Music has always been a foundational pillar in/of my life. And it's humbling to confess that it's only in my 40's that I've just now begun to dip my toes into the world of audiophilia...
Perhaps it's been because there's been this association in my mind of "audiophile territory = extremely high cost." Having dropped out of university to pursue DJing may have provided for some great life experience, though not the type of scrilla to venture into the world of hi-fi audio... so why even bother looking.
Yet, one thing always leads to another. And over the past months, it's been a trip to find a far more affordable entry point into the audiophile world than I ever knew existed.
You don't know what you don't know.
And once you know... whole new worlds open up...
It kinda began with a broken iPod touch...
I got one for snowboarding when the jack on my iPhone 8 started crapping out. Wanting a minimalistic sole-purpose device without cellular radiation or GPS tracking, the iPod was the only alternative I really knew. Served well for a season... until it accidentally slid off the kitchen counter and touch screen toasted.
I debated buying another, and looked at a few alternatives - which seemed significantly costlier. In the search, came up a Fiio device as an option... though I figured since I was probably overdue for a new phone instead, it'd just make sense to go that route. Yeah, the audio quality on Fiio probably would've been a little better, but practicality logic took priority.
Shortly after switching to a Samsung S24, I somehow stumbled into the discover of USB DACs.
Digging in with ChatGPT, I assessed options on the market that'd be a decent upgrade from the basic Apple dongles at a reasonable price - aiming for the threshold of diminishing returns. Testing the difference between the Apple dongle and my UAD Apollo Twin used for music production, I determined a preference for a 'warmer' sound and narrowed the list of options accordingly... settling on the Questyle M15C. $150 CAD more on the credit card... a very damn reasonable cost of entry to a portal into audiophile domain.
Immediately, I was blown away at the difference. Listening with both my (noise cancelling) Sony WH-1000MX5 and Audio Technica ATH-M50X, it was night & day from the basic $10 Apple dongle. Massive upgrade. The clarity, depth, richness, detail... whole different world.
I knew, however, that it wouldn't be ideal to snowboard with. Between the sub-optimal winter temperature and way the cable connecting the DAC to phone would get twisted in pocket, I figured it'd just make sense to sacrifice audio quality while riding, sticking with the cheap Apple dongle. And for a while, that worked. Until it kinda didn't.
There was a couple days in a row, my listening sessions were unexpectedly cut short. The Samsung's S24 jack wasn't happy with my setup - placed in pants pocket, with the moisture of body heat adding in a flux of temperature that set off some trigger and rendered the jack useless. (And to clarify: I refuse to listen via bluetooth, both for reasons of EMF concentration next to brain and loss of audio quality occurring with bluetooth's compression.)
The hijack of momentum made clear something needed to change. And in process of determining what exactly that change was, I figured I'd test the Questyle DAC out while riding - placed in my jacket's chest pocket. Well, it provided a rather quick revelation of how/why I hadn't been stoked on the listening experience while riding thus far that season. The quality difference was just too huge to ignore anymore. Something had to give.
So, I went back to take another look at that Fiio device I'd seen earlier... cracking open to the world of DAPs. (Digital Audio Players.)
Days more exploration with ChatGPT, and the verdict was in: the credit card would be whipped out once again for the Hiby R4
Reviews were fantastic. It had the warmer sound profile I liked. And apparently punched well-above its price point, comparable to other options at double the cost. For $249 USD, or $378 CAD with tax... I was now invested one layer deeper into audiophile territory.
ChatGPT assured me it should be higher quality than the Questyle dongle - not only a standalone Android-based device, but with both a higher quality DAC and amplifier. Comparing the two side-by-side when it first came, yup. Not the same "oh my fucking God where have you been all my life" degree difference between the Apple dongle and M15C, but an upgrade for sure. And I was good to go for riding once again.
However.
While watching reviews of the R4 on YouTube, something hit my radar...
IEMs.
Dude was saying how the R4 was damn impressive... when testing with his Fiio FA19s. "What are those," I asked. Little did I know.
In-ear monitors.
I'm no stranger to surfing hyperfocus waves down all kinds of unexpected rabbit holes on YouTube. But I did not expect what came from this one.
I'd always just thought audiophile territory entailed hi-fi home stereos and over-ear headphones. But in ear monitors... not only was I ignorant to their existence, but to the entire sub-culture formed around them.
Once again, I straddled an exploration between YouTube reviewers giving their breakdowns and recommendations for the best of hundreds/thousands of IEMs they've tried, and ChatGPT threads digging into details.
And once again, I sought best bang for buck. I wasn't yet sure it'd be worth the money yet to commit to what seemed like an addiction to this technology. I'd been content using my over-ear Audio Technicas during snowboarding, particularly because of the ease of tilting one side open for conversation on chairlifts and the bit of outside sound they let through, for safety reasons to keep aware of surroundings. But the curiosity was triggered. The search for the optimal set was underway.
I came across numerous accounts saying how there are $35 pairs that outperform those that cost thousands. I pushed ChatGPT, trying to find out why.
I discovered that there would be some designs more suited to the types of music I've been listening to lately while riding - DJ mixes of amapiano, afrobeat, hip hop, R&B, bass, melodic & progressive house - and others that'd shine with more organic genres such as rock, jazz, acoustic, classical. I pushed ChatGPT, comparing & eliminating options based on strengths & weaknesses - not only regarding audio quality & sonic characteristics, but ability to perform under the unique conditions snowboarding demands with the extra wind & outer noise.
I wasn't sure how big of a difference the audio quality would be against my Audio Technicas, or if I'd like the different experience while riding. But, maybe I was a sucker to sunken-cost fallacy - having invested so much time down the rabbit hole, and so curious - that I figured, "fuck it." I couldn't justify $800 for the Fiio FH19 at/near top of the list of final contenders, but intuited there had to be some pair for maybe a couple hundred bucks that'd give them a fair run for the money. I didn't wanna ease in with a sub-$100 set, nor overcommit financially. So I kept pushing ChatGPT through comparisons, until one clear option emerged:
For $185, I was in another layer deeper.
And holy fuck.
The night of their arrival was... almost a bit intimidating.
While part of me wanted to jump to try them right away, I waited.
Intuitively, I sensed this was going to be a significant experience. One that timing was critical for. My nervous system & energy levels needed to be ready. I had to be present, focused.
When the timing felt right a day or two later, I sat down, first intending to test the difference between the standard 3.5mm jack/adapter and the 4.4mm balanced one. Hands down, the 4.4mm balanced won. That alone, much better audio quality.
Yet for the overall experience...I couldn't quite process it.
Part of me felt in awe.
Yet, cycling through a few of the different ear tips included, I found that none quite properly fit my left ear. And the difference between the ears was apparent... in a way that was throwing my perception off. I wanted to surrender to the new experience fully. But the imbalance due to the left's fit threw a curveball.
So, back to ChatGPT. And turned out, this was a very common 'problem/issue.' One often simply solved with a set of third-party eartips. So more research. One more time ripping out the Visa for a $20 set of Comply memory foam eartips that'd likely work better. And more waiting.
The tips arrived, and I waited a couple more days.
Then... feeling ready to finally enter the portal, I lay down on the floor - this time, choosing to bring back out the Questyle M15C. (I've been listening to all my music on the SoundCloud app... and discovered day one with the Hiby R4 that there's a bug with the way the app handles sound formats -> not all songs on SoundCloud will actually play on the R4. Ugh)
And... the Questyle DAC had died.
Worked perfectly fine last time I used it a month or two ago. And nothing had happened to it while sitting in a briefcase since. But instead of popping my IEM cherry, I went down an hour vortex of trying to troubleshoot the issue and contacting Questyle about warranty. Angry & frustrated as fuck, it was apparent that was not the energy to start the new audiophile chapter with. So another day or two of waiting, there was.
But, the time did come.
With a morning coffee, the Hiby R4, and the S12 Pros with memory foam tips plugged in via balanced 4.4mm, I threw on episode #713 of my favorite Soulection radio show/podcast... and something transformed.
Still, after a week or so of listening for a few hours each day, I feel like I'm still in adjustment. Still processing. Still in awe.
The type of engagement with music you get from IEMs... it's different.
And while I ain't gonna get into technical details, leaving those discoveries for those of you that may get drawn into the rabbit hole on your own time, IEMs are different. It's a whole other ballgame from "earbuds." And headphones.
People often speak of hearing new things in the music when testing out new sets of IEMs. They reveal details others don't/can't. They provide an experience others don't/can't. They're not just a way to listen to music; they're a portal to a whole new relationship with music.
With my listening habits, I'm always on the hunt for new music - always listening to new DJ sets, in a constant stream of tunes I haven't heard before; and as such, I haven't been going back to listen to older, familiar music to hear it in a new way. I probably wouldn't even noticed much "new," as have listened to so little in detail so long ago that wouldn't have the memory of previous listens to reference and gauge the difference. (Though I am stoked on the idea of returning to a bunch of albums I loved a couple decades ago with the S12 Pros.) One interesting thing I have noticed, however: rather than the usual habit of deleting a DJ mix off my main playlist immediately after listening to it, I don't... some of them, I want to go back to again. There were songs in there that had a deeper impact, listening in higher fidelity, that I don't think I've ever really had with either the Audio Technicas or WH-1000MX5s.
They've been slowing me down to appreciate the music in a whole other way.
There've been moments I feel I probably have adjusted already, taking the upgrade for advantage, and carrying on with business as usual, letting the music be background. But then, there are moments of presence - where I pause, and am captivated by the richness & depth of what I'm hearing - as though time is suspended in an intimate moment with the Divine streaming through this work of art, its presentation distilled & refined to a potency that leaves no words.
I see why IEMS - and perhaps any audiophile equipment - becomes for some what may look like an addiction from the outside. Haha. Why some progress down a path of discovery towards an "endgame" set that satisfies all they could want in a listening experience suiting their unique preferences. And why others embark on a quest to listen via thousands of sets like both a scientist and seeker of God, immersed fully with each pair eager & curious to discover what new dimensions of music can be touched & explored through their unique design & tuning as translating sonic works of art ever-so-slightly differently.
And while part of me wonders why the Gods have denied me awareness of this world until the age of 42, almost regretful I hadn't ventured into it two or more decades ago, tempted to feel as though I've wasted all those years listening to music in ways that haven't even begun to do it justice, I also get why it's taken this long - and why the majority of audiophiles are probably in their later years. (Apart from the financial reasons, which may also be a factor.) Sometimes, an appreciation for "the finer things" in life can only come with age and experience. Sometimes, refinement requires maturity to be recognized and appreciated for what it is.
And personally, it's probably been the last 3 years of immersion in the audio engineering side of music production that've been refining my sensitivity to details in music that've prepared me for this. Having put new creation on pause to go through numerous revisions of older tracks & complete in-progress ones as a mixing & mastering engineer rather than just artist/producer, I've been continually blown away at the improvements in quality of my songs between versions the last 3 years - often left dumbfounded how I thought the first versions were good, as listening to the massive progress made as sculpting, chiseling, and distilling them down from sketches of ideas to actual professional quality. Holy fuck, has it ever been.a process/journey. One that has tuned the senses to discern incredibly fine audio details. That increase of perceptibility & discernment, providing a foundation to really recognize & appreciate what a huge fucking quantum leap a DAC and good set of IEMs actually is.
(And of course, experience in/with audio engineering is NOT a prerequisite to hearing & appreciating quality audiophile equipment. Getting your feet wet in the game is. For many, it seems this may simply be starting with a $30 pair of IEMs and progressively upgrading, attuning to the differences along the way.)
Yeah, part of me wishes I had known years ago. But, it's also been worth the wait... like an existential present from Santa Claus you had no idea was coming, long after you thought the fucker was only a myth - one that touches your soul so deeply, infusing a pervasive energy of love into your entire life, making it undeniable that while the human experience may still be as rough & humbling as fuck sometimes, you're on the path of ascension, just notched up a serious level, and there's far more beauty up here than you ever thought possible.
I kid you not. IEMs and a decent DAC are fucking game changers.
And now, it comes...
I didn't just write & post this to share an experience... but rather to impart a call-to-action:
IF you are a lover of music... and you've been listening on Airpods, Beats headphones, or anything less than a quality audiophile-worthy set of cans or IEMs... throw that shit away.
Or at the least, sell them... and reinvest.
Sorry but not sorry to drop the veil: Airpods and Beats are fantastically-marketed, overpriced shit. As hard as it may be to believe, there are sets of IEMs for a fraction of the price - some as low as $35 - that can & do offer FAR superior audio quality.
Get rid of the fucking quality-degrading bluetooth and back to something wired, where production costs are allocated to the quality of drivers at root of the sound rather than wifi tech.
Abandon the trendy brand status of companies that are in it for the profit, reorienting to lovechildren of mad scientist music lovers bent on crafting masterpieces of listening devices for the subculture of the audiophile weirdos geeking out over terminology that probably sounds as coherent as Chinese to you at this point.
Spend a bit of time with ChatGPT or your AI of choice researching quality IEM and USB DAC dongle or DAP options in your budget range that'll be a good match for what kinds of music you listen to and how you typically listen. Watch YouTube reviews. Follow your intuition to settle on a combo. And buy that shit.
If you can and are serious about your music, allocate $500. If you're strapped for cash, get to work posting on Hive until you earn $35 worth of rewards as startup capital.
I ain't fucking playing around here. Lol.
And to start ya off on the search, I've compiled a number of the top options at various price points. These names came up consistently in numerous reviews and the ChatGPT explorations as best-in-class for their price range. Each may be tuned a bit differently and offer unique characteristics - no guarantees any would be an ideal match for you - however they're all great contenders and a proper option to start comparing others against...
Kiwi Ears Cadenza - $35 (caught my attention via YouTube where an audiophile had his friends blind-test several different pairs ranging from these to some worth thousands... and most preferred these.)
Truthear Red - $60 (better for electronic genres)
Truthear Blue - $65 (better for more critical/analytical listen of organic genres)
Letshuoer S12 Pro - $169 (ones I got, will attest to their EXCEPTIONAL quality & value, which matches several review of them punching way above their price.)
ISN EST 50 - $449 (next up for me when time - another serious "punching above price" contender.)
Thieaudio Monarch MKII - $999 (OR MKIII or MKIV)
And a few options for the DAC dongles... to keep it simple:
Questyle M15C - $89 (the first one I got, well-rated value at price threshold of diminishing returns. though given it died on me... idk.)
Moondrop Dawn Pro2 - $59 (slightly lower-priced option that I began looking at)
iFi Gryphon - $599 (one higher-end option that'd be a worthwhile improvement over the Hiby R4. otherwise, the R4 is still solidly coming out as the winner overall here.)
And for DAPs (standalone digital audio players)...
I'll only bother mentioning the Hiby R4 for $249 here again. IF you're looking for something cheaper, you can surely find it - though at those prices, it might just make more sense to get a USB DAC dongle to use with your phone as could be better value. And while there are other DAPs in same price range, the R4 comes consistently rated as worth double. And if you wanna spend more than 3-4x, there are options that will sound maybe 10-20% more refined... which would be your own rabbit hole to explore. But unless you're a serious audiophile listening on IEMs or headphones worth thousands, the R4 will unlock all you need from a DAP/DAC at killer price.
One other note:
EQ.
Somewhere as transitioning to the Samsung S24 + Questyle DAC, I came across the WAVELET app for Android - which is loaded with custom EQ curves for hundreds of sets of headphones to get them to the HARMAN CURVE - an EQ curve/tuning commonly referenced in the audiophile world as being 'the most appealing to the largest number of people on average.* This made a HUGE difference with the Sony WH-1000MX5, sounding way better as cutting out much of their boosted bass, bringing them back to a far more balanced, clear profile. Also worked great with the Audio Technicas.
Surprisingly, I found the application of that EQ to the S12 Pros not as preferable - with the IEMs' natural tuning much nicer to my ears. And even a bit nicer with a custom tweak of my own to reduce a bit of bass while boosting the highs a little. These types of EQ explorations are well-worth it.
And, as doing my research on all the IEM options, it was revealed that some pairs work better/worse than others if you're planning to EQ beyond their native tuning.
So if/when researching pairs, that may be another factor to consider... and something to probe ChatGPT (or other AI) about/with to ensure that the design can handle custom EQing well. 👀
Why am I so adamant here...?
Life is short. Too damn short to spend time listening to amazing music with gear that doesn't even begin to do it justice.
While the young generation out there are "lookmaxxing," "haagmaxxing," and whatever other kind of "maxxing" trends there are... what about "maxxing" the amount of beauty in our lives?
What about maxxing the love in our lives?
Spending $100-1000 on a DAC & IEM isn't just "buying stuff..." it's an act of self-love. It's an investment that pays immeasurable dividends in awe, wonder, enjoyment, and passion.
If you don't trust me on this, good. I'm not trying to sell you on any belief(s). This is only the finger pointing at the moon. Don't take my word on/for anything here. Go dive down the rabbit hole yourself. Spend some time watching the guys reviews hundreds of pairs of IEMs and DACs until the curiosity of WHY they're so passionate drives you to take the leap for yourself.
And if/when you do and you go through that "ah ha" moment as stepping through the portal into a whole new world of sound... savor it. And feel free to report back here, letting me know how it touched, moved, and inspires YOU... 😉🙏✨
