[Quixizous]

At some point, you listen more to the sound quality (clarity, range, coloration, neutrality, etc.) rather than actually enjoying the music. I suppose the whole point of getting audiophile gear is to maximize enjoyment of the music, but I think the endless pursuit of perfect sound could get in the way of just kicking back and enjoying yourself. You keep thinking of how much more you would enjoy it with another $500 of cables rather than thinking of how you could be enjoying it now. I don't have audiophile gear, but it's better than 99% of the population. I still get 95% of the quality that I might get with additional $1000's, so I decided to just enjoy what I have. Which is a good thing, because I was all set on getting a balanced amp, 'phones, the whole shebang. Would have hurt my wallet like crazy.

Anyway, am I wrong? Or is there something to this line of thought?

 

[xnothingpoetic]

It's a disease!

I could enjoy music out of my old blown out computer speakers a few years ago. Sounded like music from a tin can.

Now it's high quality music or... frustration!

I found some sony mdr-v150's in the house today.

I haven't heard anything that bad in ages. I was too distracted by the bloated bass and 'hollow' sound that I couldn't enjoy it.

Luckily I had my pk1's to save me from a major headache.

Too critical maybe?


To answer your question, yes I can enjoy music very much, but only if the rig is up to my standards.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Never. I sometimes like doing the types of things you've described, so when I'm doing them I'm enjoying myself in a different way than when I just kick back and let the tunes fly (which is most of the time). So in my opinion, it's Ok if there is a bit of intellectual stimulation involved in my audio hobby. As it continues to extend out in different directions, I'm always learning more - about the gear, about sound, about music, about room effects, all sorts of things.

I think you would have to be a complete fool or totally oblivious to what you're doing with your money if you didn't at least do some critical listening after placing a new component into your system. If nothing else, you should at least be curious to know if it has indeed imparted the sonic impact into your system that you expected it to based on your research/audition, etc.

If you just want a plug and play system that you never really think about or analyze in any significant way, you can find that at Best Buy. But then you wouldn't really be an audiophile, now would you? Sometimes when I see threads like this, I'm tempted to rephrase the initial question as: "Is it an inherently bad thing to be an audiophile as opposed to simply a music lover? My answer is always "No!" You can be both, and the more you learn, think and experience in this hobby (which embraces both music and the gear that reproduces it), the more enjoyment you'll get in terms of the music lover inside of you that led you in this direction to begin with.

But then again, there are extremes... and I haven't covered my toilet seat and vaccuum cleaner in ERS paper just quite yet. At some point (at least it would seem to me), the music would become so secondary that it would fall out of the equation altogether. There is actually some evidence of this in our ranks.

 

[DavidMahler]

Absolutely......being an audiophile can often be very unhealthy for my enjoyment of music.......that's just me.

 

[kramer5150]

Never... so long as I have at least a KSC75 laying around. Any level of quality below that though, and yes it does get in the way of my enjoyment.

 

[Capunk]

Head-Fi really impact much in this situation,
right now, I'm being abit picky in listening music, and preferred better source rather than listen whatever things can output the music.

However, I still prefer singing by myself or listening live =)
Definitely can't beat the realism.

 

[bigshot]

If your equipment is getting in the way of your appreciation of music, you're doing it wrong. It's like photographers who fuss over megapixels and bokeh and shooting pictures of test grids instead of going out and shooting real pictures. Equipment fetish focuses on the wrong end of the horse.

See ya
Steve

 

[Sparky191]

Depends on the context. Noncritical listening I don't care that much unless I can't hear something I know is there.

 

[Quaddy]

sometimes....rarely...but i occasionally will keep rewinding back to some portion of the music that made my hair stand up on the back of my neck, and listen again, more intently and again, analyzing the technical genius just in wonder at that part....so i then end up not progressing to other parts of the music/album. a bit disjointed.

 

[starz]

Absolutely. I get iffy with bad recordings, I totally lose my interest when I hear clipping. However my reaction to well recorded material is pure joy.

 

[F107plus5]

I find that it depends on the revealing nature of the phones. For me anyway; if the phones point out all the details; then I'll just sit there and listen for them. Another is how it's presented. My HD600 point out the details just as accurately as my MS2i, but the HD600 do it in a more relaxed manner, and I tend to relax and enjoy the music just for its' beauty as much as for its' details.

Bad recordings can be annoying, but the HD600 makes them more tolerable...or maybe I'm more relaxed and it doesn't seem quite so important.

Even watching movies. My Wife has commented that I have to watch a movie twice: Once to "hear" it and a second time to hear it.

I do probably enjoy my music more at the current level of phones in the MS2i/HD600 range than if I had the top stuff also. I realize and understand that there is better stuff out there to listen with, but then the fear of spending the really big bucks going after another half a percent here and a half a percent there sets in, and I imagine the kids sitting there getting skinnier and skinnier and I abandon the urge to go for more than what I already have and just try to maximize the equipment that I have at the level I'm at. The phones are good and my source is good, all I really need is a good amp.....amps?

 

[lan]

I can listen to music on anything really. I have learned the skill to forget about the equipment. I haven't heard my own rig for nearly 2 months now and have not missed it any.

 

[Afrikane]

I like good sound but I can quickly forget the gear once the music starts. Personally I find ambient music of the aural wallpaper type, think elevators, supermarkets and radios on in the background etc. to be far more of an impediment to the enjoyment of music. If I find myself in the unfortunate situation of having to spend and extended time in such a droning environment even the enticement of my peaceful listening room fails to induce me to listen to music. It can take a full day for the effects to wear off.

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can listen to music on anything really. I have learned the skill to forget about the equipment. I haven't heard my own rig for nearly 2 months now and have not missed it any. __________________ My advice to you: - Use your own ears as everybody's hearing and preferences are different. - Try to audition as much equipment as possible to find your sound. - Buy used to save money.

I feel lan sig says it all for me

. I've come to a point where I'm very happy with the cans, source and amps I got. Now I'm just relaxing and enjoying the music and oh does it sound so good

 

[Bizzel]

I think I can enjoy music on anything semi-decent. Like today, I was listening to my iPod and PX100s on-the-go and I thought "Hmm. If I was stuck on a desert island with only this kit, I'd be quite happy enough!". Below that though, I miss the clarity and detail I get from a better rig.