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Retrovert
03-07-2015, 07:07
I ended up here looking for info on rebuilding headphones and stayed for the free coffee and doughnuts.

I like phones because of the sound and because I live in an apartment and so can't (well, shouldn't) use speakers at night. When I were a lad, and dinosaurs walked the earth, my father had a pair of Koss HV/1's which I liked, but not having anything to compare them too didn't realize just how good they were. I just liked them better than the speakers. Since then I've bought (as original owner) the Sennheiser HD420 (over the ear) which, when the cord died (special connectors on the end) I replaced with the AKD 240DF, and a few years later then found a cord for the Sennheiser in a junk bin for a dollar which successfully resurrected them. I just picked up a pair of Superex PEP-71 electrostatics from circa 1971 (uses Stax-3 drivers) with the powered driver box from the original owner, which needs to have all of the deteriorated foam removed and the shriveled earpads replaced with something better.

What I find funny about headphones is how everyone I know hates them until they hear the good ones and then they use them all the time. After trying to borrow a pair from me on permanent loan, of course.

I'm also assembling a surround sound setup for music and home theater using vintage separates, including a Harman AVP-2 surround decoder, sound processors (dbx 3BX, Boombox subharmonic restoration, Hughes AK-100 soundstage widener, etc.), my old Heathkit preamp, and small transistor amps. That's way more fun AND sounds better than using a mass-market integrated, and costs about the same. I need to do some major recapping and upgrades on opamps to get it all working, of course, since the electrolytics are long dead and the opamps weren't the best even when new and certainly not compared to the ordinary ones from today. I never could have afforded this stuff when it was new, but now it's quite reasonably priced (some was even free!) since everyone is moving to the latest and greatest highly integrated units.

Anyway, I'm happy to have found AoS.

Macca
03-07-2015, 08:15
I didn't realise there was coffee and doughnuts...

Welcome Retrovert. Please might I ask you to put your first name in the profile section, this is a first name forum. I suppose you can always give a false name but it is still better than calling you Retrovert ;)

Anyway enjoy the forum and please feel free to post some pictures of your set-ups in The Gallery section.

walpurgis
03-07-2015, 08:55
Hello Retrovert. Welcome to AOS.

Plenty of headphone users here, so you'll have company.

Tell us about your tastes in music and if you like tinkering with gear, do post some photos of your projects in the Gallery. We like that sort of stuff.

I'm sure you'll find plenty to interest you here.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

HackneyRF
03-07-2015, 11:13
Welcome mate.

I can understand your preference for headphones in NYC. I'm a former resident on 14th and B and was roundly told off by my neighbour for disturbing the peace one evening! Lovely woman she turned out to be however. Funny that to my knowledge she never told off Mona's bar downstairs at 3am. I wonder why?

Enjoy the forum

Cheers

Loz

The Black Adder
03-07-2015, 11:21
Welcome to AOS, Rertrovert! :) :cool:

Barry
03-07-2015, 15:49
Welcome to AoS 'Retrovert'

Please can you tell us your first name: it make for a more friendly Forum.

Nice introduction by the way. We have several headphone fans here: personally I can't listen to headphones for more than about half an hour, before my ears get hot and I tire of the sound being 'in my head' and of the sound stage moving when I turn my head. But that's just me! I can fully understand why you have to use them.

What sort of music do you like to listen to?

Enjoy the Forum

Regards
Barry

Desmo
03-07-2015, 16:19
Welcome mate.

I can understand your preference for headphones in NYC. I'm a former resident on 14th and B and was roundly told off by my neighbour for disturbing the peace one evening! Lovely woman she turned out to be however. Funny that to my knowledge she never told off Mona's bar downstairs at 3am. I wonder why?

Enjoy the forum

Cheers

Loz

14th and B? you can't have been that far from our place on West 14th, we have an appartment near 7th Avenue, so further to the West. When were you living there? I think Mona's is still there, but a lot has changed over the years.

struth
03-07-2015, 16:55
...and may your doughnuts look like fannies :eyebrows: (old tv fopa on Scottish tv re tv cook fanny craddock) anyhoo.. welcome to AoS whoever you may be. I hope you enjoy the forum and get involved in the discussions. we seem to be gaining in popularity on your side of the pond.

Eagle owl
05-07-2015, 06:45
Hello and welcome Retrovert.

Geoff. :wave:

HackneyRF
05-07-2015, 11:55
14th and B? you can't have been that far from our place on West 14th, we have an appartment near 7th Avenue, so further to the West. When were you living there? I think Mona's is still there, but a lot has changed over the years.

In 93/94 Graeme. I have been back quite a few times since then. Several close friends there still. Certainly has been gentrified since my time there. Not always for the good. How long have you been there? Sorry Retrovert, didn't mean to hijack your post.