I've never been banned on Head-Fi, and yet I still love this site, hmmm?
I'm not so sure that people are different over here, it's more that they're allowed to be who they really are over here without the censorship and childproofing. I still like Head-Fi, but this is where you can be an adult and say the shit that's been on your mind for better or worse.
I think if you gave it half a chance you'd find that people are actually more genuine here than there, and most of them are great people. I have more fun with this crowd than I've had in this hobby in a long time. Yeah some people like to spar a bit, but it's harmless.