Who uses head-fi?

I'm 19, got into headphones at 16(Yes, I'm a guy). Now I'm building an EHHA, just finished a dual mono opus, and have some markl denons with woody cups, recable and stuffed earpads.So, I'd say I'm pretty serious.

 

 

But threads like "How many people on head-fi are female?" and "Who here is a high school audiophile?" indicate that this hobby is not just for  middle-aged men.

 

Also, why do you consider >30 to be middle aged? I would've thought people in their 40s would better qualify.

Countless other hobbies that are gear-based tend towards the male segment of society.  We just seem to enjoy gadgets more. 

 

Telescopes, cameras, hi-fi, etc. are all male-dominated hobbies, WHEN IT COMES TO GEAR.  Ironically, women are often just as prominent as men, if not more-so, in actual stargazing, photography, and music listening.  Perhaps it's just how our brains work? 

Edited by El_Doug - 7/23/11 at 8:56pm

Nah don't worry about search; this would've been difficult to search for. I only know of those threads cos i happened to notice them

If anything I've noticed a wide range of diversity on head-fi.  

It is one of those hobbies though, as previously mentioned,  where males tend to dominate the gear-oriented side of it.

I think a lot of teens and tweens mis-use their money to the point where they can't take part in this hobby except maybe at the lowest level. Either that or they are so cash strapped from paying for college that they are essentially in the same boat. Once you've gotten your degree and paid off loan debt you are probably close to 30 and that's also when most people start to realize they can't just go bar hopping every night wasting hundreds a week on liquor.

Not all of usDont want to go on about the problems with most teens today, but i dont waste my money on stuff that will kill me (if that helps you out). Vintage is the easiest route to go, and IMO its way cooler. Headphone are hard to get good deals on, so im currently addicted to speakers, receivers, etc.

 

There are loads of younger people here. They tend not to stay too long - most find a good pair of headphones and move on. That's fine, I'm glad they found something they love with our help.

The people who have serious setups and tend to linger are men with some disposable income, usually well-educated. It's a fun hobby and (believe it or not) fairly inexpensive. The buy-in can be substantial, but if you go used, you can often break even or turn a slight profit. The TCO isn't bad at all when you consider resale values. If I liquidated, I'd probably be a few thousand ahead thanks to discontinued stuff and OOP SACDs.

In comparison, I have a relative who races cars in an amateur league. He burns about $1,500 of tires over a weekend and a couple thousand more in maintenance and fees. You can't resell any of that, the money is gone. Audiophilia is cheap in that light. Keep a keen eye on used gear and you won't lose a cent. I've bent my hobbies around TCO - I don't like unrecoverable costs. I can get my money out of the fountain pens, audio gear, watches, old electric fans, antique furniture, tube radios, woodworking tools, etc. I'd do better than break even with any of those. If I had bought something like an airplane (which I do love), I'd be perpetually in the red.

Women do show up, but men tend to be gearheads. Women do appreciate great audio, but not that many get deeply into the gear. Just the nature of things and everyone is welcome here. I just wish women weren't singled out here - it should be about great headphones and great music, not gender.
Edited by Uncle Erik - 7/24/11 at 1:04am

I believe:

- the majority don't really care

- many like to "show off" that they are serious (relatively)

- few are really serious

- and a handful are truly dedicated

Just my 2cents =)

Speaking from my own personal experience from attending more than 20 meets around the country to date (over the last 5 years), I'd say the overwhelming majority of Head-Fi members are aged 18-40, and at every meet that I attended, the 18-30 bracket was definitely the most populous. So I'd definitely argue that this hobby isn't just for middle-age guys - if anything, cost of entry is a lot lower than speakers which makes it more affordable to more people (i.e., younger people).

 

I started in this hobby seriously when I was 25 btw, which was 5 years ago. So the idea that middle age somehow equates to having enough money for audio is definitely bunk.

The youngest member on head fi I've seen is myself, who just turned 15 on the 21st of july. I do take this hobby seriously and my seriously tiny wallet is trying to kill me 

I would assume Yuppies would be the biggest demographic here

Yuppie?

More like DINK or single guy without a spouse or children.