We need a new class of friends? That is a "weak" statement at best.
I feel Hi-End Audio is the way it is because of what it revolves around...music. It is not that we are crazy, alot are though, and it is not what we spend in time, money, and effort, it is becaue most dont really listen to music, they hear it but dont listen, a song to most is a few or more minutes and perhaps enjoyable but then another comes right after and so on... the Marketing is also true, I dont know how many times you have listened to music with someone who keeps asking you every 3 seconds "did you hear that?!" for a casual consumer, or average friend listening to gear this is going to leave a bad taste.
I never use the word Audiophile in the real world and shy away from it in general, I am a music lover and I like to shop for, hear and read about hi-end gear. but to be an Audiophile you have to really have more technical chops then I do, you have to know how things work, how to fix them if they dont and like to open up your components and tinker, seeing how I dont know how to really fix, and I dont ever take a look inside my stuff I am going to pass on the tittle, and I feel alot of others should be smart enough to also. |
Wine is wine.
A car is a car.
A boat is a boat.
A watch is a watch.
Coins are, well you know, coins.
High fidelity is an ersatz.
Do you know of any collector working hard on the ultimate artificial vanilla extract collection?
Hi-fi is not the real thing.
We call it music among ourselves, but musicians know better. |
Good one Rosstaman! As i sit here wondering whether it's wacko or whacko I'm reminded of 25 years ago taking up bicycle racing. Eat, ride, sleep. Travel all night to race and then back home to lie around like a deadman. People wondering why your legs are shaven. Funny suntans, 10 bikes and tons of tires, tubes, ect. in the garage. Oh no, you guys are towards the normal end of thing. Gotta go, if I leave my rca's hooked up too long the government takes over my tuner! |
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I believe that it is a more personal and intimate hobby....When was the last time a beautiful lady was swooned back to your place after telling her that you just bought a new pair of B&W 801's !!! ??? But, and I'm just generalizing here, if you told her you just bought a new Porsche.....well that's different. It is more of a specialzed hobby that is between you and the creation of music through these components. It's inward not outward....for most Audiophiles. Then I love when you get the my ''boom box'' sounds just a good as your stereo....it's all the same. Yes, and so is riding in a Pinto vs. that Porsche.....It's all about the music and what music does for you and to you |
We all have our likes and dislikes. One man's passion is another man's apathy.
But anyone who ridicules another persons passion, lacks a bit of social
sophistication.
So it's best to go by the old Native American saying:
"Do not criticize your neighbor, until you've walked a mile in his shoes."
This way, you're a mile away, and you have their shoes! |
Perhaps I'm lucky, but my friends are tactful enuf not to tell me that I'm a whacko because I 'collect' audio equipment or music. Maybe you need new a new class of friends. :-) The assumption that there are a lot of folks who think we are whackos may be nothing more than collective paranoia with a bit of guilty conscience thown in. |
Who? Me?
.
If car buffs thought they could increase acceleration by Cryo treating their spark plugs, they would get the same treatment.
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Because they justify paying $1K power cords and speaker wires.. |
I think Cwlondon has nailed a big part of it - high end is marketed by audiophiles to audiophiles and not to the greater masses. Coupled with the fact that, aside from a college students dorm room or apartment, which also has stellar furniture such as milk crates and cement block and pine board bookshelves, audio equipment typically doesn't appear in normal home decor.
Most of the other "finer things" fit nicely in the home, garage or "lifestyle". Think about it, many people who drink fine wine do so because it is expensive and they can. In other words a "status" or "lifestyle" thing. Eventually, some may even come to appreciate it for what it is and stop buying just the most expensive stuff and start buying just the best stuff. Rolexes and BMW's are as much statements of "I've made it" as anything else. Even stamp collections laid out on a desk in the "library" are a fashion statement.
I live in one of the more affluent counties in the US and, when looking at real estate, seldom run into dedicated listening rooms or meaningful stereo equipment of any kind. Indeed, I was told by a realtor friend of mine that he advises people with large speakers and electronics out in the open to put them away when selling their house to make it more attractive to potential purchasers.
Contrast that to home theaters, however, and now you have something with the cachet of fine wine, boats, and other luxury items that fit attractively into a house, garage or marina. Even if unused, they are "status symbols" that are easily marketed to the affluent or anyone that aspires thereto. They even buy expensive/good equipment, even if they don't know the names, because they want the best.
Unfortunately, high end audio was never effectively marketed in a way that made it a must have in ones house in the 60's and 70's. For stereo, the "best" is often small and unobtrusive, which plays to Bose and not high quality sound reproduction. For home theater, the "best" is often big and ostentatious. Too bad nobody got it right 30 years ago. |
I always thought the secret audiophile handshake was a little off putting. |
one more example....if it wasn't for nora jones being classified as jazz, sales of this music catagory would be smaller than someone's paper route |
here is something to think about. of all the hobbies mentioned in this thread, ours is the only one not growing. in fact, more music is listened to on pc's alone than all the audio systems(low,mid, or hi end) combined. any growth numbers are coming from home theatre. movies evidently ARE the new rock and roll |
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I don't know why audiophiles are perceived to be screwballs--if they are.
Unable to speak for "them",I'll say that someone with a passion for something,as long as it is not socially destructive has my respect.
Perhaps someone who takes the time and makes the effort to play a musical instument or write a novel or put together an audio system is a screwball--who's to say? But I don't think that is a bad thing. |
There are two reasons:
1) unlike wine, watches, bespoke clothing, high end boats, designer mineral water, italian sheets, sub zero refrigerators, viking stoves, modern art, luxury automobiles, dualit toasters, cashmere blankets and expensive coffee - just to name a few things...
...high end audio is marketed BY geeky audiophiles and TO geeky audiophiles
(God love "geeky" audiophiles, by the way. I have been one for 25 years now.)
Our hobby has not been successfully marketed to affluent people who simply appreciate fine things.
I continue to have an obviously contrarian view that a $30,000 CD player, for example, is more of a luxury item than say, a hobbyist's necessity.
But there is no luxury goods cachet associated with audio.
2) Also, this hobby requires some degree of cultural literacy.
And people who don't really care about music (a growing segment of the population?) are unlikely to prioritize a big investment in audio.
Of course, genuinely appreciating impressionist pictures (and even enjoying good wine) also requires a degree of cultural literacy, but even if you really dont understand it, you can still hang it on your wall (or serve it at your dinner parties) and show your friends how rich you are.
This could happen to audio one day, but not until someone changes the model.
In the meantime, we are all weird.
God bless audiophiles and have a nice day. |
A great thread--and very well stated Teajay. Now for me, I look at people that collect many things and just scratch my head and believe they are the screwballs. For example, I enjoy good wine, but can't understand those that collect more wine than they, their neighbors, friends, relatives and business associates can drink in their lifetimes--particularly since most wines do not have indefinite storage times even if you go through the expense of having them re-corked.* I don't understand people that own boats that only use them once a year or less. I also don't understand the audiophile that has a total collection of 20 CDs (10 of which are demo discs).
I guess people can understand others enjoying boating, or driving, but may not relate to sitting and listening to music that is reproduced (rather than live). Most people once they've experienced a high-end system get it--or at least can understand why an audiophile would enjoy listening to music, but some never do.
I own a high end system because I use it almost every day. I love listening to music and the better it's reproduced the more I enjoy it. Not that much different from a race car I suppose. The faster it goes, the better it handles, the more the driver enjoys the experience.
*While I made that comment on people that own more wine than they could ever know what to do with--it dawned on me I know audiophiles, that if they played each CD and LP they had sequentially and continuously they could not get through their collection in their lifetime if they lived another 50 years. Somehow I don't have a problem with that. |
Interesting topic, and the point made above about finding common ground is awfully smart.
I wonder if some people can not hear the difference in a basic vs super high end system, whereas auto performance has a more measurable aspect: 0-60 times, HP, torque and so on, and watches are consdered investements in beautiful (usually rare) works of art. So because nonaficionado can or does does not readily hear the difference (or maybe is not open minded enough to hear it), or maybe he doesn't feel as strongly about music as you do- he's left with the impression that the a-phile is into the hobby for "prestige" status, or are outright delusional, so they naturally would be dismissive. |
Hi, I understand this it is because some others will not think past their own needs and wants. I can see other peoples hobbies and respect them. Can remember years ago selling a car to buy a great pair of Quad speakers, and getting a lot more pleasure out of the speakers than the car.Any money put in the system has been well worth it. How many things can you say that about? Can remember many nights after a bad day of work,or? coming home to some nice sounds and a couple of beers and having the day turn around, it's cheaper than a shrink and works better. |
When faced with someone who questions my fervent pursuit of an illusive specter of happiness through some external means (as most of us do in so many different ways), i will usually seek out some common ground on which we may meet and enjoy life, rather than that on which we differ. Music is a universal language and is often an easy subject to find mutual enjoyment with anyone, as opposed to focusing on the gear (which I really don't like to do anyway). If common ground obviously wasn't there in music I'd just move on to something else. In the same turn I wouldn't attempt to discount anyone's opinion just because they don't understand something about me. Nor would I close myself off to the possibility that there was something I could learn from their disagreement. If the interacction was obviously not constructive I might consider a simple statement like, "...thank you for sharing." and leave it at that.
As a side note I think that some folks (not all) who obsess about various pursuits as you've described, use the pursuit not only to 'define' themselves in some way, but also to 'elevate' themselves above others through their obsession. This kind of attitude may naturally lead to dissension among those who did not indulge in a similar pursuit and perhaps did not appreciate being looked down upon from such lofty heights by someone whose poop stinks just like theirs does.
Marco |
I wouldn't concern myself with the opinions of non-philes. They just don't have the apreciation for the finer treasures hidden in the sense of hearing. I kinda understand their viewpoint when I examine my opinion of people that raise horses. They certainly don't care about my opinion. The difference to me is our passion doesn't have to potential of dying, regardless of investment. |
