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The Definition of An Audiophile

My definition of an Audiophile is a person who seeks the recreation/reproduction of music in their home based on a live event.

The purpose of this thread is to gain an understanding of why the majority of people on this forum only compare components to each other. I don’t understand the terms of one amplifier sounding more musical than another. How about the “cold and sterile” attribute often attributed to Halcro amplifiers. The description “tube sounding” description sometimes applied to a solid-state amp is another example.

Whatever happened to a comparison of an actual live event? I consider myself an Audiophile; as well as, I presume, everybody else who frequents this website. How many of you so called Audiophiles have ever been to a decent live event. I’m not talking about your local Civic Center jam packed with 30,000 screaming punks smoking pot, no offense; I used to be one some time ago. How about a concert in a acoustically correct hall with minimal amplification?

The ultimate goal is unadulterated recorded music from the artist to your ears in the privacy of your home. As we all know every electronic component from the front-end source to the speaker adds some form of signature to the recording. The phrase “the best amplifier is the one that adds the least amount of unwanted distortion or noise to a signal” is a very good description. So when I read a thread on a comparison of a particular amplifier that sounds tube like or more musical then another this only mean one thing; the amplifiers are adding unwanted noise!!

Comparisons of “cold and sterile” are based on someone’s reference, most likely, to a tube amplifier or one that sounds tube like with it’s rounded off music transients to avoid the presumed solid state harshness. Have any of you Audiophiles ever thought that the “cold and sterile” attribute just might be the amplifier with the least amount of added distortion or noise to the original source?

How about the next time someone thinks about asking for advice on the qualities of a particular brand compared to another go to a live event before asking the question. That also goes for all you experts, with all the experience of multiple brand ownership and auditioning ready to give the advice. When you’re at this live event ask yourself this question; does the music sound tube like, cold and sterile, or does it sound like the real thing?
audia

Showing 1 response by davemitchell

davemitchell
253 posts
 
If an amp sounds more musical than another I can only conclude that this particular amp is adding something to the original signal above and beyond the original recording.

You are missing the point of the term "musical". It refers exactly to the opposite of what you think it does. Live unamplified music is the ideal form that we try to mimic with our stereo systems. Calling a system "more musical" often means that it more closely approximates the natural sound heard live. Calling a system "cold and sterile" means that it does not sound natural like live- usually because it strips away the natural harmonic information that should be present and/or adds electronic artifacts to the sound.

Good live unamplified sound is effortlessly dynamic, open, harmonically rich, and free of artifice. Stereo systems tend to restrict dynamics, reduce resolution, and add all kinds of electronic artifacts that get woven into the music and make it hard, sharp, thin, bright, etc... Human hearing is very sensitive to all of these omissions and commissions. Calling something musical usually implies omitting less of what should be there and avoiding more of what shouldn't
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