This is a good subject. I currently own 3 high end headphones, and sometimes I think that is too many.
It occurs to me that many headphone enthusiasts have quite a bit of capital invested in headphones and headphone amps. The question that occurs to me is: Instead of having many phones and amps, that same monies could be used instead to obtain a Stax SR-007 or SR-009, and a KGSS/HV or Blue Hawaii headphone amp.
What do you reckon?
I guess thereās a balance to be struck between channeling funds solely towards a high-end system and being able to spend time with a range of different, affordable flavors while youāre exploring and getting into the hobby. The former is ideal if youāre experienced and know what you like and what you want; the latter is better suited to those, like me, who are still discovering their preferences.
Buying second-hand is all the more appealing, perhaps, for those of us in the second category. I picked up a Clear and an HD 800 used for the same amount as the MSRP of just one of those headphones. If I were to sell one of them after a year or two for 10-20% less than I paid for it, the money spent wouldnāt be felt too painfully. I like to think of it as the equivalent to a rental price - Iād be perfectly happy renting an HD 800 for $10 a month for a year.
For me I need variety. I tried consolidating all my stuff into one higher end setup, and ended up getting bored with the same thing day in and day out. I also have 3 higher end headphones, one high end dac, and two high end amps (one tube, one solid state). This allows me the flexibility I need to avoid boredom. I can mix and match as my mood takes me. No matter how good one item/system might be, I know myself, I will get bored. Iām also a weirdo as many say, so maybe iām an outlier. 
As for STAX specifically I didnāt like them when I tried them at meets. They were lacking the warmth I crave. For reference, the Atticus is my go to and favorite headphone. I actually find the Veritie Closed lean at times. So my tastes definitely steer me away from STAX. The VC with a good tube amp though is quite end game for me.
Well, for one thing by no means does everyone think that electrostatic systems are the be-all-end-all of headphone listening. There are some things they excel at, and others that theyāre distinctly lacking in ā¦ which renders them relevant as high-end options for maybe half of the music I actually listen to (a very broad catalog). And ārelevantā, here, doesnāt mean āthe bestā ā¦ just a viable option.
Despite having heard just about every relevant electrostatic can and amp combination, at length, at some point, and even given that thereās literally no financial impediment to me acquiring any one (or more) such systems, itās only ever been something Iāve considered for the purposes of ācompletenessā rather than sonic/musical fulfillment.
By ācompletenessā ā¦ Iām just talking about having at least one TOTL setup for each significant headphone technology ājust becauseā (I ended up choosing an original, near-mint, Sennheiser Orpheus rig for that role ā¦ weāll see how much use it gets as time goes on).
Very true, I just got a 009 and Amp after selling 3 mid-fi cans. An it will by no means be my only system 
I still have 2 other amps dedicated for my Planars and Dynamicsā¦ tho itās likely I may be moving into an Ether 2 for my planar needs.
At least till I can get an Abyss or hear and possibly get the Raal
But I think after 5 years Iām starting to come out of the Acquisition stage lol
Which means sometimes you think you dont have enough! Just rolling with the thread here. 
I have a habit of buying a fair bit over a period of time, and then just stopping to get a sense of things. Sometimes for years. Im in one of those buying periods now. So my acquisition syndrome is relapsing-remitting.
Im pretty close to being at a place where Iāll be happy so I think Iāll be slowing down after one more biggish purchase. After that its just smaller things like cables, maybe a few tubes here and there, that kind of thing.
Easyā¦after 20+ amps, a dozen dacs, a dozen + headphones we have finally made it!!
Haahhahaha!
OMGā¦$$$$$
Honestly my favorite part of this hobby is the resale value. Most of what Iāve bought Iāve been able to sell at around 95-100% of what I paid for it.
Makes it easy to try a LOT of stuff when your buying well taken care of gear and continuing to take good care of it all
Lots of good points and varied opinions raised. While I still hold the view that TOTL Stax phones with a high quality (Non-Stax) ESL amp, such as a Blue Hawaii or KGSS/HV is the gold standard of headphone playback, can certainly understand why there are such diverse views on this.
To me, the biggest issue is the fact that no headphone approaches a speaker when it comes to a flat response for playback. Add the fact that each listener has their own unique frequency response for hearing, itās no wonder that there is such a diverse set of views/opinions regarding what is considered the ābestā. Also, there seems to variations of frequency responses within a given model of headphone. Iāve seen a fair bit of folks noting that, for example, Audeze headphones seem to have variation of frequency response from one LCD-3 to another LCD-3.
While some folks eschew EQ, others such as myself embrace the approach. Iāve owned a few headphones that I sold that I may have kept had I EQ available when I owned them.
Wanting to occasionally change up playback sound is a option many of us seem to embrace. That likely plays into the desire regarding owning multiple headphones/DACās/Amps.
I think it is important to be honest with yourself about what you enjoy. I had a phase where I owned a lot of closed back AT headphones, I valued the clarity and detail they had. Their vocal presentation was very forward which I also found addictive. For open backs I went with Stax. I first auditioned and bought the L700 mk 1. It was another step up in detail and clarity, the ethereal presentation was like nothing else I had heard. I fell down the rabbit hole and chased after the top models. I got the SR-009, SR-007 mk II, a KGSShv and an Octave III for desktop duty. I was rollinā.
Realising that my AT cans sounded a bit thin, I went loiking for other closed backs. Enter ZMF. The Atticus and Eikon had been out for a while and now and then a pair would pop up on the used market. I found a set of Eikons not too far away and bought them unheard.
Slowly but surely they started to change my tonal preferences. The AT cans were the first to go, while they still sounded very detailed and clear they were just too thin sounding. They had too lean body and no real bottom end to speak of.
The Stax stayed, because they were open back and technically very impressive. The use case was also different. I mostly used them for pure music listening. The Eikons pulled desktop duty and had to do a bit of everything. Plus, they were frickin Stax. With them I could soar among the highest peaks on mount TOTL. I would never give them up.
Well, not until Zach announced the Verite Closed and threw a monkey wrench into my plans. Here it was, a ZMF closed back with better technical ability than my Eikons. How could I resist? I got in on the Desert Ironwood order list as soon as it opened up.
When I got the VC they soon became my most used headphones. The Stax no longer got much head time. After a while I started thinking that the Stax were not pulling their weight in my setup. I started using them more to see how they compared to the VC over time. I would still say that rhe SR-009 are the most detailed headphones I have ever heard, they are like a laser at finding details in the music. But every time I put them on I was feeling that there was something missing in the music. Going back and forth between my SR-009 and the VC made it clear that the ethereal electrostatic presentation was no longer what I valued for musical enjoyment. Every time I went back to the VC it was a shock to the senses how a headphone could present music with such slam, heft and weight while still retaining so much detail and clarity.
I took a long hard look at my electrostatic gear and decided that we were better of meeting others. I spent a long time searching for and acquiring my E-stat setup, but in the end it wasnāt meant to be and I do not regret letting it go.
So, what do I want to say with all this? This is a hobby that can eat up a lot of time and money. But be honest about what you really use and enjoy. Do not hang onto gear just because it has taken you a lot of effort to acquire it.
Wow, this thread has taken a serious subject turn. As the author who started this thread, it was to poke fun at what we become obsessive-compulsive about. For me, it was about the experience that industry was putting how across a wide spectrum of the market ( i flipped through a few headphones, dac, and AMP). Yes I still have my MTH-50 for fieldwork. For me, it has been interesting to see really see which amp, DACās, and the headphone I use every day. What I value in comfort, sound signature and much more.
Greg
Interesting perspective. I also keep going back to closed back headphones for the more silent background and detail. My current reference phone is the Focal Stellia, the beryllium drivers are the best Iāve heard overall.
My wife gets so upset seeing me resell things at price I paid. None of her hobbies deliver that return.
I could not agree with you moreā¦I like many others for years was looking for that āoneā and only
āoneā that would be the best of the bestā¦and in tha last year or so it has become more about listening to the music which you said so wellā¦
I still have several cans and like them all, and I do have my favorites and prefere one or more for my musical taste and when I listen its for the pure enjoyment of itā¦I smile alot at what I am hearing and tapping my feet etcā¦
Gone thru 20+ amps just for fun, kept the ones I really like and move onā¦
The Hedds are the newest can acquisition, and I find them making me smile alot!!
Great hobby and yes it can eat up your time and your moneyā¦wouldnt have it any other way!!
Alex
Can it be even when the journey is just starting out?
Starting just a couple of months ago, the issue @Tchoupitoulas mentioned about exploring a range of, i.e. lots of, different, more affordable flavors vs. funding a couple high-end systems has been an ever-evolving, mental-capacity consuming, internal debate. I started scouring review sites and YT videos as well as Reddit and eBay listings. I began making lists of acquisition targets based on supposedly good pairings. Thankfully, this site came to my rescue.
After reading the various membersā explorations and discussions, and for the sake of āsafeguardingā my wallet and sanity, I decided to start with one great open-back/experience pair, a more āaffordableā but well-regarded closed back to allow both of us to WFH. So, I chose a one-of-a-kindish experience, SR1a (Danny @RAAL is amazing) and Jotunheim w/ multibit (thank you @Torq) . Additionally, I selected the Focal Eligia w/ E30 + phone-sized portable class A amp (amp also allows pairing with LG G7 for mobile moments). This was supposed to be a hard stop, at least to give time to explore these headphones and rebuild an acquisition fund. Alas, it wasnāt meant to be.
A friend made me hear his dark, meaty and warm iFi zen dac/amp and Nightowl Carbon pairing. They quickly found a spot next to my bed to help me find a relaxed ending to my day. And, it still remains a mystery to me how, I also ended up getting a pair of Focal Elex.
Although, I hope to recover most of my cost of the Elex to fund a good DAC. To that end, I hope the comments about recovering most of what you pay for in this hobby materialize. Nothing against the Elex (they are amazing) but Iām still exploring the SR1a and time is always elusive. The Elex deserve better than to be relegated to a display stand.
This needs to be a hard stop for a while ā¦ one can only hope.
I had access to my Dadās tools - a standard screwdriver and a hand drill. I never saw him use the drill, but the screwdriver occasionally removed can lids. He could never figure out why someone would need a Phillips screwdriver.
This made me rebel and buy a normal amount of tools. He never had a stereo until that was all you could buy. Mono system in an unfinished furniture store cabinet. Cheaper Girard record changer replaced an early one I can barely remember. Might have been an RCA the platter was as covered with a brown short bristled furry material. 8 watt mono tube (everything was tube then) and he groused about having to buy a phono preamp because the Girard didnāt have a high output ceramic cartridge.
Maybe I inherited some of the tightwad genes but the DNA is weakened when it comes to my stereo and headphones at least.