I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but in the past year I have REPURCHASED headphones and gear that I had previously sold or returned. How could this be?
In some cases the manufacturer has come out with a better version: as in Mojo2 versus the original Mojo (which I sold), or have added functionality with an accessory (like the Chord Poly).
In other cases, I have come to a realization that certain headphones do not fit my hearing capability very well. An example is Balanced Armature IEMS. Yes, I accepted the conventional wisdom that expensive BA IEMs are the best. Perhaps because my hearing is truncated at certain high frequencies I no longer buy that argument. I find dynamic drivers, planar magnetic and electrostatic offerings to be much more suited to my hearing profile.
As a result, I have recently repurchased the Audeze LCDi4 planar magnetic headphones. I sold my earlier pair as the ear-hooks became extremely painful over time. The new ear-hooks are much more comfortable. I noticed that the LCDi4 is āsold outā on the Audeze website, another incentive to pick up a pair before they are discontinued or replaced.
I have owned dozens of headphones, IEMs, DACs and Amps over the last two decades. This has given me the ability to experience many options. Repurchasing the gear that is most satisfying given my hearing limitations, is giving me great satisfaction.
I have not repurchased hardware, but I have repurchased a number of vinyl albums when one wore out, or a later audiophile vinyl when the original I purchased was a 1980ās CD, Or when a better edition came out (Think the last remaster of the Beatleās Revolver).
I donāt count classical because well, 3 or 4 versions of Beethovenās 6th are different PERFORMANCES and interpretations from conductors.
Same here with the vinyl - but mainly because I sold nearly all my records around end of the 80ies and went full-in with CDs. Now trying to find some of those again in 2nd hand stores.
During the early pandemic period when I worked less (almost 2 years for me), I went though a lot of gear, including about 20-25 sets of headphones. I was really just chasing the ābest thingā. In that process I sold a couple of headphones that I really missed after I realized that there was not anything ābetterā to me. Those were the ZMF Eikon and the Audeze LCD-XC, both of which require EQ for my taste, but boy after EQ, they are both amazing. After going to SoCal Canjam for several years and trying nearly every headphone from $500 (Ananda) to $50,000 (HE-1), I came to the conclusion that it does not get any better than these to for me. So, I repurchased both of them in the last 2 years and they (and the RME ADI-2 PRO) will stay with me as long as I continue to listen to headphones. They both have amazing build quality, with great access to user replaceable parts and will last decades. I have compared the LCD-XC to every headphone on the market that I care to, and I find it the best overall headphone for me at any price. I ultimately prefer it to my own LCD-5, in fact. As for the Eikon, the only real (Dynamic) competitors to it on the market for me are the Verite Closed, Atrium Closed and Stellia (owned, it loved it). After applying some EQ, the Eikon is still the best one to me.
The most times Iāve repurchased a device has been Susvara (4). Thereās been a few others too. Sometimes, itās nostalgia for a particular sound or finding that they pair better with my latest DAC or amp. Occasionally, Iāve picked up a DAC or streamer to tide me over whilst I wait for something to be built. Gustard R26 or Eversolo A6 would fall into that bracket. Solid devices that work.
Susvara has been a funny one. Each time I sold it because I thought it was a bit boring or āveiledā, I went back because someone would tell me I was missing the best HP out there or I found a newer reactor to drive it. Finally, the journey to estats and then to ribbons cured that itch! Now I need another Envy (or similar) for Immanis! And so it goesā¦ā¦
I have repurchased the Audeze iSine like 5 or 6 times and the Audeze Sine headphone 3 timesā¦ and I currently donāt own either right now.
I keep hoping itāll somehow magically fit me better, but alas it doesnt. But now, both of these products seem quite outdated now, so I donāt have any urge to go back.
But the iSINE 20 is just so much like having a Star Wars Tie Fighter in your ear. The iSINE 20 is something I would wear outside doing yard work. The LCDi4 (or i3) are inside.
Maybe now that I also have AirPods Iāll use those outside.
I almost never repurchase audio equipment or albums, as I tend to evaluate new stuff for months to years and then consciously change when buying another item. The closest Iāve come to a repurchase is owning the Schiit Magni 3 for a very short period in 2018 to buying a Magni 3+ in 2020. The OG 3 had awful treble spray, and it made loud passages sound dead and compressed to my ears. The 3+ was better, but I got rid of it upon buying the vastly superior in all ways RebelAmp.
I bought a used Elex, reviewed it (on Audio Discourse) and loved it, but since I spend most of my listening time reviewing stuff, decided to sell it. Then I reviewed the Elex again when Headphones.com started to carry it and felt compelled once more to buy it lol. And once again, Iām contemplating if I should let it go in favor of the Hadenys or the Sony MV1 that @antdroid swears by. I feel like I might be making a mistake thoughā¦ the Elex is a headphone that really clicked with me, though I do think that part of that perception is more ānostalgiaā than actually true.
Great description of the process we go through to repurchase headphones other gear or media!
When we repurchase something, there is an ineffable characteristic that draws us back - the memory of a particular presentation of a song, the synergy with another piece of equipment, or perhaps our criteria for ownership have changed; now we can afford something that was a stretch for us before.
Now trying to find some of those again in 2nd hand stores.
