On the bright side, my crystal ball was technically working; this was my second article calling out the trend, the first being a couple of years earlier. On the less bright side, it appears to function like most things in this hobby: occasionally impressive, frequently inconsistent, and always delivered with far more confidence than accuracy.

So yes, I got some things right. I also got some things wrong. And a few things I was probably right about for the wrong reasons, which feels very on brand.

If nothing else, this serves as a reminder that trends in this space don’t just move fast, they sprint, trip over themselves, rebrand, and show back up six months later under a new name.

And my predictions?
Let’s just say they should probably come with the same disclaimer as a “night and day difference.”

I want to thank all the regulars, and those of you who occasionally wander back into the Audio Rabbit Hole (usually right when you need someone to help justify a purchase you already made). It’s honestly a pleasure to share a glimpse into the life of an audiophile, and to serve as a cautionary example of how deep, obsessive, and questionably expensive this hobby can become.

I appreciate every visit, and especially your patience, because yes, my posting schedule could best be described as “whenever I get around to it.” I do plan to publish reviews faster this year… which is something I say with the same confidence as someone buying new gear and calling it their “last upgrade.”

That said, I’m not going to rush a review just to push something out. Good gear deserves real time, actual listening, and more than me throwing thoughts together because I felt guilty about not posting. Sometimes the delay is me being unmotivated, sometimes it’s a lack of inspiration, but more often, it’s me overthinking everything and convincing myself I need “just a little more time” before writing.

Because if I’m the kind of person who can spend way too long debating whether a cable should be 3 feet or 6 feet, I probably shouldn’t rush anything that ends up on this page.

Even if “a little more time” occasionally turns into… a lot more time.

Thanks for sticking around, and again, I apologize to both you and your wallet.

I make a point of calling out both the good and the bad in every product I review. That’s the luxury of running a self-funded blog, I answer to absolutely no one. No deadlines, no editors, and no one telling me to “circle back on the tone.” If something’s great, I’ll say it. If it’s not… I’ll say it, then probably reread it later and think, “yeah, that was harsh,” and still leave it up.

So if the packaging is underwhelming, the stock cable feels like it was included as a formality, the fit makes your ears file a formal complaint, or the sound just doesn’t justify the price, you’ll hear about it. I’m not writing for a big site that has to stay on a brand’s holiday card list or worry about affiliate links quietly dying after one honest take.

Now, to be fair, I do get a discount from time to time, but every company gets the same warning: my loyalty is to the truth, not the discount… or whatever fragile “relationship” we’re pretending to have. If that costs me future gear, then I guess I’ll just have to go back to making terrible financial decisions on my own.

There are also no paid sponsors on Audio Rabbit Hole (yes, I’m as shocked as you are). The few banners you see are there because I chose them, not because anyone slipped me a check. I actually think they add something meaningful to the hobby, which already makes them wildly overqualified compared to 90% of what lands in my inbox.

And just to keep things grounded, when you’re dealing with TOTL (top‑of‑the‑line) gear, none of it is truly bad. At that level, it mostly comes down to sound signature, preference… and how creatively you can justify your choice afterward.

Because let’s be honest, half this hobby is listening, and the other half is saying things like:
“the staging really opened up after 150 hours,”
“the new cable just unlocked something,”
or my personal favorite,
“it’s not night and day… but it’s definitely early evening.”

At some point you realize you’re arguing about whether 3 feet of cable sounds more “natural” than 6 feet… and instead of stopping, you double down and start comparing connectors.

Which is usually when it hits you, you don’t have a system anymore.
You have a lifestyle.

There’s a growing trend of people posting “quick listen” impressions, where five minutes with a product somehow turns into a full-blown conclusion. Usually with either glowing praise or dramatic condemnation. Rarely anything in between. Subtlety apparently didn’t make the cut.

Let’s take it a step further: forming an opinion while standing on a noisy CanJam floor, sitting in a busy headphone shop, briefly borrowing a friend’s gear, or staring intensely at graphs like they’re going to reveal hidden truths… should probably come with an automatic credibility disclaimer.

At that point, you didn’t review the gear, you just met it.

This is everywhere now, and honestly, it’s a bit ridiculous.

To truly understand and appreciate a product takes time. Actual time. I tell vendors up front to expect about a month as a baseline, if it’s quicker, great, but I’m not rushing it just to keep things moving. Sound is weird. There are days when nothing sounds right, everything feels off, and you start questioning your ears, your setup, and possibly your life choices. Then the next day, everything’s back to normal and you pretend that never happened.

I’m also not a hardcore burn-in believer, but I’ve had gear genuinely improve over time, enough to make me hesitate before forming any instant conclusions. The Campfire Audio Atlas and Empire Ears Legend X are perfect examples of why patience matters, and why those “first impression” hot takes can age… poorly.

Because let’s be honest, ranking, grading, or making confident declarations off a quick listen isn’t just premature… it’s bordering on performance art.

But it’s fast, it’s easy, and it sounds authoritative, so here we are.

And no, listening to something for 10 minutes and saying “it’s very resolving but slightly bright” doesn’t count as a deep dive. That’s just audiophile Mad Libs.

I think that about covers it.

Over the last couple of years, there’s been an explosion of IEM and DAP companies. And by “explosion,” I mean it feels like a new brand launches every time someone learns how to 3D print a shell and open an Instagram account.

A huge part of this boom, especially from Asian manufacturers, is recognizing a very simple idea: people in this hobby will absolutely buy more gear. And to be fair, they’re not wrong. We’ve proven that repeatedly.

Now, I’m fully in support of capitalism. If there’s an opportunity, people are going to run with it. That’s not the problem.

The problem is that not everyone running is actually going anywhere.

There are companies that have genuinely pushed the hobby forward, Jerry Harvey, Empire Ears, Custom Art, EarSonics, 64 Audio, Astell & Kern, Audeze, ZMF, Sennheiser, and a few others. These are the ones doing the hard work: investing in R&D, experimenting, occasionally failing, and then coming back with something better. They’re the reason the gear we enjoy today exists at all.

Then there’s the newer wave, the “this will look incredible under studio lighting” crowd. A lot of these brands aren’t innovating so much as… remixing. Take existing tech, rearrange it slightly, wrap it in a gorgeous shell, give it a dramatic name, and release it with words like revolutionary and game-changing.

Suddenly you’re looking at something that’s “totally new”… but also somehow very familiar.

And look, from a business standpoint, it’s genius. Skip the years of development, avoid the risk, save the cost, and go straight to selling. Why spend millions on R&D when you can spend it on a really good product photographer?

But just because something looks amazing and costs less doesn’t mean it has longevity, or that it actually moves the hobby forward. Sometimes it just means the faceplate is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

We’ve seen this in every industry. It’s not new. It just feels more intense here because the hype cycle is roughly 48 hours long.

So my ask is simple: don’t forget the companies doing the real work. The ones in the trenches, making meaningful improvements, even when it’s slower, harder, and more expensive. Their gear might cost more, but you’re not just paying for the final product, you’re paying for all the failed ideas that got them there.

Because let’s be honest, none of us fell down this rabbit hole because we love “limited edition faceplates” or “artisan packaging experiences.” We’re here because we love music… and chasing that one moment where everything just clicks and you go, “okay, yeah… that was worth it.”

Also, let’s not pretend we’re all perfectly rational here. Half of us have said “that’s it, I’m done” at least three times… and then immediately opened a new tab.

So yeah, the market’s growing. Some of it’s great. Some of it is… enthusiastic.

Just don’t let shiny things distract you from the stuff that actually matters.
(He says, while absolutely still getting distracted by shiny things.)

Wishing you a healthy, prosperous New Year—
and the strength to resist buying something just because the shell “looks insane in person.” 😄