This is a traditional end-of-year post where I praise myself, regret, complain, share my plans, and thank everyone involved. 

First, let me tell whether the promises of the previous end-of-year post were fulfilled:

1. Out of three changes, which are a debut of DAC reviews, a new rig, and additional measurements in headphones reviews, all three were implemented.
2. 8 of 12 reviews were made.

Here are some figures:

• Number of posts in 2024: 47 (18 in 2023), 32 of which are large articles, reviews, etc.
• Number of views at Boizoff.com: 7,300 per month (5,000 in 2023) on average.
• Number of Zen subscribers: 1,078 (500 at the end of 2023).
• Number of Telegram subscribers: 142.

Key things I managed to do in 2024:

1. I created a headphone measurement database at squig.ling, which already contains more than 500 measurements of in-ears and more than 100 measurements of circumaural headphones. The database is constantly being updated. I literally do this work every day. I am pleased that some time ago the scope and quality of my measurements were recognized by squig’s owners as sufficient to include my database in the general squig.link search index.
2. My measurement database became a basis for creating a list of the best in-ear monitors, which is constantly being updated and modified as well.
3. I collected all the useful audio videos I know on a separate Rutube channel so that they are always available without a VPN and other issues.
4. The quality of photos was improved radically thanks to my new Sony Alpha 7C II camera and Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art optics. I hope it shows.
5. A text about trends in the in-ears industry counted an incredible number of impressions – more than 300,000 – on Zen. I have no idea how Zen algorithms work, and the text itself isn’t an eye-opener, that’s why this event was a puzzle for me, so to speak.

And that’s where I’d like to get to the main point – to the messages of thanks.

In 2024, I met a lot of smart, pleasant, adequate people who understand headphones much better than me. Most importantly, they were ready to explain, answer my questions, and even send me some models to test. Some of them were not cheap at all. Sometimes, 15-20 pieces would come at a time. Sergey, Dima, another Dima, as well as one more Dima, Alexey, Alexander, THANK YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK! Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything: neither listen, nor try on, nor puzzle out some complicated stuff.

 Another giant thank you goes to Marina, my translator who makes my writings accessible to the English-speaking audience. They respond to them quite well, judging by the reviews of FT1, E3 or ZERO:RED.

The last, but not the least ‘thank you’ goes to my job: this is what brings me money for my hobby, provides me with the freedom not to post banners on my website and in no way depend on advertisers or manufacturers who ask me to write something specific about their products. This is what let me purchase all the headphones that are on my ranking list and compare their sounding not ‘from memory’, but immediately, with my own ears. I’ve never planned and am not planning any advertising, reviews for money and things alike. Everything remains as it was.

What will be going on in my blog in 2025:

1. Headphones reviews. There will be more of them, but they’ll be radically shorter and more informative. Reviews about headphones that make no sense for me to buy them will go to section 3 of my ranking list.
2. There will be more theoretical articles. I promised myself to finish off the first one, a review of research in the field of headphone sound over the past 5 years, by the end of January.
3. My own little ‘physical’ endeavors, for example, a sound source switcher. Two more gizmos are already at the stage of “we’ve made a prototype, learned our lessons, and proceeded to the second version of it.” I’ll keep you informed.
4. Reviews of stuff other than headphones. For example, I still can’t get around to writing a text about a Metta Yoga 4D Free chair, about which there is nothing really sensible on the Internet.
5. Great beginnings and changes, which I won’t even mention publicly until they’re actually implemented, just to keep from jinxing.

So, here are the plans.

Happy New Year, dear readers!

I wish you good health, mindfulness and peace.