Why Are People So Concerned About How Others Spend Their Money?
It's really tiring. Audiophools, Snake Oil, why buy this/that. I don't give a rip what others do, although I like to read about it but none of my business. I'm just not geared that way. People want to buy a Lambo, 10,000 buck cables, 100,000 buck loudspeakers, it's no skin off my nose yet some people are obsessed with what others do. I don't get it.
Upon reading the original post my first thought was that's just plain envy. Now after about 30 seconds(!) of reflection I do believe that there is more to it than that. I'm thinking that there is some jealousy involved as in "I can't believe that the SO of this audiophile allows this amount of dollars to be spent on this stupid hobby" Envy and jealousy are a very volatile mix. Regards, BTW, I finally caught on to all the robot phrases. Jeez I'm slow on the uptake. |
@charles1dad : well said! |
@onhwy61 , To me there’s a very clear distinction between inquiry regarding budget so that one can tailor their response and be more specific (Helpful?) with recommdations of potential products. For example, it the speaker budget is 5K then you wouldn’t suggest Magico S5 speakers. That is not being judgemental, but rather it’s being considerate and respectful of stated monetary limits. If on the other hand someone says their preamplifier budget is 20K and someone responses with, only a fool would pay that kind of money. You can get a preamplifier just as good for 3K. That’s judgemental, arrogant and rude. This type of reponse is a person asserting their own person standard’s or limits onto another. Big difference. Charles |
But isn't the majority of this forum about exchanging advice on how to wisely spend time and money to achieve better music reproduction quality? For example, should I buy the Wilsons or the Magicos? When someone asks what amp should they buy one of the first replies is always "what's your budget?" If someone posts that they need a new phono preamp with 60dB gain for their newly purchased low output cartridge and state that they only have $500 to spend, then isn't any suggestion a concern about how that person spends their money? There's helpful advice and there's also less than helpful advice, but they are nearly always about how to spend time and money. |
It’s not the amount that people spend that I have any problem with. Why should I? It’s their money and their choice, and if it brings them happiness, then that can only be good. However, what I do find disagreeable is the commonly propagated notion that spending more money always brings sonic improvements. We’ve all repeatedly heard such terms as ’night and day’, ’jaw dropping’, ’beyond recognition’, ’gobsmacked’ (might be a British one) etc only to later discover for ourselves that no such differences ever existed. Therefore it’s important that there are people who can point out such inconsistencies to at least give the inexperienced a fighting chance to get some value for money in an industry that often seems bedevilled by sharks, starry eyed cable enthusiasts and the dreaded snake oil purveyors. It doesn’t matter how much money we may or may not have, we all want value for money, don’t we? Thankfully, as reviewer Ken Kessler loves to point out, it’s never been as easy to get so much for so less.
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Agree 100% Russ. Some people have that puritanical streak that Mencken pointed out: people who live in terror that someone, somewhere, might be having a good time. People who think a CCA through a cheap DS DAC and crummy class T amp makes them the moral superiors to those who invest in the companies and components that are really trying to advance the audio world, remind me of a mean old lady in town where I was trying to catch a train, who thought I was going too fast so she blocked both lanes of traffic diagonally on a busy road to slow me down. Literally stopped traffic dead. I bet she would be very critical of my stereo too 😂 |
Some people are overly concerned with 'fairness'. My brother is like that. Funny thing is that he used to say that same thing as a child: 'That's not fair!'. Sounds good at face value (the idea of fairness) but it can get out of hand really fast.
I've never been concerned about what/how other people do...none of my business. As long as they're not harming themselves/others.
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As a professional musician, audio is such a passion that it strikes me odd to have it called a “hobby.” I’m one of the lurkers who reads the Agon threads every day but rarely posts; here to gather information and “hang” with others who love and appreciate good sound and the visceral joy that occurs at the nexus of a great system, a great performance, a great recording. +1 OP and everyone who seems to be here for the same reason. Passion is OK. Disagreement is very OK. Interest is OK. Getting personal is not OK. Very not OK. It’s possible to disagree agreeably. It’s sad to see so many of these threads degenerate into food fights. Please stop… |
+1 charles1dad. Envy and jealousy. I would bet that the worst offenders are also those who will pounce on ANY opportunity, real or not, to criticize a certain member here. Every bit as tiresome and annoying; and both tendencies probably part of the same mindset. If the guy really is so annoying to you, why stir that pot. Live and let live. |
@femoore12 I follow the thread on Reddit and it is an absolute cesspool. Cable deniers, clean power deniers all of it. It's really a place I choose not to even be involved in. It's like audioholics mixed with ASR with a bunch of 21 year old kids without the means to afford equipment berating ones with actual systems and knowledge. Sick place. |
I never consider audio attract attention by people as money hobby. I have nice boat that attract attention like sport car. Many time before tournament lady and friends ask to come on boat to party. My wife know that she beautiful smart art director and high end circus performer and has twin sister has no worries but I still need be careful with what I see people attract to. Never see stereo system as something jealousy item. |
The wife and I each worked for over 50 years. We had no kids and invested heavily . When I turned 70 she told me to go buy that Porsche I had always wanted. I hesitated because I did not want to come across as pretentious. My neighbor said WGAF..! I bought it and enjoyed it for almost 4 years and just sold it for almost what I paid for it. I can afford high end audio and and have a very nice setup. No one sees or knows what it cost and I rarely mention what I have on this website because there are those that like to say what an idiot you are for buying this or that. Better to just lurk in the background. |
"Springsteen just sold out for 500 million. If he sold for 1 million, he'd be a fool." Well not really. Before the Sony buyout he was worth over 500 million, not fool's money. He is 72 years old and the buyout is a great way to prepare his estate for the inevitable. He certainly doesn't need the income and his tax exposure will be substantial. It is a good move for a person of his wealth to prevent the "Prince" syndrome, who didn't even have a will. That estate is just a mess. |
The only reason to obsess over crazy spending would be if there were people who didn't have enough food or shelter or medicine to have a minimally decent life. At that point, I could understand the judgement's basis. (It could be moral or religious, for example.) |
Read the posts in the Reddit Audiophile group. If someone posts equipment that wasn’t found in a dumpster it’s bashed for being snake oil. It has become the norm to attack others that have the means to afford luxury goods. Lots of people don’t want to work, but are extremely jealous of people who can afford to purchase nice things. There is a lot of anger out there. |
a somewhat serious answer... i don’t think those discussions are about other people spending their money this is an enthusiast board, covering music and all things/equipment used to reproduce the music as a shared passion, we who come here like to discuss and share our experiences and thoughts -- on what is good and bad, what is worthwhile and not worthwhile, what delivers value for the cost, and what doesn’t... so its not about other people spending money per se, that aspect is tangential... it is about an area of shared enthusiasm that we care about, want to be knowledgeable in, and in that world, in that pursuit, what is worth spending our money on to enhance our enjoyment |
It is disposable income, dispose of it as you wish. People should realize the money did not just drop in the person's laps it was earned. When you think of it art, car, house, collectors, etc $400,000 on speakers is chump change. More power to you if you got it to spend. I admit occasionally thinking if I had that kind of scratch I'd have more than an audio itch. As the saying goes you can't take it with you. Just sell me one of the storage models you haven't turned on in a decade at a fraction of their price.
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I can care less what others spend, although on the other hand I do think that some of the things people fancy are way way too expensive for the very minor increase (if any) In sound quality. If someone thinks that gaining maybe 1 or 2 percent is worth spending thousands more than a product that is more affordable, then go right ahead. Me, I look for the products that provide the best bang for the buck. Products I do not have to get a 2nd mortgage to afford. |
1 . There are a lot of people here who want to sell their goods to you (under the guise of experienced audiophiles, they "sincerely" recommend buying this model or brand) 2. Pride (many people think of themselves as professionals and it is pleasant for them to feel others as fools) ... 3. Self-justification (many have spent money on their own and now trying to persuade you - they comfort themselves) 4 . generous smart people - sometimes they feel sorry for you and they help ... but you ignore their advice - since a lot of posts are written 1, 2, 3))))) |
As I quoted early one well known test based forum recently totally destroyed the new Bluesound Node, a product that in its various guises is owned and enjoyed by many. Interestingly the 'tester' never listened to the item merely based the findings on how it measured. I would have thought that a product designed, produced, sold and used to provide music should be listened to before commenting on its "quality" or lack of?
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tsushima1- agree. He’s like somebody claiming their $15k Toyota is better than a $1M Porsche (yes Porsche has made $1M cars). If you want a laugh, check out the ANA site. If you spend over $5 for a cable or you happen to be an owner of a company that produces better cables, you are chastised. Who cares how much somebody pays for quality! |
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Some people speak in absolutes with a predetermined response based on their experience. They write a narrative as if they are telling you what you will experience. You can do this if you are a good fisherman or hunter with a kill at your side, but audio is way more imaginary and personal. These are the people I’d pay money for that ignore button to avoid 😃 |
