[Uncle Erik]

I don't know... the kit car is awfully tempting. I've been eyeing the Pembleton. Uses inexpensive Citroen CV2 parts and I want the Moto Guzzi engine. Should be relatively low maintenance. I don't mind wrenching on it - I already have an old car and motorcycle I work on. But this is a roadster and a 3-wheeler can be registered as a motorcycle, so I can get in the HOV lane. Also have had a few fantasies about loading a tent and sleeping bag into it and driving it all over the US and Canada. Mileage is good, too.

Not to derail this thread.

 

[olor1n]

My journey:
 
ibuds (goes without saying) > Radius Atomic Bass (lol) > MS-1i (REVELATION!) > RA-1 ebay clone (revelation mk.II) > Fiio E7 (made me suspect a good DAC may be more important than I thought) > Audio-GD Fun (REVELATION! mk.III and confirmation of what a good DAC can do to a chain) > ATH-M50 (broadened horizon) > HD650 (FULLSTOP).
 
I'm listening to Radiohead's 'Everything In Its Right Place' at the moment. How fitting.

 

[B-Dawk20]

Haha, so many multi revelations and shocks. I really do hope the M50s bring me another surprise coming from its brother from another mother, AD700.
 
Who else equates Head-Fi to the food channel? All look and talk but no touch. So frustratingly addictive heh.

 

[melomaniac]

ah. oohh. indeed.
 
Quote:

I don't know... the kit car is awfully tempting. I've been eyeing the Pembleton. Uses inexpensive Citroen CV2 parts and I want the Moto Guzzi engine.

 
how many headphones would you willingly sell to indulge in this vehicular pleasure, uncle erik? 

 

 

[VALIENTE]

 
Quote:

 
My biggest regret is not getting a full desktop amp earlier. My opinion is that all of the very best headphones need to be amped. There's a few that don't, but not enough very good ones! 

Merry Christmas guys! I would like to repeat tdockweiler's statement. Based on what I've found, many headfiers I assume were not satisfied with even the good headphones because many of them have no full desktop amplifier to pair with-and that included myself. I wish for those new headfiers who will becoming true audiophiles must prepare too for amplifiers-again including myself. 
 
Therefore, I wish we could have excellent desktop amplifiers this Christmas season. I'm waiting for mine this 25th.

Good luck guys! 

 

[B-Dawk20]

By the way, what is this car thing you guys are talking about?

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Care to elaborate lol? Not really following you <_<

Under no circumstances should you try to follow me, friend.
 
Let me put it this way - if you built a speaker rig, chances are that you would buy your source/amp/speakers and persist with that rig for a couple of years. I can only assume that there are some headphone enthusiasts who show that level of discipline, but I suspect that they are very much in the minority. Kids in a candy store.

 

[olor1n]

Quote:

My journey ? One step forward, two steps back.
 
A very wise man once told me that the Clip into a pair of Ms-Pros was as good as it got before you descended into a nightmare world of audiophiliac delusion. I really should have listened - it would have been quicker, cheaper and better for everyone.

 
I'm only starting on this downward descent but I already have a feeling I'll know the truth of these words before the end.

 

[Soymilk]

i had a steelseries headset that wasn't cutting it anymore, the sound quality was terrible. soundstage was surprisingly good on those though, and they were pretty comfy.
 
got a dt770pro80, and built myself a ppa. that was a few years ago, and is still what i use; i recently (just a couple months ago) got an x-fi elite pro to go into my computer instead of using the onboard sound. i also got a hd555 to use at work.
 
for now, i'm probably going to start rebuilding my music collection in flac soon, and from here i've been eyeing the dt880s, then build a tube amp, then from there who knows. i'm interested in trying some denons as well, and some senns like the hd650 or something like that.

 

[tnmike1]

Began with Headroom amp.  Then, amps as follows
 
Xin Macro III V6
Xin Macro IV'
Xin Macro IV LE
Xin Reference
Samuels' Tomahawk
Samuels' Mustang
Samuels' Predator
Meier amps (three but forget their names)
iBasso D10
Portaphile
KICAS Caliente
 
IEMs
Klipsch X10
Triple Fi
Ety4p
Ety M5 (the newer portable, forget the exact nomenclature)
Westone UM3X
Beyer 900 Manufactur
Beyer 800
Grado RS-1 vintage
Grado RS1i
SLeek
 
Maybe more I've forgotten
 
Now, currently have
 
Nano-iBasso T3-Ety 4p as portable
Portaphile-iPod Classic-UM3X as carry=-around
KICAS Caliente--Grado RS1i--iMod with ALO cable for bedside/desktop
 
Don't know how manythousands of dollars this represents, but buying and selling I've spent bottom line about 2K
 
 

 

[Proglover]

Nice topic, some nice stories here
 
mine:
 
I've been a musician (drummer) for 16 years now and loved music for 20 years. Even years ago I always searched for good quality cd's and had trouble getting into albums with really bad sound quality (the music had to be very good then to make up for it, otherwise I'd skip it).
 
For years I was happy with PX-100's, until my cat wrecked the cable. I wanted to get a new pair of them, but went on searching wat's good now. Eventually bought KSC75's and PX100's and heard a very big difference between the two, actually liked the detail the Koss' gave me. From there on, I got into reading on head-fi, was sucked up in this thing within a couple of weeks.
 
Bought DT770/80's as first full size serious cans, blowing my mind. At the same moment bought AKG450's for portable. After hearing them for 30 min. I got behind my pc to write my first post/topic on head-fi. From then on, I got Grado's SR225, my most beloved ones until now, K501's (bought 601 pads), DT231's (just curious) and last week, Audio Technica ESW9's for portable. Today I received my gel pads for the DT770's.
 
Plans in search for full size headphone-nirvana:
- want to try DT880/600 ed.2005's (probably be trading them for my K501's)
- want to at least hear (probably in a store) HD600's and HD650's
- and then, there's a voice in my head that's getting louder: just get yourself on that waiting list for LCD2's, if you don't like them you sell them without losing a buck
- Amps: E9 until now, but slowly getting into the beginning of tubes. Leaning towards Little Dot III as a start
 
Plans in search of portable headphone-nirvana:
- getting rid of the Audio Technica's ESW9, absolutely not my cup of tea
- then immediately buying the Beyers T50, I'm learning that's much more like my cup of tea sound signature wise
- waiting for the E11, using E5/7 until then

 

[VALIENTE]

Quote:

Began with Headroom amp.  Then, amps as follows
 
Xin Macro III V6
Xin Macro IV'
Xin Macro IV LE
Xin Reference
Samuels' Tomahawk
Samuels' Mustang
Samuels' Predator
Meier amps (three but forget their names)
iBasso D10
Portaphile
KICAS Caliente
 

so many amps... it only showed that even amps like headphones were collected, tested, and tried too. The last on the list might be the best of all. 
I only wish I could make short-cut. But I must prepare a big wallet.

 

[Asr]

Because pictures are worth more than a thousand words. Click any pic for a larger version. This isn't everything, just some of the more notable moments in my history.
 
April 2004: joined Head-Fi (found via SharkyForums), pretty much lurked for an entire year
 
May 2004: Massive Attack's Mezzanine bought on CD (inciting the ensuing growth of my CD collection)
 
winter 2005 (forgot which month): AKG K271S acquired
 
March 2006: Little Dot Micro+ & Xin SuperMini-III portable amps acquired
 
April 2006: AKG K701 acquired
 
April 2006: 1st Head-Fi National Meet, which would forever cause another wallet-crushing series of events: traveling to meets around the country
 
June 2006: Audio-Technica AD2000 acquired
 
July 2006: Arcam DiVA CD73, Cayin HA-1A, AKG K701


August 2006: Generic CD/stereo boom-box


August 2006: Cayin HA-1A, Millett Hybrid, Xin SuperMini-III, Little Dot Micro+, HeadAmp AE-1, HeadRoom Total Bithead


August 2006: NAD T533, Arcam DiVA CD73, CEC CD3300, Onkyo CS-V720, Panasonic CT-579V, iAudio U2


August 2006: Signal Cable interconnects (Analog One, Analog Two, Silver Resolution Reference, SilverMini)


August 2006: (left to right) Audio-Technica AD2000, AKG K701, Senn HD600, Beyer 2006 DT880, Audio-Technica A900, Grado SR225, AKG K81DJ, Audio-Technica ES5, Senn PMX 70 Sport


October 2006: Cambridge Audio Azur 640C V2, Arcam DiVA CD73, CEC CD3300, RudiStor NKK-01


November 2006: AKG K701, K601, K501, & K171S


January 2007: Arcam FMJ CD33 acquired


June 2007: HeadAmp GS-X acquired


June 2007: Audio Aero Prima acquired/i>


June 2007: Singlepower Extreme acquired


July 2007: Gilmore Lite LE #3, Eddie Current EC/SS, Heed CanAmp, Arcam FMJ CD33, Audio Aero Prima


July 2007: HeadAmp GS-X, GS-1, & Gilmore Lite LE #3


September 2007: 1st Grado RS-1 acquired


October 2007: Ray Samuels Hornet M, Rockhopper Mini3, HeadAmp AE-2


November 2007: Accuphase DP-500, Arcam FMJ CD33, Gilmore Lite LE #3, two AE-2s, Mini3, Square Wave, EC/SS


December 2007: HeadAmp Pico DAC/amp & Klipsch X10 acquired


December 2007: Pico DAC/amp & AE-2


January 2008: Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II & Harmonic Technology Pro-Silway MKIII RCA ICs acquired


January 2008 vs summer 2006: CD collection size comparison (collection has since grown by more than 8x at least)

 
February 2008: Accuphase DP-500 listed for sale on Audiogon


March 2008: Plinius CD-101 acquired
 
April 2008: Grado HP1000/HP2 re-cabled w/ APureSound V3 XLR acquired


April 2008: 3rd & last Grado RS-1 acquired


May 2008: rare HeadAmp KGSS in silver acquired, kept for only 1 day & sold to help fund a Blue Hawaii SE


June 2008: previously commissioned 4-channel B22/o22 delivered to CanJam 08 (i.e., acquired)
 
June 2008: Plinius CD-101, Bel Canto CD-1, dCS P8i


July 2008: Audio-Technica AD2000, W5000, and W2002 (Elephas')


November 2008: Classe CDP-202 acquired


December 2008: Sony Qualia 010, Stax OII MKI, & Arcam FMJ CD36 acquired


March 2009: Stax SRM-1 MKII acquired


May 2009: HeadAmp Blue Hawaii SE acquired
 
September 2009: Cary Audio 306 SACD Pro acquired


January 2010: BHSE at home w/ Plinius CD-101

 
August 2010: Audeze LCD-2 acquired
 
December 2010: equipment acquisition phase completed. Now deciding what to sell...

 

[VALIENTE]

 
Quote:

Because pictures are worth more than a thousand words. Click any pic for a larger version. This isn't everything, just some of the more notable moments in my history.
 

Is this the real headphone journey that each one of us must complete in our life???

 

[nastynice]

mad vets up in this piece, i'm just a rook
 
I always loved music, my favorite artform.  Had a system w/ tower speakers when I was in 6th grade.  Had beat in my car for sure, sexy ish, no bs.  Then worked at fry's, starting selling home theatre, and realized what a big difference a nasty sound system makes for movies too.  Got me a lil get up in my parents' house, surround sound. 
 
Up to this point I never spent more than $20 on headphones, I'd just base my choice off of what was name brand (sony, panasonic...) and what style it was (in ear, over ear...), then just choose the cheapest one. I even remember thinking to myself when working at frys, who in the hell would spend 3 bills on these freakin shure's or bose's, they're just headphones.  So anyway, I got some $20 panasonics from fry's when I went to visit my cousin in texas, thinking i'll just return them before I come home to cali, that way I dont have to carry headphones when traveling.  My dumbass remembered after 32 days to return em, so I only got store credit (they have 30 day return policy).  I was like, What am i gonna do with this now? 
 
I saw some sennheiser hd238, $110, but they price matched em to $50 for me cuz I pulled up a web page, I was like ef it, I'll get em, use em for my trip home and then return em when I come back home.  I already had $20 in credit, so it was another $30 to me, plus I always wanted to know what is the big deal with headphones costing so much.  Got em, figured they're ok, but then after a while they grew on me.  Its not like they blew me away, but I realized I was just enjoying listening to my music a lot more, and was digging up different albums I haven't heard for years.
 
Wanted to see if I got a good deal for hd238 for $50, which brought me to this site.  That was less than 2 months ago.  Rest is history.  Got beyerdynamics dt235 a little while ago, cuz I realized the open ear hd238's sucks ass for when in public noisey areas, so I wanted closed back.  I'm loving how diff headphones can have such different sounds yet both sound so nice in their own way.  Got M50's on the way since they seem to be a safe bet, plus I noticed their prices rising lately, so even though I didnt wanna spend money on them just yet I went ahead and pulled the trigger, figuring i'll regret it if in a month or two the prices don't come back down.  I'm kinda excited cuz I really have no idea what to expect, just as my $20 panasonics to my hd238 was a jump in a level, I'm thinking these m50's will be another jump up.
 
I'm pretty strapped for cash at this point, but am eyeing some type of amp for my next purchase, maybe in a couple months.  I got a laptop I play music from and at my parents house I play it through my onkyo reciever, and theres a HUGE difference, so I'm hoping a portable amp will allow me to experience this difference anywhere I go.