WATCH BEFORE YOU BUY IEMS!!!

Summary

This audio hobby guide offers ten essential tips for newcomers and veterans alike. It emphasizes the importance of enjoying current gear, waiting for sales, and understanding diminishing returns on higher-priced items. The script highlights the significant impact of tuning on sound quality and the importance of ear tips, while also advising on reading frequency response graphs for informed decisions. It encourages skipping marketing hype, finding reviewers with similar tastes, and investing in quality over quantity. Lastly, it stresses the practicality of using organizers for ear tips and IEMs.

Takeaways

• 😀 FOMO is the first lesson for new hobbyists; enjoy what you have and only buy what you truly want.
• 💰 Wait for sales to buy items, as they happen multiple times a year and often coincide with new releases.
• 📉 Be mindful of diminishing returns; spending more than $300 on an IEM may not yield significant improvements in performance.
• 🎼 Tuning is the most important factor in perceived sound quality, not DACs, amps, cables, or other gear.
• 👂 Ear tips are crucial; they affect bass and treble and should be chosen carefully for the best fit and seal.
• 📊 Learn to read frequency response graphs to compare and understand the sound profiles of different IEMs.
• 🚫 Skip the marketing hype and rely on community reviews and personal experience for informed purchasing decisions.
• 🔍 Find reviewers with similar tastes to guide your choices and avoid conflicting opinions.
• 💸 Consider spending a bit more for premium products and experiences, avoiding the cheapest options that may compromise quality.
• 🏥 Use ear tip organizers and watch cases for better organization and care of your IEMs and accessories.
• 📚 Continuously check with the community for updates on the 'sweet spot' price for IEMs as it changes over time.

Q & A

What is the first lesson for someone new to the audio file hobby?

The first lesson is to avoid FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). There are many new releases, especially in the IEM (In-Ear Monitor) world, but it's important to enjoy what you have and not stress about every new release.

Why is it beneficial to wait for sales when purchasing IEMs?

Waiting for sales can be beneficial because they happen multiple times a year and offer discounts ranging from 10% to 40%. Additionally, new products are often released during sales season, giving you a chance to see and consider newer options.

What is the concept of diminishing returns in the context of IEM purchases?

Diminishing returns refer to the idea that after a certain price point, which is around $300 as of the end of 2023, the improvement in performance for more expensive IEMs is not as significant as one might expect, hence the value for money decreases.

Why is tuning considered the most important factor in perceived sound quality?

Tuning is considered the most important factor because it makes up 90% of the perceived sound quality. Even if other components like DACs, amps, or cables are of high quality, poor tuning will result in a poor listening experience.

How do ear tips affect the sound quality of IEMs?

Ear tips are crucial as they can significantly affect the bass and treble response. Properly sealed ear tips prevent bass loss and can also contribute to smoother treble.

Why is it important for a beginner to learn how to read frequency response graphs?

Reading frequency response graphs is important because it helps you understand and compare the sound profiles of different IEMs. It can also save time and money by allowing you to skip IEMs with sound profiles similar to ones you dislike.

What is the advice given about marketing materials when considering new IEMs?

The advice is to skip the marketing materials and instead rely on community reviews and feedback from people who have tried the products. This can provide a more reliable and less biased perspective on the product's performance.

Why is it recommended to find reviewers with similar tastes?

Finding reviewers with similar tastes can help you make more informed decisions about which IEMs to try or purchase, as their recommendations are more likely to align with your personal preferences.

What is the advice regarding spending money on IEMs?

The advice is to spend a little more for a premium product and experience, rather than always going for the cheapest options, which can compromise build quality, customer service, and overall product quality.

What are the final recommendations for organizing and maintaining IEMs?

The final recommendations are to get medicine organizers for your ear tips and watch cases for organizing your IEMs, which can be crucial for maintaining the quality and organization of your audio equipment.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Embracing FOMO in the Audio Hobby

The first lesson for newcomers to the audio file hobby is to combat FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). With constant new releases and hype from reviewers, it's easy to feel pressured to keep up. The advice given is to enjoy what you have and only purchase items that you truly desire, considering them as important as a newborn child before making a decision. The rapid pace of new releases means that today's 'must-have' will likely be replaced soon, so there's no need to stress over every new item.

05:00

💰 Savvy Shopping: Waiting for Sales and Being Mindful of Diminishing Returns

The second piece of advice is to wait for sales, which occur five to six times a year, offering discounts of 10-40% on various brands. Sales season is also a time when new products are released, allowing consumers to assess the market and their needs before making a purchase. Additionally, the concept of diminishing returns is introduced, suggesting that spending beyond a certain price point, currently around $300 for IEMs (In-Ear Monitors), yields less significant improvements in performance. It's recommended to check with the community for the most current 'sweet spot' price.

🎼 The Importance of Tuning and Ear Tips in Audio Quality

Tuning is emphasized as the most critical factor in perceived sound quality, outweighing the impact of DACs, amps, music files, cables, and other elements. Investing in the right tuning can result in a great sound experience even with mediocre equipment. Ear tips are also crucial as they significantly affect bass response and comfort. Experimenting with different ear tips can enhance the listening experience, and it's suggested to find ones that seal well for optimal bass and comfort.

📊 Learning to Read Frequency Response Graphs for Better Decision Making

Understanding frequency response graphs is vital for making informed decisions about audio equipment. These graphs can be intimidating at first, but with experience and comparison to known references, they become a valuable tool for predicting how different IEMs will sound. Knowing how to read these graphs can save time and money by allowing listeners to avoid IEMs with characteristics they dislike, based on the graph's resemblance to previous negative experiences.

🚫 Avoiding Information Overload by Skipping Marketing and Finding Trusted Reviews

To prevent information overload and over-analyzing, the script suggests skipping the marketing materials that come with new product releases. Instead, relying on community reviews from people who have tried the products can provide more reliable insights. Finding reviewers with similar tastes can streamline the decision-making process and prevent the headache of conflicting opinions.

💸 Investing in Quality Over Quantity for a Premium Experience

Contrary to the advice of saving money, this point encourages spending a bit more for a premium experience. Investing in higher-quality products can result in better build, customer service, and overall quality control. It's also important to choose reputable brands to ensure a positive experience, rather than opting for the cheapest options available.

🔍 Organizing Your Audio Gear for Optimal Use

The final point stresses the importance of organization for audio gear, specifically mentioning the use of medicine organizers for ear tips and watch cases for IEMs. Proper organization not only keeps the equipment tidy but also ensures that ear tips are easily accessible and maintained, contributing to a better overall audio experience.

Keywords

💡FOMO

FOMO stands for 'Fear Of Missing Out,' which is a common psychological phenomenon where people feel anxious about missing out on experiences or opportunities that others are having. In the context of the video, it refers to the anxiety that new audio equipment releases might cause among hobbyists, as they feel the need to constantly upgrade to the latest models. The script mentions that reviewers, including the speaker, contribute to this hype, and advises viewers to enjoy what they have and not stress about every new release.

💡IM (In-Ear Monitors)

In-Ear Monitors, or IEMs, are a type of personal audio device that fits directly into the ear canal, providing a more intimate and often higher-quality listening experience compared to traditional earbuds or headphones. The script discusses the rapid release of new IEM models and how they can quickly become outdated, emphasizing the importance of enjoying one's current equipment rather than chasing the latest models.

💡Sales

In the context of the video, 'sales' refers to discount periods where audio equipment, including IEMs, are sold at reduced prices. The script suggests waiting for these sales events to purchase new equipment, as they often coincide with the release of new products, allowing consumers to take advantage of discounts and explore new options.

💡Diminishing Returns

Diminishing returns is an economic concept where the rate of increase in output decreases as more input is added. In the video, it is used to describe the point at which spending more money on higher-priced IEMs does not result in a proportional increase in sound quality. The speaker mentions that after a certain price point, typically around $300, the improvement in performance is not as significant as one might expect.

💡Tuning

Tuning, in the context of audio equipment, refers to the process of adjusting the sound signature of a device to achieve a desired listening experience. The script emphasizes that tuning is the most critical factor in perceived sound quality, outweighing other elements such as DACs, amps, or cables. Good tuning can make even a mid-range IEM sound excellent, while poor tuning can ruin the experience, regardless of the other components.

💡Ear Tips

Ear tips are the soft, usually silicone or foam covers that fit over the earpieces of IEMs to create a seal in the ear canal. The script highlights the importance of ear tips for sound quality, as a poor seal can lead to loss of bass and affect the overall listening experience. It also mentions the practice of 'tip rolling,' or trying different ear tips to find the best fit and sound for a particular IEM.

💡Frequency Response Graph

A frequency response graph is a visual representation of how an audio device reproduces different frequencies, typically displayed as a line graph. The script advises learning to read these graphs as a way to compare the sound signatures of different IEMs and make informed decisions about which models to try or avoid, based on personal preferences.

💡Marketing

Marketing, in the context of the video, refers to the promotional materials and strategies used by brands to sell their products. The script suggests that consumers should be wary of marketing claims and instead rely on community reviews and personal experience when evaluating the sound quality and value of audio equipment.

💡Reviewers

Reviewers are individuals who test and provide opinions on products, often online. The script advises finding reviewers with similar tastes to one's own to ensure that their recommendations are more likely to align with personal preferences, thus making the process of choosing new audio equipment more efficient and enjoyable.

💡Premium Experience

A 'premium experience' refers to the overall quality and enjoyment a consumer derives from a product or brand, which can include factors such as build quality, customer service, and the perceived value of the product. The script suggests that spending a bit more for a premium experience can be worthwhile, as it can lead to better satisfaction and enjoyment of the audio equipment.

💡Organizers

Organizers, in this context, are tools or cases used to keep ear tips and IEMs neatly arranged and protected. The script emphasizes the importance of using organizers not only for practical reasons but also as a way to enhance the overall care and enjoyment of one's audio equipment collection.

Highlights

FOMO is identified as the first lesson for new audio file hobbyists, emphasizing the importance of enjoying current possessions rather than constantly seeking the latest releases.

Reviewers play a role in hyping new products, but consumers should defend against FOMO by focusing on their current audio equipment.

Advice to only purchase audio equipment that is truly desired, akin to a necessity as important as a newborn child.

Waiting for sales is recommended, as they occur five to six times a year and often introduce new products.

A price point of around $300 is suggested as the sweet spot for getting the most value in the audio hobby, with diminishing returns beyond this price.

Tuning is highlighted as 90% of perceived sound quality, overshadowing other factors such as DAC, amp, or cables.

Ear tips are crucial for sound quality, affecting bass and treble, and should be chosen for a proper seal.

Tip rolling, or trying different ear tips, is suggested to find the best fit for various in-ear monitors (IEMs).

Learning to read frequency response graphs is encouraged as a way to compare and understand IEM sound profiles.

Skipping marketing materials and relying on community reviews can save time and prevent over-analyzation.

Finding reviewers with similar tastes can streamline the search for new audio equipment.

Spending a bit more for a premium product and experience is advised over consistently opting for the cheapest options.

Selecting reputable brands is important to avoid poor build quality and customer service.

Investing in medicine organizers for ear tips and watch cases for IEMs is crucial for organization and maintenance.

The importance of community consensus on the diminishing returns of spending beyond a certain price point for IEMs.

The marginal improvement of high-end components over well-tuned IEMs, emphasizing the priority of tuning.

The practicality of frequency response graphs in making informed decisions about IEM purchases.

Transcripts

fomo that's lesson number one yes we're

starting off strong straight out of the

gate of things you should know if you're

new to the audio file Hobby and also

some things I wish I knew when I started

the hobby three or 4 years ago hey

Friends team here welcome back to video

on giz audio today we have 10 different

things that you should know if you're

new to the Hobby number one again is

fomo there's so many new releases

especially in the IM world and reviewers

pick up these new releases and hype them

all over the place me included is kind

of our job as a reviewer to review

products so you can't blame us but what

you can do to defend yourself against me

and everyone you listen to is just enjoy

what you have no need to stress out

about every new high piece that comes

out on the market again things move so

fast that these high pieces that you

think you want are probably going to get

replaced by the new high piece of next

week anyway so bottom line is just enjoy

what you love whether you're new to the

hobby or you've been a veteran in this

hobby for a while enjoy what you have

and only buy the stuff that you really

really want like you think about it and

you can't live without it it's just as

important as your newborn child then

make the purchase other than that wait

number two if you are going to buy

something wait for sales chaii have

sales all the time five to six times a

year where everything gets discounted 10

to even 30 to some Brands 40 30% and

another reason to wait for sales season

is normally new stuff gets released

during sales season so you get to see

some of the newer options available on

the market to determine if you even want

to purchase the one you wanted to

purchase in the first place number three

be mindful of diminishing returns

throughout my time in the hobby there's

a certain price tag that the majority of

the community agree on is the sweet spot

for getting the most bang for your buck

and that price tag has been reducing

year after year after year right now at

the tail end of 2023 my personal opinion

that price tax sits at $300 if you buy

an IM at around $300 and given the fact

that that IM IM is good meaning that

it's well reviewed and well liked by the

community and other reviewers so on and

so forth you're already getting 90% of

the performance of all the endgame IM

IMS or any IMS more expensive than that

so if you're spending more than $300 for

an IM IM now you're not getting as much

improvement as you think you're getting

hence diminishing returns and again this

number will change in the future so

check with the community and see what

they think at the current time that

you're watching now with all the money

saving tips out of the way let's get

into some other things that I wish I

knew when I started the hobby number

four tuning is basically 90% of the

perceived sound quality don't let anyone

else tell you otherwise it's not the DAC

it's not the amp it's it's not the music

file it's not the cable it's not burning

it's not literally anything else it's

the tuning tuning is the most important

thing if the tuning is it doesn't

matter how high quality the other stuff

is you're going to end up with a shitty

I IM if the tuning is great and all the

other stuff is like mediocre whatever

the IM will still sound very good

because the tuning is good because the

tuning makes up 90% of the perceived

sound quality the other 10% marginal

Improvement I'm not going to say that it

doesn't improve the sound but it's so

little in comparison to tuning that if

you were to ignore these other things

you'll still have a very good sounding

IM Im so you spend your money how you

want if you want to go for that marginal

improvements perfectly fine just know

that you really don't need to number

five ear tips matters more than you

think because ear tips that doesn't seal

well for your ears will cause you to

lose a lot of base and also ear tips to

a smaller degree of importance

affect the trouble as well if you want

to get smoother trouble get ear tips

that allows for deeper insertion or use

foam tips they work just as well for

smoothening trouble but yes get ear tips

that seal that's the most important

thing tip roll try out different tips

and some tips will work better with

certain IM IMS than others just

experiment around get the right ear tips

for yourself number six will save you a

lot of time and possibly some money as

well and that is to learn how to read

frequency response graph if you've been

in a community for a while you already

know how to read them but if you're new

it might look very intimidating what are

these squiggly lines they look

impossible to read the most basic way to

look at frequency response graph is to

think about them as reference point if

you try an IM say the moon drop ARA you

listen to it you can now look at the

graph and say oh this sound graphs like

this and you can use that as reference

point to compare other IM IMS to now

you're curious about the kado for

example you can now bring up the aaph

and a kaph and take a look and be like

the kado seems to have a little bit less

base so possibly the vocals will pop up

more in the Cado as compared to diara

now of course this is a very simple

explanation of it but that's really the

gist of it and the more IM IMS you try

and the more graph you read the more

reference point you have in your head

and suddenly boom you know how to read

graph automatically trust me this is how

it happens for me and pretty much for

for majority of people in the community

oh I forgot to tell you how it saves you

time and money well if you tried an IM

that you hate and the graph looks a

certain way now whenever a new IM am

comes out that graph similar to the ones

you hate you can just skip it don't even

have to spend the time to try it if you

don't want to saves you both time and

money number seven is to kind of save

you from information overload and over

analyzation and all these other things

that has to do with having way too much

information is just to skip the

marketing yes when Brands release new

products there's so much marketing

involved with each one and that's just

common practice don't blame the brand

they're just doing business it's not

wrong but in your case to save yourself

some mental space and confusion just

skip the marketing don't need to read

how the brand described the sound

quality instead you should look in the

community for other reviews of people

who've actually tried the products and

use those reviews to inform your next

purchase decisions or your next demo

decision instead much more reliable than

the marketing materials speaking of

reviews number eight is to find

reviewers that have similar tastes to

you there are so many reviewers out

there now and new ones coming in every

single day there's a lot of conflicting

views out there some say this IM am is

good some say this IM am is trash who

should I trust just save yourself all

that headache by finding a reviewer that

has the most similar taste to you

because chances are if they like what

you like already their next

recommendation is probably going to be

in the realm of something you like

number nine will come as a surprise to

some of you guys out there because a lot

of this video tells you how to save

money but number nine I'm telling you to

spend a little bit more money don't buy

all the cheap stuff all the time because

when you spend very little money you get

equal amounts of uh quality whether that

be in the build quality in quality of

the customer service in quality control

of the products in general spend a

little bit more for slightly bit more

premium product and slightly bit more

premium experience with the brand now

that being said you also have to pick

the right brand some brands have

terrible reputation you don't have to

buy from them because you know learn

from other people's mistakes pick the

right brand and spend a little bit more

money don't go for the Uber Uber cheap

stuff all the time if you don't have to

which leads us to point number 10 and

the most important point of all get

medicine organizers for your ear tips

very useful and also get watch cases for

organizing your

imem super

[Music]

crucial

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for