How To Can someone be trained to be an audiophile?

npxavar

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Being an audiophile can be very perplexing. Lots of false impressions are easily created and the exitement attached to the hobby can make common sense impossible at times.

Having 10+ auditions on 4 different hi-fi stores (I live in a European capital) on different speakers and amps is what has guided me to buy a super bugdet system consisting of Klipsch 4'' woofer speakers and a cheap hybrid amp and 2 years later upgrade to Dali Oberon 3 with Cambridge Audio CXA80. It was evident to me from the beginning that the "decent setup" required a ~500€ pair of speakers with a 1000€+ amplifier. DAC quality is super important too. I am sorry to say it, but the most you can get from youtubers is benign noise. Magazine reviews are more honest than most people believe. There is no replacement for auditions however. And this is probably the reason why people go through so many gear changes. The missing variable from the auditions was the DAC and I have bought 6 different DACs so far in addition to 2 soundcards.
 
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Stuart.W.D

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I like to use magazines to narrow down my choice. YouTube is useful, for example, explaining how the volume dial feels and so on in the hands. The unboxing videos help as you can take a look at the size of the product and see how the device looks in a HiFi setup. As always, the only person's opinion of how speakers, amplifiers, streamers, and Dacs sound is your own.

The objective is to own a hi-fi system that you are happy sitting down too, and enjoying the music. In my opinion, the pastime should never be to focus on the kit rather than on the music.
 

npxavar

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My suggestion is that finding the kit that makes the music sound great can be very perplexing and involve many gear purchases. Spending lots of time on auditions can move you faster to your destination (funds allowing).
 

matthewpianist

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It depends on your view. In mine, whilst it remains an interest in itself, the kit is there to serve the music. I prefer to see myself as a music lover who appreciates it when hi-fi draws the best out of a recording, rather than an audiophile. Kit swapping becomes a rabbit warren when you realise that changes in kit bring different musical experiences, and then chasing the holy grail of audio can take over.

When I look back over the past 15 years, I've been through an outrageous amount of kit, despite sometimes auditioning equipment first. This has included Roksan, Arcam, Rega, Quad, Denon, Spendor, Thorens, Mission, Wharfedale, Cyrus, Creek, Marantz, Cambridge Audio, Monitor Audio, Michell, Naim... Considering I'm by no means a high earner it really is incomprehensible. I've had the Leak components before and sold them, but they brought me the most musical satisfaction which is why I've gone for them again. The JBLs aren't something I would necessarily have even considered in the past, and they don't seem to come up in 'audiophile' discussions, and yet I wouldn't swap them for the Spendor A1s I had. It's a funny world this hi-fi lark, but ultimately you've found your own nirvana when you can sit, relax and feel really involved with your music of choice.
 

AJM1981

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I would not like to put too much weight to it. For an outsider it is as valuable as collecting postage stamps, or nerding around anything expensive. Training is doable if it in someone's personal interest. I favor people who learn to build stuff instead of judging stuff by personal preference.
 
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npxavar

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You are an audiophile because music fidelity is important aspect of there music.
How do you know what fidelity sounds like though? If 99.99% of music listening was on systems that don't exceed the music fidelity of cafeterias, you probably don't know much. More importantly, music fidelity is not enough. Otherwise self-powered monitor speakers would erase the market for entry and mid-level hifi gear. I sold my Marantz PM6006 after living with it for 5 months for a cheap hybrid amp + Valvo NOS valve upgrade. The amp I mostly use now is the Cambridge CXA80 but I go back to the hybrid amp from time to time, because ... (insert valve praise here). Symphonic doesn't sound good on the CXA80 because it misses the explosiveness of crescendos. The hybrid amp has obviously less detail and soundstage but crescendos sound real.
 
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My suggestion is that finding the kit that makes the music sound great can be very perplexing and involve many gear purchases. Spending lots of time on auditions can move you faster to your destination (funds allowing).
Perplexing, no absolutely not. But it can take time to find your ideal sounding system. That's what I like, the chase.

Most of my previous systems have been budget end, but I don't class myself as a audiophile. I'm a music lover first that wants to maximize any hi-fi purchase.

Can you train someone to be a audiophile? No IMHO. There are three types of individuals:

1) Some love music but don't care if it's played on £50 mini system or a 30k set-up.

2)Others seem to be hipsters where they'll spend fortunes just to impress their family and friends.

3) And those who love music and want the best possible system for their budget.

I fall into the latter.
 
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How do you budget for hifi? How do you split your budget between the various components? How do you choose between options? This is what I call perplexing.
Not being funny, check your bank balance and have a figure you need for a individual upgrade or whether you splash out on everything in one go.

General rule of thumb, divide your budget as equally between components the nearest you can. So for example:

If you have a €1000 and you have 3 components, spend €300 on a amp and whatever source and €400 on speakers.

I've never purchased a whole system in one go, I only upgrade one component at a time as and when I can afford to and if I feel the need.
 
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Once you've worked out your maximum budget, go to one or two local dealers and tell them your budget, the sound you're looking to achieve (warm, neutral or bright), usually your room acoustics will dictate the sound: If you have wooden floors and sparsely furnished, look for a smoother or warmer system, but if you have carpets, soft furnishings (anything that can absorb any nasty extreme frequencies), you might want a livelier sounding presentation.

Don't be pressured by any dealer who'll suggest going over your budget. Stand firm.

And don't buy blind from the internet unless you know it works for you and your room acoustics.
 
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npxavar

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What "audiophile training" would include, would be the ability to judge that a 3x€300 combo will force you in a compromise between poor bass and poor mids. And that adding a sub in the future will mean 4x€300 so you'd better improve your available budget before taking a shot at Hi-Fi.
 

podknocker

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I think to become an audiophile, you first need an interest in music and an appreciation of how kit reveals the essence of a recording. If you're not interested in music, you will never be interested enough to listen to music, through good quality kit. You also need to be perceptive and discerning. I have a friend who's not really into music, but will listen to stuff in the car, or on the radio, at average quality. He doesn't understand why I've spent thousands, over the last 21 years on systems and kit. If you like music and realise the effort that goes into many recordings, you have a good idea what message, or emotion this music is trying to convey. If you analyse your favourite tunes, it is rewarding and you get more pleasure from them. You can take this too far though, in my opinion and be fanatical about the technical aspects and the presentation of the music, forgetting about what the music is trying to tell you. It's impossible to explain to people, like my friend, how pricey systems can authentically reproduce music and give you more enjoyment. Some people just have a blind spot for things like this and will never realise how good music can sound. It's horses for courses really, as my friend is an avid gamer, immersed in virtual worlds, pretending he's a soldier. He's in his late forties, a bit younger than me and I cannot relate to his hobby at all. I'm middle aged and don't understand why anyone would do this, especially at his age. I don't play games, but can listen to music all day, sometimes 12 or 13 hours, while I work from my flat.
 

matthewpianist

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When it comes down to the kit itself, it's matching the right components together that makes the difference. You can pay a fortune for exotic components but if there's no synergy they won't sound as good as a well matched more affordable system.

Likewise with matching the system (and especially the speakers) with the listening space, and with the placement of the speakers. Throw the wrong kit into a room and it will never sound good.

Volume is also an important consideration. Some equipment is hopeless at lower volume levels, and if there are limits to how loud you can reasonably play your music, that equipment will be insufficient regardless of price. Similarly, if you are able and have the desire to play music at high volume levels an under-powered amp with speakers which are hard to drive just isn't going to cut it, again irrespective of price.
 

npxavar

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How about a guide on how to attain a relatively even frequency response with something like -12db at 50Hz. Then a reference for a detailed top end and a "defined" low end. Top end and low end extension and quality is the most evident difference of hi-fi kit in comparison to everyday alternatives. People should be encouraged to use tone controls and seek those of the frequency range type because DSP and ideal placement can be non practical. That last part is certainly not associated with the term "audiophile", though.

EDIT: something like -12db at 50Hz after tone controls
 
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AJM1981

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What "audiophile training" would include, would be the ability to judge that a 3x€300 combo will force you in a compromise between poor bass and poor mids. And that adding a sub in the future will mean 4x€300 so you'd better improve your available budget before taking a shot at Hi-Fi.

interesting. And what if it is a 3x300 euro discount deal on a 3x500 euro original price?
 

Gray

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I don't play games, but can listen to music all day, sometimes 12 or 13 hours, while I work from my flat.
I don't play games either.
However, when I listen (properly) to music, I listen. I don't do anything else.

I've read many threads where people are asking for advice on equipment for their 'work' rooms.
This is going to sound controversial, but as far as I'm concerned if someone is listening to music they cannot be working properly - likewise, if they're using their brain to work, then they're not really listening.

Yes, there can be background music on in factories....but that's in places where people don't need to use their brains to do the work - and the music / playback equipment doesn't deserve proper hearing anyway.

I'm not really sure how to define an Audiophile - but I'm fairly sure that, like me, they wouldn't be a fan of background music.....listen or off, that's my rule.
 

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