[eam88]

I am also in that age range. I was looking into bose headphones until i stumbled on head-fi. things changed quickly. I now have akg k272hd headphones and i am very happy! I thought i wanted more bass but that was not the case. thanks head-fi, but can i have my wallet back?

 

[TreAdidas]

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[TreAdidas]

For me it was spacial presence that got me into hifi. I was listening to a friend's dad's stereo and was amazed at how it sounded like the band is here in the room. Instantly hooked.

Headphones were an attempt at making high end sound more attainable price wise and well we all see how awesome that ultimately works out. ::rolls eyes::

 

[.coco]

To me, music is a resting place. Life runs fast, and music is the only way to pause.

 

[buddhashenglong]

I think an awareness that things could sound "better" than the way we are currently experiencing is the push that sends many of us spiraling headfirst into audiophile hell. Live shows are a definite reference point for me, and one of the first things I said after getting a pair of RP-21 was that "I felt like I had the Boulder Theater on my head." Awareness of coloration, lack of detail, etc, can be as distracting to the listener as smudges on your hd tv or a sheet over it. On a side note I think every genre of music recorded has its own set of ideal aesthetics that we may not want or be able to understand and appreciate. So don't let your ignorance masquerade as hate.

 

[earthpeople]

For me, it started with car audio. My car's stock system was greatly disappointing after listening to my friend's car, so I upgraded my speakers, added a subwoofer, etc. Then my headphones sounded lacking and I just wanted to listen to my car all the time. So I looked into better headphones/IEMs and now this is where I'm at.

 

[synaesthetic]

I actually discovered the world of "better than crappy" headphones through a very practical concern: I wanted isolation from outside sound. I didn't really care much about absolute sound quality at the time, though I had begun to acquire a greater appreciation of it when I started doing live recordings for a friend's band.

I had become very frustrated with the increasing need to always turn up the volume on my MiniDisc player because the cheap Phillips earbuds I had didn't block ambient noise.

So I did what any smart consumer does when trying to find a new product; I fired up the Internets and started reading reviews. My first "good" pair of headphones/earphones were the venerable Sony MDR-EX71SL listened to out of my Sony N10 MD recorder.

That's where it all started. I haven't really ended (or rather, not so much ended, but am still going) too far from where I was in terms of expense. I'm solidly in the "Team Mid-Fi" and pretty happy staying here, and rapidly closing in on "Team End-of-Upgrade-Path" when I snag ESW9s, AD2000s, build a Millet Max and AMB's new DIY DAC.

I suppose at that point I'll be a card-carrying member of "Team Spends More Money on Music than Audio Gear."

 

[rds]

For me it started when I was around 14 and my brother bought grado 125s and koss porta pros.
They sounded so much better than what I was using. I borrowed the porta pros and I was hooked.
Despite having some high end stuff now, I still enjoy my itouch with shure e3s. No amp or fancy cables, but it fits in my pocket like a pack of gum, allows me to bring a big music library with me and sounds pretty good.

 

[Happy Camper]

The realness of the sound was why. Family played music in our house so I was hearing it live since before I was able to walk. Headphones have always been able to give a detailed sound but thank you hobby for giving us hp amps.

 

[melomaniac]

for me, it started with performing, and for the longest time nobody I knew had decent set-ups at home. we played instruments instead. I assembled a (rather expensive) first stereo by talking a local store into letting me know when they were looking to change out some high-end floor samples. my brother still has that gear, many years later, and enjoys it a lot. for me there were some itinerant years when I had only headphones, but I got back into the habit in the last half decade...

 

[Young Spade]

Video game was the reason for me. I was almost semi-pro in halo 3, so when I go to pick up some headphones, the main choices were either Sennheisers or Astros. I got Senns

And somehow I stumbled onto this site and here I am now.

 

[pyramid6]

For me it was when I was looking for speakers someone said headphones sound good as well. I listen to music sometimes for 16 hours. It is something I can do, when I'm doing other things. For me the jury is still out for headphones, but good speakers sound better.

My gateway drug is the Grado SR-60s. They sound better than most other phones I've used. If the AKG K701s I ordered sound even better, I'm hooked.

 

[mbd2884]

For me is isn't about bragging rights or the pleasure of having a nice pair headphones, speakers, but how much I love the music from them. Its why I think I really do prefer headphones until I afford a better speaker and place where I won't disturb my neighbors (am in apartment).

 

[intoart]

For me, it was listening to an FM broadcast of Pink Floyd live on the King Biscuit Flour Hour through a pair of DIY headphones when I was about 11 or 12. After that, there was no stopping me.

 

[EtherealApril]

A few years ago, I was looking for some "noise cancelling" earphones to wear on the train, which I caught to and from school every day. I discovered Etys and soon bought a pair. Listening to music on my Etys, I was amazed that I could hear so many more details than from my stock earbuds. I re-ripped my music and ditched all of my lossy-compressed files.

I knew that there were greater improvements to be had, so I started looking on the internet, stumbled across this site and it's been a downward spiral ever since

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