Would you introduce yourself to a stranger you saw wearing hi-fi headphones?
Jan 4, 2007 at 9:07 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 73

Turnaround

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I was coming out of my apt building and saw a guy strutting down the street with massive cans with wires going into a black bag. (Yes, he was kinda strutting.) I recognized the cans as Senn 650s. I would guess that the bag had a headphone amp.

I was going to go up to him and say, "Hey, what's up, guy! Let me see your gear! Whatcha listening through" Then I thought, if I were walking around and some random dude came up to me wanting to look at my business, maybe I'd be annoyed. I know what the Senn 650s sound like anyway.

If you were me, would you have gone up to the guy and introduced yourself???

If you were the guy walking down the street with your full battle gear on, would you mind if a stranger stopped you to ask you about your set-up???
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 9:16 PM Post #3 of 73
some teenybopper gal was hanging near my secret stash of indie and jazz CDs at the NY library yesterday, totally zonking out with some PX200s. i didn't want to dent her groove, so i picked up a copy of "The Best of Pat Benatar" and ran for the hills.
smily_headphones1.gif
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 9:29 PM Post #6 of 73
I'm still trying to understand how something open like the 650 can even be enjoyed outdoors w/out cranking them way up!

I had a similar situation in a Apple store... hooking up my Hornet and UM2's to a iPod when I was getting ready to buy one and some guy was seriously checking out the Hornet... way more than a "what is that" look, more like a "which amp is he using". He didn't say anything to me.

If I was in a store I might but not passing on the street... I don't want to be "that guy"
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Jan 4, 2007 at 9:30 PM Post #7 of 73
My mate Andy says that he was accosted by a stranger askign after his PX100 after I recommended he buy them. He found the experience rather nervous. I wouldnt go out of my way to do anything liek that personally, although if you end up next to someone on a train or bus I suppose its a bit different to crossing the street to get to them.
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 9:41 PM Post #8 of 73
I saw a guy this morning wearing big open cans in the street... I was wearing my SuperFi's, which someone would have to have eagle-eyes to spot. I just smiled and nodded at him.

I personally don't understand wearing open cans outdoors in a noisy environment. Something closed, yes, but open, no.

Closed or IEM's outdoors for me
smily_headphones1.gif


Oh, and yeah, I'd say hello to someone if they looked like a head-fier, but not just in the street... On the train, or waiting in a line... Something like that.
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 9:47 PM Post #9 of 73
I have and I haven't. I think I tend not to if the person in question is wearing the headphones at the time. Other times though, I've actually referred some poeple that already had nice cans to headfi. I dunno, maybe I oughta talk to people more often, but only if I have my cans to, so the connection will quickly be self evident.

Personally, I would like it if other headfiers or headphone geeks asked me about my cans oughta the blue.
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 10:08 PM Post #10 of 73
I would hesitate to approach someone off the street to comment on their gear. Much as I would always love to chat myself, I would guess there's a general nervousness around people "noticing" the thousand dollar portable rig.

On the train, in line, whatever, sure. Not some guy walking around.
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 10:08 PM Post #11 of 73
Last Aug, I ran into a kid (uh..20ish) at the Atlanta airport wearing Grado SR60s (turns out they were his roommate's) waiting for the same plane as I. I had Etys 4Ps, HD580s and a microamp on me at the time. I walked right up to him, and since he seemed the friendly sort, started a "I'll let you listen to mine if you let me listen your yours" type conversation. We actually had our seats changed, and sat together happily switching headphones and downloading each other's CD stash the whole way to FL. Every time 30 Seconds to Mars comes on my ipod, when I have it on shuffle, I think of him.
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 10:16 PM Post #12 of 73
Why introduce myself to the person I'm about to mug?
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 10:19 PM Post #13 of 73
Yes, in most cases I would approach someone wearing headphones of that sort. It is so much more of a statement than wearing buds or IEMs that it seems to invite conversation...
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 10:19 PM Post #14 of 73
Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirosia /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Why introduce myself to the person I'm about to mug?


Haven't you seen L.A. Story? Works like a charm!

"Hi, I'm Bob and I'll be your robber tonight".
 
Jan 4, 2007 at 10:20 PM Post #15 of 73
I've nodded at fellow hi-fi wearers in McDonalds, but I've never troubled them from their listening experience. Ah, forgot to mention that I was wearing my eH150's at the time so I didn't look like such an idiot, just nodding for no reason.
 

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