Are audiophiles still out of their minds?

The power of numbers and an all-too-obvious human nature that is preferably obscured; clothing stores aimed at younger women (and I'm sure age, gender nor type of product is hardly the deciding factor here) have seen significant rise in sales just by raising the price of the same(!) items. More expensive must be better, right? That is, more desirable to own by virtue of higher status and self contentment. Actual perceived sonic differences aside (with emphasis on "differences") in regards to audio gear, the importance of before mentioned is not irrelevant, to say the least. 

faster61woman
3 posts
06-05-2016 8:04pm
I'm wondering, why all of the hoopla over expensive wire/fuses? Why don't we fuss over acoustic treatments more?

I'm far more in agreement with you on this than not, relative to some aspects. Room acoustics is a big factor and contributor to the overall sound of ones audio system, but I much prefer tweaking acoustics with "natural" environmental aids than those typically pre-manufactured that absorb sound more than they diffuse. Diffusion to my ears leaves a vital element of energy and "aliveness" intact, though a certain (preferably minimum) amount of absorption seems necessary. Taste is another factor, I guess; to me the threshold of the level of absorption hits earlier than others, but where the reverberative nature of the acoustics may still be too prevalent I seek to minimize via diffusion. It's a balance that takes some trial and error to attain, where my preference into acoustical behavior is tilted towards that which is slightly more alive/reverberative. The careful arrangement of plants, bookshelf, rugs (a big cow skin on a wooden floor in my case) and furniture can bring you a long way - indeed I prefer natural materials to achieve this. Added to this my speakers are all-horn equipped which makes them more directive in nature, and so downplays some much of the contribution of the room.