The Audiophile

[JMacMan]

Just in case you're finding the hobby becoming a little, ah, obsessive....lol

A funny, but also sad description, but one I find very true from my interaction with the breed over the years...

Enjoy....

http://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/audiophile.htm

JM

 

[DocG]

Just in case you're finding the hobby becoming a little, ah, obsessive....lol

A funny, but also sad description, but one I find very true from my interaction with the breed over the years...

Enjoy....

http://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/audiophile.htm

JM

Enjoyable read indeed, JMac. I think I'm still on the 'healthy' side 🙂.

Though I don't agree with all his statements.

Because audiophiles don't have the experience or education to understand what matters (the skill of the original recording engineer, the choice of loudspeakers, their placement in a room and the acoustics of that room), audiophiles spend fortunes on the wrong things, which are the high-profit-margin and well advertised items like cables, power conditioners, amplifiers, power cables, connectors, resistors, and just about everything that has almost nothing to do with the quality of reproduced music — but makes loads of money for the people selling these fetishes.

Calling an amplifier a 'fetish', is a bridge too far for me...

 

[Dave_]

He's a photographer!

 

[namefail]

Thank God I'm not an audiophile. Just like a pedophile, the word audiophile is defined as someone with an unhealthy attraction or interest in something; in this case, it's audio equipment, but not music.

After a quick scan of the page and alighting on this I don't think I'll bother reading it. |(

 

[John Duncan]

He's a photographer!

Funny.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

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

 

[Tacty]

and more about it...

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/audiophiles-luring-youngsters-into-boring-conversations-2013110180809

 

[crusaderlord]

Most people have hobbies of some sort and collect items for that hobby, be that a latest fishing rod, car accessories to a new amplifier. There is nothing really wrong with having audophile tendencies as long as you enjoy it and spend within your family budgets to do so. Personally i enjoy reading about new kit and wondering about it. I did have spell a few years back when my NAD system got too old and i spent couple of years buying and upgrading. However i feel this is a means to an end and eventually my current system just sounded so right i simply stopped wanting to hear anything else. Of course new items are tempting, and i may consider the new Arcam irdac to complete my system back to Arcam but it isnt essential. As for cables and things, well i have found them useful for improving the sound, but again i think there is a sweet spot after which the cost outweighs any gains, perceived or real. The important thing is to have fun with your music but also enjoy your system. I personally love walking into the living room and taking a look at my stereo, gives me a sense of pride to be honest as i remember the time i put into getting there, often waiting for discounts and bargains on the way. I am glad though that i reached that point probably 4 years ago where i felt - yes this is it now and i really love what i have.

 

[Frank Harvey]

As I don't own an actual dedicated hi-fi system at the moment, been buying a lot of software, and am continually trying to expand my music collection, I can safely say I'm not an Audiophile.

Having said that, I'm not sure this is a bona fide description, especially when audiophiles are compared to paedophiles. I know the piece was written partly in jest, but that just takes things too far, suggesting they're outcasts, and the lowest of the low in today's society. Many of us would happily pull the trigger on a paedophile...

What do you call people who tinker with their car more than they drive it? Are they classed as social degenerates? Are they frowned upon? Are they ridiculed? You can take many hobbies or pastimes and say the same things about those people, but we don't - so why pick on people who like owning nice equipment and try and get the best out of it, no matter what that entails?

One of the best systems I ever heard was based around some original Quad ESLs and excessively big Musical fFdelity amplification. The whole system was a tweaker's dream - if it could be tweaked or include a tweak, he had it. Knowing the speakers and amplification at the time, I know for a fact that his system wouldn't have sounded the way it did with all the supposed nonsense removed.

 

[alchemist 1]

As I don't own an actual dedicated hi-fi system at the moment, been buying a lot of software, and am continually trying to expand my music collection, I can safely say I'm not an Audiophile.

Having said that, I'm not sure this is a bona fide description, especially when audiophiles are compared to paedophiles. I know the piece was written partly in jest, but that just takes things too far, suggesting they're outcasts, and the lowest of the low in today's society. Many of us would happily pull the trigger on a paedophile...

What do you call people who tinker with their car more than they drive it? Are they classed as social degenerates? Are they frowned upon? Are they ridiculed? You can take many hobbies or pastimes and say the same things about those people, but we don't - so why pick on people who like owning nice equipment and try and get the best out of it, no matter what that entails?

One of the best systems I ever heard was based around some original Quad ESLs and excessively big Musical fFdelity amplification. The whole system was a tweaker's dream - if it could be tweaked or include a tweak, he had it. Knowing the speakers and amplification at the time, I know for a fact that his system wouldn't have sounded the way it did with all the supposed nonsense removed.

Ignore it, You have a whole sweet shop to play with.........🙂

 

[SiUK]

David@FrankHarvey

Well done, David! Exactly right, and well put. I'm a music addict, so music comes first for me, always. But I do enjoy the hobby as well, which seems to annoy the hell out of some people inhabiting the recesses here. Posts like yours (fairminded ones) and others seem to get lost amid the relentless and uncharitable posts bashing anyone that is perceived to be suggesting any measures that are even a fraction beyond what's perceived to be 'good enough and neccessary' for hi-fi. Too many asinine and absurd attempts at reductionism from people who are on a mission to reduce people's experiences to their own miserly notions of what hi-fi should be about. Some people really seem to be hate Hi-Fi and the hobby, and the people that enjoy both. As for thinking it's okay and funny to compare people who are ethusiastic about hi-fi to paedophiles, well that's pretty much an all time low.

I knew I should have left with your post. But I'm finding the incessant bashing home of 'in group' dogma quite aggravating.

 

[Electro]

I am sure if someone poked around the fine details of Mr Rockwell's life they could find something to ridicule and denigrate and I am also sure he would feel that he was being unfairly picked on , after all he is allowed to do what he likes as long as it doesn't break the law .

To call all Audiophiles weirdo's and then directly compare an Audiophile to a Pedophile as he does in this piece I find highly offensive as I am sure many others do too .

I consider myself to be a music lover with slight Audiophile tendencies and if I had any musical talent at all I would also be a musician .

I don't think I will be making a donation to the Ken Rockwell cause |(

 

[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."

 

[John Duncan]

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.

 

[chebby]

It's Ken Rockwell.

 

[John Duncan]

It's Ken Rockwell.

Like I said.

 

[chebby]

It's Ken Rockwell.

Like I said.

Nothing else needed to be said.

 

[namefail]

David@FrankHarvey

Well done, David! Exactly right, and well put. I'm a music addict, so music comes first for me, always. But I do enjoy the hobby as well, which seems to annoy the hell out of some people inhabiting the recesses here. Posts like yours (fairminded ones) and others seem to get lost amid the relentless and uncharitable posts bashing anyone that is perceived to be suggesting any measures that are even a fraction beyond what's perceived to be 'good enough and neccessary' for hi-fi. Too many asinine and absurd attempts at reductionism from people who are on a mission to reduce people's experiences to their own miserly notions of what hi-fi should be about. Some people really seem to be hate Hi-Fi and the hobby, and the people that enjoy both. As for thinking it's okay and funny to compare people who are ethusiastic about hi-fi to paedophiles, well that's pretty much an all time low.

I knew I should have left with your post. But I'm finding the incessant bashing home of 'in group' dogma quite aggravating.

You mention an ""in group"".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvmmOqNZTB8

I 'ate groops!

 

[spiny norman]

even if it's coming over a 3" speaker

Do you have to drag those old blokes in a shed into everything? :rofl:

 

[SiUK]

You mention an ""in group"".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvmmOqNZTB8

I 'ate groops!

:rofl: I have that on DVD, it always cracks me up!

 

[CnoEvil]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/audiophiles-luring-youngsters-into-boring-conversations-2013110180809

 

[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. 😛

 

[steve_1979]

even if it's coming over a 3" speaker

Do you have to drag those old blokes in a shed into everything? :rofl:

Erm?

Riiiiiight. :roll:

 

[John Duncan]

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?

 

[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?

Seems to be popular at the moment.