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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 douglas_schroeder

douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
ghdprentice, as a Christian my perspective of the addictions troubling humanity is that they are a perversion of the Image of God, the innate desire to have the beautiful, etherial experience - what you were describing as pursuit of perfection. There is fantastic joy in a focused dedication to an activity, but it can be razor thin; a tip too far and it becomes obsessive, damaging, or worse, terribly skewed and it becomes life destroying. Obviously, chemical imbalances in the body and poisoning with overuse of substances do not help. 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. Really tough dynamics.  

I observe that imbalance due to skewed involvement in hobbies, activities are weighted differently according to social impact. Many audiophiles do not think much of their predilection to overspending, but it may have adverse effects on their relationships. If you watch closely, most people have imbalances in their lives; some are well hidden, while others not so much. Some seem more benign, while others are horrifically destructive to anyone in proximity. Imbalance in audiophilia can have some fairly high costs associated, and I'm not talking about MSRP. But, I'm not quite at the point of calling it a dangerous activity. ;) 

BTW, there are other forms of gratification aside from self-accomplishment. I have been on ten construction trips with our church, building structures in Central and South America. Pushing one's self to the limit in exertion (and paying one's way for the privilege of doing so!) in assisting those in other cultures to reach a goal for their community is immensely gratifying, and no less good for the body. 


douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
ghdprentice, the comment regarding grouped addictions is not thesis; it's demonstrated, fact. It may not appear in every instance, but is common. It is also rather easy to observe if one keeps their eyes open. 

I know some people who, sadly, have severe mental health conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other heavy conditions. These conditions can absolutely wreck a person's life if untreated. I have seen marriages explode because one party refused to get treatment for such a disorder. It can be tragic. 

I also know some "crazy" audiophiles, who are all quite sane, but like me have spent decades building beautiful systems. I don't believe any of them made patently foolish decisions in procuring gear. One deferred his gratification for decades while he made his mark in the world and squirreled up plenty. Just a couple of years ago he relocated back to our neck of the states and went big on a system; I suspect he's into it for about $200K. That might be considered crazy by some, but it's tougher to judge harshly when he spent decades living modestly, and received an inheritance. Smart guy, and I suspect the money spent didn't much dent his net worth. 

An electrical engineer who worked on the hadron collider started visiting with our group, and he thought we were crazy to use aftermarket cords. After about two hours of debate, I challenged him to try a set. He did. He spent $3K on a set. He no longer thinks we're crazy.  :) 

I agree with your habit of not overspending; I concur with not splurging on car, house, etc. and having fiscal freedom to do as one wishes in regards to philanthropy and leisure.   :) 

BTW, I was just speaking last evening to a speaker micro-manufacturer who is also an amateur astronomer. He has gone out at times all night on a mountain top to capture long exposure shots of certain constellations and stars. He has invested significantly in his telescope, mount and camera. He mentioned "star parties", where groups of like-minded persons gather for that activity when there is a significant astronomical event. Curiously, he found a general correlation that those who invested most heavily into their telescope rig were also audiophiles! Perhaps the love affair with the gear from other hobbies washes over into audio, and vice versa.  

douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
I would appreciate the OP showing several images of their home system, complete with listing from first power cord through to speakers. 

Thank you. 
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Speaking of happy meal, let's see mastering92's system, several images, and a complete listing of the system from first power cord through to speakers. 


douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
+1 ghdprentice
Nice post showing experience, wisdom, balance, etc. Like you, I have consistently worked over decades to improve the listening experience. You are correct about your generalization regarding gear at double the cost; higher end components are that much better generally. 

Regarding alcoholics, sadly addictions tend to be grouped, which compounds the damage. It is common to see individuals imbalanced in several respects. i.e. it would not be surprising to encounter a slightly above average percentage of audiophiles who are also alcoholics. Drinking seems to be a necessity for some listeners, as if that enhances the experience (it doesn't, but dulls the senses). Combine lugubrious music with too much imbibing and it becomes a depressive activity, a pathetic way to lurch toward the grave. 

You seem to have found joy in activities that stimulate the mind and body. You will likely enjoy my upcoming review of a new speaker from a fledgling manufacturer to appear in the future at Dagogo.com, designed and built by one of those Renaissance men who has a keen mind and skills.   
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Anyone who suggests that it is a problem to enjoy the equipment as much as, or even more than the media, is not worth spending five minutes reading or listening to them. 

Spending two minutes scanning the "What Is An Audiophile?" article was a waste of two minutes of my life. I knew it would be. 




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