[DenverW]

You're going to start another one of @DenverW rants about how Avatar was a shot for shot copy of FernGully The Last Rainforest.

Dont get me started! More like a knock off of dances with wolves. The hd600 with a Bottlehead crack opened the floodgates, along with the koss esp95x.

 

[Mhog55]

My love for rock and roll and wanting to listen to it at the highest levels within my means. Honestly, the first time I ever consumed a pre workout powder and lifted weights with my entry drug - the 99 Classics. The adrenalin was real, best high I've ever had. Look forward to it 4 days a week now.

 

[Lindholdt]

I was a simple speaker guy for many years, but a newborn made me look into headphones. Got the Sundara after a bit of Googling, joined Head-Fi for more info, and the HEKS really got me hooked. Now I'm exploring what there is besides the HiFiMAN sound

 

[pccmeph]

My friend started this by buying a Sennheiser hd650 and let me listen. I had my HD800 for almost 9 years and had no idea what the headphone market offers now. Needless to say this is the only hobby I have left as there is so much to try out!

 

[earmonger]

You young whippersnappers...why in my day...when everything was steam-powered...

Early hi-fi headphone experience was Sennheiser HD414, look 'em up kids, and Sony MDR-V6, and Sony MDR-7506. Then -- after reading about them in Head-Fi -- the Grado SR125 and then SR325. And Shure E3 and E4C for IEMs back in the hard-wired days, followed by many other IEMs. Assorted Sansa DAPs, Fuze (not Fuze+) was best. The SR325 excepted, none of the gateways sounded remotely as a good as the mid-fi stuff I have now.

 

[David A Silva]

I bought Aeon Closed x headphones and a Hip Dac2. This was one of 3 sites I joined and checked out. I was looking at classifieds, and blame my Head Fi compulsion on @ckhirnigs113 who sold me his ZMF African Blackwood Auteur OG. Head Fi fit me like a well worn pair of gloves. All of my serious purchases since were either on the classified’s or recommended by members. Friendly conversations seal the deal. Thanks Head Fi and members!

 

[haasaaroni]

Yup, classifieds section for me too.

Being able to try gear for a while and then sell it to make a step up to new gear was a huge draw. I was using Reverb to sell stuff before , but their fees kept going up.

Then finding out the people I’d sold to/bought from are awesome in real life too (mostly at CanJams) was the icing on the cake

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I bought Aeon Closed x headphones and a Hip Dac2. This was one of 3 sites I joined and checked out. I was looking at classifieds, and blame my Head Fi compulsion on @ckhirnigs113 who sold me his ZMF African Blackwood Auteur OG. Head Fi fit me like a well worn pair of gloves. All of my serious purchases since were either on the classified’s or recommended by members. Friendly conversations seal the deal. Thanks Head Fi and members!

Now I look to you for advice!

 

[David A Silva]

Now I look to you for advice!

 

[buke9]

For me it was the wife asking me to turn the music down a bit for late night listening sessions. At the time the only headphones I had were the Sennheiser HD-280 Pros that I used for doing a bit of recording. So next Google search was better headphones than HD-280 Pros. That led to a pair of HiFiMan HE-400’s with a EF2A amp/Dac for $100 on eBay. Damn did that sound so much better and different. That led me to Head-Fi and then getting a pair of Mr Speakers Alpha Dogs and Local meets. Local meets was my gateway drug. I got to meet others in my new found hobby and the passion they had was infectious. My first meet was in Nashville as it is just a 2 hour drive and there met the guy that made my Alpha Dogs Dan Clark and he also had his new Ether headphones and a Woo Audio WA-5 damn was that awesome sounding for someone that just a few months ago had the HD-280 Pro’s.
That has led to CanJam’s. A totally different drug. The gear is always stellar but the comraderie and friendships I’ve made are definitely worth the price of admission.

 

[preauxtip]

Buying some HD58X on craigslist for $85

 

[firesgt911]

Great thread! I wanted to know how to listen to my vinyl with headphones. Read a ton for a long time and finally decided to say hi. I’ve always loved a good forum and this one has a ton of information.

 

[DP42]

Head-Fi is one of the friendliest forums around, makes you glad that you are part of the headphone hobby. I joined another forum when I was building a 2-channel system, they were pretty dogmatic about things and I didn't feel I really belonged there, so glad I am now focusing on headphones - better sound for the money as well.

 

[Kerry56]

I found that Grado's really weren't my thing, and was about to give up on headphones altogether when I discovered the Creative Aurvana Live!. Oh my.
I've been looking for something that matches their sound quality per dollar value ever since. Yes, I've heard better headphones, and the vast majority of others I've tried have better build quality. But the CAL! is less than $50, and I can still go back to them for listening sessions and be perfectly happy. What a gateway drug they are.

 

[Ufanco]

It was the Phonak 232 that brought out my fondness for potable iem’s and that researching them bought me to headfi. Before that was more into speaker system.