greatest non-cliche lesson learnt from head-fi? - Page 2

If there are only two types, then you must fit into one category or another, even though your descriptions suggest that you don't fit into either. Or is this a situation as suggested by the line in my signature?

There are three kinds of people in this world: those who can count and those who cannot.

alot people seem care too much about the hardware and not enough about the software

I learned that before even buying any of their products. (I guess that's a life lesson)

Any product that is over-hyped by the general populace (e.g. not specialized professionals or at least enthusiasts) as "OMGZORZXX!!11!! BEST EVAR!!1!!" is generally not. This applies to Bose, the Wii, Ferrari/Lamborghini, Halo, Pantene Pro V, and mother****ing Disney Land. (Other examples available upon request)

Not that I have anything against these products and/or brand names, just that they are not the best of their class even though the general populace would probably claim them as that.

just like audio everyone has their preferences and opinions....... I have the right to say halo is my favorite game therefore I consider it the best and you cannot contest that statement (though that was just an example)

Emphasis added. ^^^

Always easy to criticize those whom you don't know or understand.

In my own case, which may or may not be representative here at Head-Fi: I find, for instance, that it does me little good to come to Head-Fi with debate threads about whether I should buy a certain CD or LP. For the most part, if I want to try something out, I will. Paying $10 to $20 to try out something new is no big deal and not something that makes me blink an eye.

If I'm not sure what pressing to get or which album represents an artist's best work, then I'll ask the question at the Steve Hoffman forums where I've found that, on average, the member there are much more likely to:

a) appreciate where I'm coming from in terms of my musical tastes and preferences because the average age there is much closer to my own, and

b) it's a forum that is specifically designed for intricate questions about music and sound reproduction (i.e., the resulting software).

So it would be easy for someone to conclude that I'm more interested in gear than in music, because that's what I'm always talking about here. Yet, as interesting as I find 'gear' (as such) to be in it's own right, the equipment I use is only a means to an end. It would be completely useless, other than it's value as art, if I hadn't been listening to music for nearly every waking hour of my life for as long as I can remember!

Heck, I haven't had a TV in my home since 1988 (my first year of law school). It would just be a distraction for me because I'd rather be listening to music, 100% of the time! Not 90% or 99%. I have no use for a TV whatsoever, and don't miss it a bit. (Ok, in truth, up until about 2 years ago, I at least had a physical TV, but it was only used to watch DVDs, and even then I typically played one concert DVD for every movie.) I can still do so on my laptop if need be, and I'm about to set up a killer home theater system, but that will be mostly for my girlfriend and for parties/guests.

Anyway, the whole point is that if you were to look at my posts, most of them have to do with "gear" rather than music, but that's because Head-Fi is designed to be a gadget place more than anything. Why would someone post long, detailed reviews about the last album that they bought, when it can be purchased for $10, but the headphone system they used to listen to it cost hundreds or even thousands?

amen.

Biggest lessons I've learned?

1) Learn to make your setup fit your taste and your listening needs - forget what's popular or what people say is good

2) listen, listen listen. and then listen some more. I put in at least 4 hours a day, and I enjoy my tunes more very time. And the more rig arangements you try, the better chance you have of getting a setup you like

3) don't forget to enjoy your music. Lest we forget, that's what we're here for in the first place, right?

Happy listening!

Head-fi and wallet size have an inverse relationship.

Dave

The lesson I've learned is, the more nice the box some component is in, the more you'll pay for it. That is, much of the price of gear is the high-quality casing. DIY'ing something is interesting, fun and you learn something about how the gear works which you can apply when looking at something else you want to buy in the future.

Roll tubes and not headphones.

Not really a lesson but could be taken as one, is Wmcmanus signature, " If it sounds good to you, then it is good".

1. dont let indecision paralyze you and stop you from trying something. there is a point at which you have to stop reading reviews for products and just buy one. this stuff generally has great resale value if you dont like it, or you couldn't find somewhere with a 30 day return. there will always be someone to totally contradict what you have just read about product X versus product Y so either find a way to try before you buy, or try before you die.

2. If something sounds right... it is right. dont let other people tell you that you shouldn't be enjoying your gear.

3. to have an opinion you must have experience; anything else is pure conjecture

4. man does not know everything; there are things pertaining to audio and life that science can not explain, the numbers do not tell the whole story. something that measures off the charts is still capable of sounding crap and lifeless. the flip side of that is that something that measures badly is also capable of majik. when you find a peice of kit that has both; hang onto it and dont let go.

5. DIY is king; in most cases (excluding headphones) if you can hlld a soldering iron or know someone that can, you are able to get FAR better bang for your buck.

6. most everything has been said here before... the search button is your friend. (ok maybe thats more of a gripe ;p)
the list goes on.

7. dont forget to listen to the music (ooops sorry OP.... cliche)

8. a polished turd is still a turd

one more
9. do not take what I say for truth, that you must find out for yourself

1. Head-fi is a drug addiction that doesn't generally hurt anyone

2. Education or knowledge has nothing to do with age or occupation

3. Most things can be made much better with a bit of elbow grease and $10

4. Cables and other items that may not make sense at the time sometimes do make a significant difference.

5. Opinion is just an opinion and sound is different for everyone (oh you bassheads!)

6. SQ = ! Actual Quality

7. Detail = ! SQ

8. Not every purchase is an upgrade, regardless of price

1. Nobody has "golden ears" from the start. The only reviews to be trusted are the ones from users with good experience who tried many headphones and did comparisons with amps and sources. A big plus for Head-fiers who go to meets.

2. Even the best headphone rigs out there cannot sound as good as a decent speaker setup.

3. Be careful when you buy or sell stuff to people who make a lot of grammatical, syntax and punctuation errors in their PMs. It's a bit of a generalization, but it's been true more often than not for me.