Yeah, I’d get something more powerful than that. A lot of Redditors think all amplification reproduces music the same. Those folks are very wrong.

Take your Ananda to a good audio store if you can, plug it into one of their DAC/Amp stacks and see how your headphones are really supposed to sound, then decide how much you want to spend to hear something like that again.

You may need to see an ENT.

But seriously, what’s your DAC/amp? Are you running them from a computer or something?

I think among audiophiles the term “diminishing returns” is more for people who are new to the hobby because when they buy their first mid-fi or hi-fi set coming from Airpods or budget IEMs the jump is massive. Then they jump up another tier and the *wow* factor is gone because it’s only a 10 or 20% increase from what they already had.

Someone who’s been doing this for a long time already knows that improvements are often small and subtle, even if they’re expensive. And it really is true for any hobby. You’ll hear plenty of people in this sub say anyone who buys an expensive amp is stupid because they all sound the same. I and anyone who listen to these things regularly knows that’s not true, but I feel the same way about, say, fancy tires on a car.

Yeah, of course.

Yeah, sort of. I’m glad I dove into the deep end with 1k+ IEMs because now I know for a fact that I prefer my mid-fi FH7 to both all the high end and less expensive stuff I’ve heard. Spending the money was totally worth the certainty of my own experience, and now I’m perfectly happy with what I have now because I experimented with everything I could.

The Oriolus Isabellae. I wanted to like these but their lack of detail and resolution didn’t justify the cost, even though the midrange is great.

I sold all my headphones and have one pair of IEMs and 5 DAC/amps, and they all sound different. It’s actually more fun than when I had a bunch of different headphones.

The HD600s are classic, many have settled on them happily so you’re in good company

How many different tips have you tried? Some people have dozens of different tips for different sets. I use Spinfit 145s for everything, might wanna try those

Certainly not, but I use IEMs for walking

FiiO FH7 and DX240. I’m sure I’ll buy more stuff in the future but I’d be fine if that was the last setup I ever listened to

Before someone comes in here telling you an Apple dongle will do the job, yes, a DAC and amp will vastly improve your listening experience.

If you want something inexpensive I’d go for the JDS labs atom amp+ and dac+ 2. If you have a larger budget and want even better sound, consider a schitt magnius/modi Multibit stack. These are far from the only options but they’re two of the most straightforward combos for a first time buyer.

Which FiiO? The 5k has an excellent EQ but if you’re talking about the BTR5 I could never get the 5k to match how full the sound was on the FiiO, no matter how I EQed it. I ended up getting rid of it and sticking with the BTR5, don’t miss it at all.

Hey, this was my first amp, I also got their tube amp. I hate to break it to you but it sounds like dog shit compared to the better amps out there. I like that the style and price are perfect for getting people into the hobby, though.

Funnily enough I’m also a photographer, so I know that pain well! And yeah, the two hobbies are very similar because you can go a long way on a budget if you’re judicious and patient, but there’s a point where you just hit a technical wall. I remember upgrading from a Canon 85mm 1.4 to a 85mm 1.2L and learning that some high-end gear is not a trick or a placebo, it really is substantially better. I still ended up selling it though, so better certainly isn’t the end all and be all.

I’m definitely not in the market for a Euforia but I did just wipe out my budget on a DX240 and I’m really happy I splurged, it reintroduced me to my library and gives me those goosebumps. I wouldn’t tell anyone to go broke doing this but at the end of the day we love music and want to know how good it can be before we’re dead, so I say dive as deep as you can. :)

No problem!

Definitely not placebo, the difference is as clear as day. Most cables transmit power and data through the same wires, the DDhifi cables split the usb power and usb data into two separate, shielded paths.

I love how redditors want everything to a placebo so they don’t have to spend more money. 😂

You don’t need to mod anything. Just buy a BTR5, BTR15, Qudelix or one of the other Bluetooth DAC/amps. They have internal batteries that last a long time. The 99s are easy to drive so any of them will work, but a balanced cable should make it sound better. You don’t need one for the Meze though.

Any of the Bluetooth amps can connect wired or wirelessly. They can handle LDAC if you want lossless.

Note weight is generally used to describe how substantial the note sounds to your ear. There’s a Cocteau Twins song called The Hollow Men and it opens up with a bass line that recedes into the background.

On my 7hz Timeless the bass sounds pretty pleasing but a little thin, on my FH7 the bass has a much thicker, more distinct and meatier quality that literally feels heavier on your eardrum, that’s why they call it that.

Lol redditors do not believe in anything 😂