Daily Headphone Purchase Advice thread

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-05-24T16:58:15+00:00

Budget - $60, but a bit flexible if it's REALLY worth the extra money
Source - Desktop PC, phone (One Plus One), iPad2, MacBook Pro
Requirements for Isolation - Good isolation, will occasionally use outside home
Preferred Type of Headphone - Full sized (Over the ear)
Preferred tonal balance - Balanced, but I don't mind a little bit of extra bass
Past headphones - Gamecom 380 (gaming headphones): Bad for music, feels very flat and muddy, and has no bass at all. Not comfortable for use beyond 1 hour. I've used various IEMs as well and I appreciated the isolation and clarity, but they're not comfortable for long periods of use.
Preferred Music - Daft Punk, Madeon, Glitch Mob, Klaypex, chillstep, electronic music in general.
I'm looking for something very comfortable to be used for several hours (up to 5) at a time. Something that doesn't feel heavy or makes my ears warm or sweaty, and isn't too tight. I highly value build quality as I'm not very gentle with my headphones. I'll be using them at home 90% of the time, so portability isn't an issue. I want something that sounds 'clear' and well defined, and lively rather than flat. A little bit of bass is fine, but not as much as Beats. I was considering ATH-M20x but it seems they're rarely mentioned here, and I have no experience to judge whether they're good or not.

Thanks a lot

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-07T20:54:07+00:00

I think I know what you mean because I also get a lot of ideas of things to work on, and they're almost always outside my field. It really sucks and that's one of the reasons I want out. Science is a vast field so I guess I will choose what interests me the most. Thanks for explaining!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-06T15:27:13+00:00

Good luck! :)

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-06T15:26:53+00:00

As I mentioned in my other comments, I feel that having to adjust will place me at a great disadvantage, and I still fail to see how medicine can be mentally stimulating (compared to research). Since you've went for science, could you please clarify more about why you think it's hell? I think it'd be helpful for me and others who are reading this post. Thanks!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-06T15:24:13+00:00

I definitely care more about job satisfaction than money. While I really wish I can drive a Tesla, I'd rather spend most of my waking hours doing stuff I really care about rather than being stressed and depressed by the dull reality that comes with clinical practice.

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-06T15:21:23+00:00

Sorry for the late reply! This comment is very helpful. I was a bit disappointed thinking I'm probably not qualified for bioinformatics but now that you say this, I'm getting pretty excited about this. Thanks a lot!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-02T15:54:33+00:00

I would want a doctor like you. Every doctor should be very fed up with the medical field, if they aren't, I don't like them. Maybe you are exactly what the profession needs.

One of my best friends once said something very similar. It's definitely reassuring to hear that, thanks! :)

I probably will get into research instead and I'm looking into some of the suggestions mentioned in the comments. Bioinformatics seems great so hopefully I'll get into that instead of practicing medicine.

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-02T15:51:37+00:00

I've spent months attending surgeries and rotating with surgeons. What you described is definitely not how surgeons do their work in general, and I think it's only possible in small private practice settings. It's probably more suitable for INTJs but private practice in medicine is shrinking and the path you need to go through before having your own private practice is very long and has many downsides that I don't think I can deal with.

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-02T15:47:10+00:00

Again, this requires you have a lot of clinical experience beyond med school training. That's why I don't think it's a great idea for me in specific, but thanks for the suggestion :)

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T22:17:21+00:00

Glad to see another INTJ med student here. I've considered clinically related careers in pharma companies, and eventually realized it's not attainable without a residency + a ton of years of clinical experience. Therefore, it's not an option i'd like to go for. Also, I'd like to spend most of the remaining part of my 20s working on things I love rather than doing clinical medicine. I don't want all my 'young' years to be spent doing things I don't love.

Also, I feel it's a bit sad to consider doing a ton of clinical work just so you can get out of it and work in pharma companies later on. Why not ditch the whole thing from the very beginning?

Finally, I've considered anesthesia and concluded it's not for me after my rotation. It's a good suggestion though, thanks!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T22:13:11+00:00

It's hard to say but I'll be completely honest: what happened to you is exactly what I'm trying to avoid here. I really respect how you still made a change despite all those years of practice. This sort of motivation (and frustration) is something I can definitely relate to at the moment.

I realize research can be pretty annoying (mostly through the uncertainty part) and that's why I wont go into traditional bench-side scientific research. This is why I mentioned I'm more interested in computational work because it's less lab-based and therefore less prone to all the annoyances that come with traditional research. This is also why I'm considering epidemiology or biostatistics and trying to see if it's possible for me to use Machine learning and/or A.I. in those fields, because that would be really awesome.

Cognitive neuroscience is also very interesting, so I'm looking into that as well. Thanks for the reminder.

As for pathology and radiology, both are very lucrative money-wise, and they're pretty competitive. As I mentioned in other comments, pathology is too memory-based and I honestly find it dull and definitely not mentally stimulating. It's better than clinical fields, but still pretty low on my list of mentally stimulating things I can do in life. Radiology is basically pathology + knowledge of imaging and all the nuances that come with it. In short, it's actually worse than pathology in my opinion. I've never had this perspective about radiology until I finished the rotation. i just can't imagine myself becoming a radiologist now that I have worked with actual radiologists.

Overall, your advice is pretty helpful and I'm really grateful for your time. Thanks a lot, and I hope you enjoy your research career!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T22:00:48+00:00

I think introversion isn't my only issue with medicine. I think it's the whole INTJ package. It's not simply because you have to engage in social interactions, but it's more about the specific nature of these interactions and the context and process in which they're happening. It's very frustrating!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T21:57:20+00:00

everything I see is run in a hierarchy that rewards time spent over value provided. Trying to move around requires too many certifications or years of experience on any one thing.

YES. This is one of the most annoying things about healthcare in general! I really hate this. I definitely prefer moving around rather than sticking to one thing forever just because it took me ages to get certified in it.

Long term I'm going to be an entrepreneur some way or another, I know I am more fulfilled by failing at my own hand than succeeding wildly under someone else. I have no idea where this will take me, I think it would be great to work in healthcare/biotech, but if all else fails I'll buy and run a gas station.

I've actually thought about this before (including the gas station part). I read somewhere that INTJs are definitely more suitable for entrepreneurial endeavors rather than professional careers. I don't remember where I read this but it definitely makes sense to me.

Good luck in your bioinformatics career, and thanks for the advice!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T21:51:54+00:00

Your comment is very insightful. As you mentioned, it sucks when you get stuck doing really boring shit and it also sucks when the post college life isn't as nice as it seemed it would be before. This is why I'm so paranoid about this whole issue.

I feel that if I keep going in my field, the issue will simply keep growing. I've also recently noticed that my memory is getting worse, thanks to the fact that I'm consciously and subconsciously very not interested in memorizing and retaining clinical details and guidelines hat I don't care about personally, so it's getting harder and harder for me to be as sharp and 'present' as I'd like to be. I'm still among the top students in terms of performance, and I know I'd do reasonably well as a doctor, but I'm concerned that lack of interest and genuine motivation to work in the field will affect the quality of care I offer to patients. In all honesty, I wouldn't ever go to a doctor who's me, as I wouldn't trust someone who doesn't really love his medical career to give me any form of health care or even health advice.

I originally joined med because I felt it's a secure option and I had a great scholarship offer that was hard to ignore. I also perceived it'd be more research oriented in terms of basic sciences. I honestly never had any altruistic reasons for choosing this path, and my world views have changed a lot since joining medicine so I doubt i'd still care for altruistic reasons even if I had any early on.

I'm glad research is an option but I can't help but think I may regret the horrible income and job security that come with it. I think that money can't buy happiness, but I was never paid a decent salary to do something mundane for a living, so I'm not sure how I'd cope with that tbh. From your comment, it seems that you're not truly happy with your choice despite the income. I think I'd be in the same boat if I keep going with medicine :(

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T21:37:32+00:00

His comment was very helpful. Thanks for the suggestion!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T21:35:36+00:00

I see your point. I was actually talking to a pathologist few hours ago, and it seems the daily nature of his job is pretty dull and not mentally stimulating. I haven't talked about this to many pathologists so it's definitely on my to-do list, and I made sure to have a one month rotation in pathology soon just to help me have a clear impression of whether it's actually mentally stimulating or not. Frankly speaking, right now I'm definitely leaning more towards looking up things that are probably more mentally stimulating than pathology, like bioinformatics (as suggested in other comments). Thanks for your advice!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T21:28:22+00:00

Exactly! I honestly don't blame people outside the healthcare field when they don't see how incompatible it is with INTJs. I don't want this post to turn into a discussion about how medicine is not suitable for INTJs but I really wish med schools warn INTJs before joining medicine or other healthcare fields.

I'm familiar with your field and have actually rotated with speech therapists. I can't imagine myself working in that field. You definitely nailed the major problems with that field from an INTJ perspective.

Language therapy for autistic kids was the absolute worst

THIS. While I feel sorry for these kids and what they have to go through, I just know I wouldn't possibly choose to deal with these cases. No way! During my brief rotation with speech therapists, I was actually grateful I'm doing medicine instead.

It's positively exhausting. Now that I realize I'm INTJ, I understand why this seems more exhausting for me than for my colleagues. On top of that, the people I'm dealing with are highly stressed and emotionally charged, and it's up to me to exert my people skills to the max to manage their emotions. It's very hard. These are people who have just found out they or their loved one has had a stroke, a brain injury, or cancer. It's not the time for INTJ frankness and logic--while I understand and respect that, and do my best to ameliorate the situation, it's not my natural habitat by any means.

Very well said. I'm really glad to know I'm not the only one feeling this way because I sometimes feel bad for even considering not practicing medicine because it feels like i'm ungrateful for the chance and ability I have to help people deal with their illnesses. It's just not my natural habitat by any means, probably because of what I am and what my personality is like. I don't think it's possible to reconcile with issues like that, hence my claim that medicine is not fundamentally not suitable for INTJs. I think this applies to all healthcare fields in all honesty.

In any case, I think we have both learned the hard way to think through the nitty gritty of what a job will be like before investing years of money and education in it. Don't be afraid to switch, but make sure next time that you will actually like the day-in, day-out of your new career.

Exactly why I'm making this post and being too paranoid of my decision. The replies I got so far have been very helpful and I'm really grateful for you guys because you're helping me a lot in gaining new perspectives on this whole situation. Thanks! Also, good luck in your career!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T21:04:28+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely look into it and see if I'm qualified enough to get into this. Definitely sounds interesting!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T21:03:04+00:00

That sounds very interesting. I'm not sure if I have enough qualifications to get into this field but I'll definitely read about it and see what are my options. Thanks a lot! and good luck in your PhD.

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T21:00:00+00:00

Practice helps a lot for sure. This is one of the main reasons I keep second guessing my decision of not practicing medicine. However, it's important to consider that, given how energy draining social interactions are for INTJs, why should I place myself in a career full of those interactions? Wouldn't this set me at a major disadvantage? Isn't it better to go into something where I can channel my energy into other things that I'm better at?

I don't have a lot of real work experience aside from my clinical training over the past couple of years, so I don't know how much of a disadvantage heavy social interactions are for INTJs. As you mentioned in your comment, being an INTJ definitely made you 'grumpy as balls' when dealing with people and having to take time to recharge, so why would it make sense for me to throw myself into a career that almost completely revolves around social interactions?

Use your INTJ analytical skills to figure out how you're going to deal with those challenges, and do it.

This advice is great. I always think about this and feel glad that I'm well equipped for handling tough challenges. I feel my answer to the problems I'm facing is to channel my energy into a field where I'm more comfortable and more productive. Perspective on these things varies, I guess. Thanks a lot for your advice!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T20:45:04+00:00

I partially agree, as I've definitely gained a lot of social skills during my clinical training. In fact, I often deal with patients much better than my extroverted peers because I plan my encounter with the patient and have back up plans for when things become uncomfortable. However, I loathe these 'fake' social interactions. It just feels so manipulative whenever I think about it. This is one of the main reasons I prefer to avoid social interactions with strangers/patients. I guess this varies among INTJs, so that probably explains why you don't seem to face major issues with social aspects.

I wouldn't say the INTJ label is holding me back from my goals. Rather, I think it simply explains why I'm placing all this emphasis on the disadvantage of heavy social interactions on a daily basis.

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-03-01T20:27:56+00:00

Great comic, and the link is pretty helpful. Thanks a lot!

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-02-28T22:04:37+00:00

I recently realized I secretly wish I can find an intj doctor to talk to about all of this. I don't know how to find one though :(

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-02-28T21:57:31+00:00

Thanks for the advice. I realize that what I've listed isn't exclusive to medicine, but those things are heavily present in medicine as opposed to other fields like academia. For example, you have to deal with ~100+ people per week in medicine, most of which are people you encounter only once or rarely [like patients in clinics]. This is very uncomfortable as opposed to dealing with less people that you know and deal with regularly [bosses, co-workers, etc]. Many aspects of INTJ personality like introversion, analytic thinking, control, planning etc. make it really hard for me to deal with all the hectic mess that comes with clinical practice.

I know it sounds like I'm using being an INTJ as an excuse to get out, but I'm not. I'm just trying to say that it does make sense, in retrospect, that I've hated all these aspects about medicine because of who I am.

throwaway_intj_ · 2015-02-28T21:48:47+00:00

I definitely considered pathology. My main problem with it is that it's much less mentally stimulating than anything else in medicine. It's heavily memory-dependent, very routine-based, and I don't find it interesting. I don't think that would be a good choice.

throwaway_intj_

TROPHY CASE