I got into the hobby before the internet was a thing and we only had recommendations from friends and colleagues. For me this was fellow musicians and audio engineers. My regret is not breaking out of my lane and moving to more colored headphones earlier on. I was stuck in neutrality for close to a decade and only using headphones that I could also justify using in the studio.

The irony is, even as someone that’s tracked, and mixed a lot of music over the years, I prefer a much more colored, V-shaped tuning for music enjoyment/personal listening. So while I love the LCD-X, MM-500, Sennheiser HD600 and DT1990s, I rarely listen to them when I’m not working in a daw. For that, I prefer stuff like the FatFreq IEMs, or the Focal Radiance, Apos Caspian, HarmonicDyne Zeus Elites, etc.

For quite literally years, DAC/Amp purchases on the higher-end have been more about build quality, features, and I/O, not sound quality.

I own and love my $100 mobile DAC, but it gets thrown in the bag and goes on the road with me.

On my desk at home, I prefer the beauty and versatility of a well-made stack that provides balanced connections for my over-ears and IEMs, that can also drive my reference monitors, and offers optical ins/outs for some of my legacy gear, my studio’s audio interface, etc.

Do I notice the difference between my cheap and expensive DACs? Not a chance; my ears not only aren’t golden, but are getting older. And after a few decades of playing and recording music, wearing very loud headphones, or sitting in front of large, near-field monitors, that’s only getting worse.

As someone who played music professionally as well as spent a couple of decades tracking, mixing, and working with other mixing and mastering engineers, I have never been under the impression that I needed to hear a recording the way an engineer intended. I’ve always found this assertion silly (no offense to the many competent “audiophiles” that continue to perpetuate this ideology; to each their own).

Their intention was never to ensure a recording was heard as if you were standing in the studio (or in the booth) with them or the artist/band; they didn’t expect you were going to be listening to the most transparent, neutral, and clear DAC/Amp, reference monitors, headphones, etc. This is your prerogative; not theirs. Their intention, indeed their job, is to produce a recording that is well-balanced and mixed relative to itself – to create a mix and master without sonic issues, where every instrument, vocal, and effect blends together (or is emphasized) in a way that makes sense for that specific track or record.

The reality is, most engineers are keenly aware the vast majority of listeners are going to consume their media on everything from $10 Skull Candy earbuds, to terribly tuned, bass-forward car stereos, to TWS ANC headphones using low-quality codecs. Or worse, that one guy you know that listens to his music through his iPhone speakers, or one of those ridiculous portable bluetooth pills, whose popularity defies all logic (I realize this is going to make what I’m about to say seem hypocritical).

It’s safe to say, I’m no purist, or elitist. I have $20 DACs that I love, alongside DACs that are in the thousands. The DAC that gets the most use is a $100 Qudelix 5k, or the DAC/Amp in my Apogee Symphony (my audio interface), simply because they’re both at arms length and drive everything in my collection. When I’m working on a track, I’m running a pair of HD600s, or LCD-X most of the time (or checking for sibilance on DT770/1990s). But when I’m listening for pleasure, I prefer color and warmth and love sets like the Focal Radiance, Apos Caspian, HarmonicDyne Zeus Elite, Fostex TH900; or IEMs like the SA6 Ultra/MK2, FatFreq Maestro series, all the way down to cheap Chi-fi brands like Simgot, Kiwi Ears, the HBB Khan, Wan’er, PR2 (the good one), or even Beats Studio Buds+ or Beats Fit Pro.

I also love gear and I will continue to buy and experience things that interest me, most of the time that’s audio or guitar equipment (and keyboards, but that’s another story). I love it all; I don’t have a filter. I was just as excited about the 64 Audio Volur as I was about Simgot’s EA1000 announcement. I guarantee I will find something to love about each, and I’m probably never going to think, “yeah, this is the one.”

The long and short of it is that I’ve always found this hobby somewhat confusing. I’ve fallen into it by default because I’m a former musician that also loved to work in a studio. We used to call ourselves “HiFi enthusiasts.” Another label I disliked.

But at the core, I just love music. I listen it for catharsis, to motivate, inspire, or even to bring intense trauma and pain back to the surface so I can grieve or relive those moments in my life and remember how I felt at the time. Music has informed every aspect of my life; even now, as my career has shifted to a completely different market and skill set, my journey to that career happened because of my experience in the music industry, or working with individuals close to it. I love nearly every genre, listen to everything I can get my hands on, from 2Pac, to Sleep Token; Pink Floyd, to NF; Taking Back Sunday, to Deftones; from Tool, to Sia. I have playlists featuring everything from Story of the Year and Bring Me the Horizon, to Kate Bush, Deadmau5, and JVKE.

My goal is to continue enjoying music; that’s literally it. I get that there are other hobbyists whose love for the technology, or for what makes it tick, is just as valid and meaningful. So while I own a lot of great gear, it is out of consequence, not intention. I probably couldn’t tell you which chip it’s using. I can’t hear the minute difference between my Topping and Schiit stacks; and I’ve never purchased an expensive cable, but I have sat people down in my studio in front of my monitors, or placed a pair of good headphones on their head, and watched them smile, or cry, or get a mean case of ugly face.

As both a keyboard and audio enthusiast for the last 30+ years, I saw this news and immediately wanted to hate it, clicked the link, and then felt seen, and heard. 75% is my format of choice; currently running the Bubble75.

There are at least 3 DACs within inches of my custom keyboard; if I can swap in my own lubed Invyr Pandas, and if it can drive my planars, I’m 100% in. The fact that they included a balanced connection. Chef’s kiss.

I would put them against the MM-500, which is the headphone I’d recommend in that comparison. The LCD-5 is an entirely different beast. While I would recommend a mastering engineer look at the 5s, the LCD-X and MM-500 are both great mixing headphones that happen to also work as casual listening/personal audio headphones.

I love the LCD-X and it has been a workhorse for me. But the MM-500 addresses most of the issues I had with that set and see it as more of a natural upgrade to the X.

It’s not hype, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. For instance, I vehemently dislike the 800s, and yet I still recognize the appeal.

For what it sets out to do, it does extremely well.

I’ve purchased and tried to live with it twice, and failed both times. If Sennheiser was giving out free headphones, I’d pick up another 600, over the more expensive 800s.

So yes, it’s really that good. Do I like it? No, not at all. Should you buy it? Probably not. It’s for a specific segment of the market and you might not be in that demographic. I’d argue most aren’t.

Agreed; you’d need to upgrade to an Abyss Dianna or DCA Expanse before considering jumping back on Tinder.

This isn’t just the “audiophile” hobby, it’s every hobby. I’m a guitarist and keyboard enthusiast as well, and the same habits and quirks permeate those hobbies.

Some hobbyists buy gear for the love and joy of the thing that the gear facilitates (music, media, etc.). Some simply enjoy collecting; acquiring new, unique and interesting gear brings them joy – they may appreciate the engineering, aesthetics, etc. Some are looking for the “perfect” listening experience; that is their goal, to get as close to being “in the room” with the recording. They’re trying to recreate an environment where they feel like they’re standing in front of a band or artist and listening to them perform in real time.

When achieved, this can be a transformative experience and I do understand the draw – it is one of the few times listening to music made me truly emotional (imagine standing in the room with the Beatles at Abbey Road).

There is nothing wrong with any of these hobbyists. Unfortunately, this does tend to cause conflict in hobbyist communities – the biggest arguments tend to be between these different types of individuals, or individuals within a specific category that believe their opinions are empirically true. There also tends to be a lot of gatekeeping and elitism. Some people marry their past times. It’s unfortunate, but it may be the only thing that brings joy to their lives, and they commit themselves to it utterly and completely.

The only time I question the sanity of anyone in this hobby is when they actually refer to themselves as an “audiophile.”