You know you have audiophile system when...

I think of the attitude people have about High Fidelity along similar lines as the attitude some Americans have about the education of their kids. Some people think that they should have a say as to what their children will be taught. But those same parents often want their children to be "better educated" then they were themselves. So what if the parents are ignorant and under educated? We all can always learn more about audio and more about the world. Why draw limits? I would like to learn MORE about audio and MORE about the world.

A music lover uses audio equipment to listen to his recordings. An audiophile uses recordings to listen to his audio equipment!

@whitefishpoint1175 

This is a quote from Allan Parsons, and he was wrong when he originally said it, and the quote is still wrong now.

First of all, there is a "no true Scotsman" fallacy in there. As well as a false dichotomy.

Of course, there are a small subset of audiophiles who do care more about the sound of the equipment, than the music. But why should anyone care if that is how they get their enjoyment from their systems?

But the vast majority of audiophiles that are ’music first’ audiophiles.

The vast majority of my listening, I couldn’t care less about the gear. I just listen to the music.

But this doesn’t mean, there are other times, for a couple hours every couple of weeks, that I can’t have loads of fun, just paying attention to the gear, playing ’approved’ audiophile recordings, tweaking my system, etc. And not paying to much attention to the music itself.

So, by the above (bogus) definition of audiophile and music lover, I guess I switch between the 2 on a regular basis. But I always consider myself an audiophile AND a music lover.

I hate the tag Audiophile. Who coined the phrase?

It’s all about musical entertainment, nothing more, nothing less.

@bobpyle 

The term was coined in 1951, and I think it is a perfectly fine term.

Sure it is all about the music first. But that doesn’t mean the gear is not also fun as hell.

I guess audio enthusiast is synonymous, which I am also fine with.

But just because someone is an audiophile, does not mean that the music does not come first.

@simonmoon Agree it's just fine and right in line with what you've said.  Broken down into its Latin and Greek roots audiophile simply means a "lover of sound"--doesn't mean " lover of sound equipment"...Although reasonably good equipment is generally necessary to make that sound as close to live as possible, being an audiophile does not mean you must own high-end gear.

When you’ve run out of feasible rooms 

to put a 6th system in.. and your still

married. 
 

@simonmoon + 1

@simonmoon - I'm not sure that I agree with you that the majority of audiophiles are "music first" in their enjoyment.

I know way more people that enjoy music than enjoy audio equipment.  People that are truly music first seem to be able to equally enjoy music live, on the radio in the car, or over the speakers that grocery store equally.  In my experience, most of them don't even recognize the value of an high end system.  It's curious to me why so few people will listen to a system like mine and not immediately recognize how superior it is to anything that they have heard before, but even within the subset of those that do recognize and enjoy the difference almost none feel any need to get into high end gear.  My conclusion is that for the vast majority of people the actual sound quality of the music doesn't improve their listening experience in a meaningful way.

Obviously, audiophiles do greatly enjoy music or else they wouldn't invest so much of their time and resources in the hobby, but I think that if sound quality is a factor then the music itself is already taking a step back.

On a related note, I queued up some music for my wife last night that I know she enjoys and the end result was an Amazon search for a better quality recording.  It was an exceedingly poor recording that was unlistenable even for her. I was prepared to gut it out with the goal of her truly enjoying the music.  Even her music first approach to listening has its limits.  I wonder if I played it through my home theater receiver with some processing if it could be salvaged?

when you have at least an 8-figure net worth and a portfolio of blue chip stocks and bonds. when your system elicits oohs and ahs from whomever you deign worthy of showing it off to. when you listen to the worst recordings and it still gives you a palpable feeling of "being there."

You know you have an audiophile system when you have learned acoustic...

If not, you upgrade to a very costly system...

It is almost useless...Igear improvement without acoustic improvement are deceitful...

Sorry...

it is incredible and revelatory of the situation if i am the only one to claim that..

I'll approach this from a slightly more humble and less judgmental direction (odd for this room I know). And first of all, I have no problem with being called an audiophile. I don't wear it like a badge, but it doesn't bother me. And I couldn't care less what snarky things people in a record store might say about me. I have filthy c**t w**re b***h white trash sister-in-law who works in a wine shop and in a voice dripping with ridicule calls their more discerning customers "cork dorks". And these are the people who put food on her table!! Like I said, white trash. Anyway, to the point.

An audiophile is someone who listens to music on the built-in speakers and their iPhone and says, "Wait minute!, this can be better", and goes out and buys a bluetooth speaker. They're on the path. It's the person who listens to their old Pioneer receiver through their old Advent speakers and says, "Wait a minute, this can be better", and goes to an audio store or online and starts their journey, their search for the "better". It's the person who's still listening to their old dorm room stereo of the first stereo they bought when they moved out of their parents house. It cost $350 with speakers and might even have a built in cassette deck and one day they realize, "this can sound better". (maybe because music coming from the stereo in their new minivan sounds different and better). I'm sure all of you have been to the homes of good friends, smart people, clever and at times even a bit sophisticated who still use that old stereo when they listen to music, which likely isn't very often.  It's about the pursuit of better access to the music. Audiophiles don't use music to listen to their system. That's pithy but ignorant. They only time they do that is when they add/are breaking in a new addition or trying to figure out where that booming bass comes from every once in a while.  We're all chasing the music, and better systems are more immersive, they pull us in, relaxed, enveloping and they take us into the sonic artform to which, for whatever reason, we humans seem to be drawn.

You're at a concert. You turn to your wife and say "This sounds as good as it does at home!"

My definition of an audiophile system is that it sounds exactly like live music. I set up my new system with my new audiophile speakers, synced the subwoofer so it blended in perfectly, got speaker position perfect and everything sounded terrific.

I auditioned it for my wife. She listened and said "It sounds like they’re in the room with us." Now inside my head I was doing my happy dance, because that’s exactly what I was going for. Then she said "It’s creepy. I don’t like it."

@natman 

I auditioned it for my wife. She listened and said "It sounds like they’re in the room with us." Now inside my head I was doing my happy dance, because that’s exactly what I was going for. Then she said "It’s creepy. I don’t like it."

I'd rather have someone say, "It sounds just like we've been transported to the concert hall, jazz club, rock club', than it sounds like they are in the room with us, when they hear my system. But that is my preference. Even with a singer with an acoustic guitar, I would rather be transported to the original recording space.

Just how does on get a simulation that there is an 80 piece orchestra in the room with me? But having it sound as if I am 15 rows back at Disney Hall, sound more attainable. 

But then, I am probably just being pedantic. 

I’d rather have someone say, "It sounds just like we’ve been transported to the concert hall, jazz club, rock club’, than it sounds like they are in the room with us, when they hear my system. But that is my preference.

You are right!

It is not a taste or a preference, but an acoustic result when a system /room is under control...

If they are in " the room with you" but you are not there in the concert hall or jazz club with them to begin with it, is because the acoustic trade-off of the recording engineer is not revealed well in your system/room...

Our room must be erased by passive and active and acoustic and psycho-acoustic control to reveal some aspects of the recording original trade-off, then it is you who are there on the stage or near it,  out of your room, with an intimate relation with the sound around you , not them in your room ...

It is my acoustic experience...

I've kept a detailed audio journal for over twenty years. I've looked back through the journals and the angst and disappointments of so many entries makes me wonder how I had such persistence. Based on journal entries I perceived my system worthy of audiophile quality around five years ago, lots of 'best ever' entries since then. For myself, I had to reach a level of resolution that gave illusion of performers in room. I continue to reach new plateaus, which means less mind games to convince oneself there are flesh and blood performers in room

. I'm convinced further gains are in future, so, at least in my case, a self defined audiophile system is not an end point. One can reach one mountain top only to see another higher mountain in the distance. I can say it does feel great to reach those lower mountain tops, it all becomes good at some point.