What is wrong with audiophiles?


Something that has happened countless times happened again last night. Ordinary people over for a party listening to some music easily hear things audiophiles argue endlessly don't even exist. Oh, its worse even than that- they not only easily hear but are stunned and amazed at what they hear. Its absolutely clearly obvious this is not anything they ever were expecting, not anything they can explain- and also is not anything they can deny. Because its so freaking obvious! Happens every time. Then I come on here and read one after another not only saying its impossible, but actually ridiculing people for the audacity of reporting on the existence of reality.

What is wrong with audiophiles?

Okay, concrete examples. Easy demos done last night. Cable Elevators, little ceramic insulators, raise cables off the floor. There's four holding each speaker cable up off the floor. Removed them one by one while playing music. Then replaced them. Music playing the whole time. First one came out, instant the cable goes on the floor the guy in the sweet spot says, "OH! WTF!?!?!"

Yeah. Just one. One by one, sound stage just collapses. Put em back, image depth returns.

Another one? Okay.

Element CTS cables have Active Shielding, another easy demo. Unplug, plug back in. Only takes a few seconds. Tuning bullets. Same thing. These are all very easy to demo while the music is playing without interruption. This kills like I don' know how many birds with one stone. Auditory memory? Zero. Change happens real time. Double blind? What could be more double blind than you don't know? Because nobody, not me, not the listener, not one single person in the room, knows exactly when to expect to hear a change- or what change to expect, or even if there would be any change to hear at all. Heck, even I have never sat there while someone did this so even I did not know it was possible to hear just one, or that the change would happen not when the Cable Elevator was removed but when the cable went down on the floor.

We're talking real experience here people. No armchair theorizing. What real people really hear in real time playing real music in a real room.

I could go on. People who get the point will get the point. People who ridicule- ALWAYS without ever bothering to try and hear for themselves!- will continue to hate and argue.

What is wrong with audiophiles?

Something almost all audiophiles insist on, its like Dogma 101, you absolutely always must play the same "revealing" track over and over again. Well, I never do this. Used to. Realized pretty quickly though just how boring it is. Ask yourself, which is easier to concentrate on- something new and interesting? Or something repetitive and boring? You know the answer. Its silly even to argue. Every single person in my experience hears just fine without boring them to tears playing the same thing over and over again. Only audiophiles subject themselves to such counterproductive tedium.

What is wrong with audiophiles????
millercarbon

Showing 6 responses by asvjerry

...I trust that some can distinguish the 'potentials' that lead to these 'black post holes'....spiraling masses, leading into the eventual 'end' of 'bad 'vibes' and condensation....

Marx (Karl, not Groucho) had a pithy comment about such..."Each...",etc.
Like any 'troll', well-meaning or not....I could go on....but, I won't.

I hesitate to interrupt the wonderful time y'all are obviously having.

Please, continue.
(...I think some of the forums need a .jpg just beneath the opening statement by {any} OP....just Because...)

WARNING
This thread may contain issues and commentary that are subject to vigorous debate among the contributors.  Many of these comments, and the subject matter in debate, may remain unresolvable despite the best efforts of the parties involved.
Enter at your own risk.
@geoffkait   I can agree with that last rant to some degree..it does seem like there's a lot of souls out on a limb with a saw of late.

Yeah, I know...to some I may qualify for that fate as well. *shrug*

"If there be 'personal hells', we all must live within them.  Mine may be no better nor worse than that of others."

Thanks, Spock.  Your character is likely quoting some literary giant, but the gist of it remains....

How one conceives of and approaches this 'indulgence' into audio rapture and response varies as much as we do.  Similarities, but no 2 alike.  We cling to it like Linus to his blanket, and there's a comfort within that as well.

And when threatened with our blankie being tossed into the wash 'n dry...
Panic/pause/Response...

...and Conflict. ;)
...think I'll buy a Lotto ticket in that moment....beats being struck by lightning...;)  The odds of that are lower...
Wow....page 7...

@jerrybj....One can never be absolutely sure about that...;)

HO...There's nothing really 'wrong' about audiophiles, if taken in the context of any other 'enthusiasm' over what one enjoys.  There'll always be the 'casual' vs.'extremist', 'SOTA/$ no object' vs.'budget', 'man-cave' vs. 'living room', etc., ad infinitum....
We 'all', to varying degrees, just desire to listen to 'X' in a manner that we take pleasure and satisfaction in.
"How' is what always seems to invoke the most 'discussion'; the fact that we're not F2F is likely the reason most of the 'edgyer' conflicts emerge.

I generally assume that I take as much enjoyment out of the items I employ to do so as much as the poster I'm reading.

What we use to do so may have Absolutely very little in common...other than the fact that it reproduces sounds that we recognise. ;)

Yup, mine has 'issues'.  Yours may as well.  On 'good days', we like them anyway.  And we don't need to talk about the 'other days', unless the need to vent about it drives one Here. *L*

...and drives 7 pages....and counting...

Happy New Decade, y'all.  Personally, I'm waiting for 2:22am, 2/22/2020....just because...*L*