Before you were an Audiophile...

That is exactly why I became an audiophile in about 1 year I went from spending 0 on audio to spending around 5-6k.  

Same here, I am doomed

Was using seen hd555

A year ago with my creative lab xifi

Honestly I can't remember a time when I wasn't an audiophile of sorts (at 7 I could tell that the CD played through the car stereo sounded way better than the same song when it played on the radio, and I had the most trouble trying to get across my meaning to my parents, who evidently can't tell the difference).

 

Seriously, my true audiophile journey began when I picked up my first semi-decent kit, which was a pair (actually, two) of those Insignia bookshelf speakers everybody raved about a few years ago (I know, I speak blasphemy on a headphone forum--I'm over at AudioKarma, too). Paired with a vintage receiver, they make nice noise. But I wanted to upgrade my headphone listening experience in kind, so I searched around online...

 

...and found this place. I've been lurking for almost half a year and finally joined up when I got my DT880. I guess the thing that really got me into this racket was the relentless pursuit of fidelity, and the fact that I love sound almost as much as I love music. Good sound is like sipping on a rich milkshake in whatever flavor you choose (just pick the song). Everyone I know thinks I'm nuts, and sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be blissfully unconcerned with fidelity. Sometimes I envy the people who shove those white earbuds in and just drift away...

 

...then I flip off the lights, slap on my cans, and cue up one of my favorite albums and forget all about those doubts.

TV and Radio for me. Later the standard ear phones that came with my mobile phones.  

 

Audiophile? I will only dare to call my self audiophile when I have a decent vinyl set up. For now I am a music lover checking out some vintage headphones.

I was born an audiophile because my Dad was one. Was weened on jazz. But I am a poor man's audiophile and don't by this mp3 sounds like crap compared to either cd or vinyl because I have done the abx testing and a good quality mp3 sounds the same to me. Audiophile doesn't mean spend massive amounts of money on audio gear, it means buy the best you can get with the money you have and have a deep appreciation for SQ. You can buy a  British 30w per channel stereo amp and a pair of Wharfdale Diamonds and still be classified audiophile.

 

BTW, what is up with the quick reply option? Can't see the keyboard cursor, can't place the cursor where I want it and can't edit any text either.

Edited by Bastido - 10/26/10 at 9:29am

Quick reply is working fine as I type this...I am 50 yrs old and have had a decent stereo since I first started working. Most everyone spent thier money on a car but I bought a stereo that I still have. Got into the mp3 player thing with a Dell DJ and found this site for my small step journey for headphone bliss. I am pretty happy with my low fi setup but would spend more cash if I could afford it.

Before I was an audiophile I was a gamer! Wait. . .  that's not the question. . . . I never had anything as bad as an ipod, my Sony CD player and 'phones weren't bad.

 

My HD 485s got me really interested in audio. They were mindblowing for me at the time. They still sound pretty great now.

I also became an audiophile because of my Dad. When I was 12, we built a Heathkit amp together as a project. It was totally fun. He then gave me a hand-me-down Eico tube FM tuner, and a pair of Radio Shack bookshelf speakers. Man I loved that little stereo. Added a Kenwood belt-drive TT with Grado cartridge a year or so later, and of course then the upgrade cycle started - upgraded the speakers, added a tape deck, then went to tube Dynakits, etc, etc, etc.

My first stereo was 32 years ago.what was I before that? I was a little kid

I blame my cousin for my audio addiction. I remember visiting him and sitting in his room to listen to his TT, he had AR speakers. Hearing a brand new album "Crime Of The Century" still sticks in my mind...this was in '74 and I was 7 years old. At home I used my fathers K240M and listened mostly to FM stations. I liked Classical at that young age but soon got into Rock as I approached my teens. After that, all I wanted for birthdays was money to buy my own gear. My first headphones were Senn HD414 at around age 13 I think and later giant speakers that made a lot of noise...so many upgrades along the way. Here I am, still buying new stuff.

What led me to become an audiophile? I was never quite satisfied with the ibuds that came with my ipod as they were extremely uncomfortable for me, so I began to search for an IEM to buy, which eventually led me here

I was a computer gamer and played with a Sony MDR-V150. I wanted something that isolated more and sounded clearer. Someone on xoxide forums recommended the Sennheiser HD280, and told me to come here if I wanted more information on headphones. I bought the HD280 and was astounded.

 

Then I started reading posts on head-fi. I soon bought an Eddie Current lunch box amplifier, an Entech 205.2 DAC, and the HD650. I then went to a meet in Cincinnati and my headphone obsession grew incredibly worse.

For me I simply wanted a bit more from my $20 Skullcandy's. I craved mids and a more live sound.

 

Then I started buying expensive gear and even more expensive gear and I was still a bit unsatisfied.

 

Finally I came in head-fi... and well you know.

 

It's been about a year or maybe two but I feel like the journey is smooth sails from here with my DT880. The only real upgrade next would be spending $900+ anyway.

No, not really.  I grew up with a wonderful vinyl maniac cousin who constantly made me tapes and gave me pieces of old gear.

 

The father of a childhood friend was an audiophile and was kind enough to play the system for us now and then.  It sounded incredible.  Wish I remember what he had, but I know it was a line array.

 

Also had a terrific uncle who was a serious ham radio guy (why I have a license) who turned me onto DIY and the joys of vacuum tubes.

 

So I've grown up with a lot of stuff.  I've been giving Grados to my niece and nephews, too.  They love 'em.