Someone told me that audiophiles listen to their equipment - the rest of us listen to the music. I’m a bit of a turntable obsessive, but mostly so I can explore the records from 78’s onward. I only avoid vertical cuts and cylinders as they would require even more equipment…
Thank you, Russ! That’s so true. I might use that quote at some point if you’ll let me!
And yes, prioritising your turntable is far more important than other hi-fi components. At the end of the day, you need to make sure it will be the right fit for the records you know you will want to spin.
I’ve always been bothered by the terms audiophile and videophile, especially when they’re self-proclaimed. Like you, I find those terms elitist and snobbish, the whole “I’m better than you” or “you just wouldn’t understand” attitude just rankles me.
I listen to a lot of music, hours a day. I like it to sound good so I buy decent headphones and speakers. If and when I decide to get a turntable I know I’ll do a bunch of research (expect questions) and will end up buying something that is well reviewed but reasonably priced.
I was in a local Hi-Fi shop not too long ago admiring a vintage McIntosh tube amp and the owner, who I know, said, "Michael, there are always upgrades. Even when you think you have the best. There will be an upgrade." This is so true and also falls in line with the Capitalistic mentality of buy, buy, buy to have the "best."
My Yamaha CD player is the only console that isn't 40+ years old. My KEF speakers and Onkyo tape deck date from the '80s, my Thorens turntable and Luxman receiver from the '70s. My Thorens is my forever deck and I have invested money by putting a nice cartridge on it. I have also upgraded all component leads from their stock A/V cords. I have put money into it when/where I can, it looks and sounds brilliant to my ears.
I have also read that the space one has their stereo in is important, but most of us don't have the luxury of having a dedicated stereo room fully kitted out for "audio perfection." My stereo resides in the center of our house, where our dining table is. Our house dates from 1911 (old for these parts of the US) and has thick lath & plaster walls and hardwood floors. Would it sound better without a dining table in front of it and with special acoustic "this and that" on my walls & floor? Perhaps. But, I am a high school teacher and live in reality. So, for my budget, I have done well and am more than happy with my setup.
Thank you, Michael! That is so true: there’s always an upgrade. There’s always room for improvement, always something else we could/“should” be doing, but this anecdote you are sharing with us here clearly shows that no matter how hard you may try, it’s practically impossible to tick every single box. At some point one has to make a decision — is this the best I could have done within my budget/space configuration/mental sanity? At the end of the day, each listener/household will have their own characteristics, needs and priorities. Thanks for bringing this (ever so necessary) “bigger picture” element to the conversation.
I'm always scared to mention the word audiophile as people who are REALLY into sound seem very daunting. I've recently just gotten some edifier speakers for my turntable and im happy with them.
I know they're not pukka, but it sounds good to me and that's all I care about.
Thank you! You know, I hesitated a bit, ain’t gonna lie. I swear a lot in real life, but on the page I try to keep it clean. However, I felt this post needed that kind of release, and I think it fit well with the whole language/linguist thing. Glad you enjoyed!
Thanks, Brad! Yes, I felt it was appropriate to do that out of respect. I don’t know whether I will use this kind of language again in another post… there are a lot of topics I feel strongly about, but I can always find words outside “that” kind of language. This topic in particular, though, is particularly close to my heart, and I felt I needed to express my repudiation to certain aspects of it as viscerally as I could. It was too real to ignore and too big to hide, in this case.
Oh, I get it! Plus, I know I have minors who read me...although, a couple of them, in particular, have had their 18th birthdays since they subbed a couple years ago! But, I echo not only your urgency, but desire to be a dutiful writer, and inform when necessary!
I've only got one unedited word on my site...and I didn't include a warning ('cause I didn't get one at the time!).....when Johnny Rotten used a naughty when I met him in the venue's parking lot when they arrived for the sound check! He didn't call ME a name, but used a vulgar word that I thought I'd just let ride in the moment, considering the source! But, I love your editorial discretions....well-placed! And, a topic worth exploring, as your large volume of "mail" asserts!
Yes, the minor/underage thing is worth bearing in mind. Considerig how much I (and my compatriots on both sides of the Atlantic) swear, I think I’ve made a good effort to keep everything clean for one year plus. (I mean… Adele, or Diego Maradona, anyone? 🤣🤣).
I thought it would be funny, and interesting, even, to create this narrative about how carefully I choose and treat words (which is true, at the end of the day) and then let ir rip, explode in a way. I edited, deleted, censored, uncensored, went back and forth but decided to keep it in this particular instance to make as strong a point as I could.
So far no one’s got offended and I think the message is coming across as I intended, which is pretty awesome in the circumstances.
I listen to what I like with what I have. It sounds great, because it's what I have. Would I spend more for equipment? If I could, then maybe. I enjoy the music and the history of that music.
Timely article, based on experiments I've been conducting the past couple of weeks! I recently did a free month subscription to Qobuz and Tidal to see what all the fuss was about. At some point, I'll catalog my findings in depth, but from a surface level, this is what I discovered:
- There is a heightened experience you can have with music, the same way a DVD and Blu-Ray are different experiences. So it goes with Qobuz or Tidal vs. Spotify or Apple Music.
- I do not have equipment on a level to enjoy music that would be considered "lossless" or "hi-fi." There's some minor improvements with percussion, but with my current equipment, the difference is negligible.
- I want to get the proper equipment to enjoy music on this level. More research is going to be required, but it appears it's going to be a sizable investment to unlock the truly great auditory experience that lossless hi-fi music offers. That said, as I get older, like anything else I want to drift into my golden years with the best possible experience.
Thank you, Matt! Normally people would expect me to take advantage of this opportunity to try and persuade you to get a turntable and embrace the true lossless beauty of music on wax. But I’m pragmatic, and I get the feeling you are as well. My advice at this stage is this: get an amplifier you can connect to your streaming source (presumably your phone) via bluetooth. Denon has a pretty good amp with bluetooth functionality, the Denon PMA-600 NE amp. You can connect your phone to it in a heartbeat. And get a decent pair of speakers (ideally some you can connect to your amp via cables, for example the Dali Spektor 2). And listen to your streaming platforms via the amp and speakers. You’ll notice the difference. If and when the moment comes, at some point you can add a turntable to that very same amp/speakers combination, and even a CD deck. And you’ll notice the difference across formats. Not better or worse; just different. Build from what you have and from what you already know you like. That’s where the journey begins.
I'm looking forward to reading more about what you've found! Not for nothing, even just "upgrading" to the Airpods Pro models made a big difference in my experience.
I'm planning to do a separate piece on my 'Stack about "audiophilia," my brief foray into Tidal and Qobuz, and what I need to do to better integrate myself into the next-level of music appreciation based on my "lossless" experience. I will absolutely require both you and Andres to comment on it, and provide more helpful feedback and suggestions based on where and how I listen to music.
Life is busy at the moment but I'm hoping to carve out some time in early June to have something put together!
Legal Linguist?!?!? I had no idea such a thing existed! I may have to put a bug in my oldest’s ear!! He has argued semantics with me since he was little lol - and sometimes he’s been right. He has what used to be called Aspergers, and takes a long time to complete a sentence sometimes because he needs to find the exact word! Had I known such a thing existed, I may have changed my major! I took quite a few linguistics courses in my college career and loved them!
Sorry for the sidetrack, but!! LOL
I never really thought much about the word audiophile and had no clue it was so specific and classist/elitist! Wow! I have been super passionate about music since I was maybe 3? I got my first record player (a Holly Hobbie suitcase one) at age 5. I would never be considered an audiophile. I’ve always been poor 😂 I ended up selling off a ton of my vinyl to eat during college. I did record them to cassette first. I’ve never had an expensive turntable, or “nice” stereo system. During Covid, I purchased one of those cheap $30 turntables just so I could listen to the last crate of albums that had been in storage since like 2002!
Thank you, Kristin! Yes, I'm a graduate English/Spanish legal translator. In my case, growing up bilingual helped tremendously. I worked as a freelance translator and linguist for a while before accepting a permanent role in the international law firm sector here in London, where I draft certificates and other documents for multiple jurisdictions. I would say that if your son likes the study of language and, crucially, the specificity of it all -- choosing the right word, playing with phrasing, etc. -- this can be a very rewarding career. Foreign languages always help but there's still a lot that can be done within the ecosystem of one single language (forensic linguistics come to mind). I should also add that a lot of linguists have asperger's, ADHD or are somewhere on the so-called "spectrum", so he won't be alone :)
I can relate a lot with what you say about your experience with records and music listening in general. For many years I didn't have the luxury of being able to play my records on expensive equipment and I have also had to trade records to make ends meet. I think experiences like those make you more appreciative (of the music and of life in general).
This is awesome!! Thank you for the information! He’s taken Spanish since Jr High and just took a test to get certified (he did excellent in everything aside from the spoken section, in which he came close, but didn’t pass). He’s heading to college in the fall for Computer Science, but isn’t 100% sure he wants to major in that. I’ve encouraged it because I feel he will have a better time finding a decent job (he’s self taught game design and a whole bunch of computer related skills).… But, I have also explained that he can take electives in other areas of interest and change his mind.
Anytime! Anything IT related will open many doors as those skills are badly needed (particularly in linguistics). It’s great he’s got some Spanish as well (that always helps). A potential career path that could be interesting for him is computational lingustics. With the AI revolution coming, this could be quite interesting for him.
You can build a decent, compact Hi-Fi desktop setup for a small amount of money these days. The barrier to entry is lower than ever in that regard. But I’m with you, the snobbery and gatekeeping over “real” listening or the “perfect” audio experience is … a bit much
Thank you, Matt! Exactly. And they will push the goalposts of what is considered “decent” precisely because of that snobbery and the gatekeeping you rightly point out!
As a dealer of wax, I have come across many “Audiophiles” over the years (sometimes having to bite, sometimes having to totally zip my lip).
I do have to say though that my best (true) Audiophile customers love the music and their goal is to enhance their own listening experience - as opposed to those who yap on incessantly (nay, preach condescendingly) about equipment - and don’t buy half as many records…
Thank you! This distinction you make is spot on. It tends to go hand in hand with the amount of records they buy, and the preponderance they give to the equipment v the actual music
Well said. I think part of my own drifting away from music listening for a while was that I did think of it as something that required seriousness. I think it does take something away when your relationship to the music (and the sound) starts to feel like an obligation. Also, a not-at-al-incidental factor is that a good set-up does require a fair bit of space so, there's often a but of tension with anything else you might want to be doing.
That said, the other day I was listening to music on a really good system and it is impressive how much it changes that experience. My comment was that it feels like everything slows down and you can spend as much time as you want just listening to one note, or one decision. I am glad that I've had the opportunity to listen to good set-ups (and could have a fairly good system myself if I set it up properly).
Thank you, Nick! Yes, sometimes the whole "obligation" or "seriousness" aspect can spoil all the fun. Music is for enjoyment, at the end of the day, and some folks get so carried away with technicalities that they seem to forget that the whole point of it all is to enjoy and be moved by the music.
Absolutely: a good system can rock your soul and move you to tears, in more than one way. It gives the phrase "immersive experience" a whole new meaning.
I think that being able to appreciate those nuances in sound without losing sight of the bigger picture is key. This way, one can separate the wheat from the chaff and realise what really matters and what's secondary (all of which will obviously vary from person to person).
I am in the "AirPods Pro Max and Sonos speakers are plenty great enough" camp.
(My camp needs a shorter name.)
I've come to associate the word audiophile with unhappiness, with dissatisfaction. Audiophile-ness seems to an outsider to be the joyless pursuit of phonic perfection. It's a state that cannot be achieved and chasing it supersedes the actual purpose of listening -- to enjoy the music.
Thank you, Matt! There is definitely a lot of unhappiness in many audiophile circles. And the appreciation you make about losing sight of the bigger picture (the music) is spot on.
Yes! Some audiophiles are just on a quest to find the highest fidelity they can. Some want (need?) higher highs and lower lows because of their hearing or other issues....and some, well, some are just jerks that find joy in making making everyone around them feel bad.
If you want to summon this latter group, simply whisper the word "Crosley" and see what happens.
Exactly. You’ve summed it up so well. The adjustments we make to get better sound (in my case, maxing out my bass and trebles… I just need the punch 🤣) is one thing (that’s where the reading and experimenting can help). Now, the whole demeaning others with shitty/bitchy comments is a completely different element which, sadly, seems increasingly prominent in some circles.
Thanks for stopping by and, as always, for your very wise insights!
Someone told me that audiophiles listen to their equipment - the rest of us listen to the music. I’m a bit of a turntable obsessive, but mostly so I can explore the records from 78’s onward. I only avoid vertical cuts and cylinders as they would require even more equipment…
Thank you, Russ! That’s so true. I might use that quote at some point if you’ll let me!
And yes, prioritising your turntable is far more important than other hi-fi components. At the end of the day, you need to make sure it will be the right fit for the records you know you will want to spin.
Use away! I have no idea where it came from.
Cheers, Russ!
I’ve always been bothered by the terms audiophile and videophile, especially when they’re self-proclaimed. Like you, I find those terms elitist and snobbish, the whole “I’m better than you” or “you just wouldn’t understand” attitude just rankles me.
I listen to a lot of music, hours a day. I like it to sound good so I buy decent headphones and speakers. If and when I decide to get a turntable I know I’ll do a bunch of research (expect questions) and will end up buying something that is well reviewed but reasonably priced.
The music itself is what matters.
Thanks, Mark! Absolutely: that whole elitist undertone puts me off as well. One can care about music and sound without being a dick about it 🤣
Looking forward to your questions, you know where to find me! 🤗
This was a fun article to wake up to, Andres!
I was in a local Hi-Fi shop not too long ago admiring a vintage McIntosh tube amp and the owner, who I know, said, "Michael, there are always upgrades. Even when you think you have the best. There will be an upgrade." This is so true and also falls in line with the Capitalistic mentality of buy, buy, buy to have the "best."
My Yamaha CD player is the only console that isn't 40+ years old. My KEF speakers and Onkyo tape deck date from the '80s, my Thorens turntable and Luxman receiver from the '70s. My Thorens is my forever deck and I have invested money by putting a nice cartridge on it. I have also upgraded all component leads from their stock A/V cords. I have put money into it when/where I can, it looks and sounds brilliant to my ears.
I have also read that the space one has their stereo in is important, but most of us don't have the luxury of having a dedicated stereo room fully kitted out for "audio perfection." My stereo resides in the center of our house, where our dining table is. Our house dates from 1911 (old for these parts of the US) and has thick lath & plaster walls and hardwood floors. Would it sound better without a dining table in front of it and with special acoustic "this and that" on my walls & floor? Perhaps. But, I am a high school teacher and live in reality. So, for my budget, I have done well and am more than happy with my setup.
After all, there is always an upgrade. 😉
Thank you, Michael! That is so true: there’s always an upgrade. There’s always room for improvement, always something else we could/“should” be doing, but this anecdote you are sharing with us here clearly shows that no matter how hard you may try, it’s practically impossible to tick every single box. At some point one has to make a decision — is this the best I could have done within my budget/space configuration/mental sanity? At the end of the day, each listener/household will have their own characteristics, needs and priorities. Thanks for bringing this (ever so necessary) “bigger picture” element to the conversation.
Living in reality is such a bummer. If only we were all independently wealthy!
And yeah, hardwood floors and plaster walls are also my reality.
I'm always scared to mention the word audiophile as people who are REALLY into sound seem very daunting. I've recently just gotten some edifier speakers for my turntable and im happy with them.
I know they're not pukka, but it sounds good to me and that's all I care about.
Great piece!
I hear you. It’s at best a bunch of condescending “experts” and at worst a sectarian clique of knobheads.
Edifier is meant to be pretty decent. In any case, the most important is that you’re enjoying them. The rest is just noise.
Thanks for reading!
Ha! That made me laugh when you brought out the swearing! Great 😀
Thank you! You know, I hesitated a bit, ain’t gonna lie. I swear a lot in real life, but on the page I try to keep it clean. However, I felt this post needed that kind of release, and I think it fit well with the whole language/linguist thing. Glad you enjoyed!
And, you had the good taste to issue the warning that it was coming!✅
Thanks, Brad! Yes, I felt it was appropriate to do that out of respect. I don’t know whether I will use this kind of language again in another post… there are a lot of topics I feel strongly about, but I can always find words outside “that” kind of language. This topic in particular, though, is particularly close to my heart, and I felt I needed to express my repudiation to certain aspects of it as viscerally as I could. It was too real to ignore and too big to hide, in this case.
Oh, I get it! Plus, I know I have minors who read me...although, a couple of them, in particular, have had their 18th birthdays since they subbed a couple years ago! But, I echo not only your urgency, but desire to be a dutiful writer, and inform when necessary!
I've only got one unedited word on my site...and I didn't include a warning ('cause I didn't get one at the time!).....when Johnny Rotten used a naughty when I met him in the venue's parking lot when they arrived for the sound check! He didn't call ME a name, but used a vulgar word that I thought I'd just let ride in the moment, considering the source! But, I love your editorial discretions....well-placed! And, a topic worth exploring, as your large volume of "mail" asserts!
Yes, the minor/underage thing is worth bearing in mind. Considerig how much I (and my compatriots on both sides of the Atlantic) swear, I think I’ve made a good effort to keep everything clean for one year plus. (I mean… Adele, or Diego Maradona, anyone? 🤣🤣).
I thought it would be funny, and interesting, even, to create this narrative about how carefully I choose and treat words (which is true, at the end of the day) and then let ir rip, explode in a way. I edited, deleted, censored, uncensored, went back and forth but decided to keep it in this particular instance to make as strong a point as I could.
So far no one’s got offended and I think the message is coming across as I intended, which is pretty awesome in the circumstances.
Thanks for always being there!!
My pleasure, dammit!🤣🎶👍
I listen to what I like with what I have. It sounds great, because it's what I have. Would I spend more for equipment? If I could, then maybe. I enjoy the music and the history of that music.
I am a music lover, plain and simple.
Thank you, Bob! I can relate a lot to that. Music first and foremost, as the top priority. Everything else is secondary to the music.
My husband is a sound geek, too. Me? I benefit from it as an avid music fan. Win-win since I never bitch about the money he spends on equipment. 🤓
That’s awesome! It’s the perfect combination! Match made in heaven 😊 Thanks for reading!
Timely article, based on experiments I've been conducting the past couple of weeks! I recently did a free month subscription to Qobuz and Tidal to see what all the fuss was about. At some point, I'll catalog my findings in depth, but from a surface level, this is what I discovered:
- There is a heightened experience you can have with music, the same way a DVD and Blu-Ray are different experiences. So it goes with Qobuz or Tidal vs. Spotify or Apple Music.
- I do not have equipment on a level to enjoy music that would be considered "lossless" or "hi-fi." There's some minor improvements with percussion, but with my current equipment, the difference is negligible.
- I want to get the proper equipment to enjoy music on this level. More research is going to be required, but it appears it's going to be a sizable investment to unlock the truly great auditory experience that lossless hi-fi music offers. That said, as I get older, like anything else I want to drift into my golden years with the best possible experience.
Thank you, Matt! Normally people would expect me to take advantage of this opportunity to try and persuade you to get a turntable and embrace the true lossless beauty of music on wax. But I’m pragmatic, and I get the feeling you are as well. My advice at this stage is this: get an amplifier you can connect to your streaming source (presumably your phone) via bluetooth. Denon has a pretty good amp with bluetooth functionality, the Denon PMA-600 NE amp. You can connect your phone to it in a heartbeat. And get a decent pair of speakers (ideally some you can connect to your amp via cables, for example the Dali Spektor 2). And listen to your streaming platforms via the amp and speakers. You’ll notice the difference. If and when the moment comes, at some point you can add a turntable to that very same amp/speakers combination, and even a CD deck. And you’ll notice the difference across formats. Not better or worse; just different. Build from what you have and from what you already know you like. That’s where the journey begins.
I'm looking forward to reading more about what you've found! Not for nothing, even just "upgrading" to the Airpods Pro models made a big difference in my experience.
Same here!
I'm planning to do a separate piece on my 'Stack about "audiophilia," my brief foray into Tidal and Qobuz, and what I need to do to better integrate myself into the next-level of music appreciation based on my "lossless" experience. I will absolutely require both you and Andres to comment on it, and provide more helpful feedback and suggestions based on where and how I listen to music.
Life is busy at the moment but I'm hoping to carve out some time in early June to have something put together!
Right on! I'm here for it.
So am I!
Legal Linguist?!?!? I had no idea such a thing existed! I may have to put a bug in my oldest’s ear!! He has argued semantics with me since he was little lol - and sometimes he’s been right. He has what used to be called Aspergers, and takes a long time to complete a sentence sometimes because he needs to find the exact word! Had I known such a thing existed, I may have changed my major! I took quite a few linguistics courses in my college career and loved them!
Sorry for the sidetrack, but!! LOL
I never really thought much about the word audiophile and had no clue it was so specific and classist/elitist! Wow! I have been super passionate about music since I was maybe 3? I got my first record player (a Holly Hobbie suitcase one) at age 5. I would never be considered an audiophile. I’ve always been poor 😂 I ended up selling off a ton of my vinyl to eat during college. I did record them to cassette first. I’ve never had an expensive turntable, or “nice” stereo system. During Covid, I purchased one of those cheap $30 turntables just so I could listen to the last crate of albums that had been in storage since like 2002!
Thank you, Kristin! Yes, I'm a graduate English/Spanish legal translator. In my case, growing up bilingual helped tremendously. I worked as a freelance translator and linguist for a while before accepting a permanent role in the international law firm sector here in London, where I draft certificates and other documents for multiple jurisdictions. I would say that if your son likes the study of language and, crucially, the specificity of it all -- choosing the right word, playing with phrasing, etc. -- this can be a very rewarding career. Foreign languages always help but there's still a lot that can be done within the ecosystem of one single language (forensic linguistics come to mind). I should also add that a lot of linguists have asperger's, ADHD or are somewhere on the so-called "spectrum", so he won't be alone :)
I can relate a lot with what you say about your experience with records and music listening in general. For many years I didn't have the luxury of being able to play my records on expensive equipment and I have also had to trade records to make ends meet. I think experiences like those make you more appreciative (of the music and of life in general).
Thanks for reading!!
This is awesome!! Thank you for the information! He’s taken Spanish since Jr High and just took a test to get certified (he did excellent in everything aside from the spoken section, in which he came close, but didn’t pass). He’s heading to college in the fall for Computer Science, but isn’t 100% sure he wants to major in that. I’ve encouraged it because I feel he will have a better time finding a decent job (he’s self taught game design and a whole bunch of computer related skills).… But, I have also explained that he can take electives in other areas of interest and change his mind.
Anytime! Anything IT related will open many doors as those skills are badly needed (particularly in linguistics). It’s great he’s got some Spanish as well (that always helps). A potential career path that could be interesting for him is computational lingustics. With the AI revolution coming, this could be quite interesting for him.
Oooh yes!!
You can build a decent, compact Hi-Fi desktop setup for a small amount of money these days. The barrier to entry is lower than ever in that regard. But I’m with you, the snobbery and gatekeeping over “real” listening or the “perfect” audio experience is … a bit much
Thank you, Matt! Exactly. And they will push the goalposts of what is considered “decent” precisely because of that snobbery and the gatekeeping you rightly point out!
As a dealer of wax, I have come across many “Audiophiles” over the years (sometimes having to bite, sometimes having to totally zip my lip).
I do have to say though that my best (true) Audiophile customers love the music and their goal is to enhance their own listening experience - as opposed to those who yap on incessantly (nay, preach condescendingly) about equipment - and don’t buy half as many records…
Thank you! This distinction you make is spot on. It tends to go hand in hand with the amount of records they buy, and the preponderance they give to the equipment v the actual music
Well said. I think part of my own drifting away from music listening for a while was that I did think of it as something that required seriousness. I think it does take something away when your relationship to the music (and the sound) starts to feel like an obligation. Also, a not-at-al-incidental factor is that a good set-up does require a fair bit of space so, there's often a but of tension with anything else you might want to be doing.
That said, the other day I was listening to music on a really good system and it is impressive how much it changes that experience. My comment was that it feels like everything slows down and you can spend as much time as you want just listening to one note, or one decision. I am glad that I've had the opportunity to listen to good set-ups (and could have a fairly good system myself if I set it up properly).
Thank you, Nick! Yes, sometimes the whole "obligation" or "seriousness" aspect can spoil all the fun. Music is for enjoyment, at the end of the day, and some folks get so carried away with technicalities that they seem to forget that the whole point of it all is to enjoy and be moved by the music.
Absolutely: a good system can rock your soul and move you to tears, in more than one way. It gives the phrase "immersive experience" a whole new meaning.
I think that being able to appreciate those nuances in sound without losing sight of the bigger picture is key. This way, one can separate the wheat from the chaff and realise what really matters and what's secondary (all of which will obviously vary from person to person).
Thanks for reading!
I am in the "AirPods Pro Max and Sonos speakers are plenty great enough" camp.
(My camp needs a shorter name.)
I've come to associate the word audiophile with unhappiness, with dissatisfaction. Audiophile-ness seems to an outsider to be the joyless pursuit of phonic perfection. It's a state that cannot be achieved and chasing it supersedes the actual purpose of listening -- to enjoy the music.
Thank you, Matt! There is definitely a lot of unhappiness in many audiophile circles. And the appreciation you make about losing sight of the bigger picture (the music) is spot on.
Yes! Some audiophiles are just on a quest to find the highest fidelity they can. Some want (need?) higher highs and lower lows because of their hearing or other issues....and some, well, some are just jerks that find joy in making making everyone around them feel bad.
If you want to summon this latter group, simply whisper the word "Crosley" and see what happens.
Exactly. You’ve summed it up so well. The adjustments we make to get better sound (in my case, maxing out my bass and trebles… I just need the punch 🤣) is one thing (that’s where the reading and experimenting can help). Now, the whole demeaning others with shitty/bitchy comments is a completely different element which, sadly, seems increasingly prominent in some circles.
Thanks for stopping by and, as always, for your very wise insights!
I just need that punch too!