That’s like asking how come different cars sound different even though their engines use the same mechanical principles.

The microwave would not have even done anything about the water, that makes no sense. If you’ve seen any movie/tv show you should know the easiest/cheapest solution for wet electronics is to bury them in a bowl of rice overnight. Silica gel beads even better but not usually on hand in the average household.

Explosions in the Sky - Postcard from 1952

It’s coming up on xmas, the holiday which has been about consumerism for roughly 100 years now. It couldn’t be a better time or a better excuse! Woo!

Dayum. There have been times I haven’t used my headphones for a week or so and even that is like a breath of fresh air just putting them on and playing some music again.

I rely on a crap-ton of reading other people’s experiences. Buying something just to try it and return rubs me the wrong way and feels dishonest. The two best options are trying them out in a hi-fi store which has demo units, or buying used and selling again at the same price if you don’t like them so there’s no loss. They’re already burnt in that way too.

Blast from the past! I had an MK2 with my 598’s as my first setup for half a decade which was great, however one day the MK2 blew up (big pop, smoke etc) when I turned it on and tripped the breaker for the house, which prompted my change to my current setup of a few years with Sundara/Atom Stack. Hearing the ‘tinkle’ of the tubes as they warm up is a nostalgic experience, but I honestly can’t say that I particularly miss tubes due to how convenient solid state is with no need to turn off when not in use etc

You couldn’t be more verifiably wrong. I can very easily tell the difference between 320 & lossless, I’d say it’s more than subtle it’s quite obvious, much more clarity and depth and fine detail. My entire collection was ripped to MP3, and replacing it with FLAC over time the difference is clear to hear in every single song back to back. I’m not a trained listener, I’m just an audiophile who likes sound quality and even back on my 598’s I could tell the difference, it’s just even more pronounced on higher end cans like my Sundaras now, and certainly anything above them like my coming upgrade.

Use google, I’m sure engineers and audiophiles have explained it a thousand times in detail. Amps are physical devices utilizing all sorts of parts and op-amps etc, the signal interacts with all of these parts as it passes through, those parts are not identical in any given device so the ‘interaction’ won’t be either, it’s physics. Also, there are people who believe the cable makes a difference, I can’t say I do, but plenty do.

A lot of people post dumb crap on youtube just to try to get views. It’s a tactic for losers who can’t make real content and it’s best not to give them those views, or the attention they want.

Don’t know why the downvotes, I agree Sundara is great for EDM, synthwave/darkwave/electronic/experimental electronic are about half of what I listen to on mine, in fact reading through this whole thread it seems the general consensus is they’re great all-rounders for any genre

Just adding to the numerous mentions of Sundara, which are my current cans (I have an upgrade on the way for xmas though). Have loved them for 3 years, they’ve been built like a tank and pulled onto the hard floor by the cables by the dog running past half a dozen times, I listen to many genres but mostly synthwave/darkwave/electronic/metal/power metal/melodic metal/rock/post-rock/dark rock/punk/synthpunk/indie (yeah I know vaguest genre in the world can mean anything), no EQ, there is nothing they can’t do imo

I know sound is subjective, but you are objectively extremely wrong about headphones vs IEMs. Maybe you just like closed headphones and didn’t realise it, get some closed-backs and try those.

It’s your choice to permanently damage your hearing I’m not going to comment on that. I’m no expert on this stuff, but your MDR-XB950BT now have a sensitivity of 102db/mW, the WH-1000XM4 you tried 105db/mW, and the WH-XB910N you’re looking at 96db/mW, they all have the same size drivers and impedance. Meaning theoretically the ones you returned for not being loud enough should have been the loudest of them all.

You’ve just proved the point in your example. 5% difference in the right direction for twice the cost. That is the definition of a diminishing return, regardless of the happiness of the user. It is not a negative thing, it is just a fact which is true of the high-end of anything.

You’ll adjust over time. If you’re not doing anything else then the easiest way would be to daydream/procrastinate

I’ve never had FOMO, I can honestly say I could have been happy with my first setup with 598’s forever, but eventually when I had money I could use toward it I wanted to experience that next level. I’m glad I did. My next upgrade is endgame for me for at least 10 years, unless something happens to them during that time I won’t even think about or be tempted by any other equipment, I will just enjoy with no need to spend any money.

Of course I can, the difference between 320 & FLAC is obvious and very noticeable, what a clueless thing to say. What I can’t tell the difference between is FLAC & TR24 so I don’t bother with that.

There are many variables, of course you couldn’t hear the difference with those speakers. MP3 encoding has gotten better. If you listen too loud a lot it is possible your hearing has deteriorated over 10 years. I can easily tell between 320 and FLAC, 128 and 320 is an even more extreme difference. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to anything below 256 though.

Absolutely, the 598’s were my first setup with a similarly priced amp to the phones and I had the same reactions like I had never actually heard any of my music before, anyone who came over got the ‘listen to this’ treatment lol. When I upgraded to Sundara’s and an Atom stack it was almost that same jump all over again, 3 years later I still do almost tear up with great music regularly. I’ve ordered my next upgrades for xmas, my endgame, I don’t expect the same jump, but I will reach audio nirvana I’m sure.