Recent comments in /f/BuyItForLife

felafrom t1_j6cvnhr wrote

Reply to comment by bgslr in My baby is home; hit the scratch & dent jackpot. by buoyantgem

My experience is that it's true. I've lost two utility backpacks and one pair of shorts to these heavy duty commercial washers in my dorm (on the most delicate setting mind you). As much as I am a Ron Swanson with everything, I would never purchase a Speed Queen for my personal use. Plenty of sophisticated options out there today from Miele or even Bosch and the likes which don't wreak havoc on my clothes and are just as reliable. Additionally, I'm the man who would prioritize his clothes looking undamaged after 5 years of washing (which is important because clothes often have sentimental value) over "easier serviceability" which will save me like what...20 dollars and half an hour extra? I don't see the point.

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UsePreparationH t1_j6cprg3 wrote

Reply to Phones and Headphones. by skykyub

Phone screens break and cost a lot to replace and batteries can no longer can easily be replaced either so it really isn't a BIFL thing but you can usually get at least 4yrs out of a flagship from the last year or two. Full MSRP of flagship phones are insanely high so you need to get a good sale/trade in to justify getting the best otherwise the current mid-end market has some great phones and https://swappa.com/ is great for used like new phones. You often find people selling their B1G1 phones or you can find someone who will throw in some accessories too plus it will show you recent sales and average prices over time for each model so you can see if you are actually getting a decent deal.

Like here is a good condition S21 Ultra 256GB for $454 with 2x cases and a basic 15w charger (better than the zero chargers the phone normally ships with). The back is scratched up a bit but will be hidden by the case and the screen looks like there aren't any issues. That is quite a bit cheaper than the $1250 day 1 MSRP for the 256GB model without a trade in.

https://swappa.com/listing/view/LXAY66893

Or a Mint Pixel 6 Pro for $358 which is less than what a new Pixel 6a costs at bestbuy ($399).

https://swappa.com/listing/view/LWHL37073

Mint S20FE for $176

https://swappa.com/listing/view/LXAW83431

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I currently use the 2020 Hifiman Sundra headphones + an amp since planar headphones are hard to drive properly. They respond very well to a proper EQ profile but Hifiman is know to have some subpar QC issues. Horrible travel headphones but amazing for desktop use.

For my friends I usually recommend the Sennheiser HD 6xx (if they have an amp) or the HD 58x (no amp). Both are pretty solid price/performance headphones but you missed the Black Friday sale when they were at $180 and $130 so current pricing doesn't feel great since they raised the default MSRP vs a year or two ago.

The Philips SHP9500 is a good budget open back headphone for $75 or less and the similar Philips SHP9600 was $51 just 2 weeks ago. The SHP9600 seems to have a tighter clamping force vs the SHP9500 which ran loose but some people prefer it that way and the sound profile is a bit different.

For closed back headphones the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO is pretty nice but the cable cannot be removed which sucks. The Audio Technica ATH-M50x is another alternative but the pleather pads will break down and you will need to replace them with new ones ($15-25). My ATH-M50x had the plastic hinge tab break so the left cup no longer locks into place and will hyperextend away from my ear if I attempted to put it on now making them unusable. There is a free 3d printer fix file you can find by googling "m50x hinge 3d print" and the only reason I haven't done it is because it also needs a new set of pads and I don't want to invest $25 into it when my current headphones are way better. Still got a ton of hours of use out of them.

If you want a wireless noise canceling headphone then the refurbished Sony wh-1000XM4/XM5 from Secondipity on Ebay is amazing deal when they go on sale since they come like new, have a 2yr warranty, and generous return policy. Got a pair of the refurb XM5s as a gift for someone $220 and they were pretty great.

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mittymatrix t1_j6cnxiz wrote

Reply to Is Sony's WH-1000MX5 BIFL? by sranzuline

I have the XM2s that I purchased in 2017. That sucker just won’t die! Aside from only allowing one Bluetooth connection at a time (bc old model) and micro USB, I wouldn’t want to upgrade! My XM2s have been dropped a lot and are a little scratched up. (I never use the carry case provided). If you go for them, I’d suggest getting them in black. Had to replace the ear pads, and black options were the most prevalent. Tbh XM2s have made me wonder if headphones can be bifl!

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mittymatrix t1_j6cmb2c wrote

Reply to comment by plasmaticD in one water bottle * one planet by kiefsaurus

This. If you can’t get the smell out of stainless, you might want to try better cleaning techniques. If it’s the plastic in the lid that’s retaining the smell, look for easy to clean caps. In my experience, Contigo, Zojirushi, and Camelbak have caps that trap odor in the silicone seal rings. I’ve switched to a Humangear CapCap (widely compatible) and removed the two small silicone rings (doesn’t leak without them).

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HillaryGoddamClinton t1_j6cm94z wrote

Reply to comment by pensivebeing in My baby is home; hit the scratch & dent jackpot. by buoyantgem

The TR series do have some more circuit boards, but they are less mechanically complex than the TC5. Fortunately the circuit boards are easily replaceable, and are also tested to a high standard.

The TR series has mechanical simplicity going for it, in addition to being gentler on clothes than the TC series. The TC-5 is better if you come home from work with really dirty clothes, or if you just want an absolute minimum of electronics in your washer. There isn’t a wrong choice between the two.

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morten1389 t1_j6cm4jo wrote

Reply to Fresh from Norway, my custom Ekornes Stressless chair by Gerbski

I tried a bunch of Stresslesses including Opal before christmas, it's a really good chair, as long as you take care of them, they will last you a very long time.

Opal, with Paloma leather, and cross base, with ottoman wound run you around $2400 here in Norway, at MSRP, but 20-25% discounts aren't unheard of, so you could get them down towards $1800-1920 then.

I ordered a Wing with Clover blue fabric (not a huge fan of leather, and I don't have pets) and the signature base, got it for around $1650 with 25% discount, estimated delivery in week 7, so I'm excited to get it soon!

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fedder17 t1_j6clv44 wrote

Reply to Phones and Headphones. by skykyub

For headphones anything wired first and formost will be better than wireless since no batteries to worry about. There are a lot of different sound signatures but the common headphones recommended are the Senheiser HD 600, 6XX, 650, 660s. Other notable mentions are Beyerdynamic DT series headphones which are used in studios. Avoid HifiMan

Both lines are time tested being around for more than 20 years and new pads and parts are available from various sources. Note that pads can dramatically change the sound so you would have to search for reviews to be sure or just buy the exact same ones.

If you need to make them wireless you can use something like a FIIO BTR5 or Quedelix 5K which are wireless headphone amps that pair to your pc or phone through bluetooth.

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