2. speakers
  3. 158017-123631

Should people who can't solder, build or test their speakers be considered audiophiles?


  So, if you bought that Porsche but can only drive it and not fix it do you really understand and appreciate what it is? I say no. The guy who can get in there and make it better, faster or prettier with his own hands has a superior ability to understand the final result and can appreciate what he has from a knowledge base and not just a look at what I bought base. I mean sure you can appreciate that car when you drive it but if all you do is take it back to the dealership for maintenance and repairs you just like the shape with no real understanding of what makes it the mechanical marvel it is.
  I find that is true with the audio world too. There are those who spend a ton of money on things and then spend a lot of time seeking peer approval and assurance their purchase was the right one and that people are suitably impressed. Of course those who are most impressed are those who also do not design, build, test or experiment.

  I propose that an audiophile must have more than a superficial knowledge about what he listens to and must technically understand what he is listening to. He knows why things work and what his end goal is and often makes his own components to achieve this. He knows how to use design software to make speakers that you can't buy and analyze the room they are in and set up the amplification with digital crossovers and DSP. He can take a plain jane system and tweak it and balance it to best suit the room it is in. He can make it sound far better than the guy who constantly buys new components based on his superficial knowledge who does not understand why what he keeps buying in vain never quite gets there.

  A true audiophile can define his goal and with hands on ability achieve what a mere buyer of shiny parts never will. So out comes the Diana Krall music and the buyer says see how good my system is? The audiophile says I have taken a great voice and played it through a system where all was matched and tweaked or even purposely built and sits right down next to Diana as she sings. The buyer wants prestigious signature sound and the audiophile will work to achieve an end result that is faithful true to life audio as though you were in the room with Diana as she sings. The true audiophile wants true to life and not tonally pure according to someones artificial standard.

 So are you a buyer or an audiophile and what do you think should make a person an audiophile?
mahlman

Showing 6 responses by phusis

phusis's avatar
phusis
1,137 posts
 
It may be fitting to note poster @mahlman's last paragraph above ends with a question: what do we think defines an audiophile? The man simply shared his opinion, to which he's entitled, and then went on to invite us into the same inquiry; kudos for doing just that - quite a few could learn from it instead of only telling others what to do and how to think. 

And besides: audiophilia arguably needs a shakeup. Maybe it's time for the sense of entitlement as an audiophile to give way to what's more purely an exploration, whatever the hell we call ourselves on this journey. Let's be audio anarchists rather than catering to the industry and what's neat and tidy, and oftentimes very expensive. I'm provoked rather than offended..
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,137 posts
 
All these posts getting deleted, one a my recent ones as well with one of these reasons given for the deletion:

  • It looked like spam
  • It was abusive towards another member
  • It depicts explicit and/or violent content
  • It contains profanity

I'm guessing no. 2 and 4 read from above. My post contained the word 'crap' written once - I wonder if that qualifies as proper grounds for deletion? Other than that I provided my perspective in a sought considered manner, making me think: 

I doubt the @admins are all over this place constantly doing their ninja thing all on their own turning "unfortunate" posts into digital smoke; there's this option called 'Report this' that when used affects their decision making, and something tells me this option is used in a liberal fashion by some posters simply because they find certain posts by others to rub them the wrong way or otherwise make them feel offended, as if being in honest disagreement sanctions censorship against the other part. Isn't there enough vileness, bashing and empty calories going on already that evades the admins?

Let the hypocrisy continue..
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,137 posts
 
I propose that an audiophile must have more than a superficial knowledge about what he listens to and must technically understand what he is listening to. He knows why things work and what his end goal is and often makes his own components to achieve this. He knows how to use design software to make speakers that you can’t buy and analyze the room they are in and set up the amplification with digital crossovers and DSP. He can take a plain jane system and tweak it and balance it to best suit the room it is in. He can make it sound far better than the guy who constantly buys new components based on his superficial knowledge who does not understand why what he keeps buying in vain never quite gets there.

That guy’s the audio-equivalent of Ken Miles (recently portrayed in Mr. Mangold’s ’Le Mans ’66’). I actually know a guy like that, a friend of mine, and while most of us may think we can wring out a good deal of potential from our stereo set-ups, when audio über-geek Mr. Miles turns up and works his magic, one’s humbled.

I can certainly vouch for active configuration and its merits, although many may think what defines ’active’ is merely represented via products with build-in amps and DSP’s, and not that filtration prior to amplification on signal level offers the choice of separates as well. Add to that high sensitivity drivers and horns and you’re really unpopular with any mention of audiophile aspirations. Indeed, why not expel any such need for entitlement and go as we please, when what’s audiophile typicality veers from our own goals?

Btw, it's a classic trait seeing those outspoken about defining more strictly the terms of being an audiophile to conveniently fall within that classification themselves. Vanity, vanity..
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,137 posts
 
@pmiller --

If I understand this somewhat elitist approach correctly, I will no longer be able to appreciate music for what it is unless I learn to play an instrument and can add personal touches to my favorite tunes. I am so disappointed.

As I've stated previously in this thread:

"... it's a classic trait seeing those outspoken about defining more strictly the terms of being an audiophile to conveniently fall within that classification themselves. Vanity, vanity.."

While I appreciate the initiative of the OP (posed as a question, not to forget), some people just need to feel better about themselves. 
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,137 posts
 
@mahlman —

Whether I was serious with my now deleted message dissing sarcasm? You bet; I find your OP to stand on its own and read it sans sarcasm. Indeed it’ all the more effective this way clearly expressing your POW while asking others about their stance.
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,137 posts
 
@geoffkait —

>>>>>Is there going to be an exchange of POWs? 😳

Oops, now that doesn’t sound right - make that POV 😬
More to discover