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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????
128x128millercarbon

Showing 3 responses by cd318

cd318
2,636 posts
 
The problem with us audiophiles is that our perennial quest for audio satisfaction is often beleaguered by the various misinformers they we may encounter along the way.

Some of those we encounter may mean well, and some no doubt will be plotting to ambush and rob us soon after we embark upon what is usually a solitary lifelong mission.

It is certainly a dangerous mission, not as dangerous as mountain climbing - but still one that may take an entire lifetime and a large amount of free capital at our disposal.

Even worse, there is no guarantee of success as the sheer number of disillusioned long time audiophiles out there will attest to. 

Young man take care...
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@millercarbon, "But think of it: audiophilia nervosa. Unlike pseudophile derangement syndrome, I didn’t just make that one up. Its been around a while. A very long while. Which has got to make you wonder ... wait for it... - What is wrong with audiophiles?!"

Are you asking whether audiophiles can be classified as victims of audiophilia nervosa?

If so, then the answer must be a resounding Yes!

This is the age of labels, (amongst other things) and that’s a good label as any to illustrate the ways in we are different or 'special' if you prefer.

Of course whilst social norms and values are never fixed in stone, I still bet most societies would regard our obsession as being slightly unhealthy.

No doubt Audiophilia Nervosa is currently awaiting it’s ultimate rightful cataloguing place between ADHD and Autism in the encyclopedia of mental disorders. Merely being ’lumped in’ with OCD hurts my long time held sensibilities.

https://hifi-opinions.com/en/audiophilia-nervosa-2/

The good news is that it’s already made the pages of the urban dictionary under its own name...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.urbandictionary.com/define.php%3fterm=audiophilia%2bnervosa&amp...
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@agrippa, "For maybe the first 10-15 years of my audiophile "career" I heard differences between anything and everything. Cable lifters, signal cables, speaker cables, power cables, isolation devices, that green CD pen, you name it. I heard the differences at shop demos, at my friends’ places and at home.

Then real stuff happened and I lost interest in HiFi completely for a couple of years or so. When I came back I heard none, or almost none, of it. Not, I hasten to add, because I’d lost my hearing in the meantime. It is and has always been excellent. I have no problem picking up and pointing out slight nuances between cartridges, tone arms, CD players, amplifiers and whatever else which *ought* to sound different - but all that other stuff all sound the same or make no difference whatsoever.

I’ve given this quite some thought and the one change from before to after that I can point to as an explanation is that I no longer give a s**t. I no longer want, need or expect things to sound different and so, apparently, many of them don’t.

That’s my personal experience anyway. Take it as you will."




Portrait of the Audiophile as a Young Man?

Many poignant and wise words here

"Then the "real stuff" happens."

"an explanation is that I no longer give a s**t"

"I no longer want, need or expect things to sound different and so, apparently, many of them don’t."


Trust me, you're not the only one who feels this way.

Great post, I'll take it with thanks.

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