Griffin Silver

Griffin Silver

@Listener

I’ve been calling myself “Listener” in the audio space for a while now, but I wager the name fit long before I ever needed an audiophile-tinged pseudonym online. As I've said often: Music is a lifelong friend.

Our relationship began in the car with my mother, listening to her sing along to The Beatles. I credit my ear for music largely to her, both in her musical taste as well as the way she interacted with it. She always seemed to prefer harmonizing with the vocals of songs we listened to, instead of just singing the main melody, and I became accustomed to hearing the way she processed it all at an early enough age that it was forever imprinted on all subsequent interactions with music: Listen, understand, react, and listen.

My experiences with music became more personal around 9-10 years old, through a pair of wired earbuds out of a pre-iPod MP3 player with room for about 30 or 40 songs. I loaded it up...and listened constantly. At home, on car trips, and on the bus to/from school, I was hooked on the feeling I got from being ensconced in the separated space-time bubble that music could always put me in regardless of where or when I actually was.

Fast forward to 11 years old, and my sister (whom I credit equally with my upbringing along with my mother and father) started to get into music, both as a serious listener and as a guitarist. Her being musical was a massive boon for me, and her enthusiasm for new music rubbed off on me just as the guitar did.

By age 13 or 14, I was a goner. Radiohead was now my favorite band, I was starting to write and record my own songs, and there was nothing in my world that was even close to as important as music was. Constantly being online looking for new music, guitars, amps, pedals, microphones, anything, led me to forums, publications, and imageboards wherein I was first exposed to, among other things, headphones other than those that came free with an MP3 player. At this time, my thoughts while listening began to change from “I like what I’m listening to!” to “Why do I like what I’m listening to?”

The answer was a resounding “I have no idea, but I wanna hear more.”

Along the quest to hear more, I happened upon InnerFidelity and Tyll Hertsens. We now collectively recognize Tyll as being the preliminary resource for headphone enthusiasts at the time, and he was my first legitimate contact point with this hobby (& I wager I’m not the only one). He’d reviewed ATH-M50, which I had already owned and enjoyed, and had even more recommendations further up in price, as well as for different form-factors. Having never tried IEMs before, I decided to try the Etymotic ER4p...

And this is when the reproduction of music itself became one of the foremost emotional, intellectual, and communal pursuits of my entire life. These earphones revealed a level of texture, micro-detail, and intimacy that I'd never been exposed to prior. This is when I became an audiophile.


In the time since, I’ve spent my life with almost equal time in carefully monitoring music’s creation, playing multiple instruments, and “listening, understanding, reacting, listening” to any piece of music I came across. I was doing so with a pair of earphones exceptionally capable of providing honesty, clarity, and nuance thanks to Tyll, as well as a few other headphones along the way too... until 2020, when I’d realized that I never even scratched the surface.

From 2020 onward has been a heck of a ride. I’ve learned and unlearned more things than I can name, I’ve tried more headphones than I ever thought I would, and I've written with both friends and personal heroes of mine. Here's to that journey continuing!

Latest posts from Griffin Silver

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HEDDphone Two GT: This Headphone is Underrated

HEDDphone Two GT: This Headphone is Underrated

Most kilobuck headphones opt for vivid colorations at the expense of neutrality, but HEDDphone Two GT is among the most natural-sounding flagship headphones in today's market. But does it balance its neutrality with enough excitement to capture the attention of high-end buyers? Join listener as they break it down.

Moondrop Space Travel 2: Is Excellent Sound Enough?

Moondrop Space Travel 2: Is Excellent Sound Enough?

Wireless has typically been where Moondrop falters, but with the Space Travel 2 it seems they've finally found their footing. Join listener as they explain why they think the Space Travel 2 might be Moondrop's best product to date.

CrinEar Daybreak Review: The New Benchmark?

CrinEar Daybreak Review: The New Benchmark?

Crinacle—the most influential figure in the world of in-ear monitors—returns with the Daybreak: his first widely-available IEM under his own brand CrinEar. But does Daybreak improve enough on the Project META’s faults to become a benchmark at its price?

Moondrop Horizon Review: None More Dark

Moondrop Horizon Review: None More Dark

While Moondrop's newest Horizon sports an attractive design and has a few clever ideas, does it handle the fundamentals well enough to earn its place in the most competitive price bracket in over-ear headphones?

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Audio YouTubers We Love (And Why You Should Too)

Three audio reviewers (Resolve, GoldenSound, and listener) discuss top headphone review channels on YouTube and share their preferred content creators.

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Audio Nerds vs. Audiophile TikTok

DMS and GoldenSound are among most optimistic audiophiles on our team, so we figured it would be funny to subject them to "audiophile" TikTok to see how quickly their optimism turned to despair. Spoiler: It didn't take long.

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Sony's Newest WH1000XM6 LEAKED?!

Listener's here to give you the download on all of the most important things you need to know about what may end up being the new best wireless headphone on the market.

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How To Get THE BEST Headphone Purchase Advice

Listener's here to share how YOU can ensure that you get the best headphone recommendation possible.