I’m waiting for a $4000+ TOTL to come out that can play everything in my music library so all my IEMs totaling about $4000 play my music individually! This will prove or disprove the hypothesis that “the whole is equal to its parts”! 
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I don’t think you being into music and music replay “audiophile” this will ever happen…TOTL sets vary tuning wise as much as cheeper sets do, you just up your expectancy and get used to nicer gear 
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We see what the “investment” mentality has brought toa many other markets (cars, watch,…): Speculation bubbles where the buyers aren’t even real users, huge price that don’t even relate to anything, artificial pull on prices for approaching models that aren’t anything special,…
To me, spending a lot for your own enjoyment is way more sane than wanting to “invest”.
I also think your view is biased because I can see plenty of markets where value doesn’t hold time. Those markets are all tied to electronics (TV, phones,computer parts,…). One can argue iems aren’t electronic things , but the fact is the rules are the same: quick renewal of generations, this quick obsolescence, increasing cost-to-performance ratio at each generation, etc.
Still, I kinda regret the fast pace of the iem market, as it means a endless run for cost-efficiency and immediate wow factor. I would rather have a more mature market where QC/QA is more important, and where getting something good and original is more important than taking the biggest possible slice of a pie someone else has begun to eat (planars, Harman budget iems are good examples).
At the end of the day, the current state of Art for iems tends to increase the value proposition for us consumers. I can’t see it as a bad thing, I must admit.
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I love the watch analogy, it’s very true. I’m in an industry surrounded by fairly wealthy guys who buy the next Rolex as a bragging right, $10k-$15k to them is like nothing really, especially my GM. While these watches may seem silly to spend money on (admittedly, I felt the same way just a year ago) once you learn that you’re basically wearing a savings account on your risk, it makes a lot more sense to spend that kind of money on just a watch.
I’ll give an example; my Bentley brand manager purchased a stupid expensive Rolex about 2 years ago. I remember the MSRP being close to $80,000 USD, platinum Daytona I believe was the type of Rolex. I remember thinking, that is a dumb amount of money for a timepiece. I’m not sure how accurate this is, but my buddy who is more into watches was telling me the same watch is worth north of $120,000 USD now…Good watches and good IEMs stay good, but one appreciates and one doesn’t.
If you got the cash to spend on whatever you’d like and it makes you happy, do your thing. I’m happy for you, I know that if you have that cash, you’ve earned it. You’ve also earned to spend it on whatever the hell you’d like!
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All good until somebody mugs you for it.
aaaand it’s gone. 
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Definitely a valid point - I’ve heard that’s a huge problem over in the UK and in certain areas in the US, I don’t doubt that would be a big problem as well.
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Buying a Patek or Rolex without insuring it is a pretty bold move
Had a friend get jumped by two dudes and lose his Rolex one night when walking home in London. It was insured so he was like 
Really? … Ok then…
Got a new one two weeks later
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all this watch talk and I haven’t seen anyone wear one in 5+ years 
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Interesting, I would rather go outside without shoes than without my watch 
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I thought you meant Rolexes etc. I def wear a normal watch! I don’t want to reach for my phone every time I want to know the time. Plus I guess growing up in a city, you don’t show people your cellphone if you don’t have to.
Common trick used to be “have you got the time?” and then mug them for their phone when they pull it out.
To be fair, although I haven’t gone full smartwatch and don’t think I’d want to, I have an “Amazfit Bip”
I got for $20.
- Built in GPS for tracking runs without needing a phone at all. Main reason I have it.
- Vibrating alarm - I go though a gauntlet of 5-6 each morning, this way I don’t wake my wife while I struggle to get out of bed
- my phone is always on silent no ring, but this buzzes if someone’s calling so I can evaluate the number while teaching in case it’s important etc even if phone’s on desk
- month long battery. I could never get along with my watch needing a daily charge.
I’d happily “dumb watch” it, but those first two features are handy day to day.
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I wear a “dumb watch” for work most every day for both simple convenience and stopwatch functionality. Also, most process plants do not allow glass in operating areas (contamination hazard) so phones can be a no-no, but a wrist-watch is often given the okay (less of a drop or break hazard).
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I wear a $100 that I paid $35 for, mainly for looks.
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I could see people trying that in sketchier areas you talking snag and run? easy solution is the way you hold it and/or countering when they try
Yeah there are ways around it but I would hear it happening to my friends who were mid teens at the time, by adults who had a knife on them. So just intimidated into handing it over at that point.
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Fair enough but there’s also the stress of being violently assaulted
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Don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt it would be a very unpleasant experience regardless of insurance, but personally I would argue less in that situation, knowing my phone or watch is insured.
I never wear my expensive watches when I go out with friends. My day-to-day is a Garmin watch I use to track sleep and exercise.
I was actually reminded of a time I was almost mugged myself, also because of the watch I was wearing. Luckily it didn’t get to the point where it could become violent, as I managed to dodge the guy’s attempts to get me into a situation where we were alone.
Funnily enough, it wasn’t a flashy watch at all; a small IWC from the 60s. Perhaps he saw it was gold and thought me an easy target cause I had two large suitcases to carry. Regardless, definitely not a situation I’d like to end up in again.
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I find having a resting psychopath face and being 250pounds and 6ft 5 helps you be able to wear your best items and watch 
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My Rolex would be sleeping in their box all day if I ever bought one, no way I’d wear one in public, makes me an instant theft target.
IEMs are a different animal, the chances someone attempts to yank off an IEM you’re wearing in public is low presumably because the average thief doesn’t have any knowledge on IEMs.
I could be wrong and someone got attacked by thieves because they found a civilian who was wearing an Oriolus Traiilii.
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I didn’t know full BA would hit me so hard! Very good work from DUNU. Well done! 
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