Phil's Superpower of Enthusiasm
A place to write about things I enjoy, for my own edification. Headphones, audio gear, albums, whiskey, wine, golden retrievers etc.
recent posts
Lawyer, unabashed nerd and geek. Purveyor and pusher of excellent sci-fi/fantasy, good food, and repartee. He/him. Dog dad/servant to @Goldendenali.
I’m experimenting with Amazon Affiliate status in an attempt to defray some of the costs of headphone reviews; Amazon links may be affiliate links (depending on whether or not I’ve figured out how to use them correctly). Please feel free to buy elsewhere; this is just one way to recoup the costs of this hobby.
Category: Uncategorized
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[Original MSRP $349.99, on sale from Costco for $219.99 regularly and $199.99 for Memorial Day 2025, $180-200 at Amazon in December 2025.] [Tl;dr: These are a perfectly good pair of ANC headphones that will serve most people very well. They’re not super resolving and their slightly bassy consumer tuning and their layering and instrument separation…
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[MSRP $279.99, purchased on Amazon.com in March 2025 at the old MSRP.] [Tl;dr: I’m really very impressed by the FT1 Pro; I thought given how good the FT1s were that these might be a disappointment, but they did not let me down. For my general musical preferences, I’m still going with my trusty 6XX most of…
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[MSRP $650 from Chord, same at Amazon, purchased used from Hawthorne Stereo in spring 2025.] [Tl;dr: The Mojo 2 seems, at first, like a ridiculous idea. DACs and amps can’t make that big of a difference in sound, right?! Except, it seems, when they do. I’m not saying the Mojo makes your gear better; but I’m…
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[MSRP $159.99, purchased on Amazon.com in March 2025.] [Tl;dr: These are a really great pair of closed back headphones. They’re even better when you consider their pricing, though Fiio has recently announced that they won’t be importing new products in the near future due to the burgeoning trade war so the limited US inventory may be…
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[MSRP $1099, $200 more with a tuning set, more with additional/upgraded cables.] [Tl;dr: These are an incredible pair of closed backs, from a technical standpoint, an artistic standpoint, and a dedication to craftsmanship standpoint. They are very expensive even for someone like me, and they’re definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I…
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The post outlines essential concepts for building a headphone audio system, emphasizing four rules of hi-fi: personal preference, the value of used gear, the unpredictable interplay of components, and upgradeability. It details necessary equipment, types of headphones, and considerations for amplification, digital-to-analog converters, sources, media quality, and cables, stressing affordability and personal choice in audio…
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[MSRP $799. Purchased for $799 + tax on Amazon in January 2025.] [Tl;dr: These are my new favorite headphones, period. They’re not objective-focused; their tune is warm (and buttery, and magic), but if that’s something you’re interested in, I cannot recommend these strongly enough. They’re so good out of the box, in fact, that I’m…
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This was a strange year in music for me. I actually didn’t listen to that much “new” music in 2024, having spent a lot of time going back to older artists that I loved. It was also a year where a few of my favorites were the result of going to live shows with…
Phil's Superpower of Enthusiasm 