I wish I hadn’t have discounted iems, since I now use them much more than my over ears, even when I’m at home. I also wish I had have had a better understanding of the type of sound signature I preferred, would have saved myself a lot of time and money. That being said, I did enjoy the journey itself to finding my end game 🙂
measurements are king - the only “review” you need are those backed up with objective data like Audio Science Review or Erin’s Audio Corner
EQ is your friend, especially with planar headphones
as long as a DAC measures well, it is a good DAC, there is 0 reason to drop 5k on some bullshit
same applies to the amp
don’t waste your time in mid-fi hell, just do your research and buy just 1 or 2 great headphones and enjoy them
speakers are better