How Do You Live The Audiophile Life

How do we live the "Audiophile Life"?    Well if you have to ask.....

Actually, we all have more money than you do.   So much in fact that we can afford capricious purchases of 5 figure equipment, just using pocket change.

I hope you realize I am joking.

We all started somewhere.   If we started young, it was likely with limited resources.  If we started older, we likely had a base of HT or other generic equipment as a foundation.   Regardless.  We all had to learn what we wanted, learn how to evaluate sound in the abstract, and how to determine if differences are true improvements or just the novelty of something new.   It makes no sense to dive into the deep end and spend large sums of money to start your journey.

You reference living in NYC, and have a multitude of dealers in relatively close proximity.  GOOD.  Any reputable dealer will welcome your visits as you learn.  A good dealer understands that education is part of the high end sales process.   You live in a large market.  As a practical matter there is a large and dynamic market for used equipment in the 5 boroughs.   Craigslist, Ebay Local, Facebook Marketplace are your friends.   As you learn, you will able to sample just about anything, and likely be able to resell along the way to break even-  your only investment becomes time.   Don't be afraid to ask questions.   

jssmith,

"Start with Ethan Winer's The Audio Expert.

Like any other subject, you can go in blind, stumbling around, being pulled from one claim or review to the next, like almost everyone. Me included. Or you can educate yourself."


Stumbling around blindly in a state of confusion is where many in the business might want to keep you. 

As the above poster said, if you want to save yourself time it's better to educate yourself.

Another good book would be Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd E Toole.

Either book is worth more than a lifetime's subscription to any audio magazine - and infinitely more informative and entertaining.

At the very least the smart audiophile would have a copy displayed prominently on their shelf.

Identify what your goals are be honest with yourself - there are no wrong answers, whats most important to your needs.

Come up with a budget, and work towards sticking to it.

READ, READ, READ and then READ some more. 

It took me a good five years to understand what my goals were. I read a paper on how Humans Process Sound. I used it as a guide to come up with a plan to make sage purchasing decisions, moving me forward towards achieving my goals. 

Before that I was making purchses based on brand recognition, paid for reviews, and bragging rights on the latest and greatest. At best I was making purchases that were lateral moves. They did not propel me towards achieveing my goals. 

Understand that dealers are in the buisness of sales. As a fellow New Yorker who has been to most of the places you are passively referencing - Their objective is to put your money in thier pocket period. 

As you know this is a lifestyle so this will take time. Cold call / e mail brand manufacturers that interest you and ask them questions. Most of them will take the time to explain their vision. Go to trade shows to check stuff out. It gives you a chance to meet and Vet the manufacturers as well. Be prepared to possibly take a day trip here or there to check out their operations if local. 

Most (80%) of my equiptment came from second hand markets. I have been doing this for 30 years and still going, not done yet. I put it into a balanced perspective that allows me to enjoy this HOBBY without putting a strain on my overall life. 

Good Luck Enjoy

If it happens again in the fall, I recommend taking a weekend trip to Capital Audio Fest (conveniently located on the red line of Washington, DC Metro so you do not even need a car). It is a quick and simple trip and it is a fairly large show. Much better than the one in New York City. Nice experience even if you are not in the market for buying something.

I echo what @freediver said about becoming familiar with live music in real spaces. Live acoustic music is priceless for understanding tonality/timbre, smooth vs grainy sound, soundstage, rhythm/pace, other issues you’ll run into in audiophile systems; electric live music is priceless to assess dynamics, dynamic range, and bass.

An equally important piece of the puzzle is you developing your research skills...learning how to amass and triangulate the streams of high end audio reviews (Stereophile, Absolute Sound, HiFi+) and user comments in threads like this. You learn to sift through all this, looking for clues as to how a given audio product sounds.

The only way those clues will make sense is if you understand your own sonic preferences--really know (just one example) that you really appreciate, or really don’t appreciate, lots of detail, "accuracy," and resolution (which some hear as bright, etched, clinical). Or whether you appreciate, or don’t appreciate, the same natural weight in the lower midrange and bass that you will consistently hear in live music.

Early on I learned to snatch knowledge from unexpected places: a recording heard on the radio (which became a trust demo CD); a friend’s audio system (I liked something I heard & checked out what was in the chain); and of course, visits to high end audio stores.