Quote:
Originally Posted by kwkarth /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Everybody! What's not to like?
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This is so true! I've been to about 20 Head-Fi meets and have met a lot of outstanding people. I used to keep track of how many meets I've attended, but I've lost track.
I don't even listen to music at meets anymore. I picked that up from jpelg, I think. In the old days when I attended my first ever Head-Fi meet at Grado Labs in Brooklyn, Jimmy and Tom (bozebuttons) and several other "regulars" of the semi-annual (or more frequent) NYC meets were mostly just standing around and chatting.
I didn't quite "get it" then because there was so much great gear to listen to and I was quickly ramping up the learning curve in what was then still a new hobby for me. Heck, I even got to listen to the HE90's for the first time (the pair that Tom got on eBay for about $2,600, believe it or not... I was the only other bidder... how times have changed).
So I wasn't about to spend the entire afternoon chatting with people I had just met when I could be digging on some gear I had just met! But I'll bet I spent at least half of that afternoon chatting. Then I chatted for more like 75% of the time at the next meet I attended, then 90% of the time at the next one...
To me, that's what it's all about. It was fun to see that someone had resurrected this thread today, and then Kevin's post (above) really hit the nail on the head for me. I've met a ton of great people through Head-Fi, even Kevin himself and his lovely wife, when I was in Portland last summer!
We all share a passion for music and sound reproduction, but also have such separate stories to tell about our lives. As odd as it may seem to members here who haven't yet made it to a Head-Fi meet, it really is more about the people than the gear. Jimmy and Tom and the "regulars" from the NYC circle had it right. It just took me a while to figure that part out.
As I reflect on it now, Head-Fi and its people has become an integral part of my life. Living overseas as I do, it has helped to keep me in touch with a lot of what is happening back home in the States. I've often used Head-Fi meets as an excuse to travel, or I'll build a meet into a trip that I needed to make for other reasons.
When I'm in South Florida, I'll almost always spend some time with one or more of my Head-Fi pals. When I'm passing through Montana, I'll spend a night or two at Todd's or will visit the guys at Headroom. When I'm passing through Colorado, I'll stop by to see Mikhail. When I'm in New York, I'll stay with Aaron and Telica. I can't wait to get to Detroit to scare the crap out of Jude with an Atom ride!
It's a great place, Head-Fi, is. But that has much more to do with the quality of the people, in my estimation, than the quality of the gear or the discussions. I'm actually tempted to start a similar thread, only it would be: "Head-Fiers whom I'm glad I've met!" The list would be long...
