How much for the shoes?
Bedroom
Use Case: Listen to music while getting ready for work in the morning. Looking for neutral sound so I don’t disturb my neighbors in the morning with bass. I originally had a pair of JBL 104-BT, but they died. I decided to look for a cheap pair of passive speakers. I saw cheapaudioman review the Cambridge Audio Minx XL and deciced to try them out. Picked up a Parasound Zamp v.3 on Facebook for $100. The speakers are really great for $169.
Workbench
Use Case: Listen to music and watch videos while working on projects/misc stuff. Looking for my typical sound preference which is fun, dynamic, warm, bassy. I bought a pair of Vanatoo Transparent Zero on Ebay. Wanted to pair a sub with them so I went with a JBL Sub 550P. This combo meshes very well. The speakers use a high and low pass filter when using a sub. Easy and seemless integration. The sub is very clean and has no bloat.
Desktop PC
Use Case: Gaming and listen to music.
Speakers: Wanted very small speakers so I could put them under my monitor. Kanto YU2 fit perfectly. Paired them with a slim Monoprice sub that I could put in the corner. Sounds fine given size restraints. Thinking about purchasing a Mackie 2.1 system in the near future for more convienent volume control. the Mackie CR8S-XBT sub comes with a really cool volume knob that allows you to control overall volume as well as sub volume on its own.
Headphones: Schiit Bifrost 2 > Flux FA-12 > ZMF Eikon. Wanted to sample some higher end cans so I ordered some ZMF Eikon’s. Around that time the Schiit Bifrost 2 was starting to gain its initial momentum so I picked one up. Before the Flux FA-12 I bought a Violectric V280 on Drop, but I had a grounding issue with it so I returned it. Came across the Flux FA-12 somewhere online. Pretty great combo overall. A fun/musical neutral. Great separation and resolution. Ordered a Bottlehead Crack + Speedball kit during one of their yearly sales. Built by @A_Jedi on here. Lets me sample some tubey goodness.
Laptop
Use Case: Listen to music and watch videos. Looking for my typical sound preference. iFi Zen DAC > Cavalli Liquid Carbon X > LSA HP-2 Ultra. Before the LSA HP-2 I had some AudioQuest NightHawk Carbon’s and some Klipsch HP-3’s. All 3 are fun, but the LSA HP-2’s are definitely keepers. Great review here. The bass boost on the iFi Zen DAC is so good. All gear used on my laptop has been bought/sold here on HiFi Guides. Great community here.
Living Room
Use Case: LOUD music. You can find my journey here. Endgame achieved.
Nice write up! It’s a lot, but each thing has its purpose, which to me is at the core of simplicity. It’s not just more for the sake of more.
Every use case doesn’t benefit from the same gear. And I like your insight into what use cases benefit from different sound signatures: neutral, warm, loud. I’ve not put enough thought into that yet…