Which headphone/amp/DAC got you into this nonsense?

Discussion in 'General Audio Discussion' started by rhythmdevils, Aug 11, 2022.

  1. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    Sennheiser PX100
     
  2. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    DT770 Pro
    Headroom Micro Amp and DAC

    Still have them, 15+ years later…
     
  3. Greg121986

    Greg121986 Almost "Made"

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    Sennheiser HD595, Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1, then Audio-GD NFB-12 shortly after. Had to check back to emails from 2010 to remember the Maverick. Haven’t seen or heard anything about that company in a decade. Apparently they are still a thing?
     
  4. Climber

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    Things really didn't take off for me until 2012 when I got my first HD650 and a NuForce Icon HDP. Fairly constant rate of churn since then, though some pieces have stuck around vastly longer than others.

    Technically the AKG K240M Anniversary were my first real headphones in 1997. But high impedance studio cans never sounded great out of a cheap/mid-fi receiver and certainly not the Philips portable CD player I had. So I didn't really get a taste of what it all could be until 2003, I think, with a pair of Grado SR225 followed shortly by Etymotic ER4S and a HeadRoom Supreme amplifier. (Bought on eBay as a package with a Kimber 3.5-to-RCAs that I still have.)
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2022
  5. khbaur330162

    khbaur330162 Almost "Made"

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    I started out with Koss "The Plugs" and endeavored in making custom molds of my ears for them. I ran them out of an iRiver H320 (what a beast).

    First "hi-fi" equipment was AKG K701 and Meier Audio Corda Headfive. I wasn't fully happy, sold both. Things didn't get real for me until I got a pair of modded Sony CD3000's.
     
  6. jacq

    jacq Top 3 poster - friend

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    Started with the HD25-1 + Topping TP30 with some bookshelf speakers. It went downhill since, then I went to grad school and sold off a lot of stuff except my SR007 Mk1 which I still have. I recently bought some Letshouer S12's so we'll see if I decide to go down the rabbit hole again.
     
  7. Entropy

    Entropy Facebook Friend

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    First (and current) headphone chain. Hifiman ananda, Ifi zendac v1.
     
  8. sealand1

    sealand1 Almost "Made"

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    px100 for headphone
    a clone proac 1sc + tripath amp for speaker
     
  9. svperstar

    svperstar Acquaintance

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    I picked up a pair of Sennheiser 457s at CompUSA(remember them?) in 2003 because I recognized the name Sennheiser from some article about "crazy expensive headphones" I read in the late 1990s.

    Googled the 457 to see if they were any good and kinda regretted not getting the 497s they had in stock because people said they were a substantial upgrade. Googling Sennheiser led me to HeadFi which I lurked for about a year before creating an account. No DAC or amp. Just my Audigy 2 ZS

    Decided my next pair would be the Sennheiser 595s and saved up as a broke college student and finally got them, was not convinced I needed an amp or a DAC.

    My first amp was a Pocket Amp V2
    http://electric-avenues.com/

    Not sure it counts as a DAC but I read the EMU0404 was way higher quality then the Audigy 2 ZS for music so I picked one up, ran both cards in my PC at the same time and the Audigy 2 ZS was connected to the EMU0404 via SPDIF. That was the first source I got specifically because of a headphone forum.
     
  10. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Wow, now that is a name I have not heard in a very long time...
     
  11. svperstar

    svperstar Acquaintance

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    I used to bring my 595s and PAV2 to work with me, the PAV2 worked well but the volume pot scratched when you turned it.

    Eventually I sold my 595s and PAV2 to a friend after I got my HD580s and Gilmore Lite. Wish I held onto it. Fun little thing.
     
  12. Ti_Leo

    Ti_Leo Almost "Made"

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    Well, Philips HP890. On paper, it had bigger drivers and much lower price than those Sennheiser, why not?

    Not until the headband shafts broken into pieces.
     
  13. metalvganime

    metalvganime New

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    First headphone - HD439
    First Amp - JDS O2
    First DAC/AMP - Resonessence Herus+

    This was going back quite a few years before portable audiophile stuff and headphones got super expensive.

    The HD439 lasted me for maybe a good 4 or 5 years before one driver gave out (possible a cable issue).

    The O2 was something that many people who loved measurements talked about back in the day, and there wasn't a ton of SS amps in that price bracket then compared to nowadays. I don't really think its a very good amp anymore though (muddy, dark and lacking resolve) especially now that Schiit SS amps like the Magni are available.

    I know Resonessence doesn't get a lot of love here but at the time, I thought it was a really good piece of gear (FWIW I don't think I'm particularly sensitive to treble) and the form factor was great for convenience.
     
  14. gonz0znog

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  15. WoodyLuvr

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    Well, I am dating myself here...

    Koss Pro4AA Headphones (the ones with the fluid-filled pads) via a Nakamichi 1000 Tri-Tracer Cassette Deck
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2023
  16. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    First headphone - ATH-AD700 those purple ones. Not much later a HD650
    First Amp - Refurbished Burson HA-160D (wasn't the best honestly, lol)
    First DAC - musical fidelity V-DACII with some aftermarket LPS.

    Guess all of that then got the ball rolling :D :D
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2023
  17. Nortonguy

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    Sansui 5000a (still have it)
    Koss pro4aa
    JBL L100 (still have them)

    Since then I've mixed and matched vintage and more modern
     
  18. Armaegis

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    I'm just waiting for someone here to say they started with the original Beyerdynamic DT48...
     
  19. loki993

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    a Fiio E10k and a pair of DT770 Pro 80s.

    Still have both and the Fiio was my work amp for IEMs when I still went into an office.
     
  20. Old Groucho

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    First quality HP, the HD600 in 2003. First HP Amp : Schiit Lyr, 2012.
     

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