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Women have ears too don’t they?

Old Shatterhand said:
@Roman Akert : Woman can be as crazy as man about "stuff". For example I'm not really into hand bags, shoes, make up jewelry, but there are so many woman out there how are able to tell you as much information about such things as men can do about technical stuff like hifi or road racing bikes (I know that scene too) BTW: MTB rider aren't as snobby about "unofficial rules" but they are also very nerdy when it comes to specs, parts and so on.
Interestingly I have recognized more than once that road bikers are also into hifi and vice versa.
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I am sure you are correct but I do not know any women that know about hifi in the conventional sense. None.

But they no doubt know about good music and sound (and how to not take it too far).
 
@ Roman Akert: Another examples: Horses, that is the equivalent for hifi or road bikes. Don't even mention decoration.
 
Either women aren't interested in music or they intuitively understand the law of diminishing returns when it comes to hifi.

Very few are interested in gear for gears sake, though it doesn't mean they can't appreciate a good sound system.
 
Heckyman said:
Either women aren't interested in music or they intuitively understand the law of diminishing returns when it comes to hifi.
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Then these same women should understand the law of diminishing returns on the price of shoes and handbags......... :p

AND - that having having three turntables or four pairs of speakers is no different to 20 pairs of shoes or handbags :D
 
ex brickie said:
Then these same women should understand the law of diminishing returns on the price of shoes and handbags......... :p

AND - that having having three turntables or four pairs of speakers is no different to 20 pairs of shoes or handbags :D
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Tried that argument. Didn’t wash and wasn’t with the uncomfortable silences.
 
I think you are all missing a basic fact.

I’ve been reading “invisible women” and it’s clear that most women just don’t have the time for any hobby because 75% of all the unpaid work in the world is done by women. That includes women who work full time. That work is bringing up the kids, domestic work and looking after elderly parents including the in-laws.

In an equal world I’m sure they would love to sit and build a hifi and enjoy music without a worry in the world like us men. But the truth is that unless you are a white middle aged bloke and middle class, you are disadvantaged. One of those times chaps to look in the mirror.

Paul
 
And what about solvent single women with no children? They’re spending all their time on forums debating about $26k speaker cables? :)
 
My wife plays the piano and the flute and probably has better ears than I do.

Fortunately, if I ask her opinion on any sound quality matter she delivers this using between 3 and 10 words so I feel that my position as the house reviewer is currently secure.
 
My daughter (and The Wife occasionally) go for Irregular Choice shoes - boots.

They are mental.

They both have some Star Wars footwear. The heals on my daughters are light sabres that light up as you walk...

https://www.irregularchoice.com/womens.html

They look dreadfully uncomfortable, but that is missing the point completely.

Wife/Daughter both prefer records to any source, but The Daughter streams, and listens via her iphone frequently.
Daughter can read music and plays a few things badly. She does know how to listen though. We can have conversations about hearing a new sound, or following the strings etc.
We often agree about the music we are listening to, and any faults we hear. She has the sharpest ears of any of my ‘listening chums.’
The Wife hears the whole, and can hear whether it is off or not. (soundstage-wise) Will not tolerate music that she doesn’t understand. We often agree when something ‘doesn’t sound right...’
 
I've often noticed that whichever gender, many non audiophiles seem to not even notice sound quality...

Several times I've had people round and I've put a really good "demo quality" recording on, something where a domestic hi fi can make a good stab at sounding uncannily real like a "girl with guitar" track.. and... not only does no one comment but I get the impression that no ones even noticed that it sounds spectacularly good! if I'd played the same track on a ghetto blaster the reaction would have been identical! Usually the first actual comment on the sound that is made is about 10 mins in someone says "Jez could you turn that down a bit mate?":rolleyes:

Only quantity seems to impress or elicit any response... if if you have really big speakers with 12" woofers they will get immediate comment and if you then put on say some dub reggae or drum n bass etc at an obscene volume and they can feel the bass in their stomachs etc then it may get peer approval as being a super hi fi system!

Transparency, naturalness, imaging, pure clean treble etc etc seem to go completely, utterly unnoticed
 
I obsess more about sound/ HiFi gear than my wife. However she has volunteered the comment (quite a few times) that on some Cds the car audio (speakers) give a very good account of the instruments involved (good resolution or transparency....?) Sometimes its hard to get my wife to listen to music as she usually is not in the mood (but I know she loves music) so sometimes I carefully choose the music so that the songs or music pieces sort of entices her in to listen. When it works she gets really into the music that we end up dancing together in the kitchen usually to Shostakovich Jazz Suite (the waltz as played in the film 'Eyes Wide Shut'), we love it because it has that Eastern European melody of warmth, longing, sex, love, hate. desire, just you name it the piece has it! One thing she has direct talent for picking out the owners of voices. Especially on commercials if a voice of some celebrity is used she will know exactly the person's name, yet I will hear the next door neighbours alarm clock and she will totally not here it; its all very strange....?
 
There’s a minimal level of fidelity required for the human brain to process music without the irritation factor to prohibit it’s enjoyment.

My theory is the conscious thought and memory that the replayed sound isn’t as good as how it could have been or as good as how you once heard it on a better system plays into things somewhat.
 
Roman Akert said:
I am also an avid road race cyclist and participate in sportives etc. - Just as Hifi, a largely (though not exclusively) male dominated pastime. It is ripe with male ego competitiveness and gadget obsession. What brand socks one wears is only the start followed by how many less grammes ones superlight carbon frame weighs compared to last years thus explaining why it was worth to loose £3000 just in re-sale value to justify the new acquisition. It just goes on. - If you have difficulty to believe this just watch a few YouTube videos on the subject.

Now, women do participate, in far smaller numbers. The difference is that most don't give a hoot about the latest and greatest. Yes, they want quality, just as the men but are far more switched on about value for money than us (men). It doesn't have to be blingy, super expensive or taken to a level only Pro's could really appreciate. Practicality is probably the key word, in other words, they are able and willing to make a compromise somewhere along the subject.

I think Hifi is a good comparison. For many women do not want a lounge that resembles either an anechoic chamber or metal scrap yard. They are not prepared to spend so much that something else suffers. They too appreciate quality music but it has to fit in, aesthetically and financially.

We, males, take it often to the extreme, as with everything that involves tech.

Hifi Shows are a good example. 98% middle aged men with some disposable income, lusting after things we/they can't really afford (probably).

A few women dragged along wondering what all the fuss (and extortionate prices) are all about.

I am of course generalising and there are (a very few) exceptions. It's also only one (ageing's) blokes opinion and I would love to hear from more female Hifi fans. With the drive to more integrated and subjectively better looking modern solution's that may or may not happen. I hope it will.
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Sportives are not races. Not even close. Just sayin like.
 
Paul S said:
I think you are all missing a basic fact.

I’ve been reading “invisible women” and it’s clear that most women just don’t have the time for any hobby because 75% of all the unpaid work in the world is done by women. That includes women who work full time. That work is bringing up the kids, domestic work and looking after elderly parents including the in-laws.

In an equal world I’m sure they would love to sit and build a hifi and enjoy music without a worry in the world like us men. But the truth is that unless you are a white middle aged bloke and middle class, you are disadvantaged. One of those times chaps to look in the mirror.
.
Paul
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Women tend to abandon making music soon after starting a family.

A woman who'd been a significant part of some local bands during the 80s died recently. I loved her bass playing in particular, yet compared to the men she played with she was hardly rated. When the drummer died last year he was widely mourned amongst the community and got a well attended remembrance. He’d had a long career. In contrast, Mary’s death went almost unnoticed.
 
Roman Akert said:
I am also an avid road race cyclist and participate in sportives etc. - Just as Hifi, a largely (though not exclusively) male dominated pastime. It is ripe with male ego competitiveness and gadget obsession. What brand socks one wears is only the start followed by how many less grammes ones superlight carbon frame weighs compared to last years thus explaining why it was worth to loose £3000 just in re-sale value to justify the new acquisition. It just goes on. - If you have difficulty to believe this just watch a few YouTube videos on the subject.

Now, women do participate, in far smaller numbers. The difference is that most don't give a hoot about the latest and greatest. Yes, they want quality, just as the men but are far more switched on about value for money than us (men). It doesn't have to be blingy, super expensive or taken to a level only Pro's could really appreciate. Practicality is probably the key word, in other words, they are able and willing to make a compromise somewhere along the subject.

I think Hifi is a good comparison. For many women do not want a lounge that resembles either an anechoic chamber or metal scrap yard. They are not prepared to spend so much that something else suffers. They too appreciate quality music but it has to fit in, aesthetically and financially.

We, males, take it often to the extreme, as with everything that involves tech.

Hifi Shows are a good example. 98% middle aged men with some disposable income, lusting after things we/they can't really afford (probably).

A few women dragged along wondering what all the fuss (and extortionate prices) are all about.

I am of course generalising and there are (a very few) exceptions. It's also only one (ageing's) blokes opinion and I would love to hear from more female Hifi fans. With the drive to more integrated and subjectively better looking modern solution's that may or may not happen. I hope it will.
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Sportives are not races;)
 
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