What are some of the mistakes you have made in the course of this hobby?

IEMs / Other In-Ear Monitors (IEM)
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Hey all,

This thought came to me tonight and I thought it would be interesting to hear about the experiences of everyone so that perhaps the less experienced in this hobby could learn something!

Even if you only have a small amount of experience in this hobby, please don’t feel shy to chip in. Your contribution could help someone completely new!

I think one of my mistakes is that I took the words of prominent reviewers too seriously and let that alone guide my purchasing decision for my first IEM the Blessing 2 Dusk.

When I finally received it, I remember putting it on with such anticipation only to be quite disappointed. It wasn’t as if it was bad, but I was really expecting it to absolutely blow me away from first note considering what has been said about it by so many.

It made me realise that not everyone is looking for the same kind of holy grail and what’s good for them may not be good for me.

If I were to start all over again, I would probably either get the LZ AZ so that I could switch sound signatures or buy a bunch of cheapies of different signatures to find the one that I personally and truthfully enjoyed the most regardless of what others feel about it. Knowing my favourite signature (as well as what aspects I personally really enjoy/dislike and what aspects aren’t so important to me/I can live with) then I would be able to make much better choices from there.

It doesn’t mean that to not listen to reviewers or others when they recommend something. You just can’t take it as gospel. There is just so much choice these days that it would be extremely difficult to try everything there is.

What was a mistake that you made? And what would you advise someone less experienced than yourself?

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Well, I had a similar experience half a year ago. I blindly bought the KXXS, and returned it the same day. Quality wise it was good enough, but it kept on falling off my ears and even though they sounded great, the sound profile didn’t match what I wanted (not enough slam on the bass). The two pin connectors didn’t hold tight enough either. I also didn’t like the packaging, or how they looked IRL, but that’s irrelevant really.

As for advice, rely on your ears more than what’s written, and compare. Even if there are some objective parameters in sound, everybody grew up with different sounds and has a different taste. Be also aware that there are people who are sponsored, and I don’t blame them, but it’s very common, and not just in the music world.

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  • Dont get cables more expensive than your iem

  • Dont get sources (amps,dacs, daps) more expensive than your iem

  • Get yourself a good collection of silicone tips before you start getting more iems, they are crucial for sound and comfort!

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Been a few…

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  1. A hobby is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved
  2. Hype is temporary
  3. Never rationalize a bad purchase
  4. Being surrounded by the trappings of wealth so much that all status symbols become what they are anyway (irrelevant and a bit stupid)
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Mistake one: entering.
Mistake two: Thinking it’s fine after spending thousands.
Mistake three: Keep spending.
Mistake four: Talking to @Resolution or see his pics.

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You know, I could remedy this for you. :wink:

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Yes, I’ll get Mest Mk2, master. No bully.

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Be very cautious when buying a used DAP and always research on forums before getting one.

Had an unfortunate incident when I bought a malfunctioned screen ibasso dx120 and I only got a lil over half of my money back from the seller. Never buying a used DAP ever again.

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Excellent thread!

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Mistakes? not saving up enough money to try the high-end IEMs, and therefore always stuck on budget options or Mid-Fi…I am guilty of this.

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This. I always find myself complaining how the real deal costs much more than I’ll ever be able to afford (looking at you MEST MkII) but then I realize I have 5 pairs of IEMs even though I only use 1.

It’s really tempting to think that technology advances exponentially with every new IEM on the market but just hold off, save up, buy gear once a year (it rhymes, means it has to be true!)

(also, not a mistake, just an observation from the gear I’ve heard or owned: Chi-Fi is the place for audiophilia, one where you can pretty much track improvement from this year to the next)

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Not going to lie, the praises I have been hearing about the Mangird Teas lately have been great for most people who own it, and those I think are Mid-Fi. I am tempted to get those someday not going to lie.

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Well, that’s for sure not a mistake :wink:

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https://thumbs.gfycat.com/WarmDefensiveDogfish-size_restricted.gif

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After 10+ years in this hobby:

Price is not an indicator of “better”. Diminishing returns is one of the longest-running term in this hobby. Double the price, 10% better. Worth it? You judge that.

If you can’t buy 5 and throw out 4 without a second of hesitation, you can’t buy one. This is how you judge your price range.

Don’t waste money buying a ton of cheap shit you barely like. I’ve wasted too much money buying such-and-such, $10 IEMs, $50 headphones–honestly not worth it most the time. I’ve never kept them around. $50 IEMs and $100 headphones? If you don’t like them, sell them off–folks will buy those so you get some return there. (I say this as I run Yincrow X6 and Blon 03s as my daily runners)

To shoot myself in the foot: Don’t use price as a determiner of quality. Too many “giant killer” or “I thought this was $1000, but it’s actually $100” sets around. Good shit sounds good the world around. If you jam out to the music you’re listening to, that gear is good. Might not be the “best”, but it’s good. For example, Apple Earpods and the Samsung/AKG IEMs that came with many phones. Good shit.

COMFORT. FFS, focus on comfort folks. If you can’t wear something for an hour before throwing them out the window because your ears hurt, they’re not worth having. COMFORT COMFORT COMFORT. Comfort is my #1 focus when looking to buy head-gear. If reviews say they’re uncomfortable, they’re not in my view.

Know your sound signature. Feel free to explore cheaper realms of different signatures buy buying used, selling used. But once you know your tastes, stick to them. I like slightly warm and bassy sets with a more intimate soundstage.

More power = better in most cases. 99% of IEMs don’t need much power, and are in-fact overpowered by many degrees by amps. But this is more for speaker/headphone amps. Better to have twice as much needed power than perfectly matched in all cases. Too many times I’ve under-amped speakers and headphones, both degrading sound quality and volume output.

Digital potentiometers are better… honestly. Analog introduces too much imbalance and static for the prospect of “better” sound quality.

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This is just sage life advice as a whole.

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I always stick to one price range, and there things are always similar. A higher price does not mean better IEMs, but a very high price (<$ 1,000) I think that means just that.

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That would be IMO one of the best purchasing decisions you could make in the audio hobby. Not bragging (actually admitting to hobby addiction) but I’ve spent many thousands of dollars on IEMs and I always come back to the Teas and am blown away by how good they are at their price point. They are my personal #1 rec from $300 - $500.

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Yap. Teas > all. Desert Island pick.

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