# WHERE and WHEN does it all start? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous\ **Created:** [January 10, 2025, 12:37am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914 "2025-01-10T00:37:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thomas\_Roy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/thomas_roy/32/55547_2.png) [@Thomas\_Roy](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Thomas_Roy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 12:37am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/1 "2025-01-10T00:37:15Z")
It sort of started for me, in Guam in late '67 when I was in the USAF. on their typical Sansui receivers and some nice sounding small Pioneer speakers and maybe a Sansui tt, they were playing Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 and I was hooked. ![338098fb-2a20-47d2-b5bd-27595654de57](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/e/f/ef7208a98bca91323838b69fa47c41f0e8586396.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/2 "2025-01-10T00:42:47Z")
I have a Sansui AU-919 in the office. Some nice small EgglestonWorks speakers and I still sometimes listen to Brasil 66. Speaking of USAF my Father in Law was a Lt. Colonel in the 509th ---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_Roy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/thomas_roy/32/55547_2.png) [@Thomas\_Roy](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Thomas_Roy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 12:57am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/3 "2025-01-10T00:57:36Z")
I was in the 863rd Medical Group stationed at Adersen AFB. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 1:17am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/4 "2025-01-10T01:17:40Z")
Kinda far from the Santa Claus trackers at the DEW line. ---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_Roy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/thomas_roy/32/55547_2.png) [@Thomas\_Roy](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Thomas_Roy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 1:46am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/5 "2025-01-10T01:46:54Z")
yeah, it was during the vietnam war, I joined as soon as they said LOTTERY. a lottery on my LIFE? no thank you. being drafted assured you to go to war and all that that means. i didn’t even wait for my lottery number. there were LOTS of B52s there, I was a medic, not a warrior. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 2:04am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/6 "2025-01-10T02:04:02Z")
I’m a bit younger. My lottery number was 003 but the war was winding down and they stopped calling a few months before I would have been called. My FIL was a navigator from B17 through B49. Roswell, Pease. England. Shot down over France, made it back. 2 shacks in one training run, and two entries in project blue book. ---
**Author:** ![pk500](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pk500/32/25083_2.png) [@pk500](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pk500)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 2:06pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/7 "2025-01-10T14:06:03Z")
Thanks for your service. Those wishes are extended to all vets in here! ---
**Author:** ![hottyson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/hottyson/32/25048_2.png) [@hottyson](https://forum.headphones.com/u/hottyson)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/8 "2025-01-11T17:58:54Z")
Entertaining read: ![Operator_Headphones](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/6/e/6e2e4f71bd872048089c1507531345e0f7058a0a.jpeg) Earliest headphones weighed in at a whopping 10lbs. First earbuds in 1891. John Koss creating the path for a headphone jack. > **[When Were Headphones Invented: The Complete History](https://www.headphonesty.com/2021/05/when-were-headphones-invented/)** > > Ever wondered when headphones were invented? Join us as we look back at the complete history of headphones. ---
**Author:** ![ADU](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/adu/32/57501_2.png) [@ADU](https://forum.headphones.com/u/ADU)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/9 "2025-01-11T19:51:33Z")
^ Puts things into perspective. My dad had a ham radio receiver with retro headphones. And I’ve used lower cost earpieces and cheap portable headphones about as long as I can remember, since the 1960’s/70’s, with various portable radios and whatnot. And I always thought the sound quality was pretty miserable. Certainly nothing like listening to speakers in a room. Most only had midrange. And the low and high frequencies were simply ignored. My intro to better sounding headphones began with some Koss portable on-ear headphones from RadioShack. Pretty sure they weren’t neutral. But they had titanium coated drivers, and a more open and detailed sound than the closed headphones I’ve used since. They were very lightly built though, and I was always breaking 'em. And went through quite a few (even though Koss had a lifetime warranty). I don’t think they still offer the models I used back when (e.g. Pro35a). Can’t find any FR info on them, but the KTXPro1 looks somewhat similar in its design and specs to some of the older models I used. > **[KTXPRO1](https://koss.com/products/ktxpro1)** > > Koss KTXPRO1 headphones provide lightweight, adjustable portability with great titanium sound. The KSC75 is also similar in size, and may employ the same or similar titanium drivers. And they don’t measure too badly. Earclips don’t work for me though, because I wear glasses. > **[KSC75](https://koss.com/products/ksc75)** > > Clip the Koss KSC75 headphones comfortably over your ear and let yourself be amazed by the great sound of these high fidelity clip headphones. I’d be curious to see though how something like the Pro35a or KTXPro1 measures. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/10 "2025-01-11T22:10:15Z")
There’s a Koss thread here. Everything from PortaPro through ESP-650 ---
**Author:** ![ADU](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/adu/32/57501_2.png) [@ADU](https://forum.headphones.com/u/ADU)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/11 "2025-01-11T22:52:43Z")
I think the Koss PortaPro, Creative Aurvana Live!, and Senn 6 series (incl. HD 580) were probably starting points for a number of older enthusiasts. I haven’t actually listened to most of these older designs though. Here’s an old article and video by Tyll on the Senns. Step in our time machine and we will go back, back,…yes, _all the way back to the year 2013!_ [https://www.stereophile.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650](https://www.stereophile.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650) [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/9/3/93abc74539352c38ad64ddaead98f75bbf3b2c50.jpeg "Sennheiser HD 580, HD 600, and HD 650 Headphone Review") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Es9S9tXTY) Tyll did tend to favor headphones with good mids btw, which probably helps to explain his preference for sound quality of headphones like the HD600 and Focal Clear. I believe he also admitted to possibly having some hearing loss in this range, which is not unusual for older males. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 3:19am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/12 "2025-01-12T03:19:00Z")
Hmmmm. My first high school headphones were Veritas possibly bought at Rasio Shack. Then Audio-Technica ATH-1, a very early planar. By the time I hit college’72-75, friends had Koss Pro-4AA and ESP-6. I think my next headphones were the STAX SR-5n and finally the original Sennheiser HD-580. I still have all but the Veritas, which was junk with a noisy pot on each cup. ---
**Author:** ![ADU](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/adu/32/57501_2.png) [@ADU](https://forum.headphones.com/u/ADU)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 3:47am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/13 "2025-01-12T03:47:24Z")
Funny you should mention the Pro4AA, as I was just lookin at some of the specs and reviews [here](https://koss.com/products/pro4aa). Koss still offers these (though they were discontinued for a time). And there are some folks who still seem to like em alot. Some say they’re not the most comfortable though. And there’s nothin in the specs about the drivers and magnets. [Tyll](https://www.stereophile.com/writer/15081) measured a couple of these back in the day. And it looks like the [Pro4AAA](https://www.stereophile.com/images/ifmeasure/KossPro4AAA.pdf) (with three “A’s”, unless that’s just a typo) probably measured the best! But with some very inconsistent sealing and LF behavior. So perhaps isolation and retro looks are the Pro4AA’s main selling points now. Koss has another low-cost over-ear headphone with titanium drivers that is open-back though, which I have not tried: the [UR40](https://koss.com/products/ur40). ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/14 "2025-01-12T18:34:03Z")
They are not the most comfortable the pads are weird. They used to be sort of an air cushion Pro 4 AAA is not a typo. It’s a subsequent model ---
**Author:** ![ADU](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/adu/32/57501_2.png) [@ADU](https://forum.headphones.com/u/ADU)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/15 "2025-01-12T21:09:53Z")
Might be interesting to see some new graphs of a few of these older HPs that are still floating around on an HBK 5128 rig. Don’t think I’ve got the cojones to request them though in the official topic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 11:20pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/16 "2025-01-12T23:20:20Z")
Yeah, like I’d send my old Audio Technica’s with the 50 year old flat pads to @Resolve for testing. ---
**Author:** ![Resolve](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/resolve/32/51647_2.png) [@Resolve](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Resolve)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 1:01am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/17 "2025-01-13T01:01:38Z")
They might fall apart at that age hahaha ---
**Author:** ![Klute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Klute](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Klute)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 7:37pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/where-and-when-does-it-all-start/24914/18 "2025-08-17T19:37:22Z")
I got to thinking about this and realized I’ve always been into music in general, always assumed everyone was but now I know better. I started with a walkman and always had a discman in my pocket growing up. My parents 8track was fun. When I could drive that’s where most of my music was focused. I think however that my first taste of hifi was a pair of Sennheisers that was an impulse buy from Newegg back in 03/04. I think it was the hd485 but it was blue. I spent the next 20 years chasing audio as a hobby. Spent 10 years building a home theater system then back to headphones.