Why are audiophiles such an addiction?
May 23, 2010 at 9:37 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 97

bluntman

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Can someone please explain to me why audiophiles are such an addiction?
 
I get it, there is a lot of cool looking headphones, and even retro looking ones...ones with sound that blow one away, and ones with sound that eats at one's soul.
 
But really, when you have the best, then it can only take you so far...But there really isn't such thing as "the best." I believe the best way to define the best is what usually sounds good to you...what you use the most and love to use for listening all the time...the to go to headphones at all times...I mean from there, to get the full experience one should go to a live performance or a studio performance eh? Face to face with the real thing!
 
So tell me, why are audiophiles such an addiction? Can't you guys with like 10 pairs be happy with one pair that balances out everything you want? I know that there are headphones that compliment others, but come on now!
 
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May 23, 2010 at 9:41 PM Post #2 of 97
People are greedy and life is bored.
 
May 23, 2010 at 10:12 PM Post #4 of 97
Getting and listening to new cans is fun. Gotta try them all!
 
May 23, 2010 at 10:25 PM Post #6 of 97
Tinkering is fun. But there are people who have found something satisfactory and left the hobby. 
 
May 23, 2010 at 10:34 PM Post #8 of 97
Personally I don't like the addiction aspect of audiophillia which is why some of my gear is very expensive. I like to buy something that's very good in quality that will last many years and not upgrade for a long time.
 
From time to time, I will buy some additional stuff like perhaps the Grado 325 headphone next year for my bedroom amp or as a portablle headphone for traveling and little other things here and there but for the most part, I am done with head fi gear. Yeah, I will upgrade my turntable in the future and other things but the bulk of my audio journey is over for the most part and I'm not really interested in collecting more headphones, amps, etc.... because I have other hobbies too to play with. Lastly, I want to focus more on collecting music which of course should be the most important part of the audio world.
 
May 23, 2010 at 10:41 PM Post #9 of 97


Quote:
Personally I don't like the addiction aspect of audiophillia which is why some of my gear is very expensive. I like to buy something that's very good in quality that will last many years and not upgrade for a long time.
 
From time to time, I will buy some additional stuff like perhaps the Grado 325 headphone next year for my bedroom amp or as a portablle headphone for traveling and little other things here and there but for the most part, I am done with head fi gear. Yeah, I will upgrade my turntable in the future and other things but the bulk of my audio journey is over for the most part and I'm not really interested in collecting more headphones, amps, etc.... because I have other hobbies too to play with. Lastly, I want to focus more on collecting music which of course should be the most important part of the audio world.


That's a good way of putting it! Well done.
 
May 23, 2010 at 10:57 PM Post #10 of 97
Because we're so gullible 
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I think it's because there's so many pieces parts. The basic digital-to-analog setup needs CDs or some digital file, something to play the file, a DAC, an amp, and the headphones. And cables if you're into that. Each one can be improved if we just spend a little bit more. SACD/DVD-A, remasters, different pressings for the CDs, or different file formats and bitrates for the files. Tubes for amps if they use them, headphones for different occasions, tweaks for all of it, etc. I'm perfectly happy with my HF2, but I need in-ears for portable use, a STAX just to try it out, a Sennheiser to see if maybe I like their sound, and then I want to look forward to an upgrade down the line. The great and portable JH13 Pro? The much-loved T1? The much-hyped LCD-2? The revered O2? All four? Then which amp is best for it? Which DAC represents the best point on the rapidly diminishing returns curve? Where does the curve end? How much of the top end can be blamed on hype, or the untrustworthy mind?
 
And now that I've finally unearthed the old turntable my dad owns, I'm going put together a cheap analog setup. That racks up money fast, too. I need to either use the old receiver we have, or buy a phono stage. And from the looks of it, just a little bit more money in that is an upgrade, and a little bit more is another upgrade, until suddenly I'm at $60 instead of $30. Plus the cartridge might need replacing, or the cables (the RCAs looks like they might have rusted a little), then I may need to start buying vinyl. There's so much that's needed and so many options.
 
May 23, 2010 at 11:08 PM Post #11 of 97
Audiophiles are naturally attractive, so that is probably a major part of the allure.
 
May 23, 2010 at 11:38 PM Post #13 of 97
It's not that "audiophiles [are] such an addiction", no, it is because Internetz is such an addiction. Audiophiles is just one of the "Ten Thousand Unnameable Faces of the Internetz"  ready to sink it's evel hooks into the unwary nube who wanders into some Internet Forumz with the innocent idea of getting a little free advice before buying oh, say a set of headphones for example.
 
Although some, known as "Lurkers" try to resist the pull of these Diabolical Virtual Establishments, eventually most read one post too many and start feeling like they too are a "member of the community" and so are lured into the Create an Account page. By then it is too late and there is no turning back: the obsession is as real as their pockets are deep. And even a lack of funds won't save you, I mean them, because the obsession comes with murky thoughts of future fulfillment by undetermined means.
 
Hope that helps, and "keep coming back".
 
May 23, 2010 at 11:48 PM Post #15 of 97
Yea.. Audiophiles are such an addiction. Girls can't get enough of me and mah headphones
 
I think its an addiction because you want to always try something better or something new. Curiosity I think is what keeps me in this game.
 

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