Spend less. Have more fun. Tips for the perfect audiophile journey!

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Some thoughts from me about why the journey is an important part of any hobby, including being a music lover or audiophile.
My top recommended HEADPHONES (prices in USD)
HarmonicDyne Athena - $179 - bit.ly/3QvQdlq
Moondrop Para - $299 - bit.ly/3QvQdlq
Sivga SV023 - $449 - amzn.to/3UKXsZ5
Meze 109 Pro - $799 - amzn.to/3y6l6qi
Sony MDR-Z1R - $1,800 - amzn.to/4dy4szZ
ZMF Atrium - $2,499 - www.zmfheadphones.com/
Meze Elite - $4,000 - bit.ly/3UMIDWb
Focal Utopia (2022) - $4,999 - amzn.to/44xEHvx
My top recommended IEMS (prices in USD)
KZ ESX - $30 - amzn.to/4bpMyxC
Tangzu FUDU - $89 - amzn.to/3UvOrlk
Simgot EM6L - $129 - amzn.to/4a3SLy1
Meze Audio Alba - $159 - bit.ly/AlbaIEM
Thieaudio Elixir - $209 - amzn.to/3ULd9zr
7Hz Timeless - $220 - amzn.to/3QslVA8
Elysian Pilgrim - $399 - bit.ly/3y7N995
Xenns Mangird Top - $530 - bit.ly/XENNSTopLin
Sennheiser IE600 - $700 - amzn.to/44AxcUQ
Effect Audio Pilgrim Noir - $799 - bit.ly/3Wu2k5O
Sennheiser IE900 - $849 - amzn.to/4b66wxy
Westone Mach 70 - $1,400 - amzn.to/3ULUK5P
My top recommended TRANSPORTS (prices in USD)
WiiM Pro - $168 - amzn.to/4bpTDOw
SMSL PL200 CD - $669 - amzn.to/3Wsd0lJ
Eversolo DMP-A6 (Master Edition) - $1,299 - amzn.to/44sBMUR
Eversolo DMP-A8 - $1,980 - amzn.to/3QxRU1B
My top recommended DACS (prices in USD)
Topping E30 II - $149 - amzn.to/3JQyGkd
Topping E50 - $199 - amzn.to/3WucWSO
SMSL DO200 Mk2 - $469 - amzn.to/4a5Di0C
Topping D70 Pro OCTO - $599 - amzn.to/4a8bubZ
Geshelli J2S AK4499EX - $680 - bit.ly/J2SAKM
Schiit Bifrost 2/64 - $799 - www.schiit.com/products/bifro...
Gustard R26 - $1,650 - amzn.to/3QyZ0mB
Schiit Yggdrasil - $2,299 - www.schiit.com/products/yggdr...
Chord TT2 - $5,295 - chordelectronics.co.uk/produc...
My top recommended HEADPHONE AMPS (prices in USD)
Schiit Magni - $119 - www.schiit.com/products/magni...
xDuoo MT-604 - $169 - amzn.to/4bpNYrW
xDuoo TA-26S - $319 - amzn.to/3UJbfzx
Geshelli A3 Pro - $499 - bit.ly/GLA3Pro
Aune S17 Pro - $699 - amzn.to/4a75v7b
Schiit Mjolnir - $1199 - www.schiit.com/products/mjoln...
Burson Audio Voyager - $5,300+ - bit.ly/4a8Mwcq
My top recommended DONGLE DACS (prices in USD)
Moondrop Dawn Pro - $50 - amzn.to/3y2dd57
Simgot DEW4X - $80 - amzn.to/4b68rlK
Questyle M15i - $349 - amzn.to/4doMSyp
My top recommended WIRELESS 'PHONES (prices in USD)
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe - $40 - amzn.to/3UIXQr4
Soundpeats Air4 Pro - $79 - amzn.to/3Wyj4tj
Edifier Neobuds Pro 2 - $130 - amzn.to/3WwMpEf
Sennheiser Momentum 4 - $379.95 - amzn.to/3WrEqZ0
HiFiMan Svanar Wireless - $499 - amzn.to/4amOhmx
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#audiophile #audioreview #carchat

[@aRc11-11]

I remember my first. It was a six transistor Sony. At night I would catch skips of blues, jazz and early rock 'n roll. The year? '63... It wasn't fidelity, it developed my love of music. Now? I have three rooms. One has many Harbeth's with LFD and some Chord. The second is a panel room, with Maggie's, Quads and old Acoustats. The third is an enclave where I watch nature and enjoy phones. Lifetime hobbies become passions.

[@PassionforSound]

Wow. Such a journey from the transistor to dedicated speaker rooms!

[@corrrect]

Good advice. The journey is important.

[@user-kt7ji6oy5w]

Oh this is so true! I started as a teenager in the 1960’s modifying radios and record players to add speakers and improve the sound. I then got into 2 channel gear and slowly traded up to high end (for the 1980s) but with a family, having to sell this high end gear and changing to headphones to avoid annoying everyone that I had to start again. OK I’m 70 now so that’s a 50 odd year journey but I’ve now reached high end headphone happiness and savoured every step because I can recognise each improvement and I know my HRTF and how to optimise equipment for it. This is a journey to be enjoyed.not a quick flight to the final destination.

[@Rob-Davidson]

I'm with you 100% my friend. 45 years old and new to the hobby. I've learned the hard way that I won't necessarily like what everyone else is hyped about.

[@titntin5178]

Taken me 40 years of this hobby to get to 'high end', whatever that is :) I have very happy memories of all the equipment I've owned and loved along the way. I tend to buy second hand most of the time, ebay has been my friend. Now I'm approaching 60 (next month, shudder), I can finally indulge myself and buy the stuff I've dreamed of. I know what I want, and its certainly not 'ultimate truth' or I wouldn't be using valve preamp. Once you reach a certain level of fidelity, it should be about achieving the sound you want, not a sound that someone else tells you is 'the truth'. I've enjoyed the journey getting here, and I really appreciate what I want from a system. Hopefully now I'm here, I can enjoy it for the rest of life's journey :)

[@danielhipwell3607]

My grandmother bought me and my identical twin brother, who also loves producing tracks two little cassette player radios for us when we were little. When I came home from school my mom had the surprise setup for us in our room. I’ll never forget that moment seeing them when I walked in. I saw them at the store at the mall. Thanks Mamere!

[@PassionforSound]

♥️

[@cdbeen123]

So true , Im 53 and have kind of done what you have described . My first headphone stack was Burson 3XP, Schitt Bifrost 2 and Hifiman Arya Stealths and ZMF Atrium Opens , not the top by any means but definatly not the bottom . I am always looking to upgrade something but what helps the most from scatching that itch is keeping a crappy old pair of headphones around that plug straight into my phone to make me realise how amazing my gear actually is

[@PassionforSound]

That's a great trick to have handy!

[@Silence-and-Violence]

Lol starting with Atriums is starting so close to the summit that you might as well be there. At the Atrium, you are at the level that it's not about fidelity, it's about personal preference and extra stuff like asthetics and the vibe it gives you. With what you bought yourself to start off with, you could have bought virtually anything worth having in the headphone end of the hobby other than something absurd like an HE-1. Between guns, knives, pens, watches, and some other hobbies, I've learned its best to start with whatever the internet community says is the best started item and then use that for at least 3-6 months to actually learn the hobby before buying anything else. Then I buy a mid-tier or two. Then eventually I buy a top tier. But I'm a special education teacher so I will never be able to throw around money like you can. You can clearly afford to spend a lot of money on superfluous hobbies, so it's not really a big deal that you jumped into the deep end. You get to do that in most things in life now that don't take skill development, congrats bro!

[@Silence-and-Violence]

​@@PassionforSoundoh I've also learned that once a hobby gets popular in this newest social media age, the technology and accessibility around the hobby explodes. For example, when "EDC" gear got really popular with average dudes like 8 years ago, the quality and availability of stuff that used to he rare or considered insider only stuff has become incredibly cheap and accessible. There are now Chinese knife companies that make factory production knives that are better than American custom made knives from not that long ago. Steel that used to be considered space age, cutting edge super steel is now run of the mill steel they put on cheapish Chinese folders. The same thing is starting to happen to audio, I hope. The chifi entry into dacs, amps, headphones, etc has been good for the poorer consumer and is going to force the legacy companies to change (I hope). Similar things have happened in other hobby industries I'm familiar with. Crossing my fingers that the audio landscape in 2030 compared to 2010 looks like the difference between the knife world between 2024 and 2004, or even 2024 and 2014.

[@esperla123]

I agree with you, the journey is important to value each new exploration.

[@chungang7037]

I think the trick is being able to let go of gear you don't need anymore, or don't use. Being honest with oneself that that headphone, in this case, isn't being used because you don't enjoy it. The used market is hot these days, and you can always get something back. With summitfi gear though, I believe in research, becasuse while there is a used market for it in some countries you might not be able to get your money back for it, so you will be stuck with it.

[@patrickgeorge141]

I agree with letting go of certain gear. I actually have given gear away to those that are just starting or cannot afford certain things. My contribution of sorts to helping those on their journey. And I tell them to do as they wish with it.

[@chungang7037]

@@patrickgeorge141 That is pretty cool!

[@patrickgeorge141]

@chungang7037 I just believe one should help others when possible and do so with no recognition or I should say no expected or anticipated recognition.

[@Silence-and-Violence]

​@patrickgeorge141 that's cool because audiophile hobby is such a sheltered rich guy hobby and if we don't popularize it and make it more accessible and cool to young, normal people then the scene will die. Millenials, zoomers and alphas are not going to have the absurd amounts of extra income that fuels 98% of the audiophile community. There are going to be even fewer boutique speaker and audio brands in the coming decades and they will come and go even faster than they have in the previous decades. A lot of the old elitist audio guys don't understand the chifi thing but one of the biggest things they don't understand is that chifi is saving their hobby. It is making higher quality audio available to more normal people and young people who will go on to spend more when they can earn more later. They probably don't care for the same reason they are often so self absorbed in every other facet of their lives.

[@chungang7037]

@@Silence-and-Violence I think it is actually worse; young audiophiles roll with a couple IEMs and their phone. There are even many among them that will say it is superior to headphones or speakers for various reasons. Wether they are right or wrong, it doesn not matter, their IEM chifi hobby is what the hobby looks like in the future.

[@jerryodom4542]

100% agree. Best way to enjoy your gear when you're just getting into it is to buy a handful of different cheap but decent pieces of gear that are all much different in as many ways as possible and live with them for a while to figure out what you like. The variety helps you appreciate all that each bit of gear brings. It's contrast that makes things stand out. Best way to avoid losing your life savings is just to get a pair of Portapros and an Earmen Eagle or a Magni Unity and call it a day. Out of all my gear of vastly different price ranges, I still lose myself in the music (potentially the best) with the Portapros. ;)

[@PassionforSound]

Some entry gear is like that - just perfect for enjoyment.

[@bdsattern]

Thank you for your Ted Talk, Lachlan 🤓 But seriously, this is one of your best videos. Like you, I remember cobbling together cheap stereo systems in my youth and many other memorable milestones along the way - like the weekend my buddy and I installed a ‘pretty good’ car stereo in my beat up VW Beetle, or the first time I heard a Sony Walkman that my English teacher brought to class - and always, always thinking, “Wow, this is the best thing I’ve ever heard.” Even though I am that older guy who can afford to jump to the top of the tree now, I still prefer the hunt for audio gear and components that punch above their weight class - it’s a neverending journey. In fact, that’s one of the big reasons I frequent your KZbin channel and keep listening to your advice. IMO, there’s nothing better than finding out about something new that sounds amazing but doesn’t cost more than your first car. It feels like you’re part of a secret insider’s club and it keeps this hobby/lifestyle more fun and interesting. So more segments like that and like this please. Cheers 🍻

[@PassionforSound]

I'm so glad you liked the format. Thanks for letting me know and for sharing your experiences!

[@reptidan]

Very good advice. Its fun to make small improvements and listen to all the steps

[@danrussell9357]

Liked the video - Thanks for the thoughts!

[@mrfrosty3]

I suspect that some people go straight to the higher end gear because for beginners audio can get very complicated and advice often conflicts, its also very boring if you're only in it for the music, some people enjoy the technical aspect, others do not want an audio hobby, they just want to enjoy their music and are prepared to cut out the journey.

[@BrianVallotton]

Well said! I loved going on this ride with you. God bless. I agree with you on starting with some entry level things or mid range... the Law of Diminishing Returns is very real and as you said, it can be EXPENSIVE!

[@naren.freak1c]

Jumping straight to the top stuff is good but if you don't have a base (entry level stuff and experience)to compare them, you will not know how much you're getting for the money you've paid or what are your preferences or at what level you're in. That will lead to chasing different gears and upgrades and eventually loss of money.

[@stevenlamontagne526]

I'm am in the category of someone who didn't become an audiophile until they were in there 30's and had a little bit of money (besides being a Sony walk-man kid) . I didn't know anything about high end audio, I just knew I really liked to listen to music. I got myself an hd800s and a chord mojo, These things sound so fresh to me, but they are not for everyone. Three years later I still use this setup, I haven't felt the need to get something else... yet. I would not recommend diving in head first like I did. After hearing and learning a lot more I realized I should have mapped out my preferences before making a major perches, I could have easily made a financial mistake. I'm lucky these headphones sound so good to me, I'm also lucky the mojo can run them.

[@DirectorsGarage]

Brilliant conversation. I agree entirely. The other advice I tell everyone: Don't go into debt to buy audio gear. Wait and pay cash-- and buy used when you can. When you have payments, you begin to resent your gear.

[@neilsnyder7915]

I've been making payments for over 50 years to my marriage. Talk about resentment. Off the charts. My B21 Raider purchase has officially made it to my wife's list of divorce reasons.

[@stevenlamontagne526]

That is really good advice, I personally never thought to do a payment plan for audio gear but given how expensive it gets I can so how someone would.

[@robertobuatti7226]

This is some really great advice and is very informative for someone like myself who has slight Asperger's, OCD and high anxiety who got into this audio hobby watching a ton of audio gear reviews and finding them quite confusing as I had no idea what the reviewers were talking about in terms of all the technicalities of audio gear as I mostly am a music lover of 80's music and wanted the best headphones, DACs & amps, IEMs or any audio gear that wasn't too pricey, but not having an understanding of the audio gear I was buying and not knowing what I was looking for only listening to audio reviewers saying that this piece of gear is better than this because of technicalities and me not understanding what that means I got frustrated wanting to get the best headphones but knowing I couldn't afford them, I got into this audio hobby a couple of years ago at 40 but my audio journey of discovering new gear has to stop at least for a while but I will always love my 80's music and will learn to live with the audio gear I own and appreciate it and just listen to music as that's what it's all about.

[@kevintj604]

Great video. I love seeing experienced reviewers discussing topics like this. Lachlan and I don’t see eye to eye on our gear preferences at all and I mostly don’t agree with him. But we’ve been through essentially the same journey through the audiophile space and learned the same lessons. I now own gear that spans multiple tier levels in price point and am completely satisfied with my choices. Those purchase decisions wouldn’t have been possible had I not run the gauntlet of buying/selling for multiple years to get where I am now.

[@Berkanann]

I totally agree. I also started at the very bottom as a teenager. The first things that impressed me were simple Sony in-ears 25 years ago: they made me realise how much better bass can be compared to open earbuds. I very slowly worked my way up to TOTL headphones and so on, appreciating every single new step let it be a new DAC, a new amp, or simply better cables or lately tubes. Beyond enjoying the journey, I have also learnt an awful lot about different audio gear and my own preference. I can appreciate what I have now a lot more. This journey also gave me a higher perspective and a great overview of the whole hobby. In many ways I feel sorry for those wealthy folks who start at the top of the food chain. They are missing out on so much and they can never fully and deeply enjoy what they have as there is no journey behind them to give their 'super gear' value and meaning. To them their audio setup is just another tool of having fun. For people like me their carefully and slowly built high-end setup is almost like a family member. :)

[@patrickgeorge141]

I think a big problem is thinking there is better instead of just different. I am not saying all the gear is good. It is Ike the chasing of dac's. At each price point it is more of a sideways move. I like having more than one setup. The cost is not as important as the difference. Listen to one for quite a while then change it up so as to notice the difference and therefore your preference. I have started the system later in life purely because my career did not allow me the time to use one before. I appreciated them just had no idea for them. Even now, I am not just sitting and listening. I am busy doing other things while listening. Great honest video showing things and ways or paths to others finding bliss!

[@tombesson7293]

Everything is relative. I bought and assembled a Hafler amplifier kit when I was making minimum wages because it was something good that I could afford, and I've stayed with this idea throughout my life. I am now retired, and I still seek out something good that I can afford, which provides me with a home entertainment experience that is mind boggling. Your recommendations have steered me right in the past, so thanks for continuing to share your thoughts.

[@TheodoreBreaux]

The value of taking the journey is perspective. Taking a helicopter to a destination does not provide one with the experiences and education one collects by making the journey on foot.

[@kenlyon8285]

I, like many of my generation, began at the dawn of stereophonic recordings - when rock & roll and doo-whop transformed into Rock and so stumbled thru the advances, fashions and misteps of the industry as a whole. As a kid , I worked a full summer picking berries to buy my first stereo- a GE Trimline 300,a 30 lb suitcase style "portable" record player w/ BSR changer. As money snd desire grew, I proceeded thru a series of Kenwood, then Pioneer & Yamaha receivers & integrateds, only to discover the pratfalls of pursuing technical specs & more is better syndrome. It wasn't until the mid 80:s that I realized that one needs to recognize how they respond and relate to their music as presented by the gear as one's most reliable determiner of what is "best".

[@dazza5456]

You have described the journey really well, my journey, started by jumping straight to a pair of B&W PX8, and that is my biggest regret to date, being here in Brisbane, no where to listen to them first, so I relied on you tube reviews, At first I thought they were fantastic, then I decided to buy a pair of 560S for not even a quarter of the price of the PX8, along with the XO dac they sound superb. I thank you for that one, really love it, I guess the message here is, I dived into a hobby and spent big without any real knowledge, thinking price dictates everything, how wrong I was, now 12 months into my new hobby I know better, mainly due to your reviews and others on you tube. Very difficult when you can’t just hop in the car and test out a pair of can’s that are beyond Mid-fi.

[@connorduke4619]

Excellent rant. I know of several audiophiles (including myself) stumbled across the amazing value for money Marantz PM11-S2 or PM11-S3 integrated amps designed by legendary engineer Ken Ishiwata at the top of his game. We then all later had the "upgrade urge" but were unable to find any amp that could do everything the Marantz could do without going notably backwards in some sonic aspect. Particularly the combination of very dynamic bass and very engaging midrange is difficulty or any other integrated amplifier to bear (at any price). So until now I have kept my Marantz amp, rather than going backwards by downgrading to a more expensive amp. The only amp that to my ears beats it is, the pre/power combo from Rotel: Michi P5 and Michi S5.

[@NeilLavitt]

My first experience of wow was being given a Sony Walkman (in the early 80’s - one of the first) which was broken and fixing it with my Physics teacher’s help and listening to the all enveloping sound. I had a mono cassette player/recorder before this and used to record tracks off the radio through its condenser microphone. Too right about humble beginnings! Provides for expectation management - across life actually.

[@PassionforSound]

That's such a great way to start

[@michaelwren5785]

This may seem out of left field, but I see this in Sim Racing Hardware. This is a very relevant messeage that relates to not just Audio enthusiasts!

[@PassionforSound]

I figured it might apply to most hobbies, but tried to stay in my lane. (Pun intended) 😁

[@PeterHas]

What sprung to mind for me when I read the title of the video is that you should not be afraid of trusting your ears and ignoring all opinions you read online. This I guess is also part of the journey, to learn that we know less about audio than it appears, and more or less all specs and measurements can be, and are often, strongly misleading. I've been around on hifi forums for decades, and I've seen all sorts of facts and opinions stated with 100% certainty that turned out to be 100% wrong. Trust what you hear, and try to maximize your enjoyment of the music, however you end up doing it.

[@patrickgeorge141]

Kind of like search less and listen more to music. Lots of opinions do not equate to one's own tastes.

[@PeterHas]

@@patrickgeorge141 I think the gear matters a lot, so I feel it's important to test a lot of different things with your own music and see what makes your music sound the best. For example, some gear emphasize rhythm and physical punch, whereas other gear emphasize subtle vocal nuances more. At any given price there is a tradeoff in qualities, and depending on your music one style of presentation would enhance your enjoyment more than the other. Just going to a physical store and listening to as much gear as possible with your own music does wonders for understanding your preferences and what's possible.

[@patrickgeorge141]

@PeterHas that was my meaning of listen more. Listen on more gear and different gear and rely less on reviews til you have a firm understanding of your tastes and needs/wants.

[@PeterHas]

@@patrickgeorge141 Glad you clarified! Just in the past few years I have used my emotional response as the final arbiter of whether I like a certain piece of gear or not. Like, is the excitement of the music communicated properly, or does it leave me with an emotional flatline? Does a vocal performance somehow feel distant and like it isn't reaching me? If I react with an involuntary emotional response, the gear is good. If it leave me feeling nothing in particular, then it's bad, no matter how clear or clean it otherwise seems. I think this is where our hearing is better than any measurement gear, because I've found that the emotional response is repeatable, as I can feel the same reaction over and over again. Given of course if I'm in good mental and physical condition.

[@PassionforSound]

Well said 🙂

[@garymalone547]

100%. Glad I had to start right at the bottom and keep an eye out for bargains, due to a raging drug habit. As a recovering basshead the biggest surprise for me was the plethora of treble focused cans. I say recovering basshead, but relapsed recently with the Yamaha YHE700As. Absolute cannons.

[@johncallaghan3097]

Not sure I agree with you entirely, but you do make a good point that if you're lucky enough to be able to afford the best from the start, you miss out on a lot of the fun of pursuing whatever passion might ring your bell. I started with audio gear back in the 70's and frankly most of what I owned was crap. Not surprising on reflection because the good stuff started at a level well above what I could afford. But back then, and all the way up to the turn of the century, even the good stuff was pretty dire by today's standards. Nowadays you don't have to spend a fortune to get decent gear. It's never been a better time to get into the hobby. Unless you masochistically and actively seek out the crap, it's very difficult not to get an at least fairly decent system. So everyone starts out at a higher level and inevitably misses out on some of the earlier experiences that in hindsight one might look back rather fondly on. The bellwether for me, or the thing that lets you know you have got something special, is when you start appreciating music that in the past you didn't. Who knew that I was a latent big band fan, for example? I certainly wasn't at one time, but that's only because I'd never really been truly exposed to it. In the end, the hobby is about appreciating music better and better. If that's what you're after and you're not just a gadget freak, then you will be rewarded by more involvement in music appreciation. The gear is but a means to that end, and knowing what I know now (having wasted God knows how much on the way), I think you can do it at a pretty high level for around £5K, and at acceptable levels for appreciably less. In real terms, back in the seventies that might equate to far less money, but spending the same amount back then adjusted for inflation wouldn't in any case have got you a good system by today's standards. Maybe something the equivalent of around £50K in today's money back then might have brought as much joy...

[@WoodstockG54]

Keep your eyes on the road so we can keep enjoying your reviews. O, thanks for that insight. My mistake was not knowing how the equipment was to be properly used and in the process damaging the unit. The decision to plug the Hugo tt2 directly into a power amp with no preamp in line was due to a video I had seen, (not one of yours) this was disastrous. The on line manual was not clear in preventing this from happening. Now it’s off to the repair shop. Hard lesson to learn on a pension.

[@patrickgeorge141]

Lol is to your comment of keeping his eyes on the road.

[@patrickgeorge141]

@WoodstockG54 sorry about your equipment. Bad advice and lack of good clear manuals is and has always.been an issue.

[@WoodstockG54]

@@patrickgeorge141 thanks

[@PassionforSound]

That's very interesting as I thought the TT2 was specifically designed to bypass the need for a preamp. How did connecting directly to the power amp damage the TT2?

[@Nephilim-81]

I started out with a burson soloist SL and an Arcam irDAC. I don’t regret it. ❤

[@bitterandjaded_]

I came to serious headphones only in the last few years after buying an LTA MZ3 to use primarily as a preamp with my speaker system. It seemed ridiculous to not at least try it as an HPA, so I bought some Sundaras to see if the headphone aspect of the audio hobby would catch. Less than 3 years on, I now have 9 HPAs, 7 headphones and 4 IEMs. While I’ve reached as high as a ZMF VO, my latest purchases were mid level Grado and Sennheisers precisely because I felt I had missed some steps along the way. I plan to build a Crack eventually for the same reason. Been having a blast tube rolling a Schiit Vali 3 lately too. I think I have more invested in tubes and adapters than the amp itself. You may not be able to buy happiness with money, but it can help organize one hell of a search party.

[@MrRosscoz]

I jumped in the deep for me end (well deep for a person on minimum wage at the time) with home stereo, Kevlar richter dragons and Center/ surrounds with JD AUDIO subs. All up was nearly half my annual wage lol😂.. bit silly but thankfully 20 years later the same system is still sounding as good as the day I bought it, and with a few tech gadgets/ streamer etc is pretty great sounding. Headphones was a slower journey. Few $50 earbuds, a pair of Sony over ears that had a battery in the cord that activated anc.. they were actually pretty good for a few $100 bucks. Then HD 600’s with Earman DAC/ amp. That was a big step up for over ear.. then I went Violectric DHA V380 m2, which I chose over many other options in an in store demo session with Arya stealth, which is my current listen. Next I want to upgrade to HE1000Se’s which sound perfect to me, and then as a second system a pair of Atrium opens with a tube amp yet to be decided lol. As funds become available and approved by the minister of finance lol

[@aceofspades6667]

I agree.. I started in low end jumped to midfi and then went expensive quickly. I find myself going back to midfi priced gear and selling off more expensive gear. I’m perfectly happy with a $400 ie600 and $500 set of headphones off a decent Dac and amp.

[@OzSteve]

Oh man, this was an AWESOME video. So, my journey (gonna be a bit long I think) For me, I got into music in the late 70's (I think I was 8 odd) The Police - Walking on the Moon was the first song I really got into (as I wanted to be an Astronomer) I had a Sanyo boombox type with detachable speakers and I kinda used them as headphones (like you stated if you put your head in a certain way with yours) and this introduced me to 'soundstage' and that was it. This is how my journey started. Next up, for a birthday I received the Sony D50 MKII discman and a few CD's and then I was hooked to 'digital' music no more tapes (well cassingles in the car lol when I started to drive and I had a Sony FH-313 ghettoblaster for tapes too) Then it was pretty much music in the car. Wasn't until I got into my mid 20's that I ended up with a "stereo" at home. I took a loan out to by my first floorstanding speakers. The JBL SVA-2100's (twin 10" and a horn) and I still have them today (almost 30 years later) Jump quite a lot of years later, I really started my "Hi-Fi" journey and started messing with DAC's (and still do) I've owned a LOT of DAC's over the years (and then again about 5 years ago) starting with the Topping D10 and a lot in between to the PS Audio Direct Stream and now into the Chord ecosystem (and saving for a Dave or Aqua La Scala MKII) But my 'new' obsession is Head-Fi. I not long ago got into IEMs as I've been a closed back over ear headphone user. I am starting out cheap with a bunch of IEMs from Amazon/Aliexpress ($20 and up) like the cheap 7Hz and now the 7Hz Timeless. Lots of cheap Topping/Xduoo head amps and starting to move into better systems and DAC's I just recently ordered the Wiim Ultra and only just received the new FIIO SR11 streamer for headfi use. It's a really good time to be into hifi with all the cheap equipment coming out of China. I wish it was like this when I really got into it. Fun fun times indeed. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I could've added a LOT more too lol

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

i only regret that i spent _so long_ at the entry level. i was afraid of an expensive upgrade that i might regret; i was suspicious that the audiophiles were mostly just lying to themselves. little did i know, _it’s only some of them who are lying to themselves,_ and the others live a life of real world musical magic. so yes i am glad i’ve played the long game, and i’m glad i still play it, but i should have dipped my toe in the deep(er) end sooner

[@PassionforSound]

♥️

[@mk0x55]

I think one part of it might be learning to appreciate the subtle qualities of great, detailed sound. That does surely not come completely overnight no matter how good gear one gets. The longer the journey, the more experience, and the more listening resolution (mentally/perceptually speaking). Another part of it is that just the DAC or amp is not the entire system, and it does not even correspond to most of what affects the quality of the system. I'm actually thinking about the speakers (or headphones, although most music recording is probably optimized for speakers... to give the proper soundstage & ambience...), their placement, and the attributes of the listening space/room (acoustically treated? how?) etc. Finally, there is the recording. No matter how good the system is - if the recording is not at a great level, it will still sound dull, just the different defects will be more accentuated. In short, there are way too many variables to only consider one or two pieces of equipment as a predictor to getting a good listening experience. I recall my own experience once coming to a hifi-shop and listening to some decent pair of speakers, good amp and a decent recording, I was quite astonished, especially by the musicality of it. Very immersive. Now I feel the same (actually even better) at home with some mid-fi gear (Burson 3X Reference, Denon PMA-900HNE, Dali Opticon 6 mk2:s), and I profoundly enjoy it - truly lovely sound to my apprehension. I also use FLACs of CD quality or higher that I actually custom-upsampled in software with many-million-taps filter to 768 kHz and it made a certain positive difference, especially to the treble. Someone who is entirely new to the hobby might get a lot of expensive gear, but the remaining question is whether actually is set up correctly so that the listeners can exploit the full potential of it. Somewhat philosophically, I actually do not agree that the journey is any significant part of it on its very own. Rather, the journey might have an effect on developing greater listening resolution, which is what might actually be at the root of the phenomenon...

[@imosolar]

Great KZbin channel and I started from the bottom then campfire trifecta

[@PassionforSound]

That's a leap! 😂

[@audio_tron]

Exactly. Who wants to be dropped off at the top of a hike? Some may not even need to go to the summit because they’ve found gear they love before getting there, or possibly didn’t think the extra performance was worth the coin. I’ve been very happy with IEMs in the $200-$400 range (ditto for headphones), though like anyone I do periodically get the urge to hear new things, appreciate and experience new physical designs up and down the scale. And, of course, sometimes top gear does earn its place in a collection and is totally worth it. Like you said, appreciating the gear is fuller after an audio hike. My first audiophile headphone was Sundara, IEM was Fiio’s FH3.

[@rossheard9446]

I'd suggest on occasion going "backward". I think you'll be surprised. I recently bought an older Yamaha receiver just to test out and was surprised at how detailed and warm the sound was. It cost $100. Be careful about the placebo effect when spending the big bucks. More money doesn't always mean better sound.

[@PassionforSound]

I completely agree about going backwards. It's one of my favourite things about running the channel - it gives me a reason to try gear at all levels and there's wonderful musical enjoyment to be had at every price

[@SergeySedlovsky]

You said that it does not require a skill, you're wrong, the skill that you acquire in the journey is learning about yourself and your tastes.

[@PassionforSound]

I'm not sure if that's a skill or just a series of experiences, but I get your point 100%

[@Helmond2017]

My first IEM was a KZ, the zs6.

[@GadZookz]

Action footage!

[@luigipuno5479]

Do you buy some of staff overseas how do you play import tax here i australia?

[@PassionforSound]

It varies from product to product, but I'd buy most gear locally where possible and occasionally order direct and pay the import duties (e.g. Schiit and Geshelli Labs)

[@luigipuno5479]

@@PassionforSound where do you pay the import tax? After odering?

[@limrui6930]

Well said. Lots of people buy for the hype nowadays

[@joseluishernandezseptien]

Great video, Lachlan! Thank you. At this point I feel a bit frustrated because the audiophile and music production markets overlap. Both camps can promote a piece of gear as being “accurate” or “neutral” whatever those things might be, and it has taken me some time and money to try to find a balance between the two camps because I do both things make music and listen to it.

[@PassionforSound]

That is a tricky spot to be in. In my experience, the gear I reach for to edit content (especially balancing the voice overs) is very different from what I reach for to enjoy music. It's almost like you need two distinct setups, especially the headphones/speakers.

[@joseluishernandezseptien]

@@PassionforSound Thank you, Lachlan! I like your approach. What gear do you use for that application? Maybe it would be interesting for a video topic hehe. Hope you are well.

[@PassionforSound]

The short answer is that I care much less about the DAC I use for editing and mixing compared to music so long as there's no latency (i.e. delay when stopping and starting the sound when scrubbing through the video). I choose a neutral amp rather than most tube amps and then a generally neutral headphone like the HEDDphone 2, Focal Utopia etc.

[@joseluishernandezseptien]

@@PassionforSound That's cool! I like your approach :) Thanks for sharing, Lachlan!

[@johnmcdevitt9797]

Nah if you have the money don't waste it on the entry level gear go for the summit tier! Make the appointment, go visit a dealer with a dedicated listening room, demo everything! The brand name stuff that has been around for decades and may even be older than you are has a reputation to maintain! It all sounds good at the summit level you really can't go wrong with any choice you make. If you are a low budget player new to hifi buy used and vintage gear or knock-off Chinese made gear clones if you want to discover what type of sound profile fits you. McIntosh Labs for example is celebrating a 75th anniversary , Grado Labs is 71 years old, I own the McIntosh MHA150 and a pair of Grado GS1000's headphones and I love this combo. I'm nowhere near the summit of headphone audio with this combination however I never say to myself, oh this sucks, oh my audio life sucks! I also own the Onix Alpha dongle dac and a pair of HiFiman HE400se headphones to pair with my iPhone, not including the iPhone this combo cost me a little over $200 dollars and I'm all smiles with the sound of it.

[@johnshaw359]

100% agree, say no to turnkey. Been at it for decades and worked from the ground up.

[@masterazlan6999]

Ha3 another man with nostalgic memories which Timy frm Gizaudio r releasing today..Sure urs is Panasonic, mine was JVC..u know wut..when I testin to buy this in the show room bout 30yrs back..I just put all the test to max volumes Which this the only 1 doesn't distorted even at max Then I bought it's cuz of that other including Panasonic,Sony,Aiwa..n sort just distorted..it's a CD player as well. As it small like ur Panasonic it's has remote..imagine at that time..CD beats cassette at that times..Hi end?..sure, my bro went to WMU to get his BA..n he brought back..Mirage bi polar speaker with Rotel system..hm prologics 5.1..imagine..speaker frm Canada n system frm states..it really drop my jaws at that time..yup THX certified by Gorge Lucas himself yup the star wars makers..not nowdays THX which way diff directions..even better then cinema at that time just Imagine bra..n it was in 1991..Hm headphones..sure at that time no iem..just sumthin like Koss things today I mean the design..wut a memories..n it's was satisfiyin at that time compares to nowdays..Imagine my BA bro brought all CDs cuz at state it's just 2usd a piece at that time n the quality frm state not international market quality Which is so diff altho all is genuine Ori CD..wow that's I discovered that time..ha3 ..since I started with endgame system at that time Which..inspired me of doin my own worlds best audiophiles iem which is my own made n it stays Numero uno untill now..none beats it..yeah sure through out A-B test..ha welcome nostalgic noobs..Peace!.. Actually Argentina vs Canada r starting now ... really gtg..Peace2!

[@zacharyhill8405]

I'm feeling distracted by the sub bass rumble in the audio.

[@patrickgeorge141]

Still impatiently waiting on the LAiV Harmony comparison lol!!!!!

[@PassionforSound]

It's coming! It's published and scheduled now.

[@patrickgeorge141]

@@PassionforSound you tease us, I have to give you a hard time. Lol

[@seano218]

When you drive is when your best ideas hit?

[@PassionforSound]

Actually in the shower, but nobody wants that video! 😂

[@seano218]

@@PassionforSound true, thanks for not sharing! Lol

[@Coneman3]

High prices at present are not sustainable imo, as new generation are mostly a lot poorer, and likely to stay that way for a long time.

[@hosualexandru1965]

I love this format and also the insights! :) Keep it up!

[@carminedesanto6746]

Omg …I think was a Sanyo “Walkman “….

[@_UnknownEntity]

The drama in audiophilia I think is largely due to newbies bringing in what they've learnt from other hobbyist communities and then when lost in the depths stirring up the hornets nest so to say in an effort to land something worth bragging about. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo]

Favourite video so far. Well done 👍.

[@hartyewh1]

This is by far your best piece of content. The recent direction so far has been even less for me personally, but this was excellent. The topic and the way it's approached. This is one of the most important messages for new hobbyists (and some older ones as well) is that you can't skip experience when looking for your own thing and just aiming for a generic best is a waste of potential. The more steps, within reason, there are the greater the appreciation and understanding in the end. Experience is the cure for fomo. Many starting out also don't just have money for better things, but have saved say $1000 with serious effort and want to blow the whole budget straight away. Especially if using EQ I recommend a $100-200 for headphones and minimal budget for electronics and the doubling as you go with at least six months with the set.

[@xyanide1986]

No, the anger makes my eardrums taut and experience more detail. I can't be happy.

[@neilsnyder7915]

2 comments: 1. Why is your steering wheel on the wrong side of the car? 2. I don't really care about the quality of sound. My enjoyment is derived from spending money. The more money spent, the more enjoyment. So what should my next purchase be?

[@PassionforSound]

We just know how to drive correctly here, Neil. 😉😂

[@IHearEverythingDude]

1. Stop watching reviewers from KZbin. Hope that helps to someone

[@clan_biblioteke]

Please can I get an answer on how long the XDUOO XD05 PRO battery lasts and is it replaceable after that and is it available for sale?

[@PassionforSound]

You'd need to go to xDuoo for that information. I didn't test the battery life, but it will be on the various websites I'm sure