I honestly think that being an Audiophile is enjoying the magic of reproduced sounds in ones own private listening space.
I am not even certain music needs to be a part of the equation.
I have a feeling there are people people out there that like listening to spoken word, great orations, poetry, even just recordings of nature or jet planes taking off. I don’t think music needs to be a part of it.
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I’ve walked the shows and heard all the $100,000+ gear. If you are proud of that kind of excess you probably don’t really care about ‘the music’ or ‘the sound’ anymore, you are trying to accomplish something else (in your mansion built around your ‘sound system’ [as I’m sure you call it when referring to it from your yacht]).
If your system costs more than the studio gear that originally recorded it back in the day, you might be going overboard. If your system costs more than a contemporary studio, you should put that space to good use and let people record music in it!
I’d say an excellent level of quality and indisputable full-on ‘audiophile experience’ can be had for around 6k to 10k. Part of being an audiophile is the search for how best to spend the money you do want to spend and realizing you don’t have to make all the right choices the first time. Just enjoy the journey!
And honest, with a little bit of study, lots of patience, some super smart choices and solid room treatment, you can have an audiophile system for much, much less than what I’ve stated above. But a certain subset of audiophiles won’t even talk to you. But all of them will offer at least one or two little, smallish suggestions.
So dont listen to the million dollar babies... They have spent so much at this point that they could never question their own love, doubt their aural acuity or practically understand the absurd amounts of money they have spent for an experience that will ultimately not get them closer to the truth.
Aaah don’t worry about it...most of them probably rely wholly on suggestions from others for their gear purchase or don’t realize they are being upsold by dealers who stroke their buttocks to get at their wallets.
...and really at what point aren’t they just paying for more gold bricks be placed in their speaker cabinets as the most inert ‘sound dampening’ material.
...and remember, every guy with a sports car thinks he’s a racer. I mean really we all know the guy with the best car, or just really proud of his car and how that all goes. And just because your car is the fastest or the best it doesn’t mean you are the best driver. Some people I guess might need million dollar systems because they really need the help to hear into the mix, but probably more for the boasting.
The Audiophile...
For me, part of it is loving the music and really hearing into the sounds. Part of it is trying to find what enhances your experience. Part of it is gaining greater context on both the music and sound reproduction by carefully moving music making machines in and out of your system. Part of it is realizing what is of real value to you in your life and making choices.
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...but often the loud and/or the wealthy control the discussion.
Being an Audiophile is a passion for perfecting personal sound reproduction.
It is both a technical and artistic pursuit tailored to ones own preferences while still attending to some notion of ‘truth’.
There are no reference museums for historical pieces where anyone/everyone can go to hear precisely how a musician intended their music to sound. Even visiting Abbey Road and hearing Beatles original master tapes, things have changed over time...
It is the personal pursuit and investment in that pursuit that should be encouraged and RESPECTED. |
@fordboy @jsautter Let be clear on a few things. ‘Music Lover’ is not a synonym of ‘Audiophile’. And in its very founding, America is all about ‘less privilege’ and minimizing the prevalence privileged classes (i.e. Kings, Queens, Lords). America has forgotten to be critical of the wealthy, the wealthy have become contemporary aristocracy, just without the blatant silly titles. America was meant to be a meritocracy. Every generation deserves an even playing field...and if they work hard the will earn their just rewards and be a productive member of society (as long as their success does not disadvantage or infringe upon the rights of other citizens). People seem to forget this. I think having a strong sense of perspective and proportion are also important aspects of being an Audiophile and it takes work, and learning. If you are a ‘spare no expense’ kinda person then there is a good chance you have an under-developed sense of perspective and proportion and may not be educating yourself as much as you could be and are probably making decisions based on someone telling you about the ‘new thing’, or the ‘best thing’. Having to make critical and practical decisions in general is evidence one can operate as a reasonable adult in the world. It is also an essential part of assembling a sound system. Just look at some people who do not have to make critical or practical decisions in life—child stars and the children of the very wealthy. They end up as not very healthy or productive citizens right? If you can do anything, afford anything, you do not learn to make good decisions. Period. I dont think you can be an Audiophile if you are not making critical and practical decisions about your gear and balancing those pursuits with the rest of your life.
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Most rich people’s children at best become some sort of ‘artist’ or just follow in daddy’s footsteps...if the daddy cared to buy a proper education for Jr.
Generally by the time you get to the grandchildren of the initial wealthy person you are pretty much at useless citizen level.
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Sorry wealthy people if I hurt your feelings. Buy something, you’ll feel better. |
An Audiophile is someone actively pursuing means to increase the enjoyment gained from the reproduction of sound in ones own private listening space. I think that pretty much sums it up and is inclusive of all points of view. |
@n80
...no worries on kids. I'd rather spend my extra cash and time on audio, but thanks for the well wishes!
But if I did make some babies, still might, my wife and I would raise intelligent, compassionate, grateful children with a healthy world view, who would have no problem understanding the roots of evil (greed, sophistry, over-inflated or fragile egos, privilege, elitism, extravagance, indifference, antipathy).
Again sorry to hurt rich peoples feelings. I am sure some of you are really great, but I know the world can appear more simple and easily conceived of for you. If people cant afford nice things it all their fault. If people take money from the government they are lazy deadbeats. If people get their money from their parents they are fortunate and totally entitled to the best the world has to offer. If they make their money off the labor of others who struggle to make ends meet they are clever, industrious, glorious, capitalists and deserving of every accolade (and tax loophole....)!
Go read some more Ayn Rand and keep trying.
Meanwhile I'll keep enjoying my Audiophilia and continue making movies to entertain the people of America. |
@glupson
Visit a high end audio show and judge for yourself.
Knowing your room and what is appropriate for your room is very important. I have three different models (design tiers/cost levels) of a speaker made by one manufacturer. The middle and/lower level models work best in my room. The highest cost model is not appropriate for my room (and given the height of its tweeters and midranges, I doubt audio holography would be possible with them if in a seated listening position). Im sharing this as just a small example of when more expensive does not equate to a better listening experience.
And as a ‘chicken or the egg’ sort of thing, you need to decide what you are building your system around. Generally, you need to start building your system within the constraints presented to you by your intended listening room. After that what you build your system around will be based on what you want to hear and what gear helps get you closer to that goal. This takes trial and error and will change during the course of your journey (unless you just pay someone to do it for you, but then you don’t really learn as much, but is still totally valid audiophilia). As pieces move in and out of your system you will find areas of your setup that need improvement. It’s fun, takes time...but when you are reliably having near-spiritual experiences while listening to music, it’s very rewarding!
I have found that speaker choice and room interaction is most important. Making choices regarding placement of speakers, tweeter height, some form of bass frequency control (back wall bounces will kill your bass!), flooring and general room treatments will have the greatest impact on the listening experience. Amplification is next. Thirdly something that cleans up the power feeding your gear is of great importance. Balanced power solutions are integral to my system.
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...don’t see any entry-level requirements in them there definitions. Anyone?
Somebody here smells like an elitist, maybe even a fascist?
Funny how Americans (and much of the world) have so quickly forgotten the great evils we quashed in WWII and are now so willing, even excited to rekindle those destructive ideologies.
Money does strange things to peoples brains. I think Pink Floyd had a song about it.
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An Audiophile is someone actively pursuing means to increase the enjoyment gained from the reproduction of sound in ones own private listening space. I think that pretty much sums it up and is inclusive of most points of view. ...oh and there is this: Merriam-Webster Dictionary
audiophileaudiophile nounau·dio·phile | \ ˈȯ-dē-ō-ˌfī(-ə)l \Definition of audiophile: a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproductionhttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audiophile |
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@jsautter
My values are squarely those upon which this country was founded.
And I'm totally cool with having worked hard for what I have and what I know. I make the world a better place every day.
You, your children and/or the children in your family have been entertained by my work.
You are welcome! |
And next time you are in the Greater Los Angeles area any/all of you are invited to my home to hear my system.
:-) |
@n80
Did you read the commonly accepted definitions of Audiophile as defined in the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary and the Cambridge Dictionary? Please try some other web searches to verify.
Now think about your definition and the accepted definitions (not made up by people here). Now who is making up their own definitions and claiming superiority?
And ask yourself which definition is more inclusive. I think inviting people in is ultimately more beneficial to this shared passion and pursuit of ours than excluding, don't you?
Nowhere in my posts have I excluded anyone except in saying that 'music lover' is not a synonym of 'audiophile' (that and that there are a lot of rich idiots out there just looking to add more precious metals to their gear at little or no improvement in listening experience...but i didn't say they were not audiophiles!).
You can be a filthy rich audiophile, have at it (as you are)! But I also think that if you work for it, educate yourself, learn about excellent vintage gear and search out bargains at garage sales, flea markets, Goodwills, Craigslist and eBay and augment if needed with some wise spending new things here and there, you can and should be considered an EQUAL AUDIOPHILE.
You seem to not agree with this. You believe there is an 'entry level' which is not defined in any definition of the word Audiophile. That sounds rather elitist to me. Fascists are against democracy, they lean towards totalitarian leadership and a 'leadership class' or 'race'. The wealthy in our country are becoming increasingly Fascist, so are the very poor. That's plainly evident.
Lets give people who are not you a name. Lets call the less financially flexible person Mr. Budget Audiophile. Is Mr. Budget Audiophiles system going to be as technically proficient as yours, probably not. But could his system sound better in his room than yours would in his room to him, probably. Could he be appreciating in his room, on his diminutive system the same things you are appreciating in you musical cathedral, I think so. Could you put together a better system for Mr. Budget Audiophiles' room if money were no object, of course! But if we follow this line of argument to its logical end, we eventually have to build Mr. Budget Audiophile a new listening room, in a new house and build that house on a floating iceberg in the Arctic Circle and float that house on a bed of air, and make sure all the gear levitates along with Mr. No Longer Budget Audiophile during his listening sessions.
A sense of proportion and perspective is important in the appreciation of anything and having both helps make better people, a better society.
You believe the sheep can't hear the forest for the leaves unless those leaves are made of money.
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Rest assured, beyond this chat and this site, I have added some entertainment to your life. I share because I’ve worked hard for what I have and I am proud of it. Working for what you have was my point. And i have worked hard at assembling a reasonable audiophile setup.
I have little respect for those who are not inclusive, especially in respects to something as ultimately unimportant as a pursuit for quality audio reproduction. Something that seems pretty common on this site and others. Wealth and elitism is clearly evident in this pursuit. And those people are why this world is coming apart. |
@glupson
Educate yourself and read more accurately. |
Glad you found it Glupson. Thanks for looking! You never saw Avatar? I'd give it a watch on a lazy Sunday for sure. How to Train Your Dragon 3 is also a very aesthetic experience in a darkened room--great lighting and excellent image fidelity.
Sorry about the 'educate yourself' reply. I never said WWII was about audio reproduction. What I was concerned about was how we the people have allowed aristocracy and elements of fascism to creep into our daily discourse, thought processes and dealings with each other.
Yes my site is simple, quickly threw it together on a Saturday. And yes the 'view resume' link does not work, hasn't worked for years...but generally I provide it via email or LinkedIn. Maybe I will fix that today as I need to make one other update. Thanks for the reminder!
I am very sorry if I am coming off as a dick. I'm just continually amazed how even here on this excellent site, in this most excellent pursuit, people are so quick to dismiss others. And still considering myself new to this hobby (I will probably consider myself new to this hobby for the rest of my life), let me say that Audiophiles seem to be a very snooty bunch! And snooty-ness generally comes from people who aren't certain they deserve what they have and/or want to make more valuable the choices they have made by dismissing or limiting the choices of others. No one wants to be wrong or gypped or for everyone to have exactly what they have. Some people want what they have to be unattainable by others as proof of their power and the incredible 'self' they have created. It's all very yucky.
And the real basis of the snooty-ness is that we are all dancing around an unattainable truth that is perfect sound reproduction and a perfect listening experience. Each of us has probably already gained a satisfactory window onto that truth and don't want it questioned. Totally understandable. BUT ANYONE SEARCHING FOR THAT TRUTH SHOULD BE EMBRACED.
....I never said I had a budget setup. But I don't think less of someone because they have less financial means than I. And even though they have less means than I, they may have a better mind, keener awareness, put in more work, or simply have better ears.
I will think less of someone if they did not work for what they have and if they are clearly apathetic towards others.
All of my gear except my ModWright Oppo is second-hand. I am proud of this. Well researched. Well maintained. Pictured on my site is an older setup. I have much better amplification now and have added a reel to reel player (which I had hoped would not be amazing, but it's freakin' amazing!). I have done work on the speakers. Kappa 7's and 8's are excellent speakers when driven properly. The 8's can pressurize the whole room and just vanish, like the air itself is just producing the sound--no mechanism. The 9's are overkill and too tall for my room (tweeter height in a room is very important). But they have the most large, easy and encompassing bass I have ever heard.
Until I have a major financial windfall and can build a bigger, better room and populate it with more contemporary gear (probably never) I am more than content with my setup.
And like i said, any and all of you are welcome to visit anytime.
:-) |
wturkey,
i hear ya! if you've got a bit of the OCD's it can be quite crippling.
...this is why i do not care for vinyl so much. everything is so fragile and every touch and scrape or bump of needle or record could spell disaster.
so far i have destroyed on reel to reel tape. But by accident I have damaged a few records. |
I think if you want to make this a better place you have to think about it and check oneself as often as possible. The littlest things make the biggest difference (just like setting up a solid audio system).
I am not cocky, but I do think I am doing my part to make things better. Fighting here for the excluded is part of my efforts.
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