Poll: Hobby, means to an end, both? Neither?

[fjrabon]

Let me start by saying that I don't view it as necessarily a negative if headphones are your hobby. What I mean by headphones being a hobby is that it is just as much, or more, about the gear than it is the music coming out of the gear. We all have hobbies. Mine is collecting music. I buy music that I know there is a solid chance that I will NEVER have a chance to listen to. I buy Black eyed peas albums that I hate, because I think they're important enough in a pop culture sense that my collection would be flawed without them. It's totally impractical, but it is my hobby of choice. So, again, I'm not saying it as a slam when I say that I think some people view headphones as a hobby to itself. That it's more about getting to the top of the pyramid, and maybe getting to the top of multiple pyramids with multiple rigs, that drives you.

OTOH, I think there are some people here who would maybe think it would be nice to have a fully top of the pyramid HD800 rig, but would never consider paying that much for it. They listen to music a lot, and appreciate sonic quality, but usually get to the point of diminishing returns really quickly. They usually settle on a roughly mid-fi rig and are satisfied enough, but still hang around this forum for various reasons.

Personally, I fall into the second category, although for a brief amount of time headphones was more or less a hobby for me.

Any other thoughts on the issue? Sorry if this post has been done before, I searched, but its kind of an awkward topic to search, since it could be worded in any number of ways.

 

[Junliang]

Personally, I started off like the masses, just purely/innocently looking for a better audio output that is better than my current mp3 + stock buds.
I don't consider it a hobby at that time though, I don't even know such hobby existed ! Lol !
Slowly as I progress, I will be querying myself if the amount I spend is realistic or not. As basically, I call this hobby "Audio", instead of "Headphone", and it is definite not a simple hobby like collecting stamps or RC racing. Its definite an expensive hobby, and its a luxury to be playing with it, not a necessity I must say.

However, to a certain extent, I must thank my friend who introduces me into the "audio world" with a simple SGD$30 earpump earphone. It helped crafted my interest in audio, in the physics and science behind amplifiers, earphones. Looking back in the past, I was seriously in doubt how I ended up in the audio world, and being in it quite deeply lol.
But oh well, it is playing quite an important role in my life now.

Though some people say that I enjoy the equipment more than the music, thats true to a certain extent, as its after I attain higher quality audio rig is when I can really appreciate it, and enjoy it.
So when some people knew about my "audio" hobby, they will usually ask "So you really like music ?"

But yeah, music, audio, most normal people mix them up and use them inter-changeably. //Its similar to how some mix up sound to noise haha

My definition for Hobby is that its an activity which you enjoy doing, but do not take it too seriously(i.e. being an essential force that carves your interest and your path in carrer, and yes, interest and hobby are 2 different things too)

 

[fjrabon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junliang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally, I started off like the masses, just purely/innocently looking for a better audio output that is better than my current mp3 + stock buds. I don't consider it a hobby at that time though, I don't even know such hobby existed ! Lol ! Slowly as I progress, I will be querying myself if the amount I spend is realistic or not. As basically, I call this hobby "Audio", instead of "Headphone", and it is definite not a simple hobby like collecting stamps or RC racing. Its definite an expensive hobby, and its a luxury to be playing with it, not a necessity I must say. However, to a certain extent, I must thank my friend who introduces me into the "audio world" with a simple SGD$30 earpump earphone. It helped crafted my interest in audio, in the physics and science behind amplifiers, earphones. Looking back in the past, I was seriously in doubt how I ended up in the audio world, and being in it quite deeply lol. But oh well, it is playing quite an important role in my life now. Though some people say that I enjoy the equipment more than the music, thats true to a certain extent, as its after I attain higher quality audio rig is when I can really appreciate it, and enjoy it. So when some people knew about my "audio" hobby, they will usually ask "So you really like music ?" But yeah, music, audio, most normal people mix them up and use them inter-changeably. //Its similar to how some mix up sound to noise haha My definition for Hobby is that its an activity which you enjoy doing, but do not take it too seriously(i.e. being an essential force that carves your interest and your path in carrer, and yes, interest and hobby are 2 different things too)

eh, its an expensive hobby, but there are a LOT of expensive hobbies. I know a guy who spends about 20K per year on Notre Dame football memorabilia and he didn't even go to ND. I spent 8K on my music collection last year (ouch). When you add in various presents, I received about 12K worth of music last year. That's counting only the actual vinyl, cds and downloads that I purchased.

 

[aimlink]

All I originally wanted was a nice pair of headphones. However, I discovered a whole world out there... of amps/dacs, as well as headphones I never knew existed. I had to give it all some meaningful try. I began finding that there was a lot to like and love. However, it's expensive and after a time, perhaps wasteful and simply about feeding an insatiable desire for the best sound.

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjrabon /img/forum/go_quote.gif I buy Black eyed peas albums that I hate, because I think they're important enough in a pop culture sense that my collection would be flawed without them. It's totally impractical, but it is my hobby of choice.

Sorry, buying music you hate is a dumb waste of money; music is there to be enjoyed, if you don't like it, why buy it? Collecting music may be a hobby, but for the purpose of listening to it...

 

[Junliang]

IDK about you guys haha, but I, personally, found it quite lucky that I was introduced to this world, and I grab my opportunity with it..
Its not "any" hobby imho. Its not simple, unless you have tons of $$, you can take the high end path, go and purchase all the highest end equipment you can find and see if you like it or not. If don't like, just buy another high end equipment >_>

Similarly, I felt quite lucky that I was born in a family that doesn't have a hi fi set at home... so that I can start from scratch
Mp3 w stock buds > ipod w noob lod w fiio w pl30 > ipod w decent lod w rsa w sa6 etc etc.
I mean, if you were in a family that has an hi fi set, chances are that your father will be pissed if you are listening to music through that seriously screaming budget rig, and not on a hi fi set LOL !
But yeah, my parents also enjoy music in their times, and omg I was super uber happy when I dug out around 300 CDs that they had collected and listened to in the past. They were true treasure man.. thanks mom !

Unluckily, my friend was introduced into this world with a turntable..

 

[MomijiTMO]

I think of it as a hobby. I was pretty damn happy with a STX and the SRH840s I used to have.

 

[fjrabon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drubbing /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry, buying music you hate is a dumb waste of money; music is there to be enjoyed, if you don't like it, why buy it? Collecting music may be a hobby, but for the purpose of listening to it...

Because I like having every "important" album produced. I like having parties and friends ask "do you have such and such song?" and I can almost always answer yes. For instance I have every song that has charted in the top 40 for the past 20 years and I'm working to slowly go to the last 50 years. For most significant bands I have their entire discography including all the b-sides I can get my hands on at semi-reasonable prices. I like all these things for themselves.

Let me say, I do enjoy music itself first and foremost. Like I don't force myself to listen to music I don't like. I've listened to The Allman Brothers Band At The Fillmore East over a nice scotch a few hundred times. But that's not a hobby to me in the way that sex isn't a hobby.

I try to, as much as possible, separate what my hobby is, collecting music, from enjoying music, which is my main intellectual passion. They certainly relate to one another, and each help one another along, but they're different things to me, and I enjoy them both in different ways.

So while I may not enjoy listening to the latest black eyed peas album, I do enjoy collecting it.

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjrabon /img/forum/go_quote.gif Because I like having every "important" album produced. I like having parties and friends ask "do you have such and such song?" and I can almost always answer yes.

Well I'm not dragging music elitism into it, but who says what's 'important'? I'm not picking on the BEP, but they could be as relevant as Lady Gaga in a couple of years time.

As for playing stuff other people like, are you collecting stuff just for popularity? When I had parties (kids now) friends came over and listened to my music, or thumbed through to my stuff find something they liked. I find your approach to collecting about the oddest rationale I've come across.

 

[Junliang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drubbing /img/forum/go_quote.gif As for playing stuff other people like, are you collecting stuff just for popularity? When I had parties (kids now) friends came over and listened to my music, or thumbed through to my stuff find something they liked. I find your approach to collecting about the oddest rationale I've come across.

I have the same thinking.

When you go to other people's party/house, don't you listen to other people's music collection ?
Who goes to other people's party/house and listen to their own music there ?

But oh well, to each his own.

 

[fjrabon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drubbing /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I'm not dragging music elitism into it, but who says what's 'important'? I'm not picking on the BEP, but they could be as relevant as Lady Gaga in a couple of years time. As for playing stuff other people like, are you collecting stuff just for popularity? When I had parties (kids now) friends came over and listened to my music, or thumbed through to my stuff find something they liked. I find your approach to collecting about the oddest rationale I've come across.

I meant important in the pop culture since. To some extent, I view everything that charts in the top 40 as somewhat important. I think to some extent it chronicles pop culture, which I enjoy studying. (as a side note, I view lady gaga as more more important that the black eyed peas, and I actually enjoy the entire spectacle that is lady gaga)

The thing is that its virtually impossible to understand someone else's hobby. That is almost by the definition of "hobby." I know a guy who collects baseball cards who has unopened sets. Makes no sense to me. What enjoyment can you get from having an unopened set of baseball cards? But it's the same thing I do, just transferred to another medium. Do you realize how crazy the majority of the world looks at you when you try to explain the difference between dacs? You know the real reason why double blind testing talk is mostly banned on this site? Because most people fail double blind testing for most gear. Not saying there are people who don't, but I'm saying that most do. Most people view high end headphones especially as a gigantic dumb waste of money.

So yes, I understand you don't understand my hobby, that's why its a hobby and not just a good activity that everybody engages in. Hobbies, almost by definition are kind of weird and quirky. I collect music because I like having as much of a complete music collection as is possible. That may not make sense to you (and I try to not offended when you call it "the dumbest thing you've ever heard") but that is pretty much the nature of hobbies.

 

[fjrabon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junliang /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the same thinking. When you go to other people's party/house, don't you listen to other people's music collection ? Who goes to other people's party/house and listen to their own music there ? But oh well, to each his own.

That's some of it, but at a large party, people want dance music. You are going to have zero attendees if you throw a large party and then you play Thom Yorke sitting at a piano singing "this is ****ed up" for 3 hours.

I do try to play things that I think people haven't been exposed to, but to some extent that is work, and I really like to have music that most everybody will enjoy and not have to think about it when I'm entertaining.

 

[Junliang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjrabon /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's some of it, but at a large party, people want dance music. You are going to have zero attendees if you throw a large party and then you play Thom Yorke sitting at a piano singing "this is ****ed up" for 3 hours. I do try to play things that I think people haven't been exposed to, but to some extent that is work, and I really like to have music that most everybody will enjoy and not have to think about it when I'm entertaining.

Hehe, so you are a regular in being a host and hosting parties, like being a DJ ?
If so, yeah, can understand your actions hehe.

 

[fjrabon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junliang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hehe, so you are a regular in being a host and hosting parties, like being a DJ ? If so, yeah, can understand your actions hehe.

I probably have between 10 and 20 people over around twice a month. But that's just what got me started being a music collector. Now, if I never threw another party, I'd probably still collect pop-dance music.

 

[krmathis]

A fine mix of both I would say.
In the end I am in to hear music on its highest possible level, and to get there it is mostly inevitable to also have focus on the gear used to reproduce the music.