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Who has the Sickness, the Phile or the Non-phile?

So often I find myself resenting the fact that there are only so many hours to listen to HiFi and I think of those that don't hold this resentment.

I used to think anyone who wasn't obsessive simply lacked exposure, but even though I have introduced many, I have discovered no takers.

At audiophile club meeting it seems to me that the attendees are mostly gear-heads and posers; they say "Ooo & Ahhhh" to anything presented and you can see 1 or 2, maybe 3 in the seats nonchalantly looking over in the direction of the ooo-ers and Ahhh-ers; those few get it. And before anyone is defensive because they know, lashes out that I'm this or that....I don't care. These are obviously my opinions and I'm looking for the opinions of others On The  Question  At  Hand  and not whether or not I am a deluded self important snob.

So, if it is not a lack of exposure, is it a lack of ability?

Surely we are all different, short, tall, smart, obtuse, near sighted, far sighted. Are the ears and or the brains of an audiophile just wired differently than others? Can non audiophiles just not hear what we hear?

Was it childhood exposure that caused this difference in wiring? My father had Altec Voice of the Theater horns and the accompanying gear. Was that it, being exposed to HIFi during brain development? My daughter gets it and boy was she pissed when I sold my VPI TT. I never got along with my father, but was he responsible for my affliction by introducing me to superior sound as an infant?

And, who are the sick ones, the philes or the non-philes?

 

TD

tonydennison

Showing 1 response by bal-de-vis

bal-de-vis's avatar
bal-de-vis
13 posts
 

I'm an almost-exclusively-classical-music listener.  Even if I knew any other audiophiles or audiophile clubs, their various musical tastes would undoubtedly send me reeling out of the room in disgust.  I've learned long ago that whatever you might recommend to others, they aren't likely to hear or perceive anything the way you do.  And though I live with somebody I dearly love, I wouldn't dream of subjecting her to my very exclusive taste in music...which is why I've put together the best possible headphone-only system I can barely afford.  When she fires-up some crappy old pop tunes on YouTube, I just grin and bear it, and wait till she gets it out of her system.  That's what love will do.  She has an idea of the many thousands of dollars I've spent on my headphone rig...and yet has never had the slightest desire to have a listen.  

So...I don't know if being an audiophile is a "disease" or not, but it seem to be a fairly solitary pursuit these days.  Anyway, I'm happy with it and need no validation from others.

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