I am not an Audiophile (and never have been)
- Thread starter blossomchris
- Start date
music fiend
life lusting
Not for me either. Not even with an iFi SPDIF purifier between a Chromecast Audio and a Mytek Brooklyn DAC.
mattgbell
Help the elderly and unwell!
Bloody audiophiles!
music fiend
life lusting
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Ah, I readily admit that I'm no multi-tasker. When I listen to music, as opposed to having it in the background as in my office or kitchen, I become totally immersed in it, with eyes closed.
S'pose it's what is defined as 'listening'
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Indeed, a new piece of kit and especially a new cart. or phono stage can give a familiar piece a very different yet equally enjoyable rendition. Recently, I've been discovering this in spades.
lsinclair
pfm Member
Nor does another car, necessarily - but maybe that's best kept for when someone wants to stir things up with the I am not a Petrolhead (and never have been) thread.
The thread was touching on music , music of the more safe type. Jon Landau called him the future of rock and roll in 1974. The same journalist who wasn't very complimentary about Hendrix and Cream. That puts his taste in context for me.
I'm sure Springsteen will survive me saying his music is a bit bland (how else will it appeal to millions?). Since when does effort in a concert give it any more validity? Friends who saw the early Pistols gigs tell me about how life changing they were for them. It's a bit of each to their own. If you love Bruce Springsteen then good luck to you but his music isn't for me. I prefer a bit of innovation. I'm not so mainstream. How many of his millions are still convinced Born in the USA is about something different to what was intended. Does that make them Invalid fans?
Having by heard him recently on Desert Island discs and having met people I consider more of the future of rock and roll from 1974, Sparks, I know who I would rather have a drink with. I'm not a beer drinker either!
Robert
Tapehead
You really have to define the term audiophile to get anywhere with this topic, and that's still not going to take you very far!
I see two distinct definitions:
- The desire for excellent sound quality. It just needs to sound great. Big, small, expensive, vintage, new, transparent/not, occupying its own room or in the main living room - doesn't matter, it just has to sound excellent.
- As above (mostly) but with an emphasis on peripheral aspects of sound reproduction and engineering, following particular left-field ideologies/trends, and the elevation of certain industry personalities to guru status. These latter factors drive the shape of the system and choices.
To most people I'd say the latter defines the audiophile best, certainly within the past 30 or so years.
To me it's the focus on the minutia that's the real concern and defines the modern audiophile. Often it's a state of mind with no real rational basis. Perhaps the most recent example of this has been the whole MDAC 'thing'.
Perfectly decent bit of kit elevated to cult status because it was was produced by a talented engineer of some note, introducing a raft of tweaks which make either inaudible or incredibly difficult to detect differences. The only way such things can thrive is to mix a little fact with a large amount of religion, and this to me defines the modern audiophile condition.
Some have touched on the cost aspect of hi-fi but care is needed here.
Industries and markets follow life cycles linked to technological development and economics.
Hi-fi as we know it - discrete high performance component parts - has long passed into the decline phase. Investment is but a fraction of that seen in the golden era. Therefore don't expect superlative build for beer money, or any large technological strides. Those days are gone, even with Chinese slave assembly because the investment has largely evaporated. In performance terms however, quality electronics is cheap thanks to the prevalence of mature technology which is great news for the average punter but bad news for premium audiophile brands.
That's capitalism folks, it's lore until you change it (or capitalism itself hits terminal decline since it too has a life cycle), so suck it up
A few years ago now i pretty much left this stuff behind.
There was a golden era of hi-fi were thanks to massive sector investment over three decades, we have a mountain of high quality, premium build equipment just waiting to be refreshed and enjoyed. That's now my playground. You can keep your expensive, audiophile, technologically regurgitated toys, and you can certainly stuff your religion!
I see two distinct definitions:
- The desire for excellent sound quality. It just needs to sound great. Big, small, expensive, vintage, new, transparent/not, occupying its own room or in the main living room - doesn't matter, it just has to sound excellent.
- As above (mostly) but with an emphasis on peripheral aspects of sound reproduction and engineering, following particular left-field ideologies/trends, and the elevation of certain industry personalities to guru status. These latter factors drive the shape of the system and choices.
To most people I'd say the latter defines the audiophile best, certainly within the past 30 or so years.
To me it's the focus on the minutia that's the real concern and defines the modern audiophile. Often it's a state of mind with no real rational basis. Perhaps the most recent example of this has been the whole MDAC 'thing'.
Perfectly decent bit of kit elevated to cult status because it was was produced by a talented engineer of some note, introducing a raft of tweaks which make either inaudible or incredibly difficult to detect differences. The only way such things can thrive is to mix a little fact with a large amount of religion, and this to me defines the modern audiophile condition.
Some have touched on the cost aspect of hi-fi but care is needed here.
Industries and markets follow life cycles linked to technological development and economics.
Hi-fi as we know it - discrete high performance component parts - has long passed into the decline phase. Investment is but a fraction of that seen in the golden era. Therefore don't expect superlative build for beer money, or any large technological strides. Those days are gone, even with Chinese slave assembly because the investment has largely evaporated. In performance terms however, quality electronics is cheap thanks to the prevalence of mature technology which is great news for the average punter but bad news for premium audiophile brands.
That's capitalism folks, it's lore until you change it (or capitalism itself hits terminal decline since it too has a life cycle), so suck it up
A few years ago now i pretty much left this stuff behind.
There was a golden era of hi-fi were thanks to massive sector investment over three decades, we have a mountain of high quality, premium build equipment just waiting to be refreshed and enjoyed. That's now my playground. You can keep your expensive, audiophile, technologically regurgitated toys, and you can certainly stuff your religion!
Lee T
pfm Member
30 years and counting
My ex audiophile bit is spot on, I have experienced pretty much everything audio & hifi & settled on my current way of thinking due to my own experiences.
It's why the audio business works, we all enjoy different things, searching for that sound we want. I imagine everyone here has covered all bases.
I think maybe I need to start pointing out when my tongue is fixed firmly in my cheek to prevent further confusion.
The only reason I get through so much kit is that I'm from a younger generation that missed all the best stuff from the peak era, which means I have some catching up to do to hear it all. That's my excuse anyway!
I could just settle for something new - a new amp and a new pair of speakers I guess, but to be honest none of it interests me, as nice as some of it looks it still all has the hint of designed for landfill about it, and to last about 3 years.
I would consider something new that has been developed from an old original design, especially speaker wise, but this is where the big money comes into I think. You can pick up a pair of the latest 5 star reviewed MDF wonders for about £2-300, where as something like a Spendor or Harbeth monitor with years of heritage behind it will set you back 4/5x that, and rightly so.
I could just settle for something new - a new amp and a new pair of speakers I guess, but to be honest none of it interests me, as nice as some of it looks it still all has the hint of designed for landfill about it, and to last about 3 years.
I would consider something new that has been developed from an old original design, especially speaker wise, but this is where the big money comes into I think. You can pick up a pair of the latest 5 star reviewed MDF wonders for about £2-300, where as something like a Spendor or Harbeth monitor with years of heritage behind it will set you back 4/5x that, and rightly so.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
I must admit, I had the same feeling as Mike 42; must be the way you come across , Ragaman !
I disagree about the number of us who've experienced most aspects of hifi, as I certainly can't claim that, despite 50+ years of highish and lowish end stuff.
In analogue, I've not experienced direct drive decks (but had the rest)
In speakers, I've not had big folded horns (don't fancy t'others, though) or ribbons.
I haven't heard a stone bodied Koetsu.
Luckily (I think), all this intangible digital stuff passes me by.
I disagree about the number of us who've experienced most aspects of hifi, as I certainly can't claim that, despite 50+ years of highish and lowish end stuff.
In analogue, I've not experienced direct drive decks (but had the rest)
In speakers, I've not had big folded horns (don't fancy t'others, though) or ribbons.
I haven't heard a stone bodied Koetsu.
Luckily (I think), all this intangible digital stuff passes me by.
Joe P
Memory Alpha incarnate | mod; Shatner number = 2
I've largely adopted the Robert approach to hi-fi, baring servicing and enhancing vintage kit. Lots of new kit is interesting -- like the BeoLab 90s, for example -- but the prices are completely out of line with what mere mortals can spend to have music in the home.
Joe
Joe
Minio
Kind of Sort of Not really...
It's not a bad sort of ... phile to be.
Music of various sorts can be enjoyed by various means. No need to get hung by the means but I, for one, realise that some sorts of music benefit from more ambitious kit than others.
For example, Led Zeppelin never really worked on AM radio for me but it didn't stop me listening to AM radio or Led Zeppelin on something with more dynamic expression.
Music of various sorts can be enjoyed by various means. No need to get hung by the means but I, for one, realise that some sorts of music benefit from more ambitious kit than others.
For example, Led Zeppelin never really worked on AM radio for me but it didn't stop me listening to AM radio or Led Zeppelin on something with more dynamic expression.
Lee T
pfm Member
Here we go, wondered when this would beginI must admit, I had the same feeling as Mike 42; must be the way you come across , Ragaman !
I disagree about the number of us who've experienced most aspects of hifi, as I certainly can't claim that, despite 50+ years of highish and lowish end stuff.
In analogue, I've not experienced direct drive decks (but had the rest)
In speakers, I've not had big folded horns (don't fancy t'others, though) or ribbons.
I haven't heard a stone bodied Koetsu.
Luckily (I think), all this intangible digital stuff passes me by.
Pity, as I have enjoyed this thread, maybe time to move on before the crowd arrive & give me a hefty shove
Happy new year all, have a drink on me.
James
Lord of the Erg\o/s
An audiophile will also play all their favourite music via this new piece of kit to relish the improvement and marvel at the higher fidelity.
Joe
pfm Member
If you wondered then you must have already had a notion as to how you are perceived .. how you come across ? I mean... if you yourself thought that comments about you would arise?
I am sure that ( having read quite a lot of your posts on here ) quite a number of folk just bite their tongues and,like me, say nothing.
MVV
pfm Member
I'm just interested in listening to music at home. I think I'm a boring old school 'hi-fi buff' and just want to hear what whoever made the record intended me to. I faff about trying to do this with all the compromises of living in a house and paying the bills. It's one of my silly preoccupations. My family indulge me like a toddler. "Oh Dad, have you got another black box? That's nice".
Then you have to balance it against all your other predilections, I don't like ostentation, I like simplicity and enjoy creative solutions etc etc. (You could probably guess someone's hi-fi from a list of five predilections)
I'm a private person and it's a private activity so it suits me. I have no friends who share my interest and I don't want any, I look at lists, read the sleeve notes, daydream; the last thing I want to do is talk to someone.
Then you have to balance it against all your other predilections, I don't like ostentation, I like simplicity and enjoy creative solutions etc etc. (You could probably guess someone's hi-fi from a list of five predilections
)I'm a private person and it's a private activity so it suits me. I have no friends who share my interest and I don't want any, I look at lists, read the sleeve notes, daydream; the last thing I want to do is talk to someone.
You really have to define the term audiophile to get anywhere with this topic, and that's still not going to take you very far!
I see two distinct definitions:
- The desire for excellent sound quality. It just needs to sound great. Big, small, expensive, vintage, new, transparent/not, occupying its own room or in the main living room - doesn't matter, it just has to sound excellent.
- As above (mostly) but with an emphasis on peripheral aspects of sound reproduction and engineering, following particular left-field ideologies/trends, and the elevation of certain industry personalities to guru status. These latter factors drive the shape of the system and choices.
To most people I'd say the latter defines the audiophile best, certainly within the past 30 or so years.
To me it's the focus on the minutia that's the real concern and defines the modern audiophile. Often it's a state of mind with no real rational basis. Perhaps the most recent example of this has been the whole MDAC 'thing'.
Perfectly decent bit of kit elevated to cult status because it was was produced by a talented engineer of some note, introducing a raft of tweaks which make either inaudible or incredibly difficult to detect differences. The only way such things can thrive is to mix a little fact with a large amount of religion, and this to me defines the modern audiophile condition.
Some have touched on the cost aspect of hi-fi but care is needed here.
Industries and markets follow life cycles linked to technological development and economics.
Hi-fi as we know it - discrete high performance component parts - has long passed into the decline phase. Investment is but a fraction of that seen in the golden era. Therefore don't expect superlative build for beer money, or any large technological strides. Those days are gone, even with Chinese slave assembly because the investment has largely evaporated. In performance terms however, quality electronics is cheap thanks to the prevalence of mature technology which is great news for the average punter but bad news for premium audiophile brands.
That's capitalism folks, it's lore until you change it (or capitalism itself hits terminal decline since it too has a life cycle), so suck it up
A few years ago now i pretty much left this stuff behind.
There was a golden era of hi-fi were thanks to massive sector investment over three decades, we have a mountain of high quality, premium build equipment just waiting to be refreshed and enjoyed. That's now my playground. You can keep your expensive, audiophile, technologically regurgitated toys, and you can certainly stuff your religion!
This post made me smile and nod in agreement.