Some of us lose our way, and neglect the fundamentals. YMMV 
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Well, I have to admit that I DO have to guard against losing my way from time to time.
For example, I can get focused on the familiar at the expense of variety and new experiences. I also have to remind myself to listen to an album or entire piece of recorded work from time to time in order to appreciate better what the artist, composer or record producer intended to present.
The convenience and temptation of streaming can get in the way of the latter if one is not careful.
Enjoy The Music! (and the kit 
)
Cheers.
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I always listen to an entire album, from track 1 to the end.
Thatās just how I am!
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I cant remember the last time i listened to a whole album of anything. It has been years. But it might of been last year. Coltrane Ballads and i left it on for a late night session. Sometimes, the mood and music match.
But a typical session is all over the board. A trait learned by/during streaming I believe.
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I listen to all my CDs from beginning to the end, but streaming I only do that occasionally (if I really like the album).
Most of my tweaks and even cables, only last a short term of excitement. The only exception is Stack Audio 100 feet for FR30. The SQ improvement was too profound to ignore.
The profound improvement carried on to my recent upgrades, and I still get the same excitement as day one. Every now and then I marvel at how much improvement I got from FR30 and MU2. PowerZone too, but to a lesser degree.
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I only listen to one song. One song over and over again. It was in the first SpongeBob movie and I really like it!
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What power cable are you using to feed it?
@dchang05 this is a trick question. 
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I mentioned it a few times, and itās not a Stealth. Itās a 11 gauge pure-silver ribbon power cord that sounded better than AQ Dragon, and better than Stealth V10 too (sold it after I got ZenWave).
Oh, my SRA Takshaka is 9 g, but it doesnāt have C19 plug so I cannot try it on PZ.
I had ADS amps!
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A super fun and inexpensive way to have that wow moment more often is to cycle through a few pairs of IEMs. Things get really interesting when you reduce the space from driver to ear drum
$150-$400 per set is an exceedingly high price/performance ratio these days. See, cheap! Of course there are multi-kilobuck sets (for Al) but Iām completely satisfied with 3 sets for less than $1k USD
Oh, and plan on a ~$50 to try a bunch of tips to get a perfect seal and all day comfort
Add a DAP (iBasso DX180, small, amazing sound and specs. Up to 2.2TB of local files and load any Android app you wish for steaming or anything) and youāre golden to roam and move about anywhere you likeā¦wander
Hereās 3 to get you started:
NiceHCK Himalaya - 10mm single dynamic driver (DD) in titanium alloy shell $309
Letshuoer S12 2024 - 14.8mm planar $199
Pula PA02 - 10mm single DD plus 4 balanced armatures - $140
These are all to me just a bit more fun than reference tuning. Treble is extended but never harsh, mids are full for both female and male vocals, nice mid bass punch, tight, complete but not bloated bassā¦and real sub bass when the track calls for it. The different drivers all convey the same information differently. Like 3 different speakers you can take anywhere you go. Are any of them perfect, no and sometimes I eq just a touch here or there but mostly enjoy the character native from each.
It becomes easy and natural to feel like everyone around you hears the same music you do Of course they do not.
And if youāre thinking āthereās no soundstage or amazing imaging or depth or height or 3D soundscape or slamā then youāve not listening to current gen IEMs.
Will this cure audiophillia - dang I sure hope not! The risks are simply not that great.
I have owned a Fiio m11 pro and Fiio IEMs fo a few years. I use it sparingly. Would this keep up with the iBasso DAP? Iām just curious how much things have improved over the last few years?
Iāve never listened to the Fiio DAPs. I did try one pair of their IEMs and they didnāt work for me. From my notes:
Fiio/JadeAudio FHS $79
Simple but not bad at all. No low end, truncated highs, less than clear but inoffensive - But Fiio has made some high-end flagship IEMs that many do like very much.
My DAP experience is only with the Hiby R4, Hiby R6 III 2025 and iBasso DX180.
The R4 was not bad at all though a bit too warm/dark for my general tastes. Vocals were pretty good but often the mid-bass would drown out much of the rest.
The R6 was more refined but much of the same and certainly not worth nearly twice the $. It also ran quite hot. Too hot to carry in a pocket so that was out for me.
The iBasso DX180 is exceedingly well executed for the <$500. Its sound is neutral, dare I say natural, leaning ever so slightly to the warm/dark side but more so in the bass. The foundation is nice and solid. Vocal rule neutral but not too dry or boring. Highs are extended and as airy as my ~15kHz can hear and never offensive or too shiny. Not a hint of grain or sibilance. Itās simply all around better than the Hiby.
Be warned these all run Android; as I wanted to be able to load my streaming apps. Iāve never used Android prior to last month but I adapted quickly. I use it solely for music streaming though it does have ~100GB free for local files, and a microSD slot supporting up to 2TB.
The different IEMs make far greater difference vs the electronics though. In the same way loudspeakers make a bigger difference working in a room vs. the electronicsā¦in my experience.
Thanks Brett.
That was a whale of a reply. Iām stuck with the FiiO m11 pro, but happy with it. Two years ago, I considered it a bargain at $600. I looked for the iBasso on Amazon, but came up empty. The FiiO was easy to find and I think that it competes with many high end DAPs. As you noted, the sound quality depends a lot more on the IEMs than the electronics. The FiiO IEMs came with a variety of ear tips, which I liked, and just to be sure I invested in all silver cables. Iām not married to the FiiOās, and will try some alternatives.
Iām curious whether you tried any Campfire IEMs? I hear good things about them.
I have a FIIO m11pro also, and use it sparingly, and am satisfied when I do play music to headphones. While not sounding as good as my home stereo, it is ok, and connects to my car and a bluetooth speaker.
I have a dozen FIIO DAPs, the last one I bought is a FiiO M17 Portable Desktop-Class Music Player. It is the size of a brick, and weighs more. ES9038PRO DAC, a huge amp, it is absolutely stunning. Their headphones not so much. They are inexpensive, nice, but no big deal. I have an R7 as well.
They just announced a desktop streamer that Hans Beekhuyzen reviewed favorably (for the money).
Al ā FIIO Fanboy
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Try Shop Digital Audio Players at Bloom Audio for iBasso. They are the US authorized dealer.
Iāve not tried any Campfire Audio
Thanks for the link. -Lots of goodies to consider, later.
You werenāt impressed by the Fiio IEMs. So, can you say what IEM you would recommend in the $500 price range? I priced the Campfire andromeda , and Iām afraid it is way too much for me.
Thanks in advance.
Iāve decided to give up on upgrading my DAP and IEMs. It was fun checking out the new offerings, but a purchase was totally not necessary. I was particularly intrigued by the Astell & Kern SE300 DAP. It runs an RTR ladder Dac which I like and can run class A or AB amplification.
-Nice pipe dream.
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