Are audiophiles crazy?


Don't take offense to this post if you identify as an "audiophile." I would say I'm an audio enthusiast, but not an audiophile. 

To me, audiophiles are people who pride themselves in achieving the best possible sound quality. Terms like dynamics, punch, and smoothness are just the tip of the iceberg. The audiophile is usually interested in achieving subjectively better sound. How they go about chasing this is actually counter-intuitive. They go out and buy expensive speakers, flagship headphones, high-end amplifiers, and perhaps even real 20K-40K+  studio monitors. All the while, wanting to hear music the way it was recorded. But be forewarned - More accurate does not always mean "better sounding." 

When they play their favorite music, to their dismay, it doesn't sound good enough. So they drop 10 to 15 grand on cables - which shouldn't make an audible difference anyway. But that new cable made everything sound warm and mellow. Now they're kind of happy. At this point, the audiophile is an "expert" basically a Sound Engineer, but only in his own mind (imagination). Every few months, upgrades are made on the main system - even if that means not having enough money for [insert important family obligations here]. Some believe they have the best systems in the world and even brag about it. I have met folks like this and I'd rather not be around them...more money than sense.

No matter how much I have, I always try my best to be humble and polite when in the company of other people.

Skeptical, passionate, and curious, they go out of their way to experience all of the wonderful snake-oil that audio manufacturers have to offer. After many years, they still can't pinpoint what they want their systems to sound like. In other words, what would be an ideal Harman target response curve for all of the genres of music they listen to? It becomes an almost never-ending quest for perfection - which is unattainable in a subjective way. You can have a system that is 99% accurate for Pro audio work - But you can never have a perfect system that everyone you know will enjoy. Invite all of your friends and a few family members - let them listen to your best system and ask for honest opinions.

I find joy in knowing some of them will spend thousands of dollars on "upgrades" that won't matter. I laugh about it. And I suppose this is good for the economy - with the inflation on consumer goods always on the rise, it's nice to know we have a bunch of dedicated folks like audiophiles; who can part with their money so easily. They make great customers but terrible salespeople. Too many I've met in real life can't make convincing arguments to prove things they believe in.

Tell me about your experience with them, or if you were a hardcore audiophile. I have busted tons of myths in real life - let alone online forums...and eventually was praised for it. Again, I think this is a fantastic community; so I enjoy sharing my thoughts here on audiogon :)

Lastly, I have this quote to share - which I think sums up the struggle with audio reviews/impressions/viewpoints etc: 

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

- Arthur Schopenhauer, Philosopher

mastering92

Showing 6 responses by cd318

@mastering92,

"It becomes an almost never-ending quest for perfection - which is unattainable in a subjective way. You can have a system that is 99% accurate for Pro audio work - But you can never have a perfect system that everyone you know will enjoy. Invite all of your friends and a few family members - let them listen to your best system and ask for honest opinions."

"Too many I’ve met in real life can’t make convincing arguments to prove things they believe in."


Sadly it’s all true.

From the moment the recording is captured on tape and issued on vinyl, CD, download etc it has already lost some fidelity.

Once it’s in the hands of the listener the recording then assumes a life of its own as the speakers (or headphones) it’s being played back in are unlikely to be the same as those it was recorded with.

At best playback can only be a rough approximation unless you somehow know the details of the equipment used in original recording.

Even if that were possible, it would only apply to those particular recordings.

For sure reference standard playback loudspeakers can tell you just how good a job was made on that original recording but they can’t take into account any of the deficiencies that may have been present in the original monitors used.

Deficiencies that may have made the recording sound significantly different, (presumably better) to what you’re hearing now.

As we now know there were significant sonic differences in the monitors used in recording studios back in the day. Some used Tannoys, some used JBLs, some used B&Ws etc.

Whatever studios use for mixing/tracking nowadays, be it ATC, Adam, Genelec, Yamaha? Sony 7506, Audio Technica M50x, Beyerdynamic, Behringer, Sennheiser etc, you can be sure they don’t all sound the same.

However we can hope that these are more accurate than what was being used between 1950 and 1990.

Therefore perhaps we can also hope that audio’s circle of confusion should become less of an issue as more accurate monitoring equipment is employed.

It will never be perfect, how could it be, but these inconsistencies can be reduced.

Even of it sometimes means that more accurate playback equipment will only highlight pre-existing recording deficiencies further.

This seems inevitable, unless you want to playback Elvis and Buddy Holly via 1950s monitors, or the Beatles via vintage Altecs/Tannoys etc

Therefore it shouldn’t be too surprising when even the highly recommended Revel Salon 2s don’t always sound fabulous with every recording.

How could they, how could any loudspeaker?

Perhaps the key point is to remember just what it is that we are hoping for, and just how far it is practically achievable.

So are we somewhat crazy for attempting to achieve this?

As long as we’re not suffering adversely, or causing others to unduly suffer, isn’t that usually something for independent outside observers to decide?

Not all truth passes through 3 stages, some of it is self-evident, isn’t it?
@stevewharton,


Nice post.

For sure there are many differing approaches to this hobby of ours. It’s all too easy to forget that.

For me too it’s now become a question of return on investment, but it wasn’t always this way.

In my 20s I threw away an inordinate amount of time and money chasing the audiophile dream. Time I had plenty of back then, but money less so.

Despite all of that I was ’investing’ a great portion of my disposable income into my audio pastime. I could never begin to share the details with work colleagues etc in fear of receiving strange looks.
[Much later I did encounter a colleague who worked in IT who was also into audio, but he was never that easy to engage in conversation with].

I think the OP makes some valid points but they won’t be able to address everyone’s tastes, needs, or even be a part of their priorities.

Nevertheless they’re well worth bearing in mind for the rest of us to with limited disposable income and conflicting priorities. For those of us, a good sonic return on investment really matters.

For such folk, the viewpoint the OP is putting forward can be an immense blessing.


"But be forewarned - More accurate does not always mean "better sounding."

"Too many I’ve met in real life can’t make convincing arguments to prove things they believe in."

"It becomes an almost never-ending quest for perfection - which is unattainable in a subjective way."

"I have busted tons of myths in real life - let alone online forums...and eventually was praised for it."
@douglas_schroeder

"Overdosing on processed sugar in diet is nearly as damaging to the body as alcohol. I enjoy sweets too much, and it’s truly scary what a disease like Diabetes does. Thankfully, an ardent commitment to nearly daily exercise has kept that at bay, but I’m seeing the need to further restrain my diet as I age. We are often not good with coping with pain, and instead of using it as a spur to motivate us to better things, we may retreat to addiction for comfort."


Good points, and that last sentence is especially a bit too close to the truth in my experience.

Life is so precious that there has understanbly been a growing tendency to follow a course of overprotection in most spheres.

A health and safety inspector of today might look back on life in the 1960s and 70s and recoil in horror.

Yet we’re also in the age of the rather self obsessed immature would-be eternal teenager. Mick Jagger, far from being the only one, might be uncomfortably symptomatic of his time.

Yet somewhere along this journey of ever increasingly rapid change we also seem to have somehow lost the wise man/woman.

The generation that had fought in WW2 has now virtually disappeared now and seem to have taken something valuable along with them.


As for men and their addictions, well, in my experience, I have not met any that didn’t have at least one.

It just seems to be our nature. Just how many scientists, engineers, IT experts, chess players and explorers etc have been free from symptoms that nowadays might be classed as Asperger’s?

As you say, the best course of action seems to be in "using it as a spur to motivate us to better things."

The alternative however, to ’retreat into comfort’, is understandable.

As far as an obsession with audio goes, this seems fairly harmless; unlike some others which are far more grim.
@mastering92,

My word, Ken Rockwell’s certainly not pulling his punches there, is he?

Perhaps there’s a middle ground where you can be a music lover and an equipment lover and still remain in charge of your faculties?

After all, who doesn’t enjoy the thrill of buying some new gear or the unboxing?


BBC TV Hi Fi Fo Fum 1959

https://youtu.be/fcwpOXfuHUw

(there’s a better version on Facebook Watch but the usual privacy issues apply)
@keegiam,

Thank you for that.

The written word is sadly even more open to misinterpretation than the spoken one, especially when it comes to expressing ideas and philosophical viewpoints.

Wouldn’t it be great if George Orwell was able to tell us exactly what he meant in his 2 most famous novels?

As it is, both Animal Farm and especially 1984, have increasingly come into vogue as examples of literary warnings against the dangers of various ideologies which seem to sit at differing ends of the political spectrum.

This process started almost immediately after the great writer’s death in 1950, once it was no longer possible for him to clarify any misunderstandings.

Even that rather forcibly blunt Ken Rockwell article on audiophiles could be open to misunderstanding. You can bet it will certainly receive plenty of denigration if never an actual refutation.

As for Are audiophiles crazy?

Only three words but you may as well ask was Nietzsche crazy? Was Wittgenstein crazy?

What does audiophile actually mean?

Or crazy for that matter?

What’s the answer?

If we take Ken Rockwell’s definition of an audiophile as someone who is more obsessed by their equipment than enjoying music, and crazy as an unhealthy distancing from reality, then the answer for us might be one of the following.

Yes.
No.
Probably.
Sometimes.
Or, it depends.

For the man/woman on the street, we don’t really need to ask, do we?
@keegiam,

I'm no wannabe George Orwell or even Henry Miller, I tend to like my creature comforts a little too much, especially audio related ones.

Amazingly enough, the two of them once met as Orwell was making his way to join the fight against Franco.

Nice article on them both linked below.

As for Ken Rockwell, I discovered him via his brilliantly informative headphone reviews.

Perhaps a little 'old school' in not pulling his punches, but none the worse for it. Ken Rockwell seems like a real straight up guy.

If Ken told me he thought I was crazy I guess I'd be genuinely concerned. 

-------

George Orwell, Henry Miller, and the ‘Dirty-Handkerchief Side of Life’
by Matt Johnson, October 8, 2020

https://quillette.com/2020/10/08/george-orwell-henry-miller-and-the-dirty-handkerchief-side-of-life/