[warp08]

http://gizmodo.com/5585432/in-defense-of-audiophilia
 
Some of the comments are also worthwhile.

 

[El_Doug]

indeed, a very interesting set of comments!  far more civil than I anticipated

 

[monsieurguzel]

Extremely well written article that gives a lot of cred to Gizmodo.  It is a lot deeper than when those tech sites usually cover high-end stuff and I love the analogy of the plasma tv and expensive car not needing justification when compared to high-end audio. 
 
However, its hard to get through to some people...for example one comment mentions the tv as being much more interactive and who would anybody in their right mind go to a room, close their eyes, and listen to music in this day and age.

 

[kboe]

Well written article.  I truly think the best defense for this problem is to just not give a frack what those other people think.  I was just arguing in forums about the difference power cables make.  When my friend walked into the room and asked what I was doing I told him and he simply asked, "Why".  Good point, I thought, and stopped.   

 

[ford2]

Quote:

Extremely well written article that gives a lot of cred to Gizmodo.  It is a lot deeper than when those tech sites usually cover high-end stuff and I love the analogy of the plasma tv and expensive car not needing justification when compared to high-end audio. 
 
However, its hard to get through to some people...for example one comment mentions the tv as being much more interactive and who would anybody in their right mind go to a room, close their eyes, and listen to music in this day and age.

It would be a different story if the owner of the car spent $5000 on spark plug leads and then told everyone it went 50 mph faster.

 

[KingStyles]

I wasnt expecting much from Gizmodo as far as an article about aidiophilles go, but it was a nice read and it is a good reminder that we arent as crazy as the rest of the world may think.

 

[kboe]

Its all about subjectivity.  No one really needs a $50.000 car, or a $3000.00 headphone rig, but if you got the cash and the desire, go for it.  Its all about how you experience the matter.

 

[tohenk2]

So nobody needs a $50.000 car. (Really?) Kind of like this car, build at the same time as the T-ford. Now I really dont know if this one was better in getting you from A-to-B, but... there are some differences! (BTW a T-ford was sold for something around $400 dollars when this thing was over $20000, or in other words about 50 times as expensive!)
 
 

 

[warp08]

At one point I had to have this due to mid-life crisis (no longer have it).  Most of the time, it didn't go faster than any other car on the road.  But it always felt like it did.
 

 

[Uncle Erik]

The biggest problem with audio is that it stagnated a couple of decades ago. The iPod and computer-based music servers are an advance, but nothing else has come about since the CD was introduced. Instead of innovation, we've been subjected to the same things being rehashed over and over and over and trumpeted by the audio rags as the "best ever" when only a slight change has been made from previous models. Further, objectivity has been tossed out the window in favor of profits. Yes, this means the cable "industry." This is nothing more than latter-day alchemy with a helpful dose of mythology and folklore. Sure, around these parts you'll find believers, but this kind of thing causes the vast majority of the population - including the scientific community - to write off audio as hokum and buncombe. If audio wants to be taken seriously again, scientific test results need to be respected and the focus needs to turn to quality and value instead of fashion and status symbols.

The sad thing is that really good audio is available on the cheap. But few manufacturers choose to go this route. Headphones used to be the exception, where you could get good sound for a good price. However, the price range of systems has jumped in the past few years and a number of manufactures have introduced "statement" headphones that often are warmed-over versions of their previous products with leather and aluminum for perceived quality and, of course, fashion because that's what "good" headphones are made of. Aside from pushing prices into the stratospehere, they've also made speakers a value proposition in comparison to the high-status headphones being released. You can get a used pair of speakers (or DIY) and an old receiver for a pretty fair price these days. That's where the real value lies today.

I'll knock off the rant, but I really wish that people would take a look at quality and value instead of fashion and status. You can get an excellent-sounding rig at a fair price today, but people seem fixated on showing off shiny objects and their wealth, whether or not those things actually sound good.

 

[tohenk2]

Well, in the article it says something about good and not to expensive gear.
It stays away from superexpensive things.

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

It would be a different story if the owner of the car spent $5000 on spark plug leads and then told everyone it went 50 mph faster.

Owners of turbocharged cars will routinely spend that amount of cash on various engine management, cooling, and exhaust upgrades. The difference is that all it takes is a dyno test to show that 5 grand bought them an extra 120 horsepower. If you spend $5K on a new amplifier, there's no number you can point to and say "see, this is why I spent the money". If it sounds good enough to be worth the $5K, that's enough. Who cares what anyone else thinks.

 

[DaveBSC]

 
Quote:

The biggest problem with audio is that it stagnated a couple of decades ago. The iPod and computer-based music servers are an advance, but nothing else has come about since the CD was introduced. Instead of innovation, we've been subjected to the same things being rehashed over and over and over and trumpeted by the audio rags as the "best ever" when only a slight change has been made from previous models. 

I agree that the CD's death grip on music has really stagnated the advancement of audio. Companies like MBL, Magico, and Rockport are pushing the bleeding edge of speaker design and performance. And what are we feeding them with? The same 16/44 we had 25 years ago. The CD needs to die, and the industry needs to shift to a purely online system of files that are 24/88 minimum.

 

[Uncle Erik]

 

I agree that the CD's death grip on music has really stagnated the advancement of audio. Companies like MBL, Magico, and Rockport are pushing the bleeding edge of speaker design and performance. And what are we feeding them with? The same 16/44 we had 25 years ago. The CD needs to die, and the industry needs to shift to a purely online system of files that are 24/88 minimum.

24/96 wouldn't be half bad, either. I'm a big fan of SACD and DVD-A. What's a shame is that the music industry hasn't embraced either. I think they're being very short sighted in not catering to the people who still buy music - primarily audiophiles. Why bother making a big push for the ephemeral pop stars when 99% of that audience downloads and pirates the music? I'd throw a lo-fi digital download model at that. Instead, start building a catalog of high-quality recordings for those who will put down $18-$20 a disc for an excellent recording. And if they were smart, they'd promote the high quality to build an audience.

 

[warp08]

x2 on the SACD.  What kills me a bit is that there is no way to digitally rip from my own SACDs' 24/96 DSD stream into FLACs to play on my HiFiMAN on the go.  That is simply ridiculous.