My biggest issue is lack of audition opportunities around me. I am willing to spend money on good gear but most of my purchases are based on online review as there are no good hifi stores around

@mydogskips2

5 жыл бұрын

Yup, I've been burned too many times buying expensive things based on great online reviews.

@andresgallego5727

5 жыл бұрын

ikr? i live in Colombia and there is literally no store with the goddam HD800 i want to buy, i have the Grado sr325e, Senns HD558 and Hifiman HE400i and i bought them all trusting online reviews, but a 1000$ pair is really an investment i want to be sure about.

@grimstang7404

5 жыл бұрын

Whaaaaat? You don't have a Best Buy near you?!...... Hehehe

@SilentClouds

5 жыл бұрын

So true ... especially for headphones. I find it so hard to find IEMs that don't have piercing highs. On measurements they appear to be dark and rolled off but i always hear a nasty peak at 5kHz.

@leviathan5207

4 жыл бұрын

really? just recently i listened to everything from dt770s to stax 700s in a hifi store. bught 660s that day, my very first pair of decent headphones. ordering and sending back, just seems so tedious.

What I dislike is when people get too sucked into this hobby and take it too seriously. Just have fun with it and enjoy your music.

this may Not be necessarily about being an audiophile but I hate how so little artists in general like to well master their songs and how hard it is to get the lossless files for those songs at a reasonable price.

@Daederik

5 жыл бұрын

I was talking to one of my friends who's a musician and just getting into focusing on mastering his songs more. One of the problems he said are that each of the online based distros (Spotify etc) almost require their own version of the song, and that gets just draining as you can imagine if you're dealing with multiple distributors, and that's why some artists just get lazy and brick everything cause "Loud=good" ...told him to keep fighting the good fight

@casualmime2792

5 жыл бұрын

I found Tidal to be a good balance. Sure it's not perfect because streaming but even with attrition the file detail is far better than CD and at that point I don't think I can personally tell the difference. Being real I can tell the difference between 128 and lossless but any higher and I start making mistakes. It's a good piece of mind to know your source is high quality though.

@SussyBaka-em9rq

3 жыл бұрын

I love piracy

@Wooooosaaaaaa

2 жыл бұрын

It’s a cost thing unless you’re only referring to signed mainstream artists…

@thecommandmaster4354

2 жыл бұрын

@@Wooooosaaaaaa often signed mainstream ones as well

I recently purchased a platinum-plated, copper-free copper, merino-sheathed lightening cable for my iPad, it was $1,200 well spent. These things are hand-wound by highly trained pygmy marmosets working in a vacuum, it’s next-level shit. Apparently they are the only primates with fingers small enough for such detailed work, and sourcing those little space-suits can’t be easy. Your videos just look incredible now, and the micro-detail retrieval out of KZread’s audio compression has to be heard to be believed.

@Utkarsh_A

5 жыл бұрын

So you're the person responsible for writing all these snake oil claims for companies :P

@yannick930

5 жыл бұрын

lmao :)

@riseuplight

5 жыл бұрын

cool story bro

@h.p.734

5 жыл бұрын

Your making me want to buy one...

@mikecoshan3752

4 жыл бұрын

😂😂 based on your review I’ve ordered 2 cables 🤣

These are my things I hate. I hate how expensive some mods are. Making m40xs bearably comfortable costs almost as much as they do. I hate short cables for desktop cans. I want cables that aren't 3 feet long for my m1060s and my hifiman 4xxs, but the only cables worth a damn for them (periapt) are sixty goddamn dollars, which is about as much as I paid for shp9500s. Although this is still better than otherwise good headphones that have attached cables (Sony mdr7506s etc). I hate it when my phone tells me not to put my volume up to a "dangerous listening level" like it knows what the fuck my headphone sensitivity is.

I only hate 1 thing...everything is so expensive!

What I hate are the snobs in the community who rip on people for liking products they don't like. Is there any other hobby that has more "subjectiveness" in what is good?! People have different preferences in sound signature. Someone likes a certain sound signature in a particular product/line, then use that as a reference on how to relate with/help that individual. If they're a treble fiend and you are treble sensitive, don't trash that person for liking something like the BeyerDynamic DT-990 Pros. Be like, "I appreciate detail in my highs, but am treble sensitive so the DT-990 Pros don't work for me. If you like that sound maybe you would like ." I've had people in forums be like "oh those headphones are trash or garbage." when asking questions or opinions on things. Let's build our community not drive away people, just because they don't have the same taste as you or are at a different part of the audiophile journey than you.

@joetowers4804

5 жыл бұрын

Let's talk about guitars and magical 'tonewoods'...

@svenrolic

5 жыл бұрын

On other hobbies with subjective "good" things involved, I can think of plenty. Sports cars for drag racing, running a course, or drifting are wildly different in the community reception with what is "good." In League of Legends making crazy combinations of gear in your inventory is applauded at the pro level and reported for not obeying the meta at lower levels...even in the non-competitive (ranked) games. Art criticism/art appreciation is a wild field of perpetual oddities. I personally think the Mona Lisa is pretty meh. It genuinely does not impress me in the least. Watching my colleagues create a perfectly realistic self portrait with a mythological component to morph their bodies blew me away. Any hobby without a singular definitive "best" is susceptible to subjective opinions. Everyone has an opinion, and most people are biased towards things others agree with them on, things they own, or....anything they're invested in to be honest. I'm not going to tell someone with $25,000 little platinum feet on their solid state DAC that I don't agree with it. Just let them do their thing. Those expensive feet and full AP Tryndamere make them happy, and who am I to take that away? Note: After I typed "full AP Tryndamere," I discovered someone with an 87% win rate with the build, so...lol. To each their own.

@denshi-oji494

5 жыл бұрын

Same thing happens in Video... Videophiles also are composed of many different people with different preferences. Some understand that, others will argue with anyone that does not agree that... "digital is always best" or "24 FPS is best", etc... It is all SUBJECTIVE, by preference. Also, just as not everyone hears the same, people do not all see the same either. These facts I believe are one of the main reasons why there are so many different preferences, in addition to the differences that actually could be measured and quantified. This may be a common term nowadays, but I had not heard the term sound signature in relation to people having preferences for one over another, but it fits perfectly with what I was just saying, and matches exactly with how I have always felt, just never put in those particular words before. So yes, just because you, or I may not like something, does not automatically make it junk, as it may be someone else's TOP choice in comparison tests. I agree there are many snobs out there, at the same time, I think there are those that simply do not understand what a preference actually is. And if the word preference was spoken, I think you would be able to immediately tell which group the person actually belongs to.

@rhodey2952

5 жыл бұрын

Happens in the gun community too. Glock, sig, s&w, etc.

@azamalias

4 жыл бұрын

Snobs/Elitist mentality

My 5 things : 1) Cost 2) How difficult it is to try before buying, specially high end headphones, amp/Dac. 3) Being disapointed when i found that a song i use to like was poorly recorded and that the Hi-Res file shows only how the song is bad. 4) Not having a mentor. (but i like it tho.. that way it's all about what i like) it would be nice to have an experienced person who can tell me what would be best for me depending on my taste. 5) Poseurs, people who act like they know things when i'm trying to learn and even i can figure out they're bullshitting.

Having unpopular opinions. So many outsiders think I'm crazy when I say the M50x isn't actually a good value even though most audiophiles I know of will agree.

@WillJukedTheBox

6 жыл бұрын

Frank Winkhorst the highs are already painful

@yannick930

5 жыл бұрын

the MSR7 sounds way better to me for only 20 more bucks.

Also, would love to a see a video on 320 vs Lossless.

@RoseGold823

6 жыл бұрын

I would also like to see your thoughts on Vorbis and AAC files and the such

@denshi-oji494

5 жыл бұрын

First you would also need to determine what actual CODEC is being used for the 320K file. All the CODECS for 320 K can, and usually do have VERY significant sound also.

@mydogskips2

5 жыл бұрын

+Kyle Dykes I've seen a few videos on 320k vs. lossless, and most say that the majority of people CANNOT tell the difference, despite the fact that they think/say they can. Being an audiophile myself, with a musical background and excellent hearing, of course I'm a part of that group. Haha But in blind A-B tests, most cannot tell, and I probably can't either. ; )

@omerkeidar95

3 жыл бұрын

This is ancient so not sure it's still relevant, but there are blind tests online were you can test yourself with your own equipment between mp3 in several different bitrates and lossless. For me there was no clear difference between 320 and lossless, except with some songs I knew very well and even then it took me several minutes to discern on every song.

@NotCharAznable

3 жыл бұрын

Depends on the recording, source, etc.

5, definitely 5. Even having a background in engineering, the amount of BS the community, reviewers and companies spew at you is such a royal pain to sift through. I can't imagine how people w/o technical understanding deal with it. Human senses are so friggin inaccurate, so easily deceived, most notably by barely perceptible increases in volume, so the "trust your ears" doesn't always work either, esp when it comes to DACs and cables.

It's very inspiring to watch your video man. I just discovered the chanel and i'm going to watch everything lol I'm just starting my journey in audio, i can't call myself an audiophile yet but i felt everything you said in your 5 points. I'm currently searching my ideal headphone of the moment. Trying to go in every audiophile store i can find in my city to try different pair of headphones. It's amazing to see the contrast between my liking and what i think is nice and what other people (community on the net) think is the "best" for the money. My journey started when i bought a fiio k1 for my laptop and an LG g7 thinq as a phone because i tried them in a store and i thought they transformed everything i was listening (hip hop, jazz, old Rock and blues). i kept the same headphone (Denon ah- D400, 64 ohms, 115dB, 5 - 37,000Hz) I have a process now and i wanted to ask you if you see any flawd or way to improve my journey ? 1) i'm listening everything i ever listen discovering more details, crystal voices, real bass,.... 2) Trying to find the best quality for every song cd or Hi-Res (Tidal or Qobuz on PC) 3) When i find a jewl, something well mastered and beautifully produced i try it on different headphones to see if they shine with it or if i hear something new, a nuance. Today i tryied the Beyerdynamic dt 990 pro 32 ohm with my LG i was blown away ! I loved the details listening to Daft punk - Random Access Memory. I thought about buying it but i decided to wait and go see what's up on youtube ? I just saw your video about the gt 1990 pro and i'm lost now lol, i have to find a way to listen to it first before buying. In the meantime i want to fully exploit my Denon ah d400, do you think that an Amp or Dac/Amp could be beneficiary ? if yes what do you think i should start with ? I know it's very long and thanks for your patience.

I can totally follow and understand you, altough I wouldn‘t call me an audiophile. I hope I‘ll turn into one and for now you‘re helping not only me but also your other subscribers. Keep on your great work, do what you want and ENJOY music!🤙🏻

I have a friend who has a big 4k tv, pc, console, soundbard, 2.1 speakers, 5.1, he cares about 200fps, gsync, he likes music, videos...but noooo, I can't convince him just to DEMO once great headphones or speakers. I think that's because once he hears the beauty, he won't stop buying and he knows he's got that addiction. Would be nice though to share that with an IRL friend.

How can some companies charge £2000 plus for a HDMI cable ? When it’s a digital signal cable. An Amazon basics hdmi cable is perfect and will give you the same picture quality.

Loved this video!

First off, I greatly enjoy the channel and your reviews. As many others have already mentioned, I love your camera work and lighting (although i have to say that sometimes your mike's output gain is much too low. This video was MUCH improved and easier to hear!) With that said, one of the things I hate about being an audiophile is how it's very hard to find reviews (both written and in video forms), which mention specific SONGS (ie. the name of the song, artist, album) when reviewers review gear. When I look for reviews for gear that I may potentially buy, I want to know if that gear will sound good with the type of music I will typically be listening to. As a long time audiophile (almost 40 years now) I know from experience that just because a set of headphones, iem's, speakers, dac, amp, etc. sounds good with say classical or jazz, doesn't mean it will sound good with say Pink Floyd, ACDC, Soundgarden, or Michael Jackson for example. It's really important that reviewers put their opinions in context with the music they test the gear with. Simply using adjectives like "airy, great bass, attack, decay, big soundstage" etc. doesn't really adequately communicate how the review item sounds unless there is a reference made to the songs used to come to that conclusion. Again, as my experience over the years has shown me, just because something sounds great when fed music of a certain genre or two, does not mean that equipment will sound good when you mainly listen to Metallica or 2Pac. Not all gear is designed to sound great with all genres of music. If that were the case, then we could all find the "perfect system" that did everything right (to each of our individual ears and idea of perfect sound) and it'd be game over. Just sayin...it'd be nice if reviews actually mentioned the music/songs/artists used when evaluating gear, so the consumer could have a better idea of how good or bad the gear is based on music that they may be familiar with

@JoshuaValour

6 жыл бұрын

Ya, recently fixed the microphone issue. You have a point. That is something I consider that in my reviews. Usually I don't mention something unless it stands out as extremely good or extremely bad. For example, Hifiman HE560, (review coming friday) is excellent for classical and orchestral music. Generally, I summarize it by vocals VS instrumental music. (it isn't perfect) but, it's better then nothing. I try to hit a sweet spot for review length (Usually around 10 Minutes) and the amount of information I can pack in to that video. And, I think other reviewers do the same. Blogs, don't really have an excuse, though. haha!

What I hate is that you can’t go to your local Best Buy or whatever store and pick up a pair of nice headphones, you need to get them off amazon or eBay and it would be a lot easier to just go to the store and buy them. You can take them back and get another pair.

@mandart21

6 жыл бұрын

I agree, there needs to be more hifi shops

@Psychodegu

6 жыл бұрын

I am poor so When I wanted to get a sound system for my TV (I was having a hard time hearing the dialogue) I waited for a sale. I saw klipsch at 50% of and then saw them being sold at Best Buy with the same deal, but so was polk speakers. Sadly this bestbuy is advertising all these speakers at 50% off but the one of the demos was all messed up and did not work. SO I am not going to buy the brand that was costing twice as much when there are plenty of people saying that polk sounds just as good. Best Buy lost a lot of potential money, because they don't know what they are doing or just don't care. I think when I ever am going to get better speakers I am going to have to quest for a HiFi shop.

I love that you keep showing the HD660s in B-roll for this video. I just got mine 3 days ago and I've never felt poorer.

I’m a recovering audiophile😂 the best thing ever did, was stop being one. When I look back at the money I’ve spent because I was continually disatisfied, it makes my eyes water. Then I discovered studio monitors, and I was done. My setup is now Focal Alpha 65’s with a Yamaha WXC-50 streaming preamp. Maximum inputs, streaming, and a speaker that goes clean down to 40hz. Bass and treble controls on the back, mean I can tune the sound to the room. (Audiophiles will say “oh no, you can’t have those it upsets the purity of the sound. Bollocks😂) files I use? AAC off Apple Music. Only costs me $11 a month. Tidal? Nowhere near the catalogue size of Apple or Spotify, so why should I spend the extra $20 when the others have far larger choice? Once you drop the audiophilia, it’s quite liberating for your mind, and your wallet. My system comes in at $1299 AUD and my OCD has disappeared 😂😂

@DSRT888

2 жыл бұрын

There is something special about feeling the sub-bass rather than having it injected in your ears.

Dude! I feel you on the fact that I dont know one person in my life that has a clue or cares about audio like I do. I buy all this nice shit and nobody to show it off to =(

3:35 Skip as many levels of the chase as possible! Get something great for the money, and don't be afraid to return things.

Actually I agree 100% It's a very intelligent video, well done! Sometimes I ache for easy listening without all the audiophile fuzz, just plugging a funny headphone and listening music

Cost and the chase. One and two. I basically spent all day talking myself out of dropping 400 dollars on new cans with that eBay coupon that dropped. In the end I stayed strong to my decree when I started this hobby 200 dollar hard limit on head phones. I always buy used. I just can’t. So dt1990s ain’t gonna happen. Also great video your reviews have become so slick. Already some of the best production.

Cost is def my biggest issue. I can only dream of affording most of the equipment I would love to try. Even most of the so called cheaper stuff is hard for me to make happen. Kids man, kids. But keep up the good work man. Great videos

what i hate about the audiophile industry is the amount of scam companies and the rich people who support it. I find it unbelievable that people fall for those overpriced products, it even makes me want to start my own cable company because i would only have to sell like one cable every one or two days to have a profitable business.

I have recently been watching car review videos. Doug demuro has come up with a concept called the “doug score”. It is an interesting way of succinctly covering the many different qualities of a car. A given car might have an overall average score, while being higher in one particular area that might be particularly important to some people (like comfortable seats) One thing i find difficult about audiophilia is that it is often easy for reviewers to become obsessed with a particular area of performance without being clear about the chain of other elements that must also be addressed in order to fully appreciate this (possibly expensive) area of performance. Also, reviewers seldom fully acknowledge the learning/experience necessary to fully appreciate some of these subtleties. I would like to be able to appreciate a great wine.... but i simply have not invested the necessary time, effort, and commitment It might be good to rate products within the spectrum market segments. Ie advanced audiophile, aspiring audiophile, committed hobbiest, casual hobbiest, dilettante/enthusiast, bose/home theater, just want something decent

Hi Joshua, Somewhat brand new to the audiophile scene. As a newbie here I'd like to ask for your suggestions on a Hi-Res pair of Close Back Headphones and an Amp and Dac or Amp/Dac hybrid if you feel the headphones you suggest are warranted. I'm an 80s/90s hair metal rocker but also enjoy some standard pop. I'd like something with lot's of Punch and Kick along with high clarity. I'll be using this through my Gaming Desktop if that makes a difference and I listen to my music through Spotify, however after watching your review on Tidal I may join that as well with your suggestions. Lastly, I have a budget of about $500. Many Thanks for your fine reviews and time, Jim P.

I'll add some: 6. Everyone recommends their own devices as the "best", not knowing any better. 7. The most popular products are always overpriced garbage. Gaming headsets, Beats headphones, Apple Airpods etc. 8. Any serious audio gear cannot be purchased from brick-and-mortar stores. 9. Internet advice is always conflicting at best, like a network of vague chinese whispers. 10. You can never know for certain that you'll actually like a product until you buy it and find out. It's a true leap of faith. Trial-and-error contributes to the expensive "chase" of end game gear.

As an audiophile for over 25 years, I pretty much agree with this. I was broke when I started. I had no idea speakers could cost thousands of dollars. I scoffed until I heard them. I have one real life audiophile friend! I wish I had more. I agree with everything said about the community. A lot of the chase is boredom with what you have but it’s also due to just not being able to afford what you really want. Then again I’ve seen guys with systems that cost as much as a new car and they’re still not satisfied. As far as snake oil goes, I’ve tried a lot of tweaks and things to incrementally improve my sound. I’ve wasted some money over the years but sometimes that’s just part of the learning curve. It took a while but I feel like I’ve gotten a better handle on what’s important for building a great system. As far as cables go, well, it was an interconnect cable that turned me into an audiophile. I’ve also heard differences in dacs. Yes, I’ve also come across some bs in this hobby. To avoid the biggest pitfalls in audio do your homework. Listen to everything you can get access to. 1. Buy or build the best speakers you can just barely afford. Maybe even stretch a little beyond what you can afford here. 2. For the best sound I would recommend separate preamplifiers and amplifiers but also look at integrated amplifiers. Receivers are fine for tv and movies but with music don’t expect them to outperform separates. 3. Source. Bluetooth is not high fidelity. WiFi is better. Direct digital be it files or cds are the standard. Vinyl is great too but admittedly not for everyone. That’s a niche within a niche. I love vinyl but 95% of the time listen to digital. 4. Once you get the above sorted out then maybe check out better dacs and cables. If you want. But here’s where things get sticky. If you’re not trying to maximize your sound quality then stick with the cheap stuff. Let me say that again. If you’re not trying to maximize your sound quality then stick with the cheap stuff. Blue jeans cables are great. Schiit dacs are great. Don’t build a system around these last items. They are refinements of what you have. Sometimes the love of this hobby seems silly. But when I look at the frivolous things other people spend their money on It’s really not so bad. Watches, cars, boats, etc. They’re all luxury items. Nobody needs a corvette. Nobody needs a multi-thousand dollar stereo. But they’re fun. Which is the whole point. Do what makes you happy.

The WAITING - The time it takes to get your gear sent to you is oftentimes unbearable because you either can't wait to listen to it, OR, you can't listen to stuff without it!

@heyguyslolGAMING

2 жыл бұрын

In the beginning this is def a problem but once you get a foundation of other gear it does get better. Originally when I was shopping for a high tier headphone I opted not to buy a ZMF headphone because of the 3-4 month build time. Now I have several can's that I can alternate that the wait should I decide to buy a pair doesn't seem as bad. This is a slow moving hobby tho due to cost and tbh that can sometimes be a good thing cuz you may change your mind and end up going w/ something else. gluck

3:06 I catch myself doing that sometimes lol I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point and all the other ones. I really wish that I knew anyone who cared about audio, but it really is a tiny community. edit: I would also say that one thing I hate is the constant arguments between objectivists and subjectivists. I think you do a good job of not bullshitting and still not criticizing people who believe in snake oil, but that seems to be a rare quality for audiophiles.

you seems right person for me. cuz your mind is obviously skeptic on 'what is going on' which gives you clearity on the other hand. so, its basic. can you please tell me what dac i need, what cable i need and what else do i need for kali lp 6 to get good sound? thanks.

Great video bro

Thanks for making this video! There is something I am wondering. It is just me or is there a focus on the devices rather than enjoying the music? Is being an audiophile essentially mean being focused on equipment over the music?

What's the deal with Snake Oil? I love this channel and recently built my first setup. Schiit Magni/Loki/Modi stack with Hifiman Sundara. I'm super happy with everything and the channel was very helpful. I actually built a little audio console and headphone stand out of Walnut and bought the Snake oil Schiit stack RCA connector thing because it matched and was linked from Schiit website. Looks pretty cool and seems to work fine. Just curious what's the Beef with these guys?

crazy how youtubery you used to be. definitely appreciate the more, real person talking feel you've evolved into

Josh - I AM AN AUDIOPHILE - in other words I just love music - you cover some of the "technical" aspects of sound - I have read on medical websites that music (listened intently with IEM'S) develops a part of the brain, which is not otherwise activated - and music keeps you YOUNG - and like you say, always looking for the next level - goes with the territory - I have a set-up which to me, sounds good - wav files from PC, cables, external sound card, dac, amp, IEM's, 'phones - I live outside of US so have to rely on research to purchase any item - and have a policy of under US$500 for any single item - so many websites give out so much info' and it becomes confusing - your videos are straight up, to the point, easy to understand - thank you - keep them coming - music lover Philippines

I hate that companies have the ability to release amazing products for WAY cheaper than they are right now, but they don’t, and I almost feel as if it holds back the evolution of audio development. U look at the jubilees then at the 650s. Then the ath 50x vs 40x, there’s also the open back design for the Audia technical headphones, it’s just frustrating as shit

Thanks for not being sexist, by the way. If that sounds weird, it’s not as much as you may think. The other reviewers somehow, someway, find ways to degrade women, and so seamlessly, whether it’s the open display of these objectified female anime characters, actually called “titties” or just these demeaning comments about their (so-called) clueless nagging wives and girlfriends who get in the way of their “hobby”. It’s so alienating as a woman who knows plenty about music and audio in general. It makes my gut sink. I might really enjoy a particular review or reviewer, and then they drop one of these hurtful generalizations, and it just, I don’t know how to describe the feeling, but it’s like you realize you aren’t wanted here, you aren’t considered worthy of this conversation, you aren’t anything but a set of boobs. It hurts. Like, people don’t say this, but it just hurts. We don’t think of ourselves as less than, certainly not less intelligent, or passionate, so it’s such a shock to feel the sting of someone who does when your just enjoying the same interest.

DMS was correct, you do have much, much better production value than he does! Also better than Zeos as well! Keep up the good work!😎

One thing I hate is I hate how everything sounds. Like the speakers at my work make me want to vomit.

Hi Joshua, great video, loved it. Wondering if you can do a review on Aune X1s preferably 10th ani edition. And are you planning to make a recommendation list?

@JoshuaValour

6 жыл бұрын

I have been trying to work with Aune, as I hear they make amazing stuff. They stopped responding recently, so Ill see what I can do. I have recommended products, in the discription of every video, but, I will make a top 5 or 10 for that too, someday.

@ToothlessSnakeable

6 жыл бұрын

Joshua Valour I recently bought the X1S

Thanks Josh! Thought I was normal and now I realize I’m an audiophile. I am now going to ‘chase’ being normal again....right after I get that Hegel amp with the Chartwell speakers.

Hey I would like to know what those lights behind you are? :O

Seriously, once I started getting into headphones (I am a musician you used almost exclusively speakers my whole career and avoided headphones) I am now constantly getting ear pain. I love this hobby, but how come headphones always result in ear pain for me (and don't get me started on IEMs, that's even much much worse.). Any advice (please don't just state the obvious like, "oh you are listening too loud...")?. Thanks.

whats your opinion about sampling above 96khz? or 192hkz?

One of the big problems I find is being limited to hearing/comparing only a few speaker brands or models in one's local hifi shop or area despite the plethora of speakers available

That "you get bored 5 years down the line" is so true! When I bought ATH M50x in 2014, I thought that was all I ever would need..Then I saw Sennheiser HD 598 in 2017 on a sale and bought it on whim, and they've been the most comfortable headphones and the most used headphones to the point that I can no longer wear ATH M50x without head pain.. Now recently I started looking for a replacement to ATH M50x and I bought DT 770 Pro 250 ohm... now I'm looking to get an amplifier for this... My decent into this rabbit hole clearly shows why there's no endgame! My disappointment with myself is immeasurable and my wallet is forever ruined!

enjoy the music .

@luximperium4164

5 жыл бұрын

but music and audio arent really the same thing. i can dig a song when played on low budget headphones, but id much prefer hearing the audio on something better, because I think it sounds better. And, from my background as a musician and producer, i really like both the aspects of finding the perfect mix on a track, the best reproduction of the song, and also, the music behind it. i just dont think people into audio and people into music are that similar. there are plenty of musicians i know that dont care about audio. but i find that most audiophiles care for music.

Great video, my top 5, 1The word authenticated, 2 The battle between Vinyl and CD, 3 The constant hi fi cable fight, 4 Streaming services and that MQA thing, 5 People who have forgotten to sit back relax pour yourself a nice drink and listen to an album,

Where do you find this audio community? Discord specifically

My hate about being an audiophile is not being rich. Lol...

When I was 22 (21 years ago!) I used to work in a hifi shop in Coventry (UK) called Frank Harvey Hifi, its on Medieval Spon Street in the city centre. Most of the buildings there are 16th century and were flat packed during WW2 and rebuilt after the war (mostly) in their original condition. That means it looks awesome, but its freezing in winter and sweltering in the summer. I got to play with a vast range of hifi brands and some really amazing home cinema gear. I never tried any of the headphones, and now I've moved away from Coventry I won't manage to go back there any time soon. Real shame because I only just discovered how good a decent pair of headphones can sound after messing about with gaming headsets for the last 7 years.

@noth606

3 жыл бұрын

if you can, try HD600/HD580's, with FLAC they sound better and more detailed to me than anything I've heard and I used to almost live in Hifi stores in my teens. I lucked out and found a pair of HD580 in good condition for 50eur. Cost more to get all new pads and foams etc for them but the sound they make is a thing of pure beauty. I have HD595's and other headphones too but none are like these, they are both detailed and beautiful and musical at the same time, a little fatiguing compared to the HD595's for example but not nearly as much as something like UE TripleFi which just kill it with detail but are not "fun" or enjoyable at all.

Never understood the heavy emphasis on speaker sensitivity and amplifier wattage (this is for the audio sales people). For my tastes the best speakers I have ever heard had sensitivity in the 86-90 range and the best sounding amplifier (tonal quality/accuracy) only had 100 watts per channel in to 8 ohms.

The pricetag and lack of brick and mortar location to tro before I buy are the two biggest issues for me. I just want to spend $75-$125 on just enough equipment to have a pleasant all around listening experience at my desk. I've been pouring hours into online video reviews, reading and comparing headphones through review websites, closely watching price online, even creating a spreadsheet of my top choices, and reaching out on Reddit and asking friends for advice. Through all that, I still have yet to actually buy any headphones, with the exception of an incredibly cheap pair being shipped from China as I type this. I bought those because the sale and coupon code brought them below 5 dollars and i want to see what the lowest point is like for headphone sound and quality ,to see how far I need to go up from there to feel satisfied.

I hate the cult/religious aspects of HiFi, which is by definition pursuing sound reproduction that has a high level of accuracy in representing reality. But you get Vinyl and Cable people saying that you can't measure what they are hearing, and if you just believe, you can hear the difference too. It misdirects people and wastes money. (Yes, you can enjoy vinyl more, but accuracy is far less of an opinion, and ABX tests and measurements come into play.)

Aren't there groups for people like us? «Hi, my name is Josh, and I'm an audiophile ... »

Nah! I don't find it to be expensive at all: I research the products I'm interested in, make the best selection based upon that, buy when I find the best deal on the gear I'm interested in, and leave it alone. The key is not falling for industry marketing tricks which makes one feel as if they're missing out on something - you've addressed this in regards to the Law of Diminishing Returns. I recently rebuilt a PC based audio system that'll last me for at least a decade or more: an I.AM.D V200BT integrated amplifier (which appears to be a cult favorite in Europe, and rightly so from my auditioning of it), a pair of Infinity Reference 152's (which I got an incredible deal on and are an underground favorite), and some Sony MDR 7506's headphones (industry favorite reference that I've actually own those for over 20 years now). Now I'm just going to set back and enjoy the music... ;-)

The purists I'm with Metal 571 I have an equalizer and it makes me love all my headphones more. The Sundaras are so much better EQ'd the bass extension goes much lower and bring down the highs. Earpads suck too, I wish earpads were more durable.

I personally feel that it's too hard to find some products. I live in Finland and you can't find like anything not Sennheiser or Beyer or AKG here so trying products before buying them can be impossible. Also in Finland the import taxes for products coming outside of Europe are insane so rip

@JoshuaValour

6 жыл бұрын

Ohh, sorry man :/ That blows. I did't even think of that.

It'd say my biggest issue is that there's no where to really test half the headphones we look at. It's always gotta be a risky purchase while keeping that return window in mind.

Got dt 990s a month ago everyone was saying there was a burn in. 1 month later still no burn in now regretting this purchase and want to buy another headphone I think I know what u mean by chasing perfection and it’s really annoying I must admit.

ok josh, i will enumerate along with you... cost-i too am put off by the exhilarating prices of some equipment. a lot of them ARE worth the money but can only be considered by me by respecting their excellence and execution. oh yes, i have heard the speakers like Wilson Audio and MBL and would love to live with them. i have had exposure to exemplary loudspeakers and electronics in a friend's house. the big IMF monitors which were FLAT down to 16Hz (think a pair of JL Audio subs) with martin logan reQuests. counterpoint preamp and believe it or not, adcom amps which are a GREAT value and are transparent. however, i have to skip reading about all the $30k cables and d/a converters and headphones over $500 (my most expensive pair purchased was $170 for hifiman 4XX from massdrop and then there are the $1600 Grado ps1000s i won at the raffle at a LAOCAS gala). so schiit electronics pricing is right up my alley even though i have purchased other items instead. the current reviewers on YT including you, Z, Zero, DS, and barakpdub are great guides providing a lot of temptation for me, and of course, there are others. i have a prodigious amount of music available to me here at home and a decent system which is now set up since my move 3 yrs ago. system: cgi.audioasylum.com/cgi/system.mpl rarity of audiophiles-a few i knew before i joined LAOCAS (www.laocas.com/), but now, quite a few i consider friends. location location location. we are trying to think of ways to increase our numbers, especially younger people so the hobby can carry on. the uprising of the headphone community has been beneficial but the pricy items ARE daunting. community--my preference is for natural-sounding gear which some would refer to as accurate. i want lows into the basement (the monolith 1060s do that for cheap), highs into the bat range, even though we don't hear that high, we sense the unrestrained ease that overtones are reproduced with. this is why DSD and sacd in particular plus the other high bitrates that extend the highs to up to 40k or so. vinyl does this too which is why many of us prefer that mode of reproduction. the backbiting and snarkiness found on the forums is easier for me to dismiss as i will be civil to all but the most severe types who get themselves banned anyway. i will explain why i disagree with them and persevere until they realize that i'm NOT going away. we have lost way too many of our good members on audio asylum but some of us are determined to keep it civil. i sometimes seem like a snob because i insist that separates are better than the receiver crowd thinks. i explain why and my reasoning is sound so most will at least desist about superficial details. the chase--j will only go so far. if i identify a real deficiency i will do my best to correct it within the confines of my budget. snake oil--is in the eye of the beholder. cables DO make a difference/improvement even digital and power cables. don't ask me to explain everything about that but living with a subtle difference can help you identify whether it's for you or not. try the DBS cables by AudioQuest. i have been mocked for maintaining that the placement of green ink or paint on the outside and inside edges of CDs actually works to the betterment of sound. it does but it's too much to put it on all of my CDs so i don't. DACs and the higher sampling rates are legitimate improvements if are genuinely implemented. now upsampling to DSD from RBCD on streaming just to collect the bucks is crap but playing CDs in an SACD player will, many times, improve the resulting sound BECAUSE the upsampling allows filtering at higher frequencies and eludes the ringing caused at the regular 44.1k. when it can be proven that i am wrong to where i can discern why, i will acquiesce but that isn't often. hifitommy

Oh man, do I feel your #2 reason deeply! If you guys stopped posting, I'd be a sad panda. How about #6 - It becomes difficult to just sit back and listen to music without being hyper-critical of every single goddamn thing. There are days I wish I'd never bought my first high-end piece of equipment! :-)

The things I hate in the Audiophile hobby is idiots criticising an lp reissue if its digitally remstered.not analog . FFS it either has been mastered well or it hasn't . I also hate people commenting on my system ( component choices) without them actually hearing my system.

The "chase" element is pretty much the definition of an enthusiast. In every field there is thriving for a better thing when you become bored with the one oyu have. Look at the PCMR, or the TV industry, or cars, or music industry (audio equipment) etc. And that is happening for a reason. Production companies know humans nature and they're encouraging it to have more profit.

No. 4 - Chase... You made me think about the recording side with that comment. No two microphone types sound the same either. And even if you record the exact same performance with 4 different sets of microphones, NONE of them will be truly the best at everything from what I have heard with my ears. Small diaphragms respond quicker, but loose some sensitivity usually to small nuances that were present at the performance. Larger diaphragms are a little sluggish in motion, so higher frequency transients are attenuated, or in extreme conditions almost completely lost. Ribbon elements are, well, kind of odd in how they capture various frequencies, and can at times have internal resonances that can cancel out with some of the frequencies you are trying to capture, usually not an issue, but it seems to present more noticeably with Jazz Choirs/small groups singing close harmonies. PZM cartridges seem to usually be one of the better options, with a high pressure focused zone, allowing it to capture with the sensitivity of a larger mic element, yet handle higher frequencies and the associated transients with ease due to the small diaphragm actually in use, but sometimes again due to the pressure zone, mid frequencies can sometimes seem to be a little muddled together. Oh I wish I could find a perfect microphone, yet, so far I have been able to only find some fairly decent microphones for some more specific applications. Other than that, multiple recordings made simultaneously, and then the real struggle begins... which one(s) do I really want to commit to being "the" recording...

This is a bit of an odd one but I'll put it out here anyway. The thing I hate most about being an audiophile is going out in public whilst listening to music. Its like, you want what your listening to to sound good, but you can't wear open backs because that will disturb the people around you, you can't use headphones with overly long wires because they get in the way and you can't take headphones that require some power to drive them, unless you want to invest in either a portable dac/amp or another device just to listen to music like a fiio or a walkman. So unless you can find some headphones that avoid all of these problems, you need to buy a pair of 'commuting' headphones that dont sound as good or have the sound signature that you like.

1 headphone 1000 opinions

Tell me about it. I started at 16 with a Denon 2 channel receiver and a pair of B&W 601s with stands. As I'll be 40 in July, I've easily spent well over $2million in 25 years. A very expensive hobby that's for sure.....but I wouldn't change it for anything. I enjoy great music reproduction; whether with a Schiit Audio Modi and Magni, to Krell and McIntosh Labs monoblock amps, Dynaudio Evidence to Focal Grand Utopias. I love it!

Because sound signature is subjective to the listener, shopping online for headphones whether budget or "grail," can be a daunting task of trial and error. I wish I had a store or stores I can visit to listen to the headphones I am interested in because I am willing to pay for a great pair of headphones I love.

Dude, PLEASE do a Questyle CMA600i Review! :)

What I hate about being an audiophile: - Poorly produced music What I hate about the audiophile community: - Snakeoil - Snakeoil - Not having friends into audio (but this applies to most of my other interests) I used to be into photography and was quite active on the dpreview forums a while ago. There is so much more snakeoil and just general bullshit in audio than photo. I think that's because of the fact that any claim you make about photo (at least about the quality of the recorded image) can be immediately verified by anyone with a (good) monitor. Audio is different. Measurements exist, but they don't yet provide a good enough picture and are just not embraced by the community. That might be because audiophiles might need to educate themselves about how to read the measurements and they are a lot less interested in science than in opinions and impressions. With science there is only one truth, with impressions everyone can be right at the same time.. /random-brain-dump

I do agree with all you have said.. but all these companies wants our money. I have been an audiophile for many years it just keeps on going never ends.. Always theres something new in this industry and we all want to have that but many times its is unaffordable. I just be happy of what i have and keep it that way if i have extra money to spend i will but not my priority. My world does not revolve around this.

I do not think I am a true audiophile. I just like good music to sound good. So I look to experts like you that have heard a wide range of headphones and necessary equipment, to find my way to good sound. I know that there are extremists in this audiophile world, but there are extremists in every community . I tend to skip through the mumbo jumbo of measurements, and graphs, and want to hear good opinions about the sound. Witch is to me, what it is all about. Thank you for not only reviewing sound, but price, and the total value of the things you review. Mark.

Snobbery. It exists in all hobbies. Also people who tell you that you can’t possibly be hearing what YOU are hearing, because they hear it differently and it’s measures differently.

What’s a good Dac by the way?!

I'm pretty new in this "audiophile" hobby and I agree with all of your points :) The community is also super nice excluding people who think they have inhuman hearing capabilities lol. The only thing I hate is how these "inhuman hearing guys" trick newcomers like myself into buying overpriced snake oil. If I wasn't experienced in electronics I would probably have bought lots of overpriced cables and stuff because how people praise them.

@ToothlessSnakeable

6 жыл бұрын

Im new as well. How do i find these people in the audio community?

Being an audiophile is about journey not the destination :D

A perfect example is the WAVAC $350,000 amplifier. It costs less than that to get a PhD in enough physics to learn how to design something better, not to mention it would take more years to save up $350,000 than to get the graduate education to build the same design which is more custom to your liking. You can build an amplifier which uses the same output tube run at the same plate voltage and a nicer sounding driver for less than half of a percent of the cost of the WAVAC. You also learn how to make the calculations to identify claims by cable manufacturers which are pure fraud and end up making your own cables too.

I don't have much money so I tend to buy lot of budget gear but I do like to try and get best sound I think I can get. So maybe I am audiophile even though I don't have expensive audio gear.

That's fine now with the hands man. Thanks. We've seen the hands.

The snake oil is a real problem in the audio industry. Evaluation of audio quality is very subjective and prone to bias so it's easy for companies to peddle snake oil and people to bite that bait. That being said, it's also easy for companies to fall for their own snake oil, so they might not even be dishonest or malicious, just negligent of proper double blind testing procedure and the implications of measurements. Measurements are important because they maintain a degree of honesty. You can't say an amp is distorting or sounds warm if the measurement shows distortion at -140dB down and a ruler flat frequency response.

@gerardfletcher1203

6 жыл бұрын

dont believe the hype

@denshi-oji494

5 жыл бұрын

The biggest problem there is that there really is no standard typically for much of the audio gear being sold now. In the 70's there were USA Government Mandated standards from the FTC which provided some very basic and standardized test methods from which the standardized test results would be presented to the consumer in a STANDARD format. Did the numbers tell everything, NO, but it was a very good starting point. Instead of improving on the standards, they were thrown out the window so everyone presents test results however they want to typically make things look better than they really are, and also impossible to actually make comparison based on data from the manufacturers. More recently, many of the products sold to consumers have little to NO specifications actually published other than physical attributes. A stated flat frequency response, with no correlation as to the level at which that frequency response is actually measured is very potentially completely meaningless.

IM HOOKED ON AUDIO BAD!!! I didn't know this was even a real life thing but its absolutely obsessive!!! What I want to know Are there competitions for this hobbie??? What happens when the sound becomes perfect??? What happens when the aesthetic quality is omnipotent and pure... Something to this Sound thing!!!!

The hostile elitism is what i hate most. Bash on bluetooth/bose/dre aficionados all you want; fair enough. But once you start condescending to other audiophiles who like other respected brands you do not.. or bashing newcomers proud of their first, often modest setup; you are cancer.

Build quality isnt always as great :,(

This is not something that I hate per se, but I think is something that needs to be worked on; some of the language used to describe sound. I know it's not easy to describe sound, hell, is out right impossible to say the correct words that will lead a person that has never heard what you're talking about to correctly imagine the sound you describe, but the current language that we uses that uses a mixture of temperature, brightness, flavor and textures? Sensations that everyone has experienced and have nothing to do with sound? Very confusing and does not attract people, I think we can do better than that. To this day, I'm not sure I fully understand what people mean when they use some of the language, even after I actually heard the headphones they were describing, I think I do but I'm not sure. Other thing that I actually dislike is this obsession with correct, flat, analytical sound signature (specially when you don't mix, you just listen), and subsequently aversion to EQing an analytical pair. What's the point of getting into the hobby and get a collection of different headphones then? Just buy a set of headphones that appear flat on a graph and be done with it, you don't need anything else, you did it. Don't get me wrong, I think every audiophile/headphone enthusiast should have at least one pair of "flat and accurate" headphones for reference, but it should be one among the collection. I'm also not saying that is wrong to look for a flat signature because that's what you like the most of all you're experienced, I'm just saying that one should not judge a pair of headphones as bad headphones just because they have a peculiar sound signature. I also hate lack of proper support for Linux, but that's a whole other story.

Why is it all the audiophile music that I listen to that audio files claim you could test your system with is the same music that I've listened to every time I've ever got into an elevator. If I knew this in the beginning I could have saved myself hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

I just read the comment below mine and thought wow, are you that far from an audio store? The problem is that it is hyper expensive to open one. The product lines that you carry expect you to carry most of not all of their line. That requires display and storage space and let’s not forget the main element, money! Building costs vs. rent, utilities, insurance, security and taxes if you own the building. Upkeep and personnel costs are issues. Advertising is not cheap. There are many factors why there aren’t more audio stores and close to you. Brick and mortar stores are hard to keep up in an economy that doesn’t support them. Only the stores that can roll with the expenses can continue in their traditional roles. How do I know this? I worked in one for years. It is a lot harder than most people think. I’m sorry that you have no stores near you, but the reality is that the ones that manage to stay afloat are doing so by the grace of God from month to month. It is far harder than it appears. I know all this explanation may not help your situation, but at least you may now understand how cut throat this industry really is. It’s no garden party. Now I can get off my soapbox and get to the rat killing! Being an audiophile is much like any other hobby/obsession one can get involved in. It only requires desire, money, knowing what your tastes are, what equipment will get you there and finding it. Of course there is finding a level of satisfaction in that gear that you can live with. That gets harder the longer you stay in the hobby and your level of involvement in the hobby. For me, it never was a hobby. It has been an obsession and I gladly plead guilty to that! Guilty! However, being a realist also causes me great issue with the money necessary to achieve that level of enjoyment. It is hard to settle for mediocrity when greatness is so close at hand. Much like a marriage, compromise is necessary. This demands that you focus on what is important to you as an individual listener and advocate. Never mind what others may think. It’s your money and you should focus on pleasing your own ears. Josh has repeatedly expressed this in your choice of any gear. Gear is only important in that it is the gear which translates this information to you as a listener. Josh’s role is as a guide for you to use as an educational aide in your journey in this hobby or obsession whichever may apply. Budgets stink, but all who participate in this must live with that as no one can ignore it. The music you listen to mostly may help you figure out what equipment you may seek. Use that to help you on your journey. I think Josh has a good common sense approach to addressing the particulars. Listen to him and use what he says to help guide you towards that gear that will give you the experience you are looking for. It can get very daunting just searching for the right choice, but you gain knowledge in this search and that knowledge should reduce your chances of making a poor choice. Do not be impatient. Haste is a pit from hell when you are looking for aural satisfaction. You owe it to yourself to try to learn as much as you can first and avoid the pitfalls of instant gratification. Open your ears, open your mind and prepare to open your wallet, but do so with a prepared mind and heart! You’ll be glad you did. Prior preparation prevents poor performance! It’s your call!

@markphilpot4981

5 жыл бұрын

The word should be if where the of is in the third sentence. My bad!

1. It’s a major money pit. I bought all this is the past month: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, Grado PS500e, Hifiman HE4XX, Master & Dynamic MH40, Ultimate Ears 18+ CSX, Dragonfly Red, FiiO E17K, Earstudio ES100. RIP my bank account.

The thing a really hate is that you can’t try like 50 different high end headphones side by side so you can easily choose a pair of $1000 headphones instead of buying based on reviews.

i hate how now i cant listen to bad headphones

I created all my audiophile friends/family by just giving them my old audio gear. A lot of my old gear was thrifted and it was awesome but they just wanted more because they saw what it was.

Music quality on streaming services, $20/month for tidal is to much and is still a limit selection of "Master" quality. I wish Google Play and Spotify had a "Download at CD quality option"

@omeee

4 жыл бұрын

compared to pre streaming this is cheap. A single was like 10$ and an album ~20-30$

Here's another one you will hate: I would love to subscribe to your channel but I can't because I'd spent way too much money on audio gear after seeing it here.

My least favourite thing is that some folks are going into this "audio-voodoo" realm

I personally 'hate' that it's not an industry that evolves quick. It's rather slow I think. But then again you don't have to buy products as often

@AU-cs6er

2 жыл бұрын

In a world of unending product cycles, which is very common these days, I think it's good that this industry evolves slow, or another way to think of it is that it reached the point of massive diminishing returns. I'm a guitarist and I think the design of the guitar has been perfected decades ago. Any attempts to innovate will either receive huge backlash or it simply won't see much adoption. The manufacturing process have improved for sure, but if you think about it, there's really not much to improve on fundamentally. I recently bought my first and only American Fender Telecaster, it's expensive upfront, but it's one of the most versatile instruments ever made, and I know I can enjoy it and even pass that enjoyment long after I die. I think the same goes with audio gear, especially headphones. Even for speakers, its only limiting factor is space and its treatment, but even then, the fundamentals are pretty much the same. It only becomes a problem when you resist becoming satisfied, in which capitalism takes advantage of.

Main thing i hate is that i like mostly non audiophile music. Its really hard to buy good sounding, good mastered music...

Worst thing. No ability to test before you buy. People are too far away to let you try something. Stores that have anything nice wont let even you touch the box without buying it first. So you are stuck with online reviews and hoping the plethora of reviews align with your own experiences when you get the headphone in from Amazon.