Tell me what you wish you would have known when you started this hobby.
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Cables are the most important part of any audio equipment /s
A Schiit Magni Modi amp dac stack (for desktop use) will pretty much see you sorted for any headphones. Don’t think spending hundreds or thousands more will get you any massive improvements in sound quality.
Buy used
Yes , research and review, I have a relatively new but wide collection of headphones ( chasing this dragon) I have loads of time on my hands due to health issues. I’ve found that buying second hand via EBay and Amazon has allowed me to purchase slightly older models cheaper but more of … oops Oh and just try to enjoy your experience…
There are much better headphones then HD650, lol
-frequency response is just a tiny part of how headphones sound, it’s useful info but you can’t see whether headphones are good with just frequency response. -apple dongles are pretty good. -the jack on your pc/laptop will probably sound better than a super cheap amp. -EQ is fun and useful.
Don’t take other people’s words as gospel. Try things out on your own.
Apple lightning adapter works really well for most IEMs. And it’s under $10
“Brain burn in” is 100% a thing. Give any pair you purchase at least a week of exclusive listening to get used to its sound signature before making up your mind about it.
A 3000 dollar amp will not magically make your headphone sound any different (unless it’s doing something wrong)
A decent 2-300 dollar amp that has the plugs (inputs/outputs) you need and measures with low distortion will suffice.
Tube can sound slightly different due to higher distortion numbers and a tendency to roll off the bass and treble, making a slight warmer sound.
Hifi isn’t real embrace EarPods
Learn how to read frequency response graphs and understand the research behind the harman target. I used to watch and read reviews but I found out they never accurately described a headphones/IEMs sound after buying and listening to them. You don’t have to like the harman target or buy headphones/IEMs that are tuned to it, but understanding the harman research will make make buying headphones/IEMS easier and it will SAVE YOU A LOT OF MONEY.
Buy for longevity and comfort, all other things are secondary. If a hp lasts practically forever with basic care, it’s also got a hell of a driver.
Do not, DO NOT, DO NOT spend more money on dac amps than your headphones. I’ve seen people tried to talk newbie up to buy new dac or amp for something like dt770, hd560 etc because the newbie said they didn’t like the sound. Neither dac nor amp will “fix” the headphones that you do not like.
Great advice, thanks!
Can someone link me a guide or a video on how to tune an headphone, I am a total newbie
R/oratory1990
Get lots of mid range used and try em out. Then sell all but your favorites.
I’m still in my bulk phase. The cut is going to be legendary.