You don't have to sell a Kidney for Hi Fidelity

Summary

In this video, the speaker compares two high-end earphone sets: the Zen's Top Pro and the Subtonic Storm. Despite the Storm's higher price tag of $5,400, the speaker finds the Zen's Top Pro to offer better value for its $500 cost, citing superior tuning and a more appealing sound. The video delves into the technical details, highlighting driver configurations, tuning differences, and the issue of diminishing returns with expensive audio gear. Ultimately, the speaker asserts that the less expensive set outperforms its premium counterpart, making a case for more affordable, top-tier sound quality.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Zen's Top Pro is a high-end audio product with a complex internal configuration, featuring 7 drivers, including two DDs (dynamic drivers) and five balanced armatures (BAs).
• 😀 The Subtonic Storm is compared as a similarly high-quality audio set but with a significant price difference of $5,000 vs $500.
• 😀 Despite the differences in price, the audio quality of both sets is competitive, with the Zen's Top Pro being perceived as having slightly superior tuning in the mids.
• 😀 The Zen's Top Pro lacks ESTs (electrostatic drivers) but is still regarded as high-performing due to its custom bass driver.
• 😀 The Storm is more secretive about its internal components, not fully disclosing the driver configuration, unlike many other high-end products in the Summit Fi price range.
• 😀 There’s a clear distinction between high-end products with branded drivers and those with unclear configurations in terms of pricing, with many top-tier sets being more transparent about their internal design.
• 😀 The Zen's Top Pro, though expensive, is an example of diminishing returns in the high-end audio world, where spending more money doesn't always translate to a dramatically better experience.
• 😀 The video emphasizes that tuning plays a critical role in distinguishing products, with a preference for the Zen's Top Pro due to its more forward mids and better overall tonal balance.
• 😀 There's a focus on how the sound quality of the two products can be perceived as similar, with the cheaper set being considered almost as good as the more expensive one in terms of sound profile.
• 😀 The reviewer expresses satisfaction with the Zen's Top Pro despite the high cost but acknowledges that the price tag may not justify the marginal sound improvements.
• 😀 The script concludes by highlighting that the experience of owning high-end audio gear sometimes boils down to personal preference, with the diminishing returns becoming evident as you climb the price ladder.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The video compares two different earphone sets, the Zen's Top Pro and the Subtonic Storm, exploring their differences in design, sound, and value.

Why is the Subtonic Storm mentioned in the video?

The Subtonic Storm is used as a comparison point because it is a flagship model priced significantly higher than the Zen's Top Pro, making it a reference for examining diminishing returns in audio equipment.

How much did the speaker pay for the Zen's Top Pro and the Subtonic Storm?

The speaker paid $5,400 for the Subtonic Storm and $500 for the Zen's Top Pro.

What is a key difference between the two earphone sets in terms of drivers?

The Subtonic Storm has 10 drivers, including two dynamic drivers (DDs) and eight balanced armature drivers (BAs), while the Zen's Top Pro does not have any dynamic drivers but has a custom base driver along with eight balanced armature drivers.

Why does the speaker open up the Zen's Top Pro to inspect it?

The speaker uses a piece of equipment to safely remove the cap from the Zen's Top Pro to inspect its internal components, as part of a learning process to understand what is inside the set.

What does the speaker think about the Zen's Top Pro compared to the Subtonic Storm?

The speaker finds the Zen's Top Pro more enjoyable across all genres of music, particularly because of its tuning in the mids, which is slightly forward, offering better note weight and thickness.

What issue does the speaker mention with diminishing returns in high-end audio equipment?

The speaker highlights that spending large amounts of money on high-end audio equipment, like the Subtonic Storm, does not necessarily provide proportional improvements in sound quality, which is a clear example of diminishing returns in the audio industry.

What does the speaker mean by 'note weight' in the context of audio equipment?

'Note weight' refers to the perceived thickness or fullness of a sound, particularly in the midrange frequencies. The speaker mentions that the Zen's Top Pro has a better tuning in the mids, which adds more note weight compared to the Subtonic Storm.

Why does the speaker find the Zen's Top Pro to be more affordable and appealing?

The speaker appreciates the Zen's Top Pro for being 10 times more affordable than the Subtonic Storm, yet still providing competitive sound quality, especially due to its tuning and more accessible price.

What concerns does the speaker have about reviewing high-end audio equipment?

The speaker feels conflicted about ranking high-end audio equipment because placing expensive models like the Subtonic Storm on top of rankings makes their list seem inconsistent, given the diminishing returns at such price points.