What is wrong with audiophiles?


Something that has happened countless times happened again last night. Ordinary people over for a party listening to some music easily hear things audiophiles argue endlessly don't even exist. Oh, its worse even than that- they not only easily hear but are stunned and amazed at what they hear. Its absolutely clearly obvious this is not anything they ever were expecting, not anything they can explain- and also is not anything they can deny. Because its so freaking obvious! Happens every time. Then I come on here and read one after another not only saying its impossible, but actually ridiculing people for the audacity of reporting on the existence of reality.

What is wrong with audiophiles?

Okay, concrete examples. Easy demos done last night. Cable Elevators, little ceramic insulators, raise cables off the floor. There's four holding each speaker cable up off the floor. Removed them one by one while playing music. Then replaced them. Music playing the whole time. First one came out, instant the cable goes on the floor the guy in the sweet spot says, "OH! WTF!?!?!"

Yeah. Just one. One by one, sound stage just collapses. Put em back, image depth returns.

Another one? Okay.

Element CTS cables have Active Shielding, another easy demo. Unplug, plug back in. Only takes a few seconds. Tuning bullets. Same thing. These are all very easy to demo while the music is playing without interruption. This kills like I don' know how many birds with one stone. Auditory memory? Zero. Change happens real time. Double blind? What could be more double blind than you don't know? Because nobody, not me, not the listener, not one single person in the room, knows exactly when to expect to hear a change- or what change to expect, or even if there would be any change to hear at all. Heck, even I have never sat there while someone did this so even I did not know it was possible to hear just one, or that the change would happen not when the Cable Elevator was removed but when the cable went down on the floor.

We're talking real experience here people. No armchair theorizing. What real people really hear in real time playing real music in a real room.

I could go on. People who get the point will get the point. People who ridicule- ALWAYS without ever bothering to try and hear for themselves!- will continue to hate and argue.

What is wrong with audiophiles?

Something almost all audiophiles insist on, its like Dogma 101, you absolutely always must play the same "revealing" track over and over again. Well, I never do this. Used to. Realized pretty quickly though just how boring it is. Ask yourself, which is easier to concentrate on- something new and interesting? Or something repetitive and boring? You know the answer. Its silly even to argue. Every single person in my experience hears just fine without boring them to tears playing the same thing over and over again. Only audiophiles subject themselves to such counterproductive tedium.

What is wrong with audiophiles????
128x128millercarbon
TOTAL FAIL!

So total in fact it has nothing to do with audiophiles at all. If there's one thing for sure we can say about the OP its that the responses of people vs audiophiles actually happened. Its reported fact, not opinion. So this one is pure reading comprehension fail.
With due respect millercarbon, I have noticed that you always are a negative poster against anything home theater and tend to just push the idea that 2-channel will always be superior without listening to what the OP really wants.  Not everyone is after the ultimate 2-channel experience.



Au contraire mon frere! Are you triggered? Because you’ve completely misconstrued what should be quite clear.

Somewhere between the giant Sony ceiling mounted projector and the enormous 9 foot screen on the wall, somewhere in there a person might maybe get the impression painting me as anti-home theater just maybe might be a bit of a stretch.

Also if you’ve been reading my posts you’ll know they’re all focused on getting the best sound for the dollar, regardless of how its done. Time and again the emphasis is on quality, and value.

So my crime according to you is wanting the best sound, multi-channel or otherwise. In other words not being slavishly tied into the latest greatest format. In other words thinking for myself.

Guilty as charged.

But for being taken to task over this I have to ask, What is wrong with audiophiles????
I think @millercarbon you are wasting your time with this. Internet is full of strange characters. Don’t pay attention. Ignore them. Hold on to your real friends, those who appreciate and value the hobby. Learn from each other. Ignore the rest. You will simply alienate yourself, and waste precious time if you pay attention to the “slayers or snake oil” types. 
You feelin’ ok, millercarbon?

This particular rant seems a tad unhinged :)

I find it awfully strange that you keep accusing “audiophiles” of denying the subjective experience approach - “If I believe I heard it then it’s true!” - when of anything that is the norm.  It’s why audipholes get so much grief from non-audiophiles.

And, sure lots of people can be absolutely certain they experienced something.  That’s how the human mind works.  Benny Hinn gets a lot of mileage out of it - fills stadiums!   Feeling certain isn’t necessarily the best guide to reality.  And btw, many people skeptical of expensive cables and the tweakier side of high end audio do indeed have experience with what they criticize.   

But, hey, you are on a roll so: take the floor.
;-)