What Earns The Title "Audiophile"?

[Romulus]

In regard to Alan Parsons who is an audio engineer, songwriter, musician and record producer admitted in one video he has a very basic small HiFi system to listen to music and that satisfies him completely. Its a little baffling that there are many audiophiles out there who love music and are fastidious to the HiFi equipment used yet there are many who are actively and deeply involved in making music and are not fastidious, pedantic or really concerned how the music reaches the ears. One would think if one is an audio engineer (who in detail mix music etc...) that person would have certain criteria how he would want to listen to music in his or her leisure time, but obviously such an assumption is only an assumption....?

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

there are many who are actively and deeply involved in making music and are not fastidious, pedantic or really concerned how the music reaches the ears

How do you know this, and that the examples you do know of are statistically-significant? I'm not being funny, just curious.

It may just be that someone who spends much of the day listening to analytical monitors doesn't want a busman's holiday in their leisure listening.

 

[DCarmi]

It may just be that someone who spends much of the day listening to analytical monitors doesn't want a busman's holiday in their leisure listening.

You probably have a point. A while ago I read an interview from a reviewer of classical albums (can't remember who, now). He said his personal music system was nothing special because he wanted to enjoy music not listen to it analytically. I suppose it is a bit like chefs, who just cook simple fare at home.

 

[Friesiansam]

You probably have a point. A while ago I read an interview from a reviewer of classical albums (can't remember who, now). He said his personal music system was nothing special because he wanted to enjoy music not listen to it analytically. I suppose it is a bit like chefs, who just cook simple fare at home.

My wife is a retired chef, she has generally cooked simple food at home, always well though.

 

[Witterings]

You probably have a point. A while ago I read an interview from a reviewer of classical albums (can't remember who, now). He said his personal music system was nothing special because he wanted to enjoy music not listen to it analytically. I suppose it is a bit like chefs, who just cook simple fare at home.

I agree with appreciating the music for what it is ... it's nice though with "reasonable" equipment as I sit here eating a microwave burger and whilst not listening out for it all of a sudden my attention's grabbed by the bass line, other times it may be the previously unheard cymbal or the tone of a snare you've not noticed before.

My brother in law is the executive head chef at a certainly country and probably world renowned establishment in his current and previous role and his favourite meal is bangers and mash!

 

[Deleted member 160668]

I consider myself a music lover and an audiophile, in the sense I can be engrossed in either or both.

I've only skimmed this thread so far, but this pretty much sums it up for me.

I've definitely hit the audiophile camp as I've even gone to the stage of installing a dedicated power supply for my system when we had the house recently rewired.

However, I love music (hence the name), and the best reproduction of this is very important to me.

Everyone has different vices... Some people have flashy cars etc. For me personally, I couldn't give a hoot about my car and drive a cheap car I paid £500 for. Even my pushbike (she's called Kylie and she's a beautiful modded Cannondale SuperSix EVO) cost more than my car. I guess it's about where you priorities lie and I would much rather shell out money on an upgrade of XX component, than a new set of rims for my BM or whatever.

I love live music too and attend as many gigs as I can - I want to get as close to the artist is live and is singing to me from within my room type of sound as I possibly can in my home.

I have finally reached the point where there isn't anything I want to change in my system (famous last words I know). My amp is a constant and won't be changing and my speakers are now in end-game territory (for me). It has taken me a lot of years and quite a bit of faff and changing things. However, I am now very happy. When I turn it on it makes me grin wildly every time and get lost in the music. I am not listening to kit, but appreciating music.

So am I an Audiophile? Absolutely. But I am also a music-lover and this is primarily what I am and this has driven my steady upgrades of kit over the years.

 

[davidf]

In regard to Alan Parsons who is an audio engineer, songwriter, musician and record producer admitted in one video he has a very basic small HiFi system to listen to music and that satisfies him completely. Its a little baffling that there are many audiophiles out there who love music and are fastidious to the HiFi equipment used yet there are many who are actively and deeply involved in making music and are not fastidious, pedantic or really concerned how the music reaches the ears. One would think if one is an audio engineer (who in detail mix music etc...) that person would have certain criteria how he would want to listen to music in his or her leisure time, but obviously such an assumption is only an assumption....?

Do music artists (who obviously love music enough to create it themselves) go home and listen to other artists? Or even themselves? And if they do, do they have a great system? Not necessarily, but that doesn’t negate the capabilities of a good system.

 

[Witterings]

Do music artists (who obviously love music enough to create it themselves) go home and listen to other artists? Or even themselves? And if they do, do they have a great system? Not necessarily, but that doesn’t negate the capabilities of a good system.

Personally I'd imagine every artist listens to other musicians as they will all have grown up with "influences" that created their interest in music and the artists they like will have a huge influence on what they like / don't like and shape their style which as they try to emulate their musical heroes.

I'm sure every artist would then listen to themselves as they want to hear if it sounds good / bad and if it can be improved.
I don't think they'd want to listen to it on a rubbish system which can make a good recording sound bad and vocals trashy etc., they'd want a realistic reproduction of what most people would find pleasing to hear on a stereo system ... it doesn't mean they need the best system but I don't think any musician would want anything that represents their music in a poor way.

Every bad member will buy a guitar / amp and drum kit or microphone they fell makes them sound better and then tune them accordingly trying to get the best out of their instrument, they become audiophiliac just from their instrument's point of view ... it's a whole different can of worms and why guitarists will have 12 guitars rather than one and drummers 5 kits ... go figure.

My personal take on the 2 though is I fell there's a huge disparity between them and it's part of the reason I started the thread.

I think audiophiles are often that geeky sort of person that like to present themsleves as the offionary and know it all as they feel it makes them seem important and someone who has a "greater" insight to information than their lesser mortals.
If they can present it to other people in what they consider is the right way (but with a slightly descending attitude) it makes them feel superior .... ohhhh ... you only spent £2000 on your cables. There's also some that just want to try and demonstrate how much money they have.

Don't get me wrong with that last comment, if I won the lottery I'd go / sound test the best systems out there but I'd never take that ..... it'll sound awful if you don't have ........ with someone who hadn't won the lottery and there's no way with a £100m win I'd send £20k on cables.

A musician will become obsessed with the sound of their instrument but it's very introverted, they don't tend to tell people how much it cost, but they'll tell you what they've done to try and improve it's sound.
This is probably slightly misdirected as well as unless you have an instrument that sounds truly awful, the reality is it's probably more down to the sound engineer on the day and a great drummer can make dustbin lids sound great

 

[Freddy]

Interesting in that wiki just says:

An audiophile is a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction. An audiophile seeks to reproduce the sound of a live musical performance, typically in a room with good acoustics

...whereas it may be seen as slightly more derogatory than that?

I would say I am an audiophile then.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

They are jewellery, but they have become a status symbol, and is currently a very big industry, like cars, phones, etc.

I was reminded of this as I have a mechanical watch* that I am wearing today, which I love but don't wear often. Every time I do, the time needs correcting, unlike the four quartz ones (in case this seems like profligacy, I'll add in mitigation that two are aimed at walking/hiking and have compasses etc built in, and the other two are relatively cheap but aesthetically me to a tee.)

*I don't know whether I'd have bought it if I'd realised at the time that it was mechanical - suckered by childhood associations of F1-related marketing that I was still a sap for as an adult.

 

[Romulus]

How do you know this, and that the examples you do know of are statistically-significant? I'm not being funny, just curious.

It may just be that someone who spends much of the day listening to analytical monitors doesn't want a busman's holiday in their leisure listening.

With Alan Parsons he mentioned his system in one of his interviews on Youtube. He answers questions about mixing, being a balance engineer, his experiences working with Beatles and Pink Floyd (Dark Side Of The Moon) unfortunately I forgot which interview it was on and as a side he mentions his basic system when he just relaxes/listens to music. Also on and off in my investigations I have come across personalities who are in the music business who happen to mention their music systems usually in general and often I am taken by surprise how basic their systems are when they can easily afford an 'audiophile system'. There are people in this world who know ins and out of composing music (whether Classical or most other genres) but are not a bit interested in HIFi gear. My friend who composes Classical music using his computer is interested in the 'music itself' not how it sounds. When I once tried to explain 'PRAT' in sound quality (often associated with the 'Naim Sound') he thought I was utterly mad...! Yet he can tell you in detail what beat rhythms were used in any particular eg Jazz track...? Maybe a contradiction to some audiophiles...?

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Yet he can tell you in detail what beat rhythms were used in any particular eg Jazz track...?

No comment on this person, but that feels slightly like a different way of not completely putting the music first. But who knows? I've also read a few interviews with people in the music business who say they have very good systems.

I can't remember who said it earlier in this thread, but I see nothing wrong in enjoying a decent hifi (which doesn't stop the listener from having a deep, deep love of music) - it's one of the finer things in life that appeals to me - food and posh wine is wasted on me with my utterly plebian palate, but I do like a good stereo!

 

[manicm]

On Pink Floyd related things, I didn't like the production on Roger Waters' last album. I think Nigel Godrich was not the best fit.

 

[Romulus]

No comment on this person, but that feels slightly like a different way of not completely putting the music first. But who knows? I've also read a few interviews with people in the music business who say they have very good systems.

I can't remember who said it earlier in this thread, but I see nothing wrong in enjoying a decent hifi (which doesn't stop the listener from having a deep, deep love of music) - it's one of the finer things in life that appeals to me - food and posh wine is wasted on me with my utterly plebian palate, but I do like a good stereo!

There is nothing wrong indeed enjoying a decent HiFi, my dreams is ATC 40A system its not mega bucks compared to £30,000.00 and above systems but I feel I will get the value for money bracket and will be fundamental tools to enjoy most genres in music...(also it is a little more realistic goal in financial terms....)

 

[Witterings]

my dreams is ATC 40A system its not mega bucks c

A genuine question not a put down .... how much better will that sound compared to maybe a £500 / 700 amplifier and say Monitor Audio Silver 300's @ £800?

Is there going to be a £6000 noticeable difference in sound that someone that appreciates music will walk into a room with one playing and say it's garbage and walk into the other room and say WOW.

Be a really interesting blindfold test

 

[Al ears]

A genuine question not a put down .... how much better will that sound compared to maybe a £500 / 700 amplifier and say Monitor Audio Silver 300's @ £800?

Is there going to be a £6000 noticeable difference in sound that someone that appreciates music will walk into a room with one playing and say it's garbage and walk into the other room and say WOW.

Be a really interesting blindfold test

this has nothing to do with the OPs question.....
please stay in the loop....

 

[Witterings]

this has nothing to do with the OPs question.....
please stay in the loop....

I think it has everything to do with it as the original question specifically asks if earning the title is influenced by how much someone spends or whether the money's spent wisely as quoted here

and is it just about what you spend or more simply whether you spend your money wisely?

and I am the OP
Please stay in the loop...

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I think it has everything to do with it as the original question specifically asks if earning the title is influenced by how much someone spends or whether the money's spent wisely as quoted here

It doesn't, really. You are talking about diminishing returns, not what defines an audiophile. There was a thread about that a while ago. Will see if I can find it.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Here you go:

Is the law of diminishing returns a BS concept? | What Hi-Fi? Forum (whathifi.com)

 

[Romulus]

A genuine question not a put down .... how much better will that sound compared to maybe a £500 / 700 amplifier and say Monitor Audio Silver 300's @ £800?

Is there going to be a £6000 noticeable difference in sound that someone that appreciates music will walk into a room with one playing and say it's garbage and walk into the other room and say WOW.

Be a really interesting blindfold test

In your example I think the difference between a Monitor Audio speaker and ATC speaker will be rather obvious in a blindfold test

 

[Gray]

In your example I think the difference between a Monitor Audio speaker and ATC speaker will be rather obvious in a blindfold test

I'd expect clear difference(s) between any two (different) speakers.

 

[DCarmi]

There is nothing wrong with good stereo. I have listened to friends hifi which are a good few notches above mine but I can still go back and enjoy listening to my inferior system.

That said, I have suffered other people's equipment which caused me to wince. The kind where the frequency response is a parabola.

For this reason I think audiophile puts you on a scale rather than in a state of being.

 

[Tinman1952]

I'd expect clear difference(s) between any two (different) speakers.

Exactly...and of course which one you prefer is an entirely different matter....😁

 

[Tinman1952]

I've also read a few interviews with people in the music business who say they have very good systems.

Indeed. There is a member of an internationally famous string quartet who has what many would call a ' high end' system and has published many reviews of equipment in another highly regarded HiFi magazine...
Interestingly, for him it seems to be about capturing the right tone of the instruments he knows so well. So a musician and an audiophile....🙂

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

So a musician and an audiophile....🙂

How dare he!