Lessons learned in 2021?

All Things Music
21

A couple of observations from 2021, not so profound as some of the above:

  1. The ZMF Aeolus is what you get if a Focal Clear (OG) and Modhouse Argon (take your pick, I have a Mk 2) got together and had a love child :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

  2. For the contingent of people who say friends don’t let friends listen to ZMF headphones through a solid state amp, I say they still sound pretty great!

My reference points are a bit limited, but I recently got a Schiit Jotunheim 2, which joined my Lyr 3 and Bifrost 2. The Aeolus sounds great with either amp, slightly different but still great through the Jot 2.

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22

The Schiit Jotunheim 2 with the Schiit Bifrost 2 is a VERY good all around system for the money and looks great too. I could live with that combo if I had to. Have a great new year and may it be filled with joy and good tubes.

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23

  1. Tube amps are great but tube rolling is often overstated. Focus on getting an amp that fit the setup than tuning it with different tubes. Tube roll comes after and best to do in moderation.

  2. HD800 is extremely finicky. With some physical mods and matched with the right amp it makes for a great listening experience. Took me almost a decade of fiddling to make it tonally enjoyable for my ears. Whether or not it’s worth the effort and money is subjective but it sure sounds great.

  3. In a year filled with expensive releases and ever increasing prices for existing products, it is important to always focus on your core setup and not get distracted by what’s new and hot. Not liking the trend of 4k headphones with 6k amps and 10k dacs but it is what it is.

  4. Pacing is important. Too many upgrades in a short span can seemingly diminish the impact each equipment have on the entire chain.

  5. Listening fatigue is real. Took a couple of weeks off listening and noticed my ears becoming more sensitive even at lower volumes. Probably an indication that fatigue has set and my ears are becoming numb to nuances and subconsciously upping the volume to compensate. This is probably this biggest takeaway for me this year.

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