[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samgotit /img/forum/go_quote.gif Steve, have you seen Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo? You'd love it.

That's on my Netflix cue... I saw God's Angry Man and Even Dwarfs Started Small (Very odd!) a long time ago. I watched Aguirre Wrath of God (excellent!) last weekend. I'll bump Fitzcarraldo up to the top.

As for audiophiles who like equipment more than music... I visited a fella who dealt in high end audio and video at his home once. He wanted to demonstrate his new speakers (which were six feet tall and dominated the entire living room!) so he asked me what kind of music I liked. I said, "How about jazz?" He looked through his collection of audiophile pressings and said, "Does the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album qualify as jazz?"

Thanks
Steve

 

[Hi-Finthen]

Are audiophiles really music lovers or just geeks with money to spend?

I do "love" the experience of music; I always have, i.e. bought a first generation 8-track stereo player for my first auto era 1968 Volvo, having been hooked previously with my Victrola 45 spinner in my youth, happily rollerskating at rinks to Klispch speakers in my teen years, "Walkman & buds" while exercising / biking, and that is why I've gotten into this music reproduction hobby with headphones.When I travel I do take it along.

I'm a music lover who has always allocated funds for the good pleasure.

I love music, always have, and I recognise emotional rememberances from personal age specific recordings, very moving stuff! Yep, a transporter and a thousand other myriad points all of which are enveloped under the heading of "This hobby of ours"...


-here's a serious question to ponder - how many of those people you're defending do you think would still listen to their music if they only had a $10 radio and a stack of cassettes to listen to it with?

Here's the thing, to me. I find my previously very listenable truck 4 speaker CDP stereo, quite poor now except for background tunes. Yes, if I had to, I could make due with that because, after all, I love music. But after having spent a good amount of time listening to better reproduction gear which is so much more emmersive with many things to focus upon differently on in this moment and spin, my brain / ear has been spoiled and it really is much less enjoyable and it just doesn't sound "right" on lesser gears, to me now. And that has been an ever present truisim as I upgraded and then after a week or so deevolved to my previous component for the personal test of the worthyness of the upgrade in mind, ie. dose it deliver...

Answer: It cost me money, as each and every upgrade was woth it as the presentation simply was "Better" with each step. Again, most easily appreciated upon having downgraded after a "leanthy" audition, IMO&E.

I'm not big on telling others what they shoud do, or what I hear in so many words in audiophile terms. And this is why i simply left it at that, when what I experience is better with the upgrades i so choose. As in my review enclosed in the signature, which also outlines my upgrade history. No, none of it was done without a love for the music it reproduces for my good pleasure and yes entertainment, reeducation and health too...

Very uplifting is music well reproduced, as well as music in general, but as in most of these debateable things, the degree of appreciation is difficult to convey, especially to others who don't seem to be agreeable or even hostile towards others experience with the gear upgrade and music reproduction hobby...



So be that as it may be...

Just my 2cents

Enjoy the tunes~

 

[trickywombat]

In a live performance, you rarely experience the same detail as a good recording. Ambience and atmosphere is sometimes an euphemism for the guy behind you who won't shut up.

Some of my favorite concerts have been at the Hollywood Bowl, but the acoustics simply do not do justice to the music being played. Being able to listen to the same performers at home with decent gear and a good recording makes up for this. The experience has shifted from communal to private, from distant to intimate, absorbing to introspective while giving me front row seats on a budget.

I do not have any formal music education, nor can I play an instrument. But music has the ability to evoke memories and emotions that cannot be contained in mere aluminum pits or grooves in vinyl.

I may not be able to discuss a piece of music intelligently in the music sub-forum, but do not feel like I need to. I listen to music simply because of what it does to me. And I do more than just listen to music - life has other things deserving attention (and financial commitment).

Almost real-time discussions and the collective knowledge on Head-Fi has been instrumental in enhancing my experience with music. I will continue to spend on the next big thing or FOTM only if it enhances my experience with music. I will enjoy the technical aspects of the gear as a byproduct.

Am I a geek? Yes, I'm a gearhead. Do I have money to spend? Currently Yes, but I worked very hard for it. Am I an audiophile? Probably Not - because I'd rather listen to an unamped iPod with iBuds, than not listen to my music at all. An audiophile geek snob would rather go without his music wearing earplugs than let iBuds touch his ears.

 

[cerbie]

Some of us are geeks without money to spend

I like the music to come out and throw me around. I'm hoping to save up for a nicer rig to do it, which will end up around $700, if I can do it. However, what I've auditioned so far has caused me to appreciate the value of what I have. All I've heard so far that feels like it would be worth not spending its equivalent on music were the K271. Of course, reading on Head-fi, I didn't expect that.

So, you need more to be content? OK. Just don't lose the goal. If the music doesn't move you, I don't see how you could ever be happy with that you have.

I do 90% of my listening in a beat-up Volvo 240, wiring hacked up (bugs the hell out of me, as the son of an electrician), previous owner's choice of receiver, no front speakers, and a Polk dB component set in the rear. It does the job.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif I said, "How about jazz?" He looked through his collection of audiophile pressings and said, "Does the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album qualify as jazz?" Thanks Steve

I LOLed.

 

[bernado]

As the OP of this thread, I hearby promise I will never think out loud again. I certainly had no intention of provoking a flame war and stated as such early on when I thought it might happen. The irony being an innocent, albeit naive, bit of naval gazing has provoked the kind of responses I was originally pondering on.
Anyway, lets all respect our fellow head-fiers, be they audiophiles, geeks, music lovers or gearheads. The jury is out where I stand.
Enjoy your gear/music (delete as appropriate)

 

[Baines93]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif I must say that some of the best, and most insightful posts are by our younger members.

Thankyou, i try Most of my posts are helpfull, and not a huge percentage of my posts are in the members lounge, but alot in the Livewires forum, as i like to call it, but really its just a huuuugeee thread

I am one of few young people that bass quality over quantity, and highs over bass, most dont even understand what highs are! If there are highs, i love ooooodles of bass.


By the way, now this is the first time you have addressed me, I really appreciate your selling prices. I noticed they are generally a little lower than most others, and i always look at your for sale posts, even though is still cant actually afford them still, even at your prices!

I wanted a U Control (which is fantastic, and pretty cheap, no hiss from livewires, digi out to dads home cinema reciever) and i found you had sold one for £10 i think. A US site had them cheap, but postage to the UK was £50. And in the end headphoneaddict helped me out and sold one he had but didnt use but was going to keep to me. Still, with US -> UK shipping it was £27, and ebay was £34+. Then i was looking at A/D500, SA1k, SR60 etc, and you sold a very cheap pair of SA1k's, which i was contemplating, but they sold while i was deciding...

Anyway, thankyou in advance, as im sure i will buy something from you oneday, and your prices are a great help to young people like me who dont have much of a budget and find it hard to justify. Thankyou for being another great person in the community.

I have been given quite a few things by this forum, sold a few things to friends for a profit, lowering my cost hehe, and have been helped out a few times in the form of loans etc. Thanks all.

Matt

 

[Baines93]

Woah, just refreshed and read back!

Elrod, sorry but you are wrong, but not totally.

I enjoy my music, and dont have much invested as i was given my Livewires as a complimentary gift, and my d2 i traded for my ZVM, which i had pre-hf. So i dont value music as much because i dont have the nice dac i want, and the top end headphone i want, along with a millet max? I have 6000 songs though, and listen to almost every genre.

That is possibly backwards. If i had more, better gear you could say i am maybe only in it for the gear, as i only have 6k tracks?

Maybe if i had a pico and a high end headphone to use with my laptop at mums or dads, and i had a millet to hook in in my bedroom at my mums i would enjoy my music even more, but i still enjoy my music with my gear, so maybe as i have little gear and still enjoy music, I am not in it for the gear, but enjoy my music with my considerably low fi setup of a usb powered dac/amp, and custom iem's at home?

I love music whatvere i listen to it with, but i dont enjoy it half as much without my gear, and a pair of very un-balanced sounding earphones/buds/iem's, but i can still listen and enjoy my music with a pair of reasonably balaced (but not sparkly highs and deep lows i love) cheapie Senn buds.

My budget limits my music enjoyment as i probably would enjoy my music even more with higher gear, but maybe i wouldnt? Livwires sound so awesome, i dont know how much better it can get. Amps didnt improve it, and lossless amped and unamped was only a slight difference, so maybe i only enjoy music if it has the sound signiture i like, and higher gear would not allow me to enjoy music more?

haha!

Matt

 

[krmathis]

My love for music is what makes me look for and invest in high quality gear for music reproduction.

Plain and easy...

 

[Kees]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif My love for music is what makes me look for and invest in high quality gear for music reproduction. Plain and easy...

YES

 

[nsx_23]

We want to feel like the artist is performing right in front of us/as though we are playing on stage.

 

[steviebee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif My love for music is what makes me look for and invest in high quality gear for music reproduction. Plain and easy...

x2. Absolutely spot on.

 

[ast]

....


so people love music are better human beings than people love gears who are frequently referred in this thread as "jerk", "snoob", "idiot", and so on ?????












...

 

[elrod-tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ast /img/forum/go_quote.gif .... so people love music are better human beings than people love gears who are frequently referred in this thread as "jerk", "snoob", "idiot", and so on ????? ...

Yes, it's too bad the way this thread has gone off track in that regard.

I still maintain that the reason that most of us who purchase upscale gear are doing so because of their love of music. I've done quite a bit of equipment churning over the years, and spent a lot of $$ in the process. That said, it's nowhere near the $$ I've spent on music. I enjoy tinkering with equipment, seeking my own sort of audio nirvana for those instances when I can listen critically.

I guess that some would accuse me of and laugh at me for "listening to my gear"...to that I say, yeah...whatever. Some people find enjoyment listening to music. I suppose that some people find enjoyment listening to their gear. To that I say...so what?

Some folks find enjoyment trolling in threads, looking for fights and sneering down their nose at others. To that I say...go away.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ast /img/forum/go_quote.gif .... so people love music are better human beings than people love gears who are frequently referred in this thread as "jerk", "snoob", "idiot", and so on ????? ...

Not in my case, although I used the word morons in my post. I think that people liking audio just for the gear, and being consequent with that choice and preference, are as perfectly acceptable as any other. What I find annoying is people who is actually into the audio thing for the gear, but they want to pass themselves as knowledgeable about music and sound evaluation.

Rgrds

 

[elrod-tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baines93 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Woah, just refreshed and read back! Elrod, sorry but you are wrong, but not totally. I enjoy my music, and dont have much invested as i was given my Livewires as a complimentary gift, and my d2 i traded for my ZVM, which i had pre-hf. So i dont value music as much because i dont have the nice dac i want, and the top end headphone i want, along with a millet max? I have 6000 songs though, and listen to almost every genre. That is possibly backwards. If i had more, better gear you could say i am maybe only in it for the gear, as i only have 6k tracks? Maybe if i had a pico and a high end headphone to use with my laptop at mums or dads, and i had a millet to hook in in my bedroom at my mums i would enjoy my music even more, but i still enjoy my music with my gear, so maybe as i have little gear and still enjoy music, I am not in it for the gear, but enjoy my music with my considerably low fi setup of a usb powered dac/amp, and custom iem's at home? I love music whatvere i listen to it with, but i dont enjoy it half as much without my gear, and a pair of very un-balanced sounding earphones/buds/iem's, but i can still listen and enjoy my music with a pair of reasonably balaced (but not sparkly highs and deep lows i love) cheapie Senn buds. My budget limits my music enjoyment as i probably would enjoy my music even more with higher gear, but maybe i wouldnt? Livwires sound so awesome, i dont know how much better it can get. Amps didnt improve it, and lossless amped and unamped was only a slight difference, so maybe i only enjoy music if it has the sound signiture i like, and higher gear would not allow me to enjoy music more? haha! Matt Matt

I think I understand what you're saying...but I'm not completely sure.

What I was saying earlier is that, given two people with equal means, it's not unreasonable to assume that the one who invests more time and money in music and gear probably enjoys music more than the one who invests less. He has, so to speak, put his money (and time) where his mouth is, clearly demonstrating his desire for more and better music. This seems pretty apparent to me.

What has followed is various and sundry splitting of hairs, discussions about means to buy equipment, and so on.

Just to be clear - I am not saying, nor have I ever said, that if one person invests more $$ and time in gear and music that this person clearly loves music more than someone who doesn't have the same means.

I think most folks understand that. I suspect that our combative, loud-mouthed friend understands that perfectly well...but there's no fight in that one (or at least there shouldn't be).

I recently attended a meet where a couple of folks had brought some of their DIY stuff. I listened to some very moderately priced gear, with DIY mods, that was most enjoyable. I regularly listen to (and enjoy) a DAP from its very so-so headphone out, and one of the nastier original equipment car stereos on the planet. For years, my work rig was a pretty modest thing - HeadRoom Total BitHead with AKG K-81DJ or K-26P - and I enjoyed it a great deal.

There are, however, times when I want to be totally immersed in my music. I enjoy this the most with my gear that is more costly...but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't enjoy it with the same gear I listen to every day.

The folks who hang out here do so IMHO specifically because they want to enjoy music more...more often, and with better quality. The greatest contribution made by this site is finding out how to get the best system you can with the resources you have. That's why I got involved with this site to begin with, and why I continue to spend time here. When someone makes a statement that most people on this site enjoy music less than the average person with entry-level mp3 players and earbuds, and lossy files simply BECAUSE we have a nice rig...well, let's get back to reality.