[peterdc]

I don't see women doing this ridiculous, but much fun, headphone interest/hobby.
 
I see a handful of women talking about headphones on youtube, notably Jana or Janet (please stop mumbling your name - we still don't know it) of Studio 46 hifi shop in NY USA (it's something like that - the man there is quite engaging too so I never got the full address - see youtube). She's also on youtube's headfiheaven channel.
 
I can't name another (well I can't even name her because of mumbling). I can't name another woman who takes the same sort of deep and invested interest in just ... headphones.
 
Jana/Janet - you are great. Keep it up.
 
Only other women I've seen have been in a sort of "head of Marketing for Denon" type capacity, which does not require an interest in high end audio listening, just an interest in getting money out of us lot at this place.
 
We are all spending money and spending time on something that really doesn't ACTUALLY matter (it does to me because I do audio as work, an income), but as a hobbiest looking for HiFi it really is pretty silly. (I am a headphone hobbiest.)
 
Women compose and perform and mix and produce (sadly far less mixing and producing as men), so why are they not even close to being as stupid as us men with headphones or audio in general?
 
If you want to hear things for real, go to gigs or quiet jazz concerts. Or just stand in the street and marvel at the fidelity of what you are hearing - full 20 to 20,000, nothing pushed or dipped. Why do a lot of us men like headphones that don't even reproduce correctly the things we hear for free? The woman answer might be in that last sentence.
 
As a hobby this is not much different to making things out of gluing matchsticks together to make an elaborate boat, surely? Totally pointless but at least with the matchsticks you have an object at the end.
 
Don't get me wrong - I am almost obsessed with trying headphones. That doesn't mean I can't see it is pointless and largely a waste of money. 
 
Amusing responses welcome as are scientific ones (preferred).
 
NO sexist remarks in this thread please. If you feel the need be sexist, go somewhere else.
 
If you DO leave sexist comments you will look like an idiot and lower your standing here, be noted, be striked.
 
I find it a curious question and I welcome any sensible thoughts about it.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I know a decent number of female audiophiles who spend just as much on their headphone systems as most male members do. If the head-fi hobby is pointless for you and doesn't matter to you, that's that. But it is most certainly not pointless for the majority of members on this website. Some of us gladly spend large amounts of money to get the gear to be able to experience recordings we enjoy in higher quality, or whatever particular qualities of sound we are looking for.

 

[ns6490]

Originally Posted by peterdc /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 

Women in Hifi - Is it really just men being a-holes?

I don't see women doing this ridiculous, but much fun, headphone interest/hobby.
 
can't name another (well I can't even name her because of mumbling). I can't name another woman who takes the same sort of deep and invested interest in just ... headphones.
 
We are all spending money and spending time on something that really doesn't ACTUALLY matter (it does to me because I do audio as work, an income), but as a hobbiest looking for HiFi it really is pretty silly. (I am a headphone hobbiest.)
 
As a hobby this is not muIch different to making things out of gluing matchsticks together to make an elaborate boat, surely? Totally pointless but at least with the matchsticks you have an object at the end.
 
Don't get me wrong - I am almost obsessed with trying headphones. That doesn't mean I can't see it is pointless and largely a waste of money. 
 
I find it a curious question and I welcome any sensible thoughts about it.

 
Audiophile is something of a dirty word, with good reason. Audiophiles are generally people who profess to love music but who choose to spend endless hours obsessing over gear in lieu of a) actually enjoying music b) performing/making music, or c) learning about music. They're people who do this in an alleged, all-out quest for the best possible sound. This strikes me as a curious prioritization.
 
Demographically, audiophiles who are deep into this stuff are overwhelmingly 1) male 2) pasty 3) physically unfit. Photos from audiophile gatherings should amply support this assertion. 
 
Put these characteristics together and a picture begins to emerge: audiophiles are gadget fetishists who are less than completely aware of their motives. There is nothing wrong with gadget fetish in itself, but being a music lover certainly sounds more noble than being a dorky gadget hound. There's some self-serving self-deception here, imo. It can be hard to parse love of gadgetry from love of music in audiophilia because most audiophiles actually do really like music and do spend time appreciating music with all the gear. The problem is that they use the latter to justify the enormous time, effort, and money chasing after supposedly better gear. World class musicians like Hilary Hahn don't dedicate effectively years of their lives chasing after this mirage. The truth, pared brutally to its bone, is that they have better things to do. Is she less of a music lover than some overweight man A/B'ing amps deep into the night? 
 
And to finally get around to answering the question posed--you don't see many women in this hobby because women tend not to be gadget fetishists. Many women love and enjoy music, but not many obsess over gadgets as men do. And that's what this hobby is.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Audiophile is something of a dirty word, with good reason. Audiophiles are generally people who profess to love music but who choose to spend endless hours obsessing over gear in lieu of a) actually enjoying music b) performing/making music, or c) learning about music. They're people who do this in an alleged, all-out quest for the best possible sound. This strikes me as a curious prioritization.
 
Demographically, audiophiles who are deep into this stuff are overwhelmingly 1) male 2) pasty 3) physically unfit. Photos from audiophile gatherings should provide ample support to this assertion. 
 
Put these characteristics together and a picture begins to emerge: audiophiles are gadget fetishists who are less than completely aware of their motives. There is nothing wrong with gadget fetish in itself, but being a music lover certainly sounds more noble than being a dorky gadget hound. There's some self-serving self-deception here, imo. It can be hard to parse love of gadgetry from love of music in audiophilia because most audiophiles actually do really like music and do spend time appreciating music with all the gear. The problem is that they use the latter to justify the enormous time, effort, and money chasing after supposedly better gear. World class musicians like Hilary Hahn don't dedicate effectively years of their lives chasing after this mirage. The truth, pared brutally to its bone, is that they have better things to do. Is she less of a music lover than some overweight man A/B'ing amps deep into the night? 
 
And to finally get around to answering the question posed--you don't see many women in this hobby because women tend not to be gadget fetishists. Many women love and enjoy music, but not many obsess over gadgets as men do. And that's what this hobby is.

 
Very good points. Lusting after gear is more or less the modus operandi around here. But I do think that if more women heard higher quality audio equipment, they would care more about it, though they would probably never obsess over gadgets as much as men. There's also the matter of hearing different stuff for the sake of diversity, not necessarily better quality. For example, I'm finally getting into basshead headphones, after using so many high-fidelity models.

 

[LNuneek]

Most females I know are more practical minded and more focused on the big picture of their lives as a whole. Also, getting together every single little piece of that picture they envision seems to be a major priority.

Being focused and obsessed with just one little niche aspect of their lives just isn't what they are about.

BTW, I find the audiophile interest/lifestyle/obsession less about men being A-holes than many other male dominated interests. Most other interests are really just about men competing with each other and about who is dominant over who. Since this is a largely subjective field, I find it's more about chasing your own holy grail. Don't get me wrong I'm certain there are those whose satisfaction lies pretty much in owning the best equipment, having the most knowledge, or having the most discerning ear, and will go to battle over these things, but it doesn't seem to be the main focus of the community.

 

[FullCircle]

 

 

 

 
I am very lucky, as my wife is an audio enthusiast and supports me in this "hobby" that has grown into a profession. She used to work along my side in the lab (we have kids now).  She has the ability to judge good sound quality, and I often ask for her opinion on build designs and such.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I am very lucky, as my wife is an audio enthusiast and supports me in this "hobby" that has grown into a profession. She used to work along my side in the lab (we have kids now).  She has the ability to judge good sound quality, and I often ask for her opinion on build designs and such.

 
You are so lucky! I also want to marry an Asian woman.

 

[peterdc]

  I am very lucky, as my wife is an audio enthusiast and supports me in this "hobby" that has grown into a profession. She used to work along my side in the lab (we have kids now).  She has the ability to judge good sound quality, and I often ask for her opinion on build designs and such.

It you in charge of the audio though, I see.

 

[peterdc]

   
You are so lucky! I also want to marry an Asian woman.

Stop pissing about with all this and go and some women then.

 

[money4me247]

lol this thread is hilarious!

 

[peterdc]

 
Audiophile is something of a dirty word, with good reason. Audiophiles are generally people who profess to love music but who choose to spend endless hours obsessing over gear in lieu of a) actually enjoying music b) performing/making music, or c) learning about music. They're people who do this in an alleged, all-out quest for the best possible sound. This strikes me as a curious prioritization.

 
My thoughts too. I am a musician (bass, drums) and producer of too many years. I have done the rock star times (no, no one you know). I like to listen now when not doing production work. By default I am an audiophile because I can listen very well indeed and disect a song where people talk about the air in a room and all I'm thinking that's the sweet Sonnox Oxford Reverb at about 100ms delay - there was never ANY air in the room that was DI'd. or a "clean vocal" which clearly has valve compression distortion on it to make it "warm" and a little eq to disguise the slight lisp. It's a bit like listening to people discuss Hollywood's Godzilla films as if it was an actual giant lizard.
 
My work as a producer is to fool audiophiles.
 
Anyway none of this explains why women find it so boring in the same way they find lawn mowers boring.
 
I wonder if we are all here just beating our chests like idiots or are lost in the concept of a hobby and headphones ended up being a pursuit rather than knitting.
 
SEXIST ALARM
 
... being a pursuit rather than collecting trainers (which I do moreso than headphones).
 
I don't ever use the term "audiophile". I find it snobby and self opinionated.
 
I say "keen listener".

 

[FullCircle]

  It you in charge of the audio though, I see.

 
 
I don't know of any audio companies that were founded by a woman.  I am not saying that there are none, I'm just not aware of any.  
 
Examples:  Bose, JBL, AltecLansing....  all founded by men

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Anyway none of this explains why women find it so boring in the same way they find lawn mowers boring.

 
I think women find the prospect of higher quality (or otherwise more interesting) sound in music to be anything but boring. It's just that, on average, they aren't as aware of the benefits of better equipment. That goes for the public in general.

 

[peterdc]

Maybe I should have asked "are all audiophiles pasty fat gamers?"

Originally Posted by Music Alchemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
For example, I'm finally getting into basshead headphones, after using so many high-fidelity models.

Awaiting delivery of the Sony XB500 - very curious to hear how mad it is.

 

[vaibhavp]

women in my family dont hate this hobby as much as my other hobby "gaming". 
 
so there is better chances of finding audiophile women.