Two types of people in this hobby. Both make it fun. Which one are you?

I have a harmless theory.

There are broadly two types of people in this hobby:

Type 1
Uses their gear to enjoy music.
Finds something they like. Hits play. Gets lost in songs. Upgrades only when something genuinely feels missing.

Type 2
Uses music to explore their gear.
Has a dedicated test playlist.
Knows exactly when the sub bass drops at 0:53.
Can describe upper mids in five different adjectives.

Both are valid. Honestly, both are part of what makes this hobby fun. One keeps it emotional. The other keeps it technical and pushes discussions forward.

But I feel like in this sub, a huge majority are actually Type 1. People who get something they enjoy and just listen.

Personally, I’m firmly Type 1. Most of my comments here come from that perspective. I care more about whether something makes me want to listen longer than whether it measures perfectly or resolves microscopic details.

One thing I do find a bit odd though is the extremes.

On one side, there are people who say just buy a cheap IEM, everything expensive is pointless, and you are foolish if you spend more.

On the other side, there are people who strongly insist that unless you are buying a 1 lakh IEM and a 50k DAC, you are missing out on “real” music.

I feel the truth sits somewhere in between.

Diminishing returns are real.
After a certain price bracket, improvements get smaller and more subjective.
Even ear canal shape changes how someone perceives sound. What is transformative for one person might be underwhelming for another. It is matter of taste as well.

Sometimes it feels like strong opinions come more from personal justification than universal truth. We all want to feel good about what we bought.

At the end of the day, if your setup makes you want to listen to more music, it is doing its job.

So which one are you most of the time?