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

You’re obsessing to make a “distinction”  between music sonic quality and equipment like it’s an all or nothing.  It’s common to have interest in both in our hobby although not in equal measures.  I look at gear as a way to elevate and/or change the sonics of my audio chain.  An “audiophile” is interested in listening to better sonics than the average and the “gear” is the means to do it.

Im not obsessing, just posing questions for thought. And I agree with the rest of your statement.

I love music and I want to hear it the way it was meant to be heard as closely as possible. My system, except for the room, got me there 30 years ago. As of five years ago, I finally also have the room. 

@unreceivedogma 

Roger that, NP. What is your budget and listening preferences and I'll post something else. 

@kota1 

no worries, I’m set. 

see 

https://www.theaudioatticvinylsundays.com/
 

I put the whole shebange together over a few decades for less than $30K. 

@unreceivedogma 

It seems like a labor of love from the cartridge all the way to the room design. Really nice way to showcase it to!

@kota1

Thank you.

Either a labor of love or an extreme form of a narcissistic disorder of some sort.

The cartridge was a gift from a very famous musician who is from Canada, a member of a 1960’s group that played at Woodstock who has been solo since the 1980s who is an environmentalist as I am (the basis of the gift). I never would spend $10K on a cartridge: $1,800 is my limit.