Yes kenjit is living proof of this. Beware! :-)
Can speakers cause mental illness?
It's important to keep in mind that speakers can in fact cause mental sickness. We are all chasing something which ultimately cant be found. Every new purchase brings nothing but temporary pleasure. The long term effects of this hobby are despair, frustration, depression and possibly even suicide.
We are being tantalized with the promise of perfect sound which is ultimately unobtainable.
The scheming speaker companies are certainly partly to blame for this. They are always thinking about what speaker they will put on the market next. They are responsible for making us believe that if we buy their new speaker designs we will be more happy than before.
There are hundreds of different speaker companies out there and we are led to believe that each company offers something different. But when you really think about it, you will realize that cant possibly be true. What we are being offered is just the same basic recipe with minor variations in crossover tuning, port tuning and frequency response. Most speakers are not fundamentally BETTER than other speakers. And therein lies the deception.
The irony is that high end speakers were invented to allow music lovers to experience the maximum level of pleasure from music. Instead what they have done is cause misery and depression. Its a fact that most audiophiles are simply unhappy with what they have. That is why there are forums like this with hundreds or thousands of folks who are desperate for advice on how to achieve even better success.
The level of unhappiness and despair does not go down as you spend more money, contrary to expectations. People that buy Magicos and Wilsons are no less unhappy than those that buy cheaper speakers.
Being a speaker enthusiast is like being a drug addict. Its a neverending cycle. We want more and more and in the end it often leads to death.
Listening to a new speaker is a bittersweet experience. You will hear new things that you may have never heard before but then you always begin to hear problems which were initially inaudible.
This is a dangerous hobby. Do it at your peril.
We are being tantalized with the promise of perfect sound which is ultimately unobtainable.
The scheming speaker companies are certainly partly to blame for this. They are always thinking about what speaker they will put on the market next. They are responsible for making us believe that if we buy their new speaker designs we will be more happy than before.
There are hundreds of different speaker companies out there and we are led to believe that each company offers something different. But when you really think about it, you will realize that cant possibly be true. What we are being offered is just the same basic recipe with minor variations in crossover tuning, port tuning and frequency response. Most speakers are not fundamentally BETTER than other speakers. And therein lies the deception.
The irony is that high end speakers were invented to allow music lovers to experience the maximum level of pleasure from music. Instead what they have done is cause misery and depression. Its a fact that most audiophiles are simply unhappy with what they have. That is why there are forums like this with hundreds or thousands of folks who are desperate for advice on how to achieve even better success.
The level of unhappiness and despair does not go down as you spend more money, contrary to expectations. People that buy Magicos and Wilsons are no less unhappy than those that buy cheaper speakers.
Being a speaker enthusiast is like being a drug addict. Its a neverending cycle. We want more and more and in the end it often leads to death.
Listening to a new speaker is a bittersweet experience. You will hear new things that you may have never heard before but then you always begin to hear problems which were initially inaudible.
This is a dangerous hobby. Do it at your peril.
62 responses Add your response
There may be a mental health issue in play here, but it has nothing to do with speakers. Take a look at the "Symptoms" list and draw your own conclusions : https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc... Duke |
The scheming speaker companies. I hear JBL and Klipsch are working with Focal and Pfizer developing a new neurotoxin more powerful than Novichok to be injected via the earbuds of the iPhone kenjit just bought himself for Christmas. Oops! Forget I said that, kenjit. Bose isn't beaming radio waves into your head either. Wilson, maybe. But never Bose. Forget I even mentioned it. |
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I would like to copy and paste one of the agon member who responded to kenjit’s recent post. Makes me crack every time I read it. Here it is: Trepanning, also known as trepanation, trephination, trephining or making a burr hole(the verb trepan derives from Old French from Medieval Latin trepanum from Greek trypanon, literally "borer, auger")[1][2] is a surgical intervention in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull. The intentional perforation of the cranium exposes the dura mater to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases or release pressured blood buildup from an injury. It may also refer to any "burr" hole created through other body surfaces, including nail beds. A trephine is an instrument used for cutting out a round piece of skull bone to relieve pressure beneath a surface. Detail from The Extraction of the Stone of Madness, a painting by Hieronymus Bosch depicting trepanation (c.1488–1516).In ancient times, holes were drilled into a person who was behaving in what was considered an abnormal way to let out what people believed were evil spirits.[3] Evidence of trepanation has been found in prehistoric human remains from Neolithic times onward. The bone that was trepanned was kept by the prehistoric people and may have been worn as a charm to keep evil spirits away. Evidence also suggests that trepanation was primitive emergency surgery after head wounds[4] to remove shattered bits of bone from a fractured skull and clean out the blood that often pools under the skull after a blow to the head. Hunting accidents, falls, wild animals, and weapons such as clubs or spears could have caused such injuries. Trepanations appear to have been most common in areas where weapons that could produce skull fractures were used.[5] The primary theories for the practice of trepanation in ancient times include spiritual purposes and treatment for epilepsy, headache, head wound, and mental disorders.[6] |
Kind gentlemen and gentleladies, this is no laughing matter. I believe that thoughts from Kenjit's brain are flowing rearward and bouncing back forward from his cranium resulting in his obsession with speakers. In fact, this physiological phenomenon is an exact mirror reflection of his perceived problem with speaker sound reproduction. Fortunately the solution is simple, several well placed cranium holes drilled with a 1/4" drill bit should suffice, as will several well placed holes in said speakers.. |
I TAKE OFFENSE THAT YOU COMPARE THIS HOBBIE TO MENTAL ILLNESS ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE HAVE SOME FORM OF MENTAL ILLNESS. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 50% of ALL people have some type of mental illness (they admit to), the other 50% are in complete denial.... That is a fact.. BTW Typing in caps implies YELLING.... Unless you want to yell, which is just fine with me.. It's all part of getting mentally healthier, I think? :-) Some folks are a little "Snow flakey", if you get my drift... May just disappear, with a little heat.. LOL tomstruck128 posts I give you permission to remove yourself.. Now move on along... If typing offends you that much you probably need to attend a support meeting... Again BTW, Non of those support groups are here, this is pure K in thought and substance.. You have to prepare yourself to attend "THESE THREADS" Quit trying to have stuff removed, REALLY I don't like your book burning ideas, don't go away mad, just go away... Merry Christmas Everyone, even the other 50% :-) which ever category you fall in.. Regards |
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I have found when I listen to my brothers Audio system I never leave thinking it was not exceptional . He has several excellent amplifiers ,preamps , he spent over $180 k on his 2 channel and his $40 k dcs digital setup is by far the best digital or analog I have heard , meaning if you have the means,even if you never buy another piece of gear it’s as good or better then being at the event ,And in many cases better that is what many of us strive for. I just try to enjoy what I have and when I can mod a lot of gear to get a lot of improvement ,for minimal monies. |
It’s gotten so that I can only read the first sentence or two of any of kenjit’s threads and have to skim/glance on through for fear of contracting something should I read it in its entirety. It’s like those sci-fi/fantasy/horror plots where if you hear or see something truly insane, you’ll go insane. Maybe kenjit is slowly working on it until he perfects it. Kind of like that Monty Python’s Worlds Most Dangerous Joke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBWr1KtnRcI Read at your own peril. All the best, Nonoise |
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Well I don't know but all you other crazies on here but I had my last pair of speakers for 9 years and I'm just upgraded to the monitor audio Platinum 200 generation 2 which was a significant improvement from my gold 300 generation 4, so I don't change speakers like the wind and I don't think I'm going to be changing these ever cuz they're so good already I don't think there's going to be too much better out there for three or four times the price. But I will be upgrading the internal wire to OCC single Crystal like I did with my 300s because I got a 15% improvement just changing the wire right across the board so I'm expecting the same thing with these when I do the upgrade. |
kenjit I’m so sorry that you’ve only made bad decisions in this hobby that have led you to such unhappines. I’ve had my Apogee Duetta Signature Series II full range dipole ribbon speakers since bought new in the 90’s and I couldn’t be happier. They only sound better and better as I thoughtfully add new elements. So much so that I’m having them completely upgraded by Bill Thalmann with Music Technology very soon. I can tell you they indeed don’t sound like any other speakers. Only love will chance freighting them from here in Arkansas to Virginia. Happy Holidays all! |
This is so weird, but no, absolutely no, audio equipment, speakers in general being the cause of mental illness? No. People obsess over many things, speakers and audio probably at a much lower rank than other obsessions. Automotive would probably rank higher. There isn't anything going on in the world of audio in regards to personalities, habits or behaviors that is unique to the world of audio. And if one can't fathom that possibility then I say get out more, be involved in other hobbies. I think there are some privileged folks (or irresponsible) who have the means and desire to be on the constant chase for the best sound and I don't think they will ever attain it or even know when they have. There is no end in sight for them. Until you hear it, you don't really know what the "best" or "better" really sounds like, you can read volumes about it and never know how that really sounds to your ears. Regarding unhappiness, I think that's just a function of the level of understanding some of us have when it comes to this hobby (if you want to call it that). I've seen and experienced some pricey setups which were less than ideally setup and performed as such. The brand and dollar amount simply won't save them. Some will have all sorts of reasons for not getting the basics right, and run straight for expensive gear. Too bad for them that they may never get it right. Can't help them. The rest, I don't think are running around buying tons of equipment on some endless chase. Some do it because they find it fun and still take the time to do things right simply for the experience. Some haven't found that right combination, that's understandable, there's a wide variety of gear out there. If I had the funds and square footage, I'd have a play room or two or three to mess around with different setups. I'd want planars in one, open bafffle in another, and dynamic enclosed in another, and of course a dedicated home theater. (I'd also have a dedicated billiard room, I need that, badly.) Does my wanting to have different setups to be able to have different playback experiences make me mentally ill? Some day a forum will exist where constructive conversation around the hobby can take place and be devoid of the constant questioning and criticism of the hobby. |
Come on, let’s be real here. Audiophilia is a mental illness in and of itself. The obsessing about the 1%, endless discussion of power cables, interconnects, speaker cables etc. really? It’s about as bad as it gets! Having said that, a Kenjit thread is simply brain DAMAGE. Happy Christmas and Merry New Year! |
Kenjit, Your thinking always contains faulty assumptions.that give away your amateur status. There is nothing in this life that gives unending pleasure. I advise you read some Eastern Philosophy and take a break from your silly little prank postings. What you are complaining about ad nauseam, is not a fault unique to speakers of all things; it's a fundamental fact of existence. There is nothing in the universe, this world or our experience that is unchanging. There can be no such thing as pure, continuous pleasure. Everything is a double edged sword. Everything begins and ends. The seeds of displeasure are contained in every pleasure. You cannot have just one end of ANY stick. Sorry to have to educate you on the nature of reality. But, it's free for you to find out for yourself; just lay off your preoccupation and do some reflecting on what is. |
@oldhvymec As oldhvymec pointed out, 50% of ALL people have some type of mental illness (they admit to), the other 50% are in complete denial.... That is a fact..So that explains why many of us here will deny that we are unhappy. We may say that we are happy with our speakers but secretly we could be severely depressed about not being able to have what we really want. Perhaps we have even given up trying due to a loss of motivation. I never claimed that speakers alone causes mental illness. The obsession with sound quality can be regarded as mental illness. It is not hard to see that constant disappointment can lead to depression which is of course a mental illness. The fact that you have spent large sums of money and been ripped of can also make you crazy. Different people will have different tolerances. As such, not all audiophiles will suffer mental illness as quickly as others. The main point to remember is that the damage can be long lasting or even permanent. Many speaker designers would also fit the criteria for narcissism if you have a look here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc... Lets list a few of them:
If you put a group of speaker designers in a room it would be mayhem! Mental illness is clearly ubiquitous when it comes to the high end speaker industry. Those wooden boxes are not as harmless as you might think. |