I've had a bit more time on my hands lately. One of my jobs has provided some downtime for the last week or so and I have taken a short hiatus from my thesis to get a proper routine down with the new little guy.
What has resulted is a bit more reading of Head-fi, though I have not been posting much.
Yesterday I was starting to feel a bit under the weather and today I stayed home from work. I went to bed around 10 pm last night and was awoken today at Noon, stroke of 12 exactly, by my wife, who was announcing there was a gentleman at the door requesting a COD payment. A small sum for a package from the US. My wife wanted to make sure this was expected and wanted to know how I wanted to pay if at all. I told her to write a cheque. She was nursing at the time and was in an awkward spot, so I rolled out of bed, groggy, sniffly, and went to sign a cheque. I wasn't even really following what was going on at all, just that a box had arrived and I needed to pay UPS.
I hand the cheque to my wife, she returns upstairs about 2 minutes later, box and baby in hand. Before anyone goes off on me for not helping her, I am fairly dizzy today and the baby was resting in a nursing sling, so really her arms were free for the very light box.
So I look at the size of the box and I remember that I am expecting a package from a head-fier. This package is MUCH anticipated, but I was not expecting it until tomorrow at the very earliest.
A fellow head-fier, one of our own, one that I am pleased to call a friend, without ever having met in person, had sent me his BRAND NEW PS-1's!!!
Yes, you read that right. His new PS-1's, opened but never used, had been sent to me to listen to, to burn in, to review. His amp is being built and he felt that they would be loved a whole lot more by me on my head than by him tucked away until his amp arrived.
Emelius, all I can say is thank you. I'm at a true loss of words. I can't honestly say I would have done the same. Lending phones sure, but brand new ones? Heh, that is a tough one. We have only chatted online on irc, we have never met in person. This example of generosity proves that online relationships, platonic or otherwise, are the real deal.
This example is but one of the many I read about every other week on this site. Just recently elnero told me how he is expecting a tube package from Hirsch to test out in his PPX3. So Hirsch decided that since this amp is so great, he would take from his abundant stash, and to those who signed up, ship FRAGILE tubes across North America so they could get a feel for what tube rolling can really do. Some of these tubes are rare and pricey. Unbelievable.
And what about Tuberoller? The vinyl maniac himself. Not only is he generous in real life, his career choices are a prime example, but online he has donated lp's, sent lavish gifts of music to head-fiers and in fact has offered to send a good bunch of folks lp's if they were to buy an analogue rig. What does he gain from this? Nothing but a warm feeling that someone is enjoying what he perceives as the best medium for musical reproduction. He does it for the joy.
Not discounting the wonderful displays by many, I'm targetting the really public ones and the ones I am familiar with.
We have JMT who just last week built an amp for a fellow head-fier who had moved back in with his sick mother. Selling his gear to make it work, JMT took it upon himself to send this good samaritan a little something to make the time go by a easier with what we all love and enjoy here, headphones
It is for this reason that I call JMT the Patron Saint of Head-fi. There is likely no single person on this site who cares more than he. Oh, did I mention he is also the original amp building factory? DIY? You got it! Can't afford a commercial amp but want something that sounds great and is built like a tank? JMT all the way baby! Patron Saint of Head-fi and DIY's everywhere, just check out the DIY forum.
Of course, how can we NOT mention Jude, whose namesake is of the most prized saint of them all. St. Jude is the saint of impossible causes, a wonder worker and our Jude certainly displays some of the great works. When Headwize was having some troubles, issues that seemed would never get resolved, Jude upped this site which turned out to last while Headwize went through continued transitions. In time, Head-fi became THE spot on the web for Headphone information, discussions and new product annoucements. Oh, one more thing...he does it for FREE! Actually, he does it at a financial loss to himself and his company. He gains nothing from hosting this site but the joy of knowing 13000 odd members are gathering frequently, many daily, to read, write and discuss headphones. Head-fiers can frustrate him, give him headaches with their whining, bickering and complaining. But he keeps going, because there are plenty who appreciate this site as much as he does, and as much as I do. This corner of the web is a special spot. I'm glad he realizes it and hopes he keeps it up infinitely. Thanks Jude for all of your time and effort in keeping this place going and making it as great as it is.
There are of course other stories and folks that make this place special. I mean, just consider all of the Head-fi meets! Folks permitting strangers to enter their houses, amidst their gear. Sitting, listening, chatting. TRUST! Incredible trust. Incredible generosity. This is special, people! Read other audio forums, or heck ANY other forum and try to find this type of event as not only frequent but ONGOING! And you know what? These events are expanding all over the world. People are coming together, rooted here, to share their stories of joy regarding all things headphones. People being good people. These stories really ignite the idea inside my head that people are good first. It is innate. I like that, I cherish this knowledge and hope to see it cultivated throughout my life, among myself, my friends and those strangers I meet every day.
I personally have other stories of folks being overly generous.
msjjr, lent me his R10's for a month while he was out of the country. R10's!!! When could I ever hear them and at length no less!!! I would not have, never, not without this generosity. To get to hear the "king" of headphones to be trusted with them, again, I'm at a loss of words to truly and adequately express my thanks.
Or how about Biggie shipping his cables all over Canada to be heard? These are cables he has bought and is waiting to sell. But not until he has helped others listen and determine what is available in high end cables. Biggie and I have also been sharing tubes back and forth for a year or so. We hunt down tubes and then we will swap for a few weeks so that we can both get a taste of what is out there. We have also helped eachother find some super rare tubes and have always shared the info, never hording it, even though sometimes, there will only be 1 pair to get.
Vwap is another great guy. He has shipped me so many things, its insane. He has shipped me some stuff for my wife, only availabe in the US. Then we have the vwap pads which he sent me to review. He makes this and sells them at a very reasonable price, all before the reintroduction of the flats. For most this was the closest they would come to the joy of flats. For many, they still prefer the vwaps for comfort and sound to the flats. We have been involved in countless other transactions and most times I have paid AFTER he has already sent me the goods. Trusting, generous.
carlo, oh my maestrobating master. This guy takes my amp in and makes it sound incredible with his modifications. Of course, that was after he repaired my broken SHA-X for free. He walked me through my first soldering job and we have shared stories now for the better part of two years, stories about our lives and of course audio. He is a good and generous man who doesn't screw folks with enormous modding fees, which would actually be warranted given the level and fidelity of his mods. Nope, he loves to know his work is enjoyed. That is what gives him his rush!
I can't forget grinch, who has shared his music tastes with me, and his music. We have been chatting daily for nearly two years now and I consider him a good friend. I'd welcome him into my home any day. Since talking with him, my music collection has greatly expanded, maybe I should hate him instead of love him. Or at least my wallet should. But then again, what was that motto again? Oh yes..."Welcome to Head-fi, sorry about your wallet!"
Welcome to Head-fi - starting it out right. Sorry about your wallet - always speak the truth, even when it hurts.
The truth is, this place is a special place. Like a family, we fight, we complain. We are never happy, until we realize we have been for a long time. This place is a place where friends are made, where those friendships can flourish and grow. I'm closer to some people here than I am with my friends back home in the "real world" and I'm fine with that. The net is a great new world, bringing folks together like HAM radio has been doing for decades. Now that online friendships are mainstream, I'm glad I'm a part of it and I'm glad that this tiny corner of the net is the way it is, perfect because of its imperfect members. We are all different. Ears, tastes, preferences, backgrounds, beliefs. But we are all the same in our love for headphones and it does seem for our love for eachother. I'm proud to be a member.
What has resulted is a bit more reading of Head-fi, though I have not been posting much.
Yesterday I was starting to feel a bit under the weather and today I stayed home from work. I went to bed around 10 pm last night and was awoken today at Noon, stroke of 12 exactly, by my wife, who was announcing there was a gentleman at the door requesting a COD payment. A small sum for a package from the US. My wife wanted to make sure this was expected and wanted to know how I wanted to pay if at all. I told her to write a cheque. She was nursing at the time and was in an awkward spot, so I rolled out of bed, groggy, sniffly, and went to sign a cheque. I wasn't even really following what was going on at all, just that a box had arrived and I needed to pay UPS.
I hand the cheque to my wife, she returns upstairs about 2 minutes later, box and baby in hand. Before anyone goes off on me for not helping her, I am fairly dizzy today and the baby was resting in a nursing sling, so really her arms were free for the very light box.
So I look at the size of the box and I remember that I am expecting a package from a head-fier. This package is MUCH anticipated, but I was not expecting it until tomorrow at the very earliest.
A fellow head-fier, one of our own, one that I am pleased to call a friend, without ever having met in person, had sent me his BRAND NEW PS-1's!!!
Yes, you read that right. His new PS-1's, opened but never used, had been sent to me to listen to, to burn in, to review. His amp is being built and he felt that they would be loved a whole lot more by me on my head than by him tucked away until his amp arrived.
Emelius, all I can say is thank you. I'm at a true loss of words. I can't honestly say I would have done the same. Lending phones sure, but brand new ones? Heh, that is a tough one. We have only chatted online on irc, we have never met in person. This example of generosity proves that online relationships, platonic or otherwise, are the real deal.
This example is but one of the many I read about every other week on this site. Just recently elnero told me how he is expecting a tube package from Hirsch to test out in his PPX3. So Hirsch decided that since this amp is so great, he would take from his abundant stash, and to those who signed up, ship FRAGILE tubes across North America so they could get a feel for what tube rolling can really do. Some of these tubes are rare and pricey. Unbelievable.
And what about Tuberoller? The vinyl maniac himself. Not only is he generous in real life, his career choices are a prime example, but online he has donated lp's, sent lavish gifts of music to head-fiers and in fact has offered to send a good bunch of folks lp's if they were to buy an analogue rig. What does he gain from this? Nothing but a warm feeling that someone is enjoying what he perceives as the best medium for musical reproduction. He does it for the joy.
Not discounting the wonderful displays by many, I'm targetting the really public ones and the ones I am familiar with.
We have JMT who just last week built an amp for a fellow head-fier who had moved back in with his sick mother. Selling his gear to make it work, JMT took it upon himself to send this good samaritan a little something to make the time go by a easier with what we all love and enjoy here, headphones
It is for this reason that I call JMT the Patron Saint of Head-fi. There is likely no single person on this site who cares more than he. Oh, did I mention he is also the original amp building factory? DIY? You got it! Can't afford a commercial amp but want something that sounds great and is built like a tank? JMT all the way baby! Patron Saint of Head-fi and DIY's everywhere, just check out the DIY forum.Of course, how can we NOT mention Jude, whose namesake is of the most prized saint of them all. St. Jude is the saint of impossible causes, a wonder worker and our Jude certainly displays some of the great works. When Headwize was having some troubles, issues that seemed would never get resolved, Jude upped this site which turned out to last while Headwize went through continued transitions. In time, Head-fi became THE spot on the web for Headphone information, discussions and new product annoucements. Oh, one more thing...he does it for FREE! Actually, he does it at a financial loss to himself and his company. He gains nothing from hosting this site but the joy of knowing 13000 odd members are gathering frequently, many daily, to read, write and discuss headphones. Head-fiers can frustrate him, give him headaches with their whining, bickering and complaining. But he keeps going, because there are plenty who appreciate this site as much as he does, and as much as I do. This corner of the web is a special spot. I'm glad he realizes it and hopes he keeps it up infinitely. Thanks Jude for all of your time and effort in keeping this place going and making it as great as it is.
There are of course other stories and folks that make this place special. I mean, just consider all of the Head-fi meets! Folks permitting strangers to enter their houses, amidst their gear. Sitting, listening, chatting. TRUST! Incredible trust. Incredible generosity. This is special, people! Read other audio forums, or heck ANY other forum and try to find this type of event as not only frequent but ONGOING! And you know what? These events are expanding all over the world. People are coming together, rooted here, to share their stories of joy regarding all things headphones. People being good people. These stories really ignite the idea inside my head that people are good first. It is innate. I like that, I cherish this knowledge and hope to see it cultivated throughout my life, among myself, my friends and those strangers I meet every day.
I personally have other stories of folks being overly generous.
msjjr, lent me his R10's for a month while he was out of the country. R10's!!! When could I ever hear them and at length no less!!! I would not have, never, not without this generosity. To get to hear the "king" of headphones to be trusted with them, again, I'm at a loss of words to truly and adequately express my thanks.
Or how about Biggie shipping his cables all over Canada to be heard? These are cables he has bought and is waiting to sell. But not until he has helped others listen and determine what is available in high end cables. Biggie and I have also been sharing tubes back and forth for a year or so. We hunt down tubes and then we will swap for a few weeks so that we can both get a taste of what is out there. We have also helped eachother find some super rare tubes and have always shared the info, never hording it, even though sometimes, there will only be 1 pair to get.
Vwap is another great guy. He has shipped me so many things, its insane. He has shipped me some stuff for my wife, only availabe in the US. Then we have the vwap pads which he sent me to review. He makes this and sells them at a very reasonable price, all before the reintroduction of the flats. For most this was the closest they would come to the joy of flats. For many, they still prefer the vwaps for comfort and sound to the flats. We have been involved in countless other transactions and most times I have paid AFTER he has already sent me the goods. Trusting, generous.
carlo, oh my maestrobating master. This guy takes my amp in and makes it sound incredible with his modifications. Of course, that was after he repaired my broken SHA-X for free. He walked me through my first soldering job and we have shared stories now for the better part of two years, stories about our lives and of course audio. He is a good and generous man who doesn't screw folks with enormous modding fees, which would actually be warranted given the level and fidelity of his mods. Nope, he loves to know his work is enjoyed. That is what gives him his rush!
I can't forget grinch, who has shared his music tastes with me, and his music. We have been chatting daily for nearly two years now and I consider him a good friend. I'd welcome him into my home any day. Since talking with him, my music collection has greatly expanded, maybe I should hate him instead of love him. Or at least my wallet should. But then again, what was that motto again? Oh yes..."Welcome to Head-fi, sorry about your wallet!"
Welcome to Head-fi - starting it out right. Sorry about your wallet - always speak the truth, even when it hurts.
The truth is, this place is a special place. Like a family, we fight, we complain. We are never happy, until we realize we have been for a long time. This place is a place where friends are made, where those friendships can flourish and grow. I'm closer to some people here than I am with my friends back home in the "real world" and I'm fine with that. The net is a great new world, bringing folks together like HAM radio has been doing for decades. Now that online friendships are mainstream, I'm glad I'm a part of it and I'm glad that this tiny corner of the net is the way it is, perfect because of its imperfect members. We are all different. Ears, tastes, preferences, backgrounds, beliefs. But we are all the same in our love for headphones and it does seem for our love for eachother. I'm proud to be a member.
