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Originally Posted by Aman /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The discrepancy that must be made is that you actually call this a "hobby". I believe that is too broad a term - some dictionaries may define the word as any activity for self-enjoyment or benefit, but when I think "hobby", I think model building, or writing. I don't think about spending exorbitant amounts of money on audio gear and then sitting in the dark by yourself enjoying it. In other words, I usually consider a hobby something that requires some level of skill and dedication.
Don't elevate this whole audiophile craze to the level of "hobby". This is a pastime. This is a nonconstructive thing we take part in. We get nothing out of it but enjoyment and, for those who listen to the right music, an intellectual heightening. However, if you're talking about the people who build cables, do hardware tweaks, or actually make music (I am a member of this sadly small demographic on these boards), that is certainly a hobby.
The only "joke" going around here is that you call this a hobby. No hobby is ever a joke. Hobbies - be it collecting, or crafting, or creating - are always worthwhile in the end; either financially or productively (sometimes both).
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby
Hobbies are practised for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward.
Examples include collecting, making, tinkering, sports and adult education. Engaging in a hobby can lead to acquiring substantial skill, knowledge, and experience.
However, personal fulfillment is the aim.
What are hobbies for some people are professions for others: a game tester may enjoy cooking as a hobby, while a professional chef might enjoy playing (and helping to debug) computer games.
Generally speaking, the person who does something for fun, not remuneration, is called an amateur (or hobbyist), as distinct from a professional.
An important determinant of what is considered a hobby, as distinct from a profession (beyond the lack of remuneration), is probably how easy it is to make a living at the activity.
Pursuit of a hobby may have calming or helpful therapeutic side effects.
In some cases, however, (for example in collecting) the line between a hobby and an obsession can become blurred. There is more than one documented case of violence over things as simple as coin collecting[citation*needed].
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collecting
The hobby of collecting consists of acquiring specific items
based on a particular interest of the collector. These collections of things are often highly organized, carefully cataloged, and attractively displayed. Since collecting depends on the interests of the individual collector, it may deal with almost any subject. The depth and breadth of the collection may also vary. Some collectors choose to focus on a specific subtopic within their area of general interest.
The most popular fields in collecting have specialized commercial dealers that trade in the items being collected, as well as related accessories.
Many of these dealers started as collectors themselves, then turned their hobby into a profession. There are some limitations on collecting, however. Someone who has the financial means to collect stamps
might not be able to collect sports-cars, for example.
Items and subjects that are popular in collecting include the following:
Technology
? Phonographs
? Vintage Records
? Records
? Radios
? Televisions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiophile
Audiophile beliefs
Audiophile values may be applied at all stages of the chain—the initial audio recording, the production process, and the playback, which is usually in a home setting. High-end is commonly applied to audiophile vendors, products, and practices. There is much skepticism inside and outside the audiophile community as to whether these practices and products have the claimed effects on the listening experience, and there are often accusations of self-delusion. The skeptics are referred to as objectivists. Those who generally subscribe to audiophile values are referred to as subjectivists. People on both sides of the debate concede that because many audiophiles are laymen, they are vulnerable to exploitation by fanciful claims made by unethical vendors. Audiophool is commonly used to describe subjectivist extremists.
One statement that has influenced many audiophile values [citation needed] is from Harry Pearson, longtime editor of The Absolute Sound:
"We believe that the sound of music, unamplified, occurring in a real space is a philosophic absolute against which we may judge the performance of devices designed to reproduce music."
Audiophiles widely share the belief that even the world's best music-reproduction equipment currently falls far short of this ideal.
Even given agreement on the goal, opinions vary widely among designers and listeners on how best to achieve it. If there is one shared design principle, it is minimalism. Given that capturing, storing, and playing back music inevitably degrades it, the fewer and simpler the stages, the better.
Headphones
Another, less expensive, practice of some audiophiles is the use of premium headphones. While sometimes outlandish in price (as high as $10,000),
most headphones marketed to audiophiles are a tiny fraction of the cost of comparable speaker systems, and do not usually require any room adjustment beyond a quiet environment for music enjoyment. Well-known high-end headphones are considered to offer audiophile quality for prices well under a thousand dollars. For example the well regarded Grado SR-60 headphones can be had for under $70 new. Some feel that the performance of high-end headphones is improved by the use of dedicated headphone amplifiers and cables. Newer canalphones, while as expensive as their larger counterparts and considered more limited in soundstage and other characteristics, can be driven by less powerful outputs like portable devices, and have a growing use among audiophiles.
