So… I have recently spent $5k+ on my headphone journey. And it’s mostly in debt now. I can pay it off this year, but I’ve been having a mini existential crisis. I don’t care about the money, but it’s got my emotions all over the place. For example, tonight I attempted to recreate an artifact I heard on my equipment, hours later ready to test it between my tube amp and solid state amp both on my R2R DAC. Did I just understand jitter? Was it built into the song? Perhaps the tube amp being too hot? I was ready to swap out my SU-9 and see if it was the DAC. But then I asked myself….. what does it matter? I mean I get a kick out of audio gear and talking about it on forums as an escape. But I see people here arguing and full of Drama. This is a subjectively objective hobby, or objectively subjective, which ever tickles your pickle the most. All of us are built different and have different needs and experiences in life. I appreciate the fact that there are people dedicated enough to put themselves into this hobby/passion and make a living out of it. And I kind of admire it, this is one of my hobbies which keeps me busy. I truly appreciate having a place to talk about it. I come from tech forums where it’s all solution based and getting opinions in the way can be a problem. Let alone being able to just clickity clack on my keyboard about random thought’s like this. This is a highly faceted hobby, one which all we can do is try to find common ground.
I’ve had (still have?) many hobbies over the years. I sometimes joke my only hobby is that I collect hobbies. Anyway this one, headphones, is the most multi-faceted complex frustrating joyful hobby of them all - by far. Every time I think I’m done exploring I discover something else I want to try. Every time I think I know what I’m doing I try a product or PEQ or something that takes me completely by surprise. I’m constantly learning, which is the best part. Even the things I’ve bought that I don’t like have taught me something (of course I still wish I hadn’t “wasted” the money).
Naturally you also have the difficult task of reality checking yourself. Do I like these new headphones because they’re great or because they are new? Or because they are the most expensive? SMH like a pendulum I swing between confidence that I have figured “it” out and I know nothing. But it is far more healthy to doubt yourself a bit in this hobby.
This is a nice post, which I’m sure will breed good sentiments and passionate replies. I can surely see things on your level and I have always found that a great thing to look for in a well tailored system to one’s liking is effortlessness. What I mean by that is the systems performance allows a listener to not even think about the quality of that system or its particular parts…amps..DACS…cables etc. The only thing that a listener should be thinking about is the music itself. That is when the “effortlessness” kicks in and the system is doing its job on you. I’d like to think and believe that is what we are all here for or strive to accomplish in this hobby.
As always. To each to his own, but I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 
Always be very wary anytime you feel like you are listening to equipment and not music.
At the end of the day music is art and art is about conveying emotion.
The fun of the hobby should be centered around finding things that fit into your use case and can deliver that emotion and enjoyment.
Thanks for this post and topic, Klute.
Your post gave me a reason to look up the meaning of terms like “endgame” and “TOTL” since these are the kinds of things audiophiles often talk about. Some audiophiles aren’t concerned with top of the line or endgame gear though. But they want something to take them to that “next level”.
I’m looking for a premium listening experience, on a budget I can afford, that will hopefully give me somewhat better sound quality than what I already have. I don’t think that’s a very high bar. But won’t really know for sure til I begin listening to some new gear.
I have no desire to go into debt though to achieve this. Because I’ve been down that road a few times in the past, and it wasn’t pretty. And I hope maybe I’ve finally learned my lesson on that… Old habits die hard though.
Oh goodness! The effort, time, and money sacrifice to acquire headphone gear. I have chased so many phantoms. When thinking straight, it seems so illogical to waste massive amounts of dollars that are thrown into this fire. Not to listen to music. But, to experience a new toy. Play with it and find the ins and outs on what it is capable of. Past bedtime? Trading night time sleep traded to absorb everyone’s opinions on a DAC that I may want to throw more money at. Add another cup of coffee tomorrow to cope with the sleep sacrificed. Does anything seems logical about obsessing with all of this gear? Man… This ZMF! These new tubes! This DAC! AMAZING! Worth it? Probably not. But I have to be part of the small percentage of lucky fools have achieved this level of ear splendor with that must have item. We live in the forums. We are the crows that won’t hesitate to drain our bank accounts to add another new and glistening shiny object to play with.
.
I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you
I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you
Personally, headphones are a tool for listening to music. I’m willing to buy new headphones pretty much if, and only if, I’m convinced that they’ll sound sufficiently better than what I already have that it justifies (to me) the expenditure.
Anything I buy HAS to be comfortable, not too heavy to wear for a decent length of time, and built to give me reasonable confidence it’ll last a decent length of time. The more expensive the headphone is, the more important those factors become, especially the durability aspect. I do not buy for their appearance, though … ZMF? Hmmm. Tempted. But so far, I’ve resisted because I’ve not heard them and am not spending that kind of money without doing so.
Different headphones for different types of music? Maybe. For different purposes (sometimes closed phones are needed, but mostly not (by me), and the same for ANC. Yep, a specific use case might justify a purchase.
But however I approach it, it’s about listening, not gear. Don’t get me wrong, I admire some gear. If someone gave me, oh, some ‘end-game’ headset (Focal, for instance, if you’re up for it, I sure am) I’d take it. I am certainly interested in watching reviews (*). But interest in what’s going on, being released, or watching a review doesn’t mean there’s interest in buying … unless it meets the above criteria. If it does, all bets are off.
(*) By which I mean, those reviews I trust actually are merit-based, not barely disguised marketing from the manufacturer, paid for by free stuff.