that backfired for me lol trouble with this is I found I have too many “tastes” that appeal to me… focusing on getting down to 2 closed and 3 open
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to the OP welcome and it seems you have the right idea coming into this hobby so that’s a bonus… ive fallen for some hype but I do value all the time I spent in the budget arena (or what is MY budget arena) finding what I liked… when youre exploring dont be afraid to get out of your comfort zone… at the beginning I avoided treble like the plague but it turns out there’s no substitute for something like a dt880 for certain music I enjoy
not sure if you came into this looking for advice however lol this thread has a mind of its own it seems
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Interesting. It really is fascinating how different everyone’s hearing is.
I tried the 770, but their highs are just not my thing. Some songs make me cringe.
It’s cool, advice is great. I’m enjoying the conversation 
You try convincing newby audiophile me that spending $1000 for a middle of the road quality pair of headphones isn’t lunacy. I will counter that unless you’ve walked the journey from it’s beginings (as most of us have) you wouldn’t be able to appreciate what jumping into that good quality mid-fi gear meant.
I don’t think anyone NEEDS the $3k plus headphones, but how do you ever come to appreciate what they are if you haven’t heard a lot of meh $300 dollars ones?
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I hear you guys on the “experience counts” front, but I personally didn’t need to go through 20 pairs. I became obsessed with variety at the cost of quality.
But when you step up to very good mid-fi like Focal Elex’s and Grado GH2’s you know you have arrived at a different level. I didn’t need to try 20 sets or 18 sets or 16 sets or 14 sets, 12 sets, etc. to appreciate the upgrade.
I will never drop $5K, $4K, $3K or even $2K on headphones. 
And I am talking Canuck bucks.
Famous last words? 
Nope. With all my cheaper purchases, I always felt “That’s great, but…” And then I started researching my next purchase. Same with amps.
The only things I look at now are maybe a DAC and I am still curious about the CFA Cascades and LCD-2 Classic’s. But I have NO purchases in mind currently.
I haven’t said that, honestly, in years. 
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the 880’s (600 ohm) treble is still bright but much more listenable than the 770 imo
you said this about the 1k mark not that long ago 
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Yes, but now I am happy. 
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Eh. I’m past those headphones now They’re waiting on the counter to be returned.
However, if Drop ever… drops (heh) the 177x to $400, I’ll get them for sure 
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This hobby is a blessing, I regret nothing, not a single dollar or minute spent. From my $35 monoprice Retro’s to my ridiculous priced Nordost Tyr 2 interconnects, I have enjoyed learning and developed a deep appreciation for all the effort that goes into every aspect of bringing a product to market that brings me joy.
As I kick back in every room in my house and enjoy the music I appreciate the budget minded speakers in one room, the fancy pants amps in another and headphones/IEM’s both wired and not all over the place. It’s an orgy of sound and relaxation and i feel like an old time Roman lord partaking in decadent trysts with no fucks given about what it cost or what anyone else opines.
My tastes and opinions on every aspect of the sound and music are mine alone and i choose to own them. 
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i think most people don’t realize u have gone thru 20 headphones to be fair lol
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Would anyone be interested in reading a thread where I document my audiophile-noob experiences? I feel like writing, and wonder if other noobs would find these chronicles useful when they attempt to start their own journey.
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Now I want to try a tube amp. Yay! 
I think I’m gonna get a Vali 2.
Just wanted to post an update on what’s happened in my quest for glorious audio 
I’ve now backordered a Loki + Magni 3+ combo. I’m gonna use my Apple USB-C dongle as a DAC.
I also re-ordered the DT 770 PRO 250 and will be modding them to add a balanced mini-XLR jack. This should allow me to try them out with the BTR5 balanced. I think I can make these my closed-back cans. They were the most comfortable ones The Loki will allow me to control the treble, or I might do the napkin mod too, we’ll see. I like the idea of modding them, will keep me busy for a little while.
Hart Audio cables are finally in the mail! Excited, mostly for their modularity.
Last but not least, I have Sundaras on order. They’ll be my first planars.
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It’s good to document what you have at its current state. It will be crazy to look back a few months from now and see if how much (or how little) that changes. Good luck on your quest.
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I am going to go with disaster, financially speaking. I was talking to a guy on Head-Fi today and he stated how we are both deep down the rabbit hole.
I replied, “not at all!” I said “Your two newest pairs of headphones are worth more than my whole system.” And I laughed to myself.
Then I did something I had not done in a few years. I counted up all my gear, excluding the amps I am trying to sell and my office gear.
Yikes! Even counting the lower priced open box items and the used gear, I was floored.
I dare not speak the number aloud. If She knew this number, there would be intense friction, that I imagine would last for weeks.
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Heheh. It is what it is. As long as you’re enjoying the ride, I think it’s worth it!
Even more these days, when we have to stay isolated all the time.
I’m not too deep into the audiophile hobby yet, but something similar happened to me when I summed up all the $$ I’ve spent on my track car the last couple of years. Definitely more than what I’d expected, and I’m very conservative about what I spend money on, especially compared to some of my car friends
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Well, we have EQ.
Granted it can’t change everything and wouldn’t be the same as especially tuned headphones, it’s free.
A simple “Tube Amp” option in my galaxy tablet sounds very similar to my tube pre. Not the same, but very similar.
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