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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

128x128tonydennison

Showing 1 response by simonmoon

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simonmoon
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@tonydennison

An Audiophile is a lover of Audio. The music they use is to facilitate the search for perfect sound. A lover of music is a Melomaniac.

So, if you love music but audio purity is neither your passion nor goal, then you are not an Audiophile, you are a Melomaniac.

And I am talking here about Audiophiles.No offense to anyone who misunderstood my question.

 

I am detecting a bit of a false dichotomy here.

Not that that is unusual. On all audio forums I visit, I seem to see this, "you are either an audiophile, or a music lover", sort of attitude among many people.

It is my melomania that lead me to being an audiophile. Music certainly comes first, but playing with the gear can also be loads of fun. I am both an audiophile, and a music lover.

For the vast majority of my listening, I don’t care about the gear. I am only listening to the music. But, there are times, maybe a few hours every couple of weeks, when all I pay attention to, is the gear; swap gear, mess with speaker placement, listen to "audiophile approved" recordings just because they sound great, not necessarily because I like the music.

 

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