Hi-fi male dominated?

[Edbo2]

Reading the forums it has become very obvious that few women post. Why does the subject seem to be exclusive to men. Woman have ears and enjoy music but are not hung up on have they the best speakers, DAC or amplifier. My wife just plays and listens to CDs unperturbed on what system they are played on.

 

[MajorFubar]

Most men aren't interested either. The reason why a bigger minority of men are interested in hifi than the minority of women is simply because men and women are different. There, I've said it. I've used the dreaded D word in relation to gender equality. But it's true. Men / women are different. Not better or worse, but different. There's less women 'into' music right across the spectrum from playing it to producing it, the balance is less obvious on the artist / playing side, but hugely so on the production side, of which you could argue HiFi is an extension of.

 

[MrReaper182]

Reading the forums it has become very obvious that few women post. Why does the subject seem to be exclusive to men. Woman have ears and enjoy music but are not hung up on have they the best speakers, DAC or amplifier. My wife just plays and listens to CDs unperturbed on what system they are played on.

Beats me. There are three women who work for what hi-if and I thought that they might come on this forum and talk hi-fi with the people who buy the mag every now and then but I guess they got better things to be doing with there time. It woulkd be nice to get the female perspective on hi-fi.

 

[davedotco]

There are no hi-fi shops on Venus.

 

[MrReaper182]

There are no hi-fi shops on Venus.

There are non on Mars.

 

[eggontoast]

Why does the subject seem to be exclusive to men.

Probably because most women have loads of friends and a decent social life.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Most men aren't interested either. The reason why a bigger minority of men are interested in hifi than the minority of women is simply because men and women are different. There, I've said it. I've used the dreaded D word in relation to gender equality. But it's true. Men / women are different. Not better or worse, but different. There's less women 'into' music right across the spectrum from playing it to producing it, the balance is less obvious on the artist / playing side, but hugely so on the production side, of which you could argue HiFi is an extension of.

"less women into music"?! I don't think so. Women are not as materialistic as men, so don't get as involved in the equipment side of things as we do. Women also don't feel they have to join online forums to prove everyone else wrong. We see quite a cross section of people coming in browsing vinyl, and that includes women of all ages. There's also a number of couples who buy hi-fi (for better sound reproduction), and it's the female of the pair that are more interested in it than the men. Generalise all you like about this subject, but to say women aren't "into it" as much as men is a little shortsighted. Do women drive around in silence, or with their radios on? I don't think I've ever been in a silent female's car...

 

[chebby]

A bunch of men 'explaining' women to each other.

It's too odd.

That's my last toe in this minefield. Good luck.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I try to get my wife interest in what I am doing but she doesn't understand she only looks at it as music playing and that's it as she seems to come a across its boring and half listening to what I am talking about or what I am trying to do . She has her hobbies and I am meant to listen to her about hers but I find hers boring too . But my little girl takes an interest she came with me yesterday to richer sounds to pick up my speakers she loved it at least I have a 6 year old who will listen to me

 

[spiny norman]

I try to get my wife interest in what I am doing but she doesn't understand she only looks at it as music playing and that's it as she seems to come a across its boring and half listening to what I am talking about or what I am trying to do . She has her hobbies and I am meant to listen to her about hers but I find hers boring too . But my little girl takes an interest she came with me yesterday to richer sounds to pick up my speakers she loved it at least I have a 6 year old who will listen to me

Well, I think we're making progress: next session same time next week? ;-)

 

[davedotco]

There are no hi-fi shops on Venus.

There are non on Mars.

But there is life on Mars.

I know, I saw it on TV.

The beautiful creature in my sig is Lucyliu, a princess from the planet Zod.

Mrs DDC is another beautiful creature, from another planet not quite so far away.

None of us bother to pretend that we are the same species, though the princess gets very close, on ocassions.

 

[keeper of the quays]

Just did a test albeit not very scientific? I listened to jamiroquai.."sweet tequila brown" on my hifi loved it! Life affirming song plus very funky tune! Then I put on my girlfriends coat! Listened to it again..wasnt much fussed! Started noticing how untidy my hifi was! Then did the housework.put on beef casserole in slow cooker..and made a list of to do stuff for myself at the weekend? Mmm..is it a woman's coat? I know it sounds absurd..but as soon as I removed coat, I was back to normal again? When all these women were milling around your shop looking at hifi and probably wondering 'That's going to be difficult to keep clean!' Were they wearing coats? Just wondered....

 

[spiny norman]

Just did a test albeit not very scientific? I listened to jamiroquai.."sweet tequila brown" on my hifi loved it! Life affirming song plus very funky tune! Then I put on my girlfriends coat! Listened to it again..wasnt much fussed! Started noticing how untidy my hifi was! Then did the housework.put on beef casserole in slow cooker..and made a list of to do stuff for myself at the weekend? Mmm..is it a woman's coat? I know it sounds absurd..but as soon as I removed coat, I was back to normal again? When all these women were milling around your shop looking at hifi and probably wondering 'That's going to be difficult to keep clean!' Were they wearing coats? Just wondered....

Now try walking a mile in her shoes, and see how you feel.

 

[chelstondave]

Given the large number of wives that keep popping in when we change a bit of hi-fi and say how they have noticed a night and day difference you think it would have piqued their interest

 

[Al ears]

There are no hi-fi shops on Venus.

You mean Richer Sounds hasn't got there yet??

 

[keeper of the quays]

Just did a test albeit not very scientific? I listened to jamiroquai.."sweet tequila brown" on my hifi loved it! Life affirming song plus very funky tune! Then I put on my girlfriends coat! Listened to it again..wasnt much fussed! Started noticing how untidy my hifi was! Then did the housework.put on beef casserole in slow cooker..and made a list of to do stuff for myself at the weekend? Mmm..is it a woman's coat? I know it sounds absurd..but as soon as I removed coat, I was back to normal again? When all these women were milling around your shop looking at hifi and probably wondering 'That's going to be difficult to keep clean!' Were they wearing coats? Just wondered....

Now try walking a mile in her shoes, and see how you feel.

it's called having a laugh?

 

[Vladimir]

Balding middle-aged men in khakis obsessing with electronic appliances in the livingroom, reliving their youth and arguing on forums.

 

[spiny norman]

it's called having a laugh?

I know: hence the sore feet joke. Good use of the ARI, BTW.

 

[MajorFubar]

"less women into music"?! I don't think so. Women are not as materialistic as men, so don't get as involved in the equipment side of things as we do. Women also don't feel they have to join online forums to prove everyone else wrong. We see quite a cross section of people coming in browsing vinyl, and that includes women of all ages. There's also a number of couples who buy hi-fi (for better sound reproduction), and it's the female of the pair that are more interested in it than the men. Generalise all you like about this subject, but to say women aren't "into it" as much as men is a little shortsighted. Do women drive around in silence, or with their radios on? I don't think I've ever been in a silent female's car...

Probably just my poor use of words...you only have to turn up at a boy-band concert to realise women are 'into' music in the sense you describe. But feel free to name me a dozen famous female classical composers, or recording engineers, or conductors, or band leaders. Generally, females aren't into that side of musical creativity, of which HiFi is sort of an off-shoot branch, in a sense that it's a way of expressing your individuality and personal preference on the sound by choosing the final components in the chain that brings recorded music to your ears.

To be fair the latter half of the 20th century saw a comparative explosion in the number of female singer-songwriters who sometimes involved themselves in production as well. My interest leans towards electronic music, and Wendy Carlos was one of the greatest pioneers in electonic music irrespective of gender (but to be fair she did start off life as Walter Carlos). And any conversation about female electronic music pioneers is incomplete without mentioning Delia Derbyshire.

But it's not sexist to suggest or recognise that females commonly aren't as obsessive about HiFi as men. It's just fact.

 

[Excitable Boy]

I don't think I've ever been in a silent female's car...

[/quote]

You might wish to re-phrase that one whenever you are in the Blackpool area!

 

[Gray]

Can you imagine any female coming on here saying she can hear a noticeable difference between digital interconnects?

 

[matthewpiano]

There are many very creative female musicians out there. How many pianists, for example, combine musical integrity and creative programming like Helene Grimaud or Joanna MacGregor? The cream of contemporary musicianship in the classical world has many extraordinary musicians who are female - Janine Jansen, Alison Balsom, Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla, Alina Ibragimova, Julia Fischer, Khatia Buniatishvili. In other genres too, there are plenty including IAMTHEMORNING, and Anne-Marie Helder (Panic Room).

My wife is as obsessed with music as I am and she also hears differences in equipment when it changes (as it frequently has over the years). Quite often when I enter one of my misguided periods with equipment, she will be the one to help me see the light. She just doesn't post on forums about it.

 

[spiny norman]

but then I don't think Sally Gibb or Johann Graham posts here!

 

[keeper of the quays]

it's called having a laugh?

I know: hence the sore feet joke. Good use of the ARI, BTW.

ok..im on google..er? Andean regional initiative? Allotments regeneration imitative? Lol..asia research institute (Korea?) maybe association regionals pour l'lintegration? If none of above? I'm stumped? Sorry I work with wood..i only know a few words but..i repeat them a lot! Lol..

 

[keeper of the quays]

Balding middle-aged men in khakis obsessing with electronic appliances in the livingroom, reliving their youth and arguing on forums. 

oi..i have loads of hair..yes I wear combats mostly coz they have lots of pockets! Lol..arguing? Never..im here to learn..many wise here..reliving my youth? Too late for that! As long as I can have a cup of tea in the morning..im happy.