The Audiophile

[steve_1979]

An interesting read.

This is a good quote:

"A music lover will stop what he's doing and stay glued to a favorite piece of music even if it's coming over a 3" speaker or a public-address system, while an audiophile almost never enjoys music, even if played on a $100,000 hi-fi."

A good quote in a 'complete and utter sh-te' sort of way, I suppose.

Well I like it anyway.

You like to think that you're more of a music lover than others on here, hm?

When did I say that?

 

[BenLaw]

An interesting read.

This is a good quote:

"A music lover will stop what he's doing and stay glued to a favorite piece of music even if it's coming over a 3" speaker or a public-address system, while an audiophile almost never enjoys music, even if played on a $100,000 hi-fi."

A good quote in a 'complete and utter sh-te' sort of way, I suppose.

Well I like it anyway.

You like to think that you're more of a music lover than others on here, hm?

When did I say that?

The quote is reverse snobbery isn't it? We've had a poster recently saying 'people actually ENJOY music even though they pay no attention to sound quality' - snobbery. But this is 'I love music so much more than those people who CARE about the equipment they play it on' - reverse snobbery.

 

[John Duncan]

You didn't, I just inferred it from you appreciating complete nonsense from a bloke who doesn't know what he's talking about on any subject.

 

[steve_1979]

You're reading too much into my comment. And no I don't think that I enjoy music more than many of the other forum members here.

Peace man. :cheers:

A music lover will appreciate good music no matter what system it's being played on. They will also be able appreciate the music more when played on a better quality system with better clarity and range because it allows them to hear the music clearer.

An audiophile (someone who loves the equipment more than the music) is likely to struggle to enjoy the music as much because they're too busy obsessing about how the equipment sounds rather than listening to the actual content of the music.

Do I enjoy listening to music on my £14 X-Mini portible 1.5" speaker? Yes absolutely.

Would I spend £2000 on a pair of good quality active speakers? Yes absolutely. But only to make the music sound better. I couldn't give a damn about the actual speakers though they're just a means to an end - the music.

 

[Covenanter]

You're reading too much into my comment. And no I don't think that I enjoy music more than many of the other forum members here.

Peace man. :cheers:

A music lover will appreciate good music no matter what system it's being played on. They will also be able appreciate the music more when played on a better quality system with better clarity and range because it allows them to hear the music clearer.

An audiophile (someone who loves the equipment more than the music) is likely to struggle to enjoy the music as much because they're too busy obsessing about how the equipment sounds rather than listening to the actual content of the music.

Do I enjoy listening to music on my £14 X-Mini portible 1.5" speaker? Yes absolutely.

Would I spend £2000 on a pair of good quality active speakers? Yes absolutely. But only to make the music sound better. I couldn't give a damn about the actual speakers though they're just a means to an end - the music.

Yep I think this is right. According to the Oxford English Dictionary an audiophile is "a devotee of high-fidelity sound reproduction". A lover of music is a "musicophile" which is rather clumsy in my opinion and "music-lover" somewhat nicer. There's nothing wrong with being either of these and I guess it is possible to combine the two. I put myself in the music-lover camp and I'm only interested in equipment to the extent that it gets me closer to the music.

Chris

 

[CnoEvil]

Yep I think this is right. According to the Oxford English Dictionary an audiophile is "a devotee of high-fidelity sound reproduction". A lover of music is a "musicophile" which is rather clumsy in my opinion and "music-lover" somewhat nicer. There's nothing wrong with being either of these and I guess it is possible to combine the two. I put myself in the music-lover camp and I'm only interested in equipment to the extent that it gets me closer to the music.

Chris

IMO. In order to get the music to sound right, it is necessary to have a good knowledge of the equipment. The equipment for me is a means to an end, and not the raison d'être for being into hifi.

I use piano, violin, soprano, acoustic material and spoken voice, to judge the accuracy of a system to real life......and everything I do is trying to narrow the gap.

 

[davedotco]

Having spent much of my life in the music business I have considerable interest in the way recordings are made and, subsequently, played back in the home. I have spoken of this before but I see no contradiction in having this interest as a hobby in its own right.

I love music and play it on my own very modest system and manage to enjoy much of it, but I do not consider it to be remotely 'hi-fi' and I am very much aware that it is quite difficult to listen to some music due to it's limitations. The reproduction is so modest that there is no point 'fiddling' or 'tweaking', so I don't, simple as that.

Some people seem to find this difficult to understand, not sure why but to me it is quite simple, they are separate but related hobbies and I have no problem enjoing both.

 

[fr0g]

Anyone who spends more than a few hundred quid to listen to music is an audiophile.

The comparison to the sick bastards who have a mental disease is stupid and damaging. But I guess funny in the right context, which this isn't.

Everyone on this forum bar the odd querier about Monster Beats is an audiophile.

Everyone on "the other forum" is also an audiophile.

My missus sits and listens to music on her laptop. She watches the TV with the TV speakers. She loves music. She is a music lover.

I can't bear to listen on the laptop. I have one of those cheap speakers Steve does. It's **** and I don't use it.

 

[TrevC]

Summary - speakers & room acoustics matter most. Job done.

:clap:

 

[steve_1979]

Having spent much of my life in the music business I have considerable interest in the way recordings are made and, subsequently, played back in the home. I have spoken of this before but I see no contradiction in having this interest as a hobby in its own right.

I love music and play it on my own very modest system and manage to enjoy much of it, but I do not consider it to be remotely 'hi-fi' and I am very much aware that it is quite difficult to listen to some music due to it's limitations. The reproduction is so modest that there is no point 'fiddling' or 'tweaking', so I don't, simple as that.

Some people seem to find this difficult to understand, not sure why but to me it is quite simple, they are separate but related hobbies and I have no problem enjoing both.

TBH I quite enjoy the equipment side of things too (I'm interested in most things technology related not just hifi). Reading about hifi equipment and listening to it in shops is fun.

With the stuff I buy though, I'm only interested in equipment which will allow me to listen to music as clearly as possible for a price that I can afford. Much of the 'audiophile' equipment doesn't enter into this category IMO.

 

[davedotco]

Having spent much of my life in the music business I have considerable interest in the way recordings are made and, subsequently, played back in the home. I have spoken of this before but I see no contradiction in having this interest as a hobby in its own right.

I love music and play it on my own very modest system and manage to enjoy much of it, but I do not consider it to be remotely 'hi-fi' and I am very much aware that it is quite difficult to listen to some music due to it's limitations. The reproduction is so modest that there is no point 'fiddling' or 'tweaking', so I don't, simple as that.

Some people seem to find this difficult to understand, not sure why but to me it is quite simple, they are separate but related hobbies and I have no problem enjoing both.

TBH I quite enjoy the equipment side of things too (I'm interested in most things technology related not just hifi). Reading about hifi equipment and listening to it in shops is fun.

With the stuff I buy though, I'm only interested in equipment which will allow me to listen to music as clearly as possible for a price that I can afford. Much of the 'audiophile' equipment doesn't enter into this category IMO.

Be careful Steve, comments like that could well find you in the WHF doghouse, right now that is my domain.

 

[CnoEvil]

Be careful Steve, comments like that could well find you in the WHF doghouse, right now that is my domain.

...but that's where the good music is. :cheer:

 

[steve_1979]

I've spent most of the past three years in the WHF doghouse. It's practically my second home.

 

[CnoEvil]

I've spent most of the past three years in the WHF doghouse. It's practically my second home.

You wish.

The doghouse would be a step up! :shifty:

 

[davedotco]

Be careful Steve, comments like that could well find you in the WHF doghouse, right now that is my domain.

...but that's where the good music is. :cheer:

Naturally, I'm in charge.........

 

[CnoEvil]

Be careful Steve, comments like that could well find you in the WHF doghouse, right now that is my domain.

...but that's where the good music is. :cheer:

Naturally, I'm in charge.........

You're certainly bossy enough for leadership! :twisted:

 

[davedotco]

Be careful Steve, comments like that could well find you in the WHF doghouse, right now that is my domain.

...but that's where the good music is. :cheer:

Naturally, I'm in charge.........

You're certainly bossy enough for leadership! :twisted:

You have no idea....... 8)

I promised john that I would be polite and restrained when posting on here, you should bare that in mind.

 

[John Duncan]

I think I missed that meeting.

 

[iQ Speakers]

I promised john that I would be polite and restrained when posting on here, you should bare that in mind.

Must say davedotco I have quite come to enjoy your posts, they seem passionate and knowledgeable even if they do sail close to the wind on occasions.

 

[davedotco]

I think I missed that meeting.

Damn, busted......... :silenced:

Actually I just took on board some of your comments in a fairly contentious thread a couple of months ago.

But 'promising' to be good sounded so much better......

 

[TrevC]

I love the way he asks for donations and drones on about copyright.

 

[spiny norman]

I promised john that I would be polite and restrained when posting on here

He didn't sign you up to 'not acting like you owned the place', then?

 

[davedotco]

I promised john that I would be polite and restrained when posting on here

He didn't sign you up to 'not acting like you owned the place', then?

Nope.

Anyway I am a great believer in meritocracy.

 

[lpv]

He's not even a decent photographer.

... most famous photo blogger? yes

shouldn't be read in absoulute terms

read that for fun? yes

like here - 7 levels of photographers

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/7.htm

where level '0' and bottom level 1 are so popular these days

 

[whiskywheels]

"Audiophiles are non-technical, non-musical kooks who imagine the darnedestly stupid things about audio equipment."

Says it all.