Is Audiophile level sound an acquired taste?

[Chu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrookR1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe it takes time to learn how to listen to music. And once they do this, it'll all make sense to them.

I've learned the hard way that many people have zero desire to actually listen to music. It's there to be fed and consumed, and not really appreciated.

As someone who has played and enjoyed music all their life the realization of this made me profoundly depressed. I don't even know where to begin with this. How do you communicate to someone whose musical tastes have been fed by Billboard their entire life, that there is such a thing as a personal muse?

 

[atx]

an acquired taste? stop praising yourself. you're just as wacky as those flashlight collectors who makes fun of others because they don't appreciate the beauty of a 1 watt led bulb. enjoy your headphone collection and let others enjoy their ibuds.

 

[DavidMahler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chu /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've learned the hard way that many people have zero desire to actually listen to music. It's there to be fed and consumed, and not really appreciated. As someone who has played and enjoyed music all their life the realization of this made me profoundly depressed. I don't even know where to begin with this. How do you communicate to someone whose musical tastes have been fed by Billboard their entire life, that there is such a thing as a personal muse?

That is the most profoundly true statement I've read in a long time. It is very sad.....I don't think people listen to music with much introspection or self-developed opinions. Even high up on the chain, even great musicians I know I think are as Chu puts it fed their conceptions of music. I'd hate to think, but have to accept that even at some points in my life and maybe even still, I too am fed certain perspectives about music and art. It's very sad because it makes me get all philisophical and wonder if any of this stuff is worth anything without explanation. And if it needs an explanation it probably isn't worth anything. Anyway now I feel depressed

 

[pageman99]

It may even be inborn. And in my experience it also has nothing to do with musical talent.

Really a complex subject, but lets keep it simple for sake of discussion.

I've one friend who put on my headphones and could make pretty intelligent statements about balanced sound, background noise, clear highs, etc.

I've another who put on the same headphones and said, nice, but no different than his system. His 'system' is a glorified boom box.

My kids when they were pre-teens went along with me to the local audiophile store. They picked up some headphones and were able to rank their quality exactly. Pretty good since there were no price stickers and they had no experience whatsoever with the brands. Neither of them can carry a tune even when given a paper bag.

So I expect there's more here than meets the eye, or ear, if you will.

 

[BrookR1]

Just like with anything...you learn to love it and become addicted, or you just consume and enjoy it. I paid $150 for a set of darts...when you can get them 3 for 99 cents right at Wal Mart. Some people are into shoes and purses...or action figure and comics...or cars and stereos. It's all the same.

 

[CareyB]

Maybe it's me but, Zeppelin never really sounds any better with better equipment. I've actually been very disappointed with how they sound on my 580s.

One band that your friends might like that amazed me on the 580s was Pink Floyd. Don't know who was in charge of the production for them but they did a great job.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atx /img/forum/go_quote.gif an acquired taste? stop praising yourself. you're just as wacky as those flashlight collectors who makes fun of others because they don't appreciate the beauty of a 1 watt led bulb. enjoy your headphone collection and let others enjoy their ibuds.

K, in person I'd just tell you not to ever talk again. To anyone but yourself. Acquired taste is not self-praise. No one is trying to make anyone go through the long process of acquiring a taste for high-end audio, its just a mere statement of disappointment vs. expectations.

 

[DavidMahler]

I wonder, if everyone in the world had the opportunity to get a UE10 or UE11 and compare them to an apple ibud, I wonder what percentage would prefer the apple ibud. Forgetting about comfort or price..........I guess we'll never know but I bet it would be a surprisingly high number

 

[unclejr]

I, too, think that liking music and caring about music are different. I also agree that personality plays into it. For some people, knowing why the sky is blue just ruins it for them. For some, seeing different shades of blue in the sky is overanalyzing it. And yet for others, the experience is only truly appreciated when all of the cool optics and science are explained to them.

 

[Redo]

The problem was the lack of SR225's on the list!

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif That is the most profoundly true statement I've read in a long time. It is very sad.....I don't think people listen to music with much introspection or self-developed opinions. Even high up on the chain, even great musicians I know I think are as Chu puts it fed their conceptions of music. I'd hate to think, but have to accept that even at some points in my life and maybe even still, I too am fed certain perspectives about music and art. It's very sad because it makes me get all philisophical and wonder if any of this stuff is worth anything without explanation. And if it needs an explanation it probably isn't worth anything. Anyway now I feel depressed

Take a different outlook. You are blessed with ability to enjoy this stuff and it can make you satisfied. Others take pleasure in something else. If you have desire to discuss hi-fi, you are at the right forum, while with your close friends you can get into different subjects of life. Simple as that.

And being fed perspectives on different things - well, its present in all areas of our lives. I guess its a certain pleasure to be able to break away and start on a search of your own perspective. If it needs explanation to understand it - it is not worth it honestly...and to give good examples:
Mmy beginning of audio-philia was a simple spark. I put an HD590 and fell in love. A labmate of mine from one of the classes was a musician, we discussed a bunch of stuff. I brought up higher quality products - let him try it when he was at my house to work on a report. I was later selling that headphone (hd595), and he jumped right at it. To him it was also clearly worth it.
On the other hand - my roommate can hear the quality but can't justify the price.
Some people I know who walked in here and saw my phones, listened, but were like 'whatever, its the same thing' ... They would not spend money on anything but upgrading their car - and I would not spend anything on making a faster car because speed to me is a cheap thrill.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclejr /img/forum/go_quote.gif I, too, think that liking music and caring about music are different. I also agree that personality plays into it. For some people, knowing why the sky is blue just ruins it for them. For some, seeing different shades of blue in the sky is overanalyzing it. And yet for others, the experience is only truly appreciated when all of the cool optics and science are explained to them.

Hehe, I have a habit of going outside and looking at everything and thinking 'wow...pretty, I should go here more often, so much more detailed than my monitor'

 

[DavidMahler]

One of my bandmates (he's also my bestfriend) thinks because I care so much about the quality of sound, that I get less emotional experience from actual music than he does. I hate this conflict we have and I know that most of you at Head-fi will back me up that this is not the case necessarily.
At the same time he is lucky I care so much about sound because I do all our engineering for free

 

[Chris_Himself]

actually my friends hate my grados... they hate the K601s even more when i told them how much they cost.

basically they wanted to equivalent of a sub strapped to their head for the price with the isolation of a bomb shelter...

you cant expect people who know nothing of the hobby to just dive headfirst and know what to expect. but one of my friends who hates my grados gave me his credit card and told me to buy him something good for his ears... i came back with some HD555's that day and told him that they cost more then the Bose QC2's and hes like... well they certainly SOUND better than them so i cant be mad... and then i told him i found them for 92 dollars... and that guy has been so happy ever since.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif One of my bandmates (he's also my bestfriend) thinks because I care so much about the quality of sound, that I get less emotional experience from actual music than he does. I hate this conflict we have and I know that most of you at Head-fi will back me up that this is not the case necessarily. At the same time he is lucky I care so much about sound because I do all our engineering for free

Heh, you know, I get about the same emotional experience from any phones (unless they just sound outright painful). What I get from having high quality gear is more of an intelligent experience when listening to complex music. Kind of like books - knowing the general plot is nowhere near as interesting as every single detail, although emotionally every detail might not be necessary at all.

Oh, and I am a guitarist so we are on the same page lol.