Am I right for this forum?


I’ve been an Audiogon member for some years now; I remember (fondly) "millercarbon," for example, which will mean something to some of you. And I’ve been a lover of audio equipment since high school—so, for over 50 years (I graduated in 1973). And yet...more and more, I find myself alienated from this forum, even though I do still read it regularly.

I do have what I consider a very "high-fidelity" system. I’ve written a very long account of my "audio journey," complete with many photos, but not "published" it on this site. I’m also a member of our local audio club, which includes several very well-heeled members who have systems costing more than most homes (one of them owns equipment valued at nearly a million dollars, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg: his system is housed in a separate structure purpose-built for it that cost well over a million). I play cello and guitar; my wife plays piano, my daughter piano and violin. We play those instruments in the same room occupied by my main audio system, and so I can attest to the "fidelity" of that system’s reproduction.

And yet...my system cost me less than $3,000 in total. I don’t lust after any particular "upgrade," even though I read reviews and all the many accounts of improvements in "SQ" documented in this forum.

So...am I an "audiophile," or not? Do I belong here, or not?


I’m listening right now to a wonderful bit of Mozart. I also love Tool. And Christy Moore. And Eva Cassidy. And so many others. I agree with Nietzsche: without music, life would be a mistake. But am I an audiophile? Do I belong on this forum?

Any sympathy here? Anyone else feel alienated from the "audiophile community" despite loving the miracle of audio technology?

128x128snilf

The 'Art' is reproducing recorded music.  The best it can be done with electronic boxes, today,  is very low on the price pole.  The Marantz Yamaha thingy.

@rok2id  , in my experience there is equipment that reproduces music much better than equipment low on the price pole.  I am going to leave it at that . . . except to say that I am not familiar with Yamaha's line of equipment but I know for a fact that some of Maranzt's equiment can get relatively expensive.  Meaning that 'expensive' is another relative term.   But to that point, would you consider the Maranzt SA10 SACDp to be expensive at around 7k msrp? 

 

@immatthewj

 

But to that point, would you consider the Maranzt SA10 SACDp to be expensive at around 7k msrp?

 

Absolutely! I have the SA8001. $899msrp. What is it about the SA10 that makes it worth 6100 more?

Full disclosure: My SA8001 failed after 18 years of service. Currently looking for a replacement. Probably the marantz CD6007. Finally giving up on SACD.

Cheers

If you love your system, that is all that matters and enjoy.

Enjoy until you hear something that you feel sounds better.

That is when you have a choice to make.

Happy Listening.

We need people like you.  I often think about how wealthy this group is.  However, I am not going to sucked to splitting hairs.

 

I wonder what happened to Miller Carbon.  I believe he was banned for awhile and came back.  I think he knows a tremendous amount and he belongs here.

 

@dougsat Nailed it in my mind. I will add that any music played anyway makes me happier than I had been without it. Am I an audiophile? Don't care.