Fun read...

We all end up as dust in the wind, but having the privilege of being a kid in a candy shop however briefly is the best revenge.

I wouldn’t trade my pursuit of Kaizen in any of my serious interest….for the exorcism of a supposed curse….it’s a lifestyle….. a mindset… a brotherhood

@kennyc 

+1

I don't respect authors that write articles that ridicule certain hobbyist groups, but you won't find me publishing articles about such authors. I don't know why audiophiles draw so much attention from dicks like that.  

If musicians heeded that advice they would all be playing on crap instruments and crap amps.

Love music not the equipment....

The author is simply outside looking in.  The main reason we do this is a “much deeper connection with recorded music”.  No other art touches the soul like music.

The joy of exploration. The joy of the treasure hunt. The fun of trying out different components, simply targeting increased enjoyment.  The science behind the technology.

Sure this hobby can be costly, but the emotional connection to the music and gear exploration is priceless to audiophiles in this hobby.  

Nattering nabobs of negativism sounds about right. Agnew (crook that he was) thought the press was too intrusive into his personal (criminal) affairs.

It's one thing to expose corruption, another to fancy oneself some kind of corrective for society at large. 

All the best,
Nonoise

Since I was a kid ,I have always been around audio equipment. From my uncle Mike recording on his Reel to Reel tape recorder in 1960.To My grandfather and his RCA console,to my stepfather and his Motorola Stereo console. My Jncle Sonny's friend Harrand his Stereo equipment, amps, tape player.I would read all the Audio magazines out then Stereo Review, Audio etc.I wanted to own my own Audio equipment. I never had thousands of dollars to spend.But from read and listening I have done a good job on my equipment. I'm 72 now retired and just enjoying what I have.

By the author's definition, audiophilia would suck. 

@george53 

Great point. Most things in life are compromises… often easy… but still. Pursuing perfection a one or two things is good for the soul. For me audiophilia has been, within my financial constraints, a lifetime pursuit of perfection. Now retired, I reap the rewards of the decades of in depth research and outsized investment. This and photography have been incredibly rewarding. And unlike so many other things, once completed it is virtually free. 

Pursue excellence in SOMETHING….good for the brain and the heart.

Anything worth the chase is always both a curse and a pleasure. If it was all pleasure it wouldn't be half as much fun.

The comment about doing upgrades that dont need to be made pretty much sums up why articles like this are written. Shows a pretty fundamental lack of understanding. 

@baylinor 

You said it for me!

Cured my "Audiophilia" years ago but now have the dreaded "Musicphilia". Damn internet.

Ugh, anti-intellectual waffle written to rationalize mediocrity. 

What a load of nonsense...my audiophile hobby over many decades has rewarded me with loads of pure fun,  and if, for example, I try out various speakers and don't like some of 'em I send 'em back or sell them off...any cable that doesn't work to my tastes...gone. Who cares? This results in a great sounding and utterly satisfying system playing music I like to a degree of accuracy and coherence that astonishes me every day, and just gets better and better. If this isn't happening for you, get into stamp collecting maybe.

I like this paragraph. 

Is There a Cure for Audiophilia? 

If you think you might be an audiophile, and your credit card is empty while your drawer is full of magical gold-plated cables and vacuum tube amplifiers, then there may be hope for you yet. Maybe you should start by having a friend help you run a small double-blind experiment using your setup and something less fancy. Can you reliably tell the difference? What if you just swapped out the cables? Can you tell the difference? How much of your perception is coming from you, and how much is coming out of your current speakers?

This line from the article kills me: "It's not uncommon for audiophiles with the means to spend literally thousands of dollars on equipment and room acoustics."

It must be a typo, should read "tens of thousands".

LMAO

Regards,

barts

MUSIC IS LIFE........This is the Greatest Hobby on Earth ! ....Now get your fishing poles out of my garage!

Certainly a writing that will knot up the panties of any old fart with limited scope on life, how dare they Minimize their Holy Grail. Everything has its limit, diminishing returns, placebo.., all lies Lol.

It's a journey like any other, enjoying the ride is up to you. 

Written by a non-audio hobbyist, this piece misleads anyone might be interested in hi quality home audio. It is quite possible to purchase compnents and build a fine sounding system for under $5,000. If you DIY, that comes down to $3500, perhaps even less buying used equipment. Let's not scare off potntial  audio pals.  Invitpeople to bring their favorite recorded over and hear it on your systems. Show them what is possiin a home setting. Enjoy the music!

I quite enjoy being an audiophile for enjoyment of listing to great sounding music. 

Curse?  I understand the sentiment.  Me personally.  Once I got past years of experimentation, and years of trail-and-error, spending tons of money in the process, which sometimes felt like a curse, being an Audiophile became pure pleasure.  Happy listening 

There are certainly measures to be considered.

Pure audiophile is like pure leftist in other words it's best to have certain measures when diving into a certain industry, faith or view.

Please follow checklist of measures and place X-s as-if there's a check-box 

?Do you audition or even A/B an audio furniture ....    Yey Nay 

?Do you purchase each and every time new 180g release of Aja, Diana Krall or Nora Jones                                                                  Yey Nay

?Do you pay pastor to bless your new components at church  Yey Nay

?Will you drive 600 miles just to compare how your system sounds vs. your friend's   Yey Nay

?Will you purchase flight and hotel for visiting an audiofest    Yey Nay

?Do you know what is the difference in sound when speaker wires on the floor or elevated                                 Yey Nay

?Have you taken a cash loan out of your house to pay off your speakers  Yey Nay

Like I said, FUN read. Sheeeesh. 

AI BS. A great example of why AI is empty, vacuous, predictable, and boring. 

Reads like an Ai article

Don’t think he has any idea what being an audiophile is. One of the most rewarding pursuits of my life. 

Oh boy.  Someone forgot their laxative today. Straight up, or on the rocks 

Straight up trolling not worth reading or responding to.

It's only a curse if it's your only avocation causting you to put your effort here when there is little or nothing that needs attention.  I use my system to relax and recover after hiking, climbing, and ultradistance running. I have to share time with my personal machine shop where I make a lot of cool sh*t.  I could keep going.  I never need to find something to enertain me by making upgrades that don't need to be made.

Jerry

Aesop was much more concise.

Driven by hunger, a fox tried to reach some grapes hanging high on the vine but was unable to, although he leaped with all his strength. As he went away, the fox remarked 'Oh, you aren't even ripe yet! I don't need any sour grapes.' People who speak disparagingly of things that they cannot attain would do well to apply this story to themselves.^[4]

All the best,
Nonoise

At some point, it's probably just cheaper to hire musicians to perform in your living room instead