- Joined
- Sep 15, 2014
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Review Index
A Revised Compilation of Reviews
A Little About Myself, And The Reviews
I enjoy writing, mainly writing about audio, and to a lesser extent, my misadventures. If these ramblings are too long-winded, boring, or personal, feel free to skip to the index. I recently decided to take a look at this somewhat neglected section...I copy a link to it on every review but I rarely update it. Anyways, here goes nothing.
I'm on the first train headed to work when I receive a PM from fellow Head-Fi'er @twister6. First thought - I'll be darned. It's not every day you get a message from such a well-known and respected member of the audio community. Positive stuff, but the navigation between the reviews could be better. Very true indeed, especially considering how some of the older reviews are kind of tucked away in the land of forgotten threads. I thank him for the advice and ask for some tips on how to improve the organization of my reviews. He tells me about making a dedicated thread, posting in the head-gear reviews section, amongst other things. Amazingly helpful. Naturally, I thank him again.
I make a small mental note to implement some of these changes when I get back. In the meantime, my M50X (unfortunately, now sold) starts doing some weird stuff with Prelude 1 in C Major (Well Tempered Clavier, Bach) and I remind myself that I really shouldn't be listening to classical with the M50X. Too bad - this is what you get for waking up at 4:30 AM and fumbling in the darkness for the right headphones. Suddenly, a touch of sentimentality hits me. Is the 331 year old composer reaching out to me?
Turn back the clock to two years ago (?) - I'm using some crappy earphones on the train (model I can't remember) and the left earphone suddenly fails. I let a curse out from under my breath. I'm going to need to replace these earphones. I figure I'm going to spend some money and treat myself to something that'll last longer. After work, I head over to a Sony authorized reseller. After all, Sony usually sounds good (and that opinion still hasn't changed to this day). I pick up an older model - the MDREX510LP for about 70 bucks. Earphones out of the box and I'm back on the train again.
I play some Jobim...and instantly I'm somewhere else. I'm hearing all these details that I hadn't known even existed. The dynamics seemed awesome. I remember thinking to myself, "Oh man what an amazing sound. I've been missing out on so much." For the record, I did let a tear or two out. Simply an amazing train ride back home. Afterwards, I started watching Head-Fi, and after a while finally mustered the courage to create an account (didn't know much about forums or etiquette at the time...all seemed very intimidating). Ask for some help before making my next, and probably unexpected purchase in the form of the ATH-IM02. It was simply a great earphone and I wanted to impart some of this to the community. And that's how it all started.
Throughout the course of this journey, I've learnt a lot through the reviewing process. I've learnt a lot from fellow head-fiers and from the companies I've coordinated with. There were mistakes to be had and miscommunications that were rather unfortunate. But at the end of the day, I've not regretted it a single bit. It's been a great journey honestly, and I look forward to where it'll take me. Cheers, and welcome to Head-Fi.
TL;DR: As you scroll through these reviews, I hope you're able to enjoy them as much as I did writing them. I've always tried to capture the sense of magic associated with listening to good gear, and I hope at least part of this comes through in my writing.
Disclaimer
I've finally figured out a decent disclaimer to include for all these reviews. Throughout the course of the reviewing journey, I've never been paid for any reviews, nor have I earned money off of my equipment. I'm not a paid affiliate or employee of any audio company, distributor, or derivative thereof. Sometimes I receive samples, other times I receive loan units. All photos were taken by me, through my trust D700 (unless otherwise stated). I've recently started some videos too. At any rate, I'd really appreciate a heads up if you'd like to use the media. It really clears up any miscommunication that could arise.
If you've any questions regarding my reviews, do feel free to contact me via PM at any time. Last but not least, a big thank you to the people who have supported me on this journey and a shoutout to @thatBeatsguyand to the Lab where everything goes! Favorite thread? - TH-900, by far.