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Help me appreciate the sound from my new IEMs and DAC (alien.top)

submitted 11 months ago by guyWithTheFaceTatto@alien.top to c/headphones@hi-fi.community

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I recently learnt about Hi-fi audio and the audiophile community in general. Felt like I should try out something entry-level in this spectrum. I bought the following two things IEM and DAC

However, I feel I'm unable to truly appreciate the difference. Yes it sounds 'better' in some vague sense of the word but I can't articulate how the sound is different from regular headphones (I have the sony XM4 and other crappy earphones).

I'd really appreciate it if someone gave me a way to really start appreciating and enjoying these devices. Maybe a popular song that amplifies the difference? Or maybe a specific detail that I should look for that I'll find in Hi-fi gear but not in regular headphones?

Looks like I still have no clue what it means to be an audiophile :)

Please help.

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[–] dongas420@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I went and compared a bunch of my gear to make my own technicality test playlist.

Anyway, you should temper your expectations for $30 IEMs and be very skeptical of audiophile hype trains. No manufacturer is going to leave money on the table by charging that little for an IEM they know sounds high-end given how absurdly deep people's pockets go in audio land, although you should be warned that many of them do overestimate their products' quality and overcharge.

[–] guyWithTheFaceTatto@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

A playlist like this is exactly what I was looking for to conduct experiments. Thanks!

And I totally get what you're saying. Especially when it's very hard for an average listener to tell the difference, it can be easy to manipulate people into paying a premium with no real upgrade in experience. Happens all the time with everything from paintings, stocks and even wine.