Am I right for this forum?
I’ve been an Audiogon member for some years now; I remember (fondly) "millercarbon," for example, which will mean something to some of you. And I’ve been a lover of audio equipment since high school—so, for over 50 years (I graduated in 1973). And yet...more and more, I find myself alienated from this forum, even though I do still read it regularly.
I do have what I consider a very "high-fidelity" system. I’ve written a very long account of my "audio journey," complete with many photos, but not "published" it on this site. I’m also a member of our local audio club, which includes several very well-heeled members who have systems costing more than most homes (one of them owns equipment valued at nearly a million dollars, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg: his system is housed in a separate structure purpose-built for it that cost well over a million). I play cello and guitar; my wife plays piano, my daughter piano and violin. We play those instruments in the same room occupied by my main audio system, and so I can attest to the "fidelity" of that system’s reproduction.
And yet...my system cost me less than $3,000 in total. I don’t lust after any particular "upgrade," even though I read reviews and all the many accounts of improvements in "SQ" documented in this forum.
So...am I an "audiophile," or not? Do I belong here, or not?
I’m listening right now to a wonderful bit of Mozart. I also love Tool. And Christy Moore. And Eva Cassidy. And so many others. I agree with Nietzsche: without music, life would be a mistake. But am I an audiophile? Do I belong on this forum?
Any sympathy here? Anyone else feel alienated from the "audiophile community" despite loving the miracle of audio technology?
Often, an audiophile is someone who plays music to listen to their system. You, on the other hand, appear to play your system to hear the music. Congratulations! I have often noticed that my most musically engaged friends (those that are actually musicians), can always hear and enjoy the music regardless of the SQ. How I envy them! Unfortunately, I am an audiophiliac, too dependent upon SQ for my pleasure. I would switch ears with you at the drop of a stylus... Enjoy!
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the way the OP is written, the follow up system pictures that don’t align with the info provided originally, the meaningless, as far as context is concerned, mention of millercarbon, the claims of feeling alienated, the mention of million dollar system in a million a million dollar dedicated structure…the whole thing smells like trolling. It’s designed to cause a stir. And he accomplished it by the way. Deserves a credit for putting this together so masterfully, no doubt.
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Wow. I had not anticipated that posting my Virtual System would result in accusations of being a troll. If grislybutter had read the (admittedly excessively long) narrative, he'd know that the many speakers in the photos were mostly borrowed, and those I own were bought used for a song from friends. As mahgister correctly points out, the quote of "$3,000" applies to my main system, which is very clearly laid out in that same narrative. Don't we all take whatever opportunity we can to compare what we already have to what might perhaps take our systems up a notch? Am I a "troll" because I have friends who are also fond of audio equipment and are willing to loan me things to try in my own home? As the kids say: whatever. As for looking for "sympathy," the word means something like "fellow feeling" (in German, "mitgefühl," literally "feeling-with"). I'm not looking for pity! I'm wondering if others on this forum find themselves conflicted by the tension that surely exists between a love of music, and a love of music reproduction (that is, a love of the technology that makes listening to recorded music such a close approximation of hearing it live). Several have made comparisons to their love of performance cars—another thing I get. But the same tension is evident there. Do you love your car because of its 0-60 time, or it's Nurburgring standing, or because you actually drive it to its limit yourself, and appreciate viscerally what the numbers signify? The latter is analogous to a love of music, the former to (pure) audiophilia. So, since my motives for this post have been questioned, let me clarify. I do love audio equipment for its own sake. I have for more than 50 years. But...the equipment is ultimately a tool that enables us to hear great music with as little compromise as possible. Speaking for myself, I feel I often lose sight of that; worse, that this site encourages loosing sight of that. So maybe I don't belong here—even though I do love audio equipment in its own right. This has, in any case, been an interesting experiment in communication. Once again, thank you to those who have been generous and welcoming, despite my reservations and the possible ambiguity of my motives. |
I think you had overthought all this...😁 But i am very "naive" in public contact i concede this as a fact and my unability to catch subtleties in English speech... But i only gave my opinion for the sake of an audiogon good social health.. 😊 And i prefer to welcome people than suspecting them... It is my nature ... a defect in some case i concede it ...
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I hope you will participate because we need informed people and you appear one... Then not only i welcome you but i hope for more exhanges... We are not all defiant people... Trust is basic in human communication ..
By the way i beat you... My system is balanced and cost me 1000 bucks ( heavily modified though ) 😉
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