"
During the last 50 years I have built many DIY speakers, amplifier kits,
simple electronic components, installed electronic component upgrades
etc. Due to a worsening vision impairment I am no longer able to do any
of there things. Does this suddenly make me a non-audiophile? Don't
be ridiculous.
"
So if you were to read a book do you just peruse the first and last paragraphs or actually read the whole thing?
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"
mahlman, I don't understand your question. What does it have to do with
the question at hand? I read as much or as little of a book as pleases
me. That doesn't make me a non-reader.
"
What it makes you in this case is uninformed as to why this post was made to begin with. Doesn't make you a non reader just makes you one with superficial knowledge of the topic if this is how you read.
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Every once in a while I like to poke fun at pretentious "Audiophiles" that have very long noses they look down as they regard the unwashed that think mere money does not equate with discerning taste. I just love $60,000 dollar cables so much and they provide me with great entertainment. So take this thread for what it is worth, which is not much, but it can be fun to poke holes in puffed up people and watch the hot air leak out.
I am quite serious though that the amount of money you spend does not indicate you are anywhere close to being an audiophile except maybe in your own mind. Some of the grandiose things I read here even get my wife's attention as she asks what am I laughing about now as she just did.
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"
A question that's cultivated some amusing responses.
There are a number of people here I'd love to pull a cork with.
"
If you are ever in southern middle TN PM me and stop in. No champagne or wine corks but I do have coffee and a big pile of gear.
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"
This comes up all the time here. Practically every day. Whole bunch of
guys say something all authoritative as if they actually know something,
when more often than not its just them repeating something they heard
or read somewhere. But everyone says it so it must be true. Baloney!
"
This is it precisely.
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" I am shocked not by your post, but how the intended sarcasm went over so many heads :-)"
It IS pretty shocking is it not? My wife wants to know what I am laughing about again.
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"
As an engineer both MSME MSEE and CME your post is stupid.
"
Well gosh I am crushed. Say since you have all those letter thingamajigs there why don't you explain why it is stupid?
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"
Sorry - I just joined this forum yesterday and I don’t own a soldering
gun. Do I need to join another forum first then graduate or work my way
up to this one? Thanks
"
No you don't need to worry about graduating somewhere to come here. All you need is a reality filter to not take cable cookers and cryogenic wire treatments as truth. Or many of the overpriced bits of gear as good value for the money spent. There are nuggets of goodness here you just have to work a bit harder to find them than you might have to in other places.
HEY geoffkait where's your tag team partner glupson?
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" Fortunately I started young, planting the Redwood tree that would grow to provide the Rosewood veneer for my DBA. While that was growing I was busy digging the ore I would refine down into voice coils and speaker cables. Fortunately tubes are not that hard, mostly silica for the glass although it took years building my lungs up to where I could get enough vacuum. Speakers actually not that hard, paper pulp cones only take a year or so to make, not bad at all. I did cheat and use melted down plastic bottles for the platter. All was on track and I was close to my goal of being a genuine Real McCoy Audiophile, one who built everything from scratch and trial and error, until I heard wire is directional. That’s it. I am done with audio.
Fortunately I was saving aluminum cans the whole time and have almost enough to melt down into the case and pistons for a flat six.... "
Remarkably similar path to the one I took. My biggest problem with the platter was finding a good Porcupine quill to do the little groove squiggly thing. I figured out how to solve directional wiring too. Lay your wire out double the length you need and cut in half and join them at the ends making sure the direction is marked so the flow is reversed. What one sends the other returns but if you screw up and don’t get the direction right you will only be able to send or receive so be very careful. The direction is not readily evident many times so judicious attention paid to the original wire when you cut is very important. I use beginning or end markers applied as I cut and as long as I put an end with a beginning I know that all will be well.
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"
@mahlman - glad to know you were just rattling the cage to see if you could ruffle some feathers.
"
I do love audio and spend a lot of time at it in all aspects. Sometimes though the comic theater of the absurd that seems to go with it is a bit more than I can resist. There are some really crazy things around here lurking amongst the nuggets of good.
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"
Give me a break. Just another in a long line of troll posts by the OP, to whit from 2 years ago,
"
Hyperbole much?? Lets see that makes two in two years so I guess you are right I am FLOODING this place with, well, with whatever you say.
Do the flying saucers help if you sit in a room of them? You of all people talking about trolling and the validity of things.
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"
After re-reading the OP's original post, I do believe he was having a bit of fun with the subject.
"
He still is having fun :-D
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Thinking about my last comment on crazy things. I guess some would consider me crazy for building a 108" throat single fold horn for my stereo system but I wanted to sit right next to the 32' organ pipes and I do since it goes down to 27 hz before dropping off like a rock.
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"
No, mailman, that trap was laid for you. To be triggered and then try to
lamely turn it back in a futile attempt of oneupmanship has me
laughing.
It sure took you long enough to gather yourself in composing a response.
All the best,
Nonoise"
All rightee then. You win right?
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" Ps. I have an undergraduate degree from UWO Don Wright Faculty of music. I don’t need anyone telling me I’m not educated. Because I am. Get on my level, gents. "
OK I will bite. What precisely is your level and please don’t use any big words.
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"
To the original poster of this thread, if you don't have a computer
science degree then you are not worthy of posting on audiogon or
accessing the internet.
Good bye
"
Hate to see you go but might I remind you the inventor of the internet, Al Gore, did not have a science degree.
"
"Audiophile" is such a pretentious word when used by elitist enthusiasts.
"
Yeah that's my main beef. Pretentious is such a great word for this. Inspiration for posting this thread in fact.
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" So yes. Going to see live performances is mandatory if you consider yourself an audiophile. And the more you see, the bigger of an audiophile you are. At least in my eyes! Who even cares about the stupid darn equipment as long as it sounds accurate. Accuracy begets dynamics, begets realism, begets emotion. If you have a system that is capable of rendering true concert recreation, with a good, and flat frequency response, everything will fall in line. And most speakers can do this with proper setup. It’s an audiophile myth you need to spend stupid amounts of money to get a true connection to the music.
Believe me, I would know. I have the classical trained ears to hear what does and does not sound accurate. You can trust me over your own ears. Did I mention I hear just fine and dandy to above 20kHz still? Not sure if most of you older gents can say the same.... "
I can certainly agree with this. While I have not attended many live performances the few I have were with small groups playing Cellos and Violins. That sound is what I strive for. Have you heard Enrico Dindo? I have a particularly good recording of his where the early 1700’s build Cello he plays is just extraordinary. Vivaldi is played more often than anything else around here lately.
Sadly my ears are not the worlds best and sometimes I invite a friend whose wife and daughter are classical musicians over to listen to the latest tweak or speaker setup. I can cup my ears and get some of what he hears but I am sure I miss things. He confirms I am on the right track for things beyond my hearing range though and I don’t miss what I can’t hear.
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" Although I still believe I’m an audiophile overachiever (better than the rest of you), I never realized there were so many requirements for being an audiophile. Thanks mahlman! "
To be a true Audiophile is a tremendous burden and responsibility few can bear. As you perilously weave through the labyrinth of pseudo science and jargon dujour, if you survive mentally intact, you just might be an audiophile.
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Don't know about Cello speakers but I do agree with listening to live venues enough to at least have an idea of what real life sound should be like. Assuming the acoustics of the venue are any good. Maybe this guy thought that was as good as he could get due to limited exposure to nice gear. There are many people who think Bose and B&W are really something too but I would not be caught with them in my house.
An ordinary man can build a $100,000 sounding system for $6,000 if he tries and save the dough for himself.
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" Dumbing-down work’s for you? No....., you were born that way. "
What you need is geoffkait’s special ESP tweak. You send him money and he sends you back ESP. I think it has to do with the flying saucers he also sells. You can be serene and Roswell all at the same time.
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" Mahlman, so you have a bias against B&w as well I see. So one of my others systems with 800D3s is also terrible, as is mine with the Tekton Ulfers. I guess my Wilson Sasha Daws will be next on the list, lol. What a live performance sounds like? So many different setups, different amplification methods used, or non amplified, different acoustics. Live has many different sounds. Trying to group it as one sound dosnt seem to make much sense. And since acoustics are not great at many venues, I’d say live isn’t really the end goal holy grail sound to me. Recorded in a studio where acoustics can be better controlled makes more sense in my mind. Live can be fun for the entertainment, not always so much for the quality of the sound "
Yes the ones I have heard were pretty bad for the money though I have only heard ones up to 22g in price. Watched the little "Please do not touch our Diamond Tweeter" sign on top while I thought about how bad they were. Killed any interest I had in them.
Nope your Wilsons won’t be on there because I am not going to ever make an effort to listen to things like that. I have no interest in super high priced things no matter how good they are. I have people come by who have listened to those types of speakers and they like my home built just as much so I am quite content to trust their judgement and not waste my time.
Yes on large live venues but small ones can be superb. What I find hard is to get good recordings from any source be it live, studio or whatever. Much of the music I used to listen to I have thrown out because the initial recording engineers have done such a bad job that even Audacity can’t fix it.
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I wonder. Do flying saucers come with little martian peoples, entities or whatevers? Further I wonder if they perceive music as we do or if they have ESP recordings they listen to.
What say you on this geoffkait?
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"
Just keep tapping the middle of your forehead. Something is bound to happen eventually.
"
That right there is the funniest line in the whole thread and combines snark and truth in an epochal way
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I don't know but you were there, right? So what do the little green guys look like?
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"
I assume this question, like all of the others that include the phrase,
"can you be considered an audiophile if," is just meant to poke the
tiger to get a response. It certainly got a response!
"
Well it was a bit serious in that poking fun at pretentious people is amusing and the bonus is all these that pile on who don't have a clue about the sarcasm intended. Many skip right to the end and wax eloquently from their lofty perches on their justifiable outrage thus adding immensely to the amusement of the OP. The ability to discern sarcasm appears to be shrinking quickly.
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"
Your original post, Mahlman, would have been a rousing success in sarcasm if the truths weren't so self-evident.
"
Well it was a double entendre and the outrage proves your "self-evident" idea does it not?
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All this crap about sarcasm, which is an attempt at ameliorating the heated debate that has followed.
"
Say, are you serious?
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There is no substitute for a good ear.
"
No truer words have been spoken. Sitting down tonight with Vivaldi and freshly picked sweet corn ears slathered in butter.
Hmm, whats on your platter tonight? Why CORN of course.
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"
Should stupid people be allowed to post on the internet ?
"
Well what happens if stupid people determine what is stupid as is so often the case here there and elsewhere? If stupid people determine the policy then are intelligent people excluded? Can a stupid censor know what is stupid or not? If a stupid person thinks it is clever then are you not politically incorrect for pointing out he is stupid and not qualified to comment on stupid? There are just so many facets to this topic that you need to elaborate on so we know where you are coming from.
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"
Audiophiles come in many shapes and forms, and although there are those
who are ‘signature whores’ who only want high end brand labels to adorn
their living rooms, there are plenty of other folk that love music and
appreciate the accurate reproduction that only well engineered equipment
can deliver. To denigrate this group just because they have a
qualified tech service their gear is not only inaccurate but ignorant.
"
Yet another person who skips to the end and waxes eloquent without reading the rest. In some ways this has become quite interesting as a study of sorts on human behavior. Read the title and skip to the end and assume they know what it is all about from many. Then you have the righteous indignation crowd who can't see they are in a room of mirrors. Then a scant few take the time to read about it and are amused. I like the term signature whores and if you had taken the time to read the thread you would see that is precisely who I was poking at. Signature whores, I am gonna remember that one for further use.
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"
We get it. You don't.
"
Yes and I guess that's why you just can't stay away hmmm?
"
Does this mean that your idea of what an audiophile is or isn't, based upon foolish and unsubstantiated logic, is truth?
"
Yes, according to the Great Carnack I speak truth to words.
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"
Try as I may to stay away, I came back to see just how much this thread
has degraded and you didn't disappoint. I guess it's in your nature. You
see, you keep coming back, glossing over the relevant points with the
same old, same old, trying to save face.
"
Gotta cut bait before you fish if you want to reel them in. Once again here you are ;-D
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"
How is he doing these days?
"
He is getting up there and understandably he is a bit cranky and cellicose at times.
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" OP: "I came back to see just how much this thread has degraded" .... It began at the bottom of the barrel! "
Well actually if you go back and read you will see there are quotation marks around that phrase. Nonoise is the author of that cogent phrase. I, as the OP, think it is all top drawer and could not ask for better theater of the absurd. Thanks for your contribution.
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I had no idea it would grow legs like this and I certainly have enjoyed it.
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"
>>>>>Is there going to be an exchange of POWs? 😳
"
YES, Pearls Of Wisdom are being freely exchanged.
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As the OP in question you have my blessing to satire at my expense. I look forward to it and regard satire as an art form that can be immensely entertaining.
Whether you are worthy depends on if you can do so with taste and wit and you may begin at any time.
Can I suggest a topic since you seem to be lacking one? How about "Can Sarcastic People Be Audiophiles"?
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"
can't believe how long this has gone on. I think this thread proves
that one of the main requirements to be an audiophile is the ability to
obsess over what obviously doesn't matter. I'm gonna go buy an
Audioquest dragon hc power cable to demonstrate my chops.
"
It is pretty amazing. I was thinking of taking a picture of my 12g zip cord speaker wires haphazardly laying on the floor and posting it here so we could all hear the gasps of dismay, outrage and pious incredulity.
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"
I dont mean it to be a critic of your thread at all.... I enjoy reading trough the psyche of each poster....
"
I never in my wildest dreams anticipated the responses and they have been illuminating and amusing and sad all at the same time.
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"
To me it’s sad if your only intention for posting what you did was for
the value of the reactions. Must still be stuck at home with nothing to
do, no new tv programming and running out of constructive activities "
Initially it was as mentioned earlier in the thread a sarcastic response to a thread seriously offered for consideration on Audiogon. It was asking if a true audiophile had to have a turn table and reel to reel. And no, no more bored or running out of constructive things to do than those who reply here.
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"
I wasn't really trying to figure it
all out, just sort of skimming through your thread and must have missed
your explanation about why you posted. But I'll take your word for it,
my fault and no harm no foul.
"
No problem on this end and have a good Fourth.
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"
Inside joke between mahlman and sokogear?
And mahlman thinks most of us didn't read the posts with close enough attention to get it? C'mon mehlman, knock it off.
Tim
"
Part of what is so amusing about all this is I have stated clearly, more than once, why I posted and still deep thinkers try and figure it all out.
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""
Im an Audiophile i hire a dude to do my soldering and get MAGICO to build my speakers.HELLO!!!!
"
Well I don't know about all that. What true audiophile standards have you met to get into the penultimate audio category?
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"
Mahlman was making fun of Sokogear's elitist post w.r.t. whether you
needed to have a turntable or R-R to be considered an audiophile, then
went on to equate it to the difference between Porsche SUV drivers and
Porsche sports car drivers (Porschefiles). Surprisingly or not
surprisingly that was lost on many.
"
I think many could be redefined as most. This thread has fascinated me with how many apparently respond but do not really read.
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""
>>>>>As usual everything’s topsy turvy, me topsy you turvy, spider man 🕷 Your posts are childish and tickle.
"
Says the man looking at himself in the mirror.
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" >>>>>You’re close! Very close. He has started the anti audiophile anti-tweak movement. No tweakaphobe left behind! 🤗 Next up, are anti audiophiles actually snobs? "
Geoffy baby, U mind if I call U that? Apparently you are one of the ones who has comprehension problems. Tweaking is where it is at as I clearly stated to begin this wonderful thread.
I guess you must be starting a reality distorting anti-reality anti-truth and no alien left behind movement. Next up are anti-flying saucerphiles actually snobs or just normal people?
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