I have noticed lulls in my enthusiasm for the forum. Mostly it is caused by burn-out on my end. If there is a lull in the market (nothing new coming out) and I don't have money to spend on new gear, then reading through some of the familiar topics gets dry and I have a short attention span, so I just drift.
However, I really enjoy the growing membership. This growing membership not only brings new lifeblood into the hobby but also increases the buying power of the headphiles at large which encourages manufacturers to keep on producing. Yes, it seems most advances have come in the amp department, mainly because amps are easier to make and have a low initial R&D cost as compared to developing drivers, chambers etc. We don't need "special headphone sources" we just need great sources, unless one jumps into the portable arena, then we NEED high-end sources too. Certainly the iPod help push headphones into the mainstream, and the player itself isn't too bad, even the big audio mags think it is more than just decent. So we are seeing innovation in sources, we have been seeing great leaps in amps and still we are seeing slow and steady progress in headphones as well. Though the recent craze of HE90 purchasing shows enthusiasm for "ancient" technology, the recent abundance of GS-1000 threads and the previous HF-1 threads demonstrates that things are happening in the headphone world to keep us happy, and I don't know if for instance, the HF-1's would have ever been released had the membership not continued to increase and the life of Head-fi expand into what it is today.
I do wish folks would use the search button more often, particularly since the new google implementation increases specificity. Yet, as for the younger ages of members decreasing the overall quality of the site, speaking as a moderator, I've had to deal with far more "older" members than I ever had for the younger ones. Usually, if there is a problem with a younger member, one warning does the trick. The older gents seem to think they can do what they want and then back and forth with the multiple warnings until a ban happens. I'll take a younger enthusiastic member over a bitter old cocky member anytime.
I started buying music at the age of 14. I started investing in a music collection seriously, at the age of 16. I jumped into this hobby at the age of 21 with the purchase of a Panasonic Shockwave PCDP and some Grado SR-60's. At the age of 25 I really started to get heavily involved buying the RS-1's and RA-1. From there, well, my profile suggests the sickness has infected my entire body and I doubt I'll ever leave the hobby
I'm 29 now and see more headphone purchases in my future along with a speaker setup in the next 5 years. If I were a manufacturer or even better, a dealer, it is this type of progression I would want to keep my eye out for and rope this customer in pronto! Catch them when they are young, instill a love of music, a respect for quality reproduction and treat them with dignity and the money will flow.
At the heart of all of this I find Head-fi and communities similar to it, though not a single other thus far, comes close for me. Head-fi members keep my enthusiasm high. If I'm in a lull in my desire to read about gear, I can always turn to the music forums. If I don't have the cash to buy music or gear, I can always count on the members lounge to provide that sense of community and connection, i.e., spending time with friends.
The more the merrier I say, as long as the site stays true to its roots, and those roots are a love for music played through headphones.
