[bernado]

It just seems to me people get so caught up in technical hyperbole, they forget about the music. There's a thread raging in the headphone amps section at the moment that genuinely makes me feel quite sad. I've been there to a certain extent - I've bought "space age technology, teflon coated" this and that; I've dug up my local beach to fill speaker stands with sand, etc etc. But you know what? Now I've got kids, my speaker based system is nothing more than a little JVC midi system feeding a pair of low-fi Creative satellites, linked by crappy bell wire. Watching my 6 year old daughter dance to Swan Lake or my 2 year old son play air guitar to the Ramones reminds me of the real joy of music. They don't care how absolute the scilence is with the dial turned to 11, they just love music - surely that's what it's all about.

 

[s4nder]

Purposefully listening to crappy equipment does not make music come out more or sound better. This is sentimentalism at work. Where do you draw the line as to how crappy it must be to hear "what it's all about"? 64 kbps mono recordings played by iBuds?

I also remember getting cold shivers listening to music with 15 dollar noname headphones years ago. It was great but they broke and I got slightly better ones. Needless to say, spending money on sound equipment has only made the experience better.

 

[Planar_head]

You'll probably find crazy people who got caught up in gear, but the vast majority probably enjoys music far more than the average listener.

After all, pop music today is... well, lackluster. So here, we explore jazz, well recorded rock (or not), classical, and so on.

In the end, I think it's just that people like listening to something better on something better.

 

[ClieOS]

Audiophiles are geeks who love music and have money to spend.

The real question should be, are you as an audiophile spend more time on enjoying music or on spending money? Obviously, the answer very from person to person.

 

[Rednamalas1]

people love music, but they love to hear their loved music in great quality.

same argument could be said for any other electronics: people love sports, but why do people want bigger and better tvs?

I would still love eric clapton's music if it was playing through my cell phone speaker, but even my rather modest setup helps me become involved in his music even more, as if I was part of the crowd.

after all this IS a forum where people will spend loads of money for minor improvements in sound quality.

 

[The Actual]

As others have said there are multiple components to audiophilia.

Loving music is a large one for many, for some the desire to have the best of the best is what drives the pursuit of quality sound.


Some of most types on this forum.

in the past few years though it does seem that there are more 'gearhead' types on the forum who love to get the best of the best equipment more than just very, very hardcore music fans. Perhaps it is just from my point of view though.

happy listening

 

[FallenAngel]

I love music, absolutely love listening for hours on end, and do every day, at least 3 or 4 hours a day.

Building amps is also a hobby so I'm very interested in the gear and spend lots of time and money on it and enjoy building it immensely, but not as much as listening to it afterward.

 

[monolith]

I've found a lot of audiophiles have very...limited...musical taste and scope, but that's up to them.

Certainly all audiophiles aren't music lovers.

 

[bernado]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Actual /img/forum/go_quote.gif As others have said there are multiple components to audiophilia. Loving music is a large one for many, for some the desire to have the best of the best is what drives the pursuit of quality sound. Some of most types on this forum. in the past few years though it does seem that there are more 'gearhead' types on the forum who love to get the best of the best equipment more than just very, very hardcore music fans. Perhaps it is just from my point of view though. happy listening

I'm with you on that one. As for being a sentimental fool, guilty as charged. Maybe I'm just jealous in denial, not having much money to throw around these days - especially since a recent valve amp and HD650 purchase

 

[fordgtlover]

Personally, I think most people enjoy music. What makes us slightly different is that we seek the best reproduction of music that we can get.

Yes, the audio hobby does attract gear-heads (perhaps I'm one). For me, it is partly about the equipment and mostly about the best quality reproduction of the music that I can afford within the constraints of my budget. I am prepared to spend some money on that pursuit. I know many other people who don't place the same value of the pursuit of the quality that I do.

I also enjoy tinkering with DIY. I get to build stuff and listen to it - works for me.

 

[bernado]

Thought I should just stick up a big sign at this stage and say I am in no way slamming forum members here. I guess it could look that way for someone with a relatively small post count such as mine to have the audacity to wag my finger. Just a general observation in life really. I expect it's part of what we in the UK call the Grumpy Old Man syndrome, i.e. TV's not as good as it used to be; Ice creams are smaller and don't the Policemen look young these days?

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by monolith /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've found a lot of audiophiles have very...limited...musical taste and scope, but that's up to them. Certainly all audiophiles aren't music lovers.

All audiophiles Are Music Lovers first. There love/lust for the best posible gear to get is driven by love of music. The people you decribe are not audiophiles.
I think your confused about whos, who.

 

[NoPants]

I'll admit I have pretty bad taste in music, but that doesn't stop me from listening to it in the best quality possible haha

 

[ClieOS]

I will imagine those so called audiophiles that doesn't like music will hook up their rig to an industrial sine wave generator instead of a CD player. At least that way they will get a chance to show off how precise every note is reproduced.

...or perhaps they should be called audio-gearhead instead of audiophiles?

 

[nsx_23]

I always buy gear based on how they sound, not what components it has and how good something looks. For me, if the headphone/amp/source sounds rubbish, than no matter how pretty it is, I'll never buy it.

I do know of people who simply buy expensive gear to collect and show off though.