, there's a strong motive to just be content. I'm picky enough that something less comfy than a nice headphone, or less isolating than good IEMs, would annoy me; but in terms of upstream gear there's just very little desire to really try much.
     
  5. Muse Wanderer

    Muse Wanderer Friend

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    I understand how you feel. It feels like a real addiction to me.

    I get a high when I get it right and a low when I get it wrong.

    The lows feed the need for more highs and the cycle starts again.

    This is probably based on the brain neurotransmitter dopamine that gives a short lived but so engaging boost.

    Time out by just focusing on music usually breaks the cycle. For me, a classical nut, it is usually trying out a new composer or era, or few weeks of not much listening at all.

    That way I move to a happier calmer serotonin state. That's until I get sucked back into a dopamine storm as I have right now!
     
  6. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Keep it simple.

    Koss PortaPro + Disco = you start dancing again.

    It works...
     
  7. SingSing

    SingSing Acquaintance

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    totally feel this

    i liked headphones more when everything was cheap and fun and any money you throw into it was just outta love

    the hobby is changing into this uber expensive insanity, ala speakers

    kudos to schiit for releasing some really nice stuff

    a modibit+vali2+hd6xx i think is my end game atm, got tired of the nervosa of totl rigs and listening to equipment
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2016
  8. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Clearly all that excessive time and money is interfering with the enjoyment of aforementioned time and money. Try having children.
     
  9. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Yeah, im at a point where anything half decent works for me. Some 50 dollar earphone out of my iphone gives me somewhat similar pleasure to a 6-8k rig. I cant seem to justify the cost anymore.

    Right now the only thing that moves my wow needle is super expensive tube amps. I thought it was price, but i considered the vitus totl monoblocks utter shit when compared to the much "Cheaper" absolare 845. The vitus is not shit btw, im just operating in binary these days. I either love it or hate it or tolerate it, with the hate falling within a much larger perimeter.

    Dunno, maybe ill be cured when my T2 finally comes.
     
  10. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    I've been there, well not to the extent or wallet dmg as yourself, but can still relate.

    Take some time off. It really helps.
    Simply throw the equipment into a corner and do something else for a few months.

    Regarding TFZ, yeah, they do take most of my headtime too for some reason ( unrelated to audiophool nervosa).
     
  11. Comzee

    Comzee Facebook Friend

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    I have on good word, that T2 is "two leagues better" than the Carbon.

    It only goes up from there once KG releases Circlotron and Nanotube.

    @Rotijon I think your problem is you're not going totl enough.
     
  12. OJneg

    OJneg The Most Insufferable

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    This jaded audiophile has found refuge in speakers as well. Recently the Lowther DX3 has re-sparked my love for listening, doing a lot of things that even the best headphones aren't capable of.

    Fortunately I have been blessed epic DIY skillz, so there are near infinite driver rolling possibilities in my system. I can avoid complete jadation for the near future.
     
  13. rsnblmn

    rsnblmn Acquaintance

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    I have shared this same frustration for sure. The speaker route is definitely of interest, but since I live in a condo with pretty poor wall isolation from my neighbors (not to mention very limited floor space / lack of proper acoustics), I'll have to wait until I can afford a housing upgrade. I have yet to hear a headphone rig that has really triggered the same magical emotional endorphins as the best speaker setups I've heard, even from many years ago.

    One of my alternatives lately has been to go on long evening walks streaming new music from my phone on my craptastic bluetooth headphones (convenience focused). It's hard to beat late summer / early fall evenings in Colorado, and I have found that on numerous occasions, I've actually enjoyed some of my new music *more* in this intentionally low-end environment than I did when auditioning new tracks on my hifi setup. Apparently the reduced distractions / stress reduction benefits of being out walking somehow opens my mind and allows me to better focus on the actual music rather than analyzing the gear and thinking about finances, unfinished work, tomorrow's responsibilities, etc.

    Luckily, the latent benefits often seem to "stick", and then the next time I listen to that same new music on a good system, I appreciate it a lot more.
     
  14. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    @Rotijon

    I guess you should consider going to live concerts and gigs if you haven't.

    Not sure about how things are at Malaysia, but over here in Singapore, we have plenty of concerts going on all year round.

    It should make you think less of audio gear and more of listening to real music, living the moment and etc.

    For me, I rotate my gears weekly. This week is Sony MDR-Z5, next week is JVC FX1200, followed by TFZ-3S the following week and follow on by Audio Technica ESW990 /HD800 rotation during the weekends. It works in the sense that I never get bored by the sound coming out from just one single type of transducer.

    Sometimes I will pop by some audio store like jaben or the local electronics store and test out some of the TOTL gear to the basement bargain stuff (fischer audio and etc) and see if there's anything worthwhile to listen. Think of it like an RPG where you go out and hunt for pokemon but instead you are hunting for random kind of audio gear? :oops:

    Also you can consider spend your time on these thread, I find it intriguing to read up on the design philosophy of these geniuses:
    http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...le-dac-designers-discussion-info-thread.2683/

    Also this to explore upon:
    http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...ile-youtube-channels-to-watch-subscribe.2712/
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2016
  15. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    This is why I'm moving my focus into speakers. There's more emotional content in hearing the music travel through the air, and hearing the music being pushed from those large drivers. If you told me I could have a TOTL speaker rig today for free but in exchange the only headphones I could ever listen to in the future were Beats, I'd take that deal in a second and consider it a bargain.
     
  16. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    1) Do you have a reliable source of sex? If not, time and money should be spent on acquiring a reliable source of sex through reputable means.

    2) Do you have a reliable source of vice? If not, time and money should be spent on acquiring a reliable source of vice. Reputable is encouraged, though not required.

    3) Repeat part 2 but in a different category (animal, vegetable, mineral, etc)
    3b) Repeat part 1 in a different category, but please don't tell us about it
     
  17. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Are you based in singapore? If so, its actually the best country in SEA to be buying secondhand gear overseas and selling them locally. Im based in malaysia, but all of my gear are shipped to singapore first.

    Unlike malaysia, singapore customs are really nice, no intentional holdups in order to get bribes. If you declare it below 400SGD, it will go through no questions asked. I've never had a package taxed, other than a Microsoft surface book that the seller described as a "Microsoft surface book".

    In addition, the purchasing power of singapore is much higher, so its very easy to dispose good gear in sg for break even. The main criteria is that its has to be good and not easily obtained, Think Eddie Current, Mjolnir Audio, Headamp, Apex, Stax (only the 007,009, L700).

    Im based in msia but i go down to sg for concerts quite often. Bon Iver was pretty amazing. This is also one of the reasons why its so hard to listen to music through speakers etc. Its just not the same as a Concert, the difference is so big, you might as well save the money for tickets.

    So far, only very well selected 100-200k setups provide that "Its so good i just cant move" feeling. but unfortunately its beyond my ability to obtain them.
     
  18. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    You are trolling us, aren't you?
     
  19. Eric_C

    Eric_C Friend

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    @Rotijon You gotta tell me where you're listing your gear for sale because I'm not getting any interest on mine
     
  20. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    @3X0 has verified that the diy-t2 stomps the carbon and the carbon is only 1-2% better than the regular KGSSHV. KG finds these patents that expire, he spins up a new revision of an existing amp with limitations, then he and birgir go all gaga over it. The masses pretend it's the second coming of Christ, Birgir claims parts cost a lot because of import duty and then sells his amps for 2x other builders complete with dodgy channel imbalance and issues that are "just that way." No one calls him on in because they're scared but they all feel jipped but keep their mouths shut.
     

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