Transitioning from home ownership to apartment living can be a major adjustment. My adventure down this rabbit hole started when my focus shifted from home audio systems to portable gear.
I was in need of a way I could listen to music more discreetly, avoiding knocks on the door telling me to turn it down. All the while maintaining the high quality, I had grown accustomed to with home audio gear. Thus, my shift in focus to portable, personalized gear, at least until I purchase my next home.
Having the ability to listen to audiophile gear, anytime, anywhere is my specific passion. To carry this thought further, I do not enjoy being tethered to a desk while listening.
There are many desktop aficionados that love their rigs and they spend time, effort and money perfecting their desktop setup, to me there is no excitement in that. The desktop environment is static and not dynamic. The on-the-go environment creates more challenges in finding audio nirvana.
I love the challenge of finding the ultimate gear that is versatile enough for multiple environments and scenarios.
A little about my review style. I may post a graph or chart but it is only for reference, because what you hear is the most important.
Graphs cannot display tone, timbre or emotion. My mission is to give the reader an idea of what they can expect when deciding where to spend their hard-earned dollars.
I like to highlight a little about the packaging and accessories, a little about the build quality and my take on what type of sound signature you can expect, with some pairings and comparisons thrown in for good measure.
There are many factors to consider when reading a review. For example, when discussing IEM’s alone, what eartips, cables, source, environment, FLAC vs. MP3, and the anatomy of your ear, just to name a few.
Having the ability to listen to a lot of different equipment has assisted me in drawing some conclusions. 1) Spend your money on quality Headphones or IEM’s first. 2) Your source should be your second upgrade. 3) It doesn’t make sense to spend more money on a cable than the Headphone or IEM you are attaching it to. 4) The controversy of burn-in has two distinct sides, you won’t sway one side to the other. 5) None of the Top of the Line(TOTL) equipment sucks. It comes down to finding the right signature for you.
I try to write my reviews in as few words as possible and keep it simple, not relying on the Thesaurus. There are reviewers that utilize more scientific data, by all means check them out. My format and style are my own. I prefer simplistic and down to earth. My reviews are how I hear it and everyone’s mileage may vary, and probably will.
Please use my reviews as one source, it is not wise to take a single reviewer’s word as gospel when deciding on a purchase. Do your research!
First and foremost, I am a music lover and I hope to never lose my passion for music.
Thanks to my wife for allowing me the time to pursue my passion.
Beware, as you begin your descent down the audio rabbit hole for it is a vast journey.