What's Your Rule of Thumb in this Audiophile hobby?

Discussion in 'Leaderboard, Overboard, and Deals' started by Madaboutaudio, Jul 29, 2016.

  1. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    When visiting Headfi, always put on your tin foil hat. That place is full of shills and stillborns(though there are exceptions).

    keep in mind this when reading reviews:
    http://www.ecoustics.com/articles/10-secret-rules-audiophile-reviewing/

    For the sake of your mind, avoid visiting sites like Zreviews(youtube), 6moons, headphone guru and headfonia. You won't learn much.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2016
  2. Huxleigh

    Huxleigh Almost "Made"

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    Friends don't let friends buy Grado. Just don't! o_O
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2016
  3. Gravity

    Gravity Friend

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    Add Beyerdynamic, HiFiMan and Audeze.
     
  4. Pyruvate

    Pyruvate Friend

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    1. Don't be Music Alchemist from HF.
     
  5. rayfalkner

    rayfalkner Not to be confused with Roy Fokker - Friend

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    Wished you were my friend 5 years ago...

    But hey how about you buying my Grado then? Help a friend in need! :p
     
  6. IceUul

    IceUul Friend

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    - buy used gear, if you do not like it, you loose less money
    - don't read head-fi
    - read SBAF
    - find some guys who has same taste or ears, read they opinions!
    - only use paypal (good protection for small amount of money)
    - only ship with tracking
    - try different combinations, you might get better results, better synergy
     
  7. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    Although this does not beat going down to audition the gear for yourself, listening to the recorded sound of the gear that Sonic Sense uploaded did give me a rough idea on the overall sound signature of the gear and whether the gear is worth a further physical audition(saving on precious time).

    https://soundcloud.com/sonic-sense-pro-audio

    And no, don't listen to Zreview's gear recordings, they suck.
     
  8. robot zombie

    robot zombie Friend

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    YOU have to break the karmic cycle. Let the continuum of human suffering and disillusionment stop with you. Do the right thing. Do what must be done to rid the world of the evil hold it has on all who come into contact with it. Just be careful... ...there's no telling what will happen when the forces trapped within those cups are released into the world. Be ready.

    (make sure you film it!)
     
  9. angryteen

    angryteen New

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    Started on my audiophool journey 2.5 years ago, things i wished i knew from the start:

    - Always go for high value gear with best price/ performance. Changstar/ SBAF is such an amazing resource for that.
    - Take what you read on Headfi with a giant shaker of salt, never take HF gear rankings with any sort of seriousness. I stupidly heeded HF when i started out, and ended up going through a bunch of sub par gears.
    - Portable DAC/ Amp with a smartphone, and Neutron app is better/ just as good in most cases than a DAP, and you can play spotify/ tidal through them. You can stick them together with velcro hooks.Havent heard multigrand AK DAPs, so cant comment. My Oppo-HA2 sounds better to me than all sub 1k DAPs ive heard (fiio, ibasso, AK Jr etc). Dunno, YMMV.
    - Don't buy retail, buy second hand. People who buy such gear usually take good care of them, I usually pay a maximum of 70% of retail for mint condition used gear, with warranty left.
    - When starting out, just save up $1k or so, get a HD650, a decent budget OTL amp (like Valhalla 2, Crack), a budget decent DAC(like the Schiit stuff). Mod the HD650s.
    - Seriously, dont bother with the rest. I had to buy and sell nonsense like Q701, DT770, Momentum, O2 Amp (losing $ each time i sold them) etc before i landed this setup, and have stuck with it for the past 1.5 years in sonic bliss.
    - Follow up from the previous point, always try to audition. Keep in mind that reputable reviewers like Innerfidelity have their own preferred sound signatures.
    - Save up for a used HD800(seeing mint ones going for sub 1k most of the time now), then Superdupont Mod it, see the heavens open up.
    - 3M plastic hooks on walls is a great cheapo way to hang your headphones.

    Lastly, read less forums and enjoy moar music. Haha!
     
  10. Zed Bopp

    Zed Bopp Friend

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    HD600 or 650 aren't best for everyone. They are at very least a great starting point, but if you're a basshead etc., don't be afraid to go against the grain. Though, it might take time to know what you really like and what suits you best. And remember to enjoy the music and not just pick out problems with the gear. :)
     
  11. angryteen

    angryteen New

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    Agreed. But for me at least (and many others im sure) HD650+ Valhalla 2 was the true starting point of desktop "hi-fi" . And you can get them both for well under 1k if u look out for used deals.

    Would have saved me alot of trouble and dissapointment if I shot for them from the start heh. Will never let my HD650 go wherever my audiophile path might take me.
     
  12. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    Keep the wine rack full of reds, a couple of nice craft beers in the fridge, some nice malts on the whiskey shelf, a bottle of gin or two in the freezer. And don't binge the cheap stuff, sip the good stuff! Quality not quantity.

    Also - always trust that guy on the internet. He knows what he's talking about.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2016
  13. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    Do experiment with different IEM tips and sizes(foam,gel,comply,spinfits,spiraldots,triple flange). They can have noticable effect on the sound signature. They won't make a crappy iem sound good, but can refine on what's already good.
     
  14. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    This is a great no nonsense/no marketing gimicks resource for learning about how audio tech/equipment works:
    Click on subject on the top right of the page:
    http://education.lenardaudio.com/en/


    Excerpts:
    http://education.lenardaudio.com/en/11_cable.html
     
  15. SeaBupter

    SeaBupter Friend

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    Avoid audio jewelry. You're paying through the nose for that bling, and it does nothing to enhance performance. Just because something looks glamorous, that doesn't mean that it sounds good.
     
  16. kirayamato

    kirayamato Friend

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    Buy the most expensive stuff you like and afford, rather than cheap out and then think about "wow this sounds good I bet that sounds better."

    That's why instead of upgrading my gungnir to a Gungnir Multibit I sold it and went yggdrasil, so I have peace of mind that this is as good as it gets.
     
  17. music4mhell

    music4mhell New

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    M only 1 year old in this hobby.
    My point, don't get into hype train early, wait for reviews. Last but not least, do a lot lot lot research and read impressions before buying any product.
     
  18. Valolilol

    Valolilol Acquaintance

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    I agree to a lot of what I read so far, but there is something that I do want to emphasize : give yourself time.
    It is okay buying shitty stuff if you learn from the experience and what a treat once you get to Heaven with the setup that suits your need. You would probably not have been that impressed by the setup you ended up with, without what you experienced before : experimenting is all the way, not only the end :).
     
  19. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    In case an HD800 system is too much effort (and/or investment) go for a HD600/650...
     
  20. MattRG

    MattRG Facebook Friend

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    Mine would be this: Be patient. It's tempting to jump on the bandwagon with whatever is the "flavor of the month" but often times, with time and perspective, the truly good stuff will still be good (and the stuff that was all hype will be shown up and called out) and can often be found at a discount versus whatever it was selling for at launch. Patient people often buy the same things as the impatient but have the option of waiting for a discount or a gently used version.
     

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