I was in the market for a pair of closed back headphones since we were going to move to an open office space. Unfortunately I’m not really capable of wearing headphones apparently so I started investigating IEMs. I bought 3 pairs in my first month, and s shit ton of ear tips, and an Ifi ear buddy, and a nice cable, and a Koss Porta Pro, and now I’m looking at a new dac and amp for at home so I don’t have to connect my E10K which I bring to work and am also considering to replace soon… My girlfriend is starting to get real judgmental with me…
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I was alwas trying to find good headphones, primarily from reddit, but they kind of slacked on the Chi-fi movement. I think I only came across it by chance. I had some bluetooth earbuds that were some crappy no name brand, and I could never find anything recommended by reddit that also had good youtube reviews or amazon scores. For years all I found was Audio Techncia and Sennheiser.
I eventually came across V-Moda and Chi-fi IEMs, and I think my investment will continue to be in Chi-fi, as I’ve really come to enjoy IEMs. I remember seeing the term mentioned somewhere, but currently reddit still doesn’t seem to have caught up, and neither has 4chan honestly. I heard about the AS16s and different KZ headphones, saw a ton of videos and eventually settled on trying the KZ ZSX. I heard about a ton of other things like the Tin and BLON03s, Moondrops, and so on.
I guess when I saw the drastic improvement over what I previously had (Sony WH1000 XM2s) I got addicted to watching review vids on Chi-fi stuff. I’m still skeptical of getting into over-ear headphones though. I’ll stick with my V-Moda M100s for a long time I think.
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The M-100 was one of my earlier purchases too. I still use it a lot. Its strength is in hi-activity mobile use. It’s my workout can. The clamp force is too much for long periods of use, but it does keep them pretty firmly on the head during exercise. The sound isn’t the best in the <$300 range, but is also far from the worst. I’m curious about their upcoming M-200. If that provides a solid upgrade in sound combined with the M-100’s ergonomic features, it will be a very compelling option at the price.
I found that these alternate earpads were a night and day difference for the VModas. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DR57HM8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_qlvAEbNENZQ0J
I had a pair of M100s from Amazon with the stock pass, and I actually bought a pair from eBay that had XL Cushions from a different brand. Comfort and sound jumped up significantly vs both of those. Also opening the band up all the way improves the comfort while still staying on your head.
I was and have been into speakers since I was a teenager back in the 80’s, car stereo, home theater, 2.0 and 2.1 systems of moderate price, to some crazy fun stuff in the vehicles.
Headphones though were new to me and only caught my interest first because of @ZeosPantera. Thank you Zeos for introducing me to yet another money pit of a hobby, at least you encourage us to try and enjoy budget priced items, I own many of your recommendations and actually still enjoy them.
It was following Zeos’ lead here to HifiGuides where I met @M0N and things really got stupid, we have our own musical savant in this community , who’s ears, memory, and experience for all things music related are genuinely a skill, passion, and talent that has very few equals. There are some really smart and talented folks in this and similar communities but M0N’s selfless nature and genuine desire to help folks find what they desire are unmatched by anyone else I have met to date.
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Jk, I was bored and needed a new rabbit hole to dive in
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I needed new speakers for my computer. So i got these:
I couldnt believe how good they sounded. So i got the Elec debut 6.2 speakers. then i started getting into headphones
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A Pink Floyd concert way back in the 70s got me into sound. Been hooked since…
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What got you into this hobby?
Black Sabbath and dope.
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I got into this hobby due in equal parts to a love of music, gaming, and my bad skin (I’ll explain in a minute) I listened to a bunch of music throughout high school using my Bose soundlink 2 wireless headphones. I also gamed a lot using a cheap Logitech headset and then a steel series arctis 3. With all these headphones I had a problem.
(warning, this is a little gross)
I would ofthen get a lot of pimples around and on my ears from the sweat and pads of the headohones. I would also get really bad ones on my ear lobes that where like an infected piercing.
(Grossness over)
This problem sent me on a search for headphones that where cooler for longer periods of time, and preferably had cloth pads of some sort. Through LTT and hardware canucks, I saw the HD6XX and, specifically from hardware canucks, the HD58X. These where something known as “open back” headphones (new concept to me at the time) and had velour pads, so I thought they would work. The HD58X seemed like a good option since hardware canucks mentioned they stayed pretty cool and were great for both music and gaming at a price I was willing to pay. So I got a pair shortly after their launch on MASSDROP (I hate the rebrand so much). About a year later I started college and needed some closed back headphone to use on campus so I got the dt770 250 using the logic that the velour pads would help prevent my problem and Zeos (who I found shortly after getting my HD58X) recommended them. These headphones and a Topping NX4 got me started. Zeos lead to the Tin T2 as my first IEM, which I logically followed with a pair of Fostex TR-X00 PH, which are my favorite thing I have ever owned ever. After this I was thoroughly down the rabbit hole and I don’t regret it.
If I wasn’t so financially responsible and generally lacking speanding money I would probably have at least an Auteur (and maybe a Verite) by now and probably a desktop setup to match.
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I started because music, but stayed because it’s oh-so-rewarding!
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Awesome! Please keep the stories rolling, HFGF!
I started getting into mechanical keyboards, then found Massdrop/Drop, then saw the abundance of “audiophile” headphones, then I watched a Zeos review of one of them, then found him entertaining/hilarious, then subscribed, then started watching his videos daily before work.
I mostly thought it was all bullshit - “There’s no way you can reaaaaaally tell the difference…”
So I bought a SHP9500 and a Schiit Fulla 2 DAC/amp. INSTANTLY heard the difference compared to what I normally listened to. Started hearing crazy shit like singers taking a breath before singing, the hand sliding up/down the guitar, instruments I didn’t even realize were in the song.
Then I realized that this was just “budget” audiophilia. Thus began the rabbit hole.
If I could go back and talk to myself, knowing what I know now and what I like, for music I would buy an SDAC + CTH and a 6XX and call it a day.
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bit of a tldr but my father when I was young was really into audio equipment mainly surround sound systems and guitar. I took a very big interest in it overtime especially instruments which led to me learning acoustic guitar, french horn, trumpet, and cello(strange arrangement yeah I know). For some reason it never had came to mind that I never bothered with real headphones and since I was a gamer, still am to this day, growing up I always just used my gamer headsets for anything music or game related alongside a Marshall crate amp and a pair of cheap ear buds from a gas station. With time, and money, I ended up starting to dive into more expensive headsets only to start being met with people who made claims that I should use headphones instead. took a couple of years but I ended up trying the hyperx lineup that was based off the takstars and audeze mobius as my last “Gaming headset” before running into riceguru on another website leading me to trial the dt 990s, which to be fair… kind of one hell of a way to try my first actual headphone. After that, became an addiction of recent and now have quite the few headphones in my music collection and steadily increasing by the day. Should add throughout the time I had gone to see several concerts. Night Ranger, Shinedown, Skillet, Metallica, Scorpions, etc
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I really got into music when I was about 12. My mother and my aunt were always playing music at home, although very different types. By 13, my friends and I were discovering Led Zeppelin and company. Fast forward 40 years and I am leaving a house and getting back into apartment living. The earth shaking 5.1 system no longer works. The floor standing towers in the living room can’t go past 2, out of 10.
Sold the 5.1 system. Sold the NAD C372 amp and got a receiver for the living room.
By 2014, I started to drift back into Head-Fi.org. Then I went to a local music shop and started buying headphones. Now it is six years and many thousands of dollars later.
2020 is the BEST year, by far, for my collection! It just keeps getting better. 
I am almost done. No, really. I am Serious! Stop laughing…
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA dis is cheaper than drugs!
I cant even tell u all the things I did for drugs! Aint ever had to do that for a headphone uumm ummmm
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That depends on the type of gear AND the type of drugs! 
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My first post…
I grew up around music. Saw KISS w/Cheap Trick in 77 at the LA Forum all three nights when they recorded KISS Alive II. Saw Led Zeppelin same year…all when I was 13. My neighbor was a recording engineer and through him I met Blondie, Talking Heads, Tom Petty and a few others. My best friend during high school lived next door to Dr Demnto and he would let us come over and he would play weird ass records.
In 1979 I got into hardcore punk and am still in the scene. Name a punk band that played in the 80’s and I probably saw them.
Around 1984 I got a job with a adult company and made really good money. Our warehouse was in Chatsworth, CA and was across the street from Sumo Amps, same company that Jason from Schitt started at. I bought a Sumo Polaris, a Counterpoint SA-7 and a pair of Magnepans from an audio shop called Rogersound Labs. I also owned a Nakamichi Dragon and a Thorens TT.
Anyhow, it all went downhill from there… 
I just found this site when researching IEM’s. I own an old pair of HiFiMan RE-0’s and some Tin T2’s…and now and looking at something a little better.
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Great first post! I also grew up in the 70’s and Zeppelin was my favourite band. I am jealous that you got to see them. There has NEVER been a better time to get into headphone gear. Everything is better and cheaper than it’s ever been.
Enjoy!
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