Audiophile or Music Lover?

[Quadman2]

Wow, Quadman2... It's almost as if you can read minds. This is the exact journey I've taken over the past ~40 years or so en route to the hardcore listener that I am today.

My parents had a decent setup at my childhood home, but it took the sound of the system of a family friend who was a senior employee at a local music store during my teen years (thus obtaining steep discounts on thousands of albums and accompanying gear...) to push me over the edge into a passionate love affair with listening to prerecorded music. Every now and then his family would invite my parents to their home a couple a miles from ours and I'd proceed to zone out in front of his vinyl-only two-channel setup for as much time as possible during the visit. My memories are vague, but I clearly remember an upper echelon Technics turntable, preamp, amp, and separate multi-band EQ sending some of the best sounding tunes I've ever heard to two three-way floorstanders. Crystal clear vocals, taut midrange, and thunderous tight/not-sloppy bass would fill the upstairs portion of house he occupied while living with his mom (our host) while saving to get his own house. His collection of thousands of LPs (no 8-tracks, reel-to-reel, cassettes, or even CDs) inspired me to save up allowance money and eventually money from my first jobs to start my own budding collection, some of which I still own 30 or so years later. So, like yourself, for me it was definitely the music.

What an inspiring music journey you had. I envy you.

Mine was not so...illustrious. I was lucky enough as a kid to have had a friend whose dad had a system in his house called, "Hi/FI". However, we were told that only he was able to touch this uppity sounding machine and the really great speakers that went with it in a room that even my bud couldn't go unless one of the parents were in there with us. Control freaks, or what?

Right then and there, the combo radio/phonograph that we had at home just didn't cut it! Piling more pennies on the tone arm at our house was my way of obtaining increased clarity. With my friend's system, I had been pulled into the world of better sound and longed for it, but without the means just a kid nor my family to afford such a wonderful electronic musical wonder. That had to wait for years into the future, when I picked up my first "Lloyd's" stereo amp, putting out 10 or 15 watts of total music power! I was in heaven, even though the treble/base buttons did little to change the sounds coming out.

Today, I've an adequate gear set up(Brit Quad) with Wharfedale speakers in a DIY enclosure. Gave away most of my LP's, as only about 200 remain. Lots of CD's though.

And, ya, there's a lot of us who walked this similar sound path.

That's my share.

Q

 

[SteveA]

Really both. Started off as a would be audiophile who liked his music and became a real one as my income went up. Now my system is worth more than my car (as it should be) and is not likely go much further but I am still accumulating music so I guess the music lover side eventually rose to the top. Really I think I just wanted the music that I liked to sound as good as I could afford to make it sound.

 

[Djcoolray]

Depends on the definition of an audiophile....

Being an audiophile is not a love for equipment, audio is about a tangible amount of high quality sound and phile denotes an uncontrollable passion.

 

[john111/LZ]

"lf music be the food of love....."

 

[twiiii]

Its all about the performance and how well it is captured.

 

[pnovak]

I think that not all music lovers are audiophiles but all audiophiles are music lovers

 

[62caddy]

I'm not sure the second premise is necessarily true. I wholeheartedly concur with the first.

 

[pnovak]

I'm not sure the second premise is necessarily true. I wholeheartedly concur with the first.

Unless you never listen to music and only have your setup for movies then yes, probably not true. Probably should have said "MOST audiophiles are music lovers". If you are into hifi systems, it would be because of your passion for music that is played on the system...no?

 

[62caddy]

Not at all. Lots of equipment junkies out there for whom the gear is the end rather than the means. Some do nothing more than experiment with test warbles, tones etc, music enjoyment barely factoring into the equation. They are definitely audiophiles, music lovers not so much; if at all.

 

[pnovak]

Not at all. Lots of equipment junkies out there for whom the gear is the end rather than the means. Some do nothing more than experiment with test warbles, tones etc, music enjoyment barely factoring into the equation. They are definitely audiophiles, music lovers not so much, if at all.

WOW ok, I never would have thought that, interesting. I would have assumed the sound(music) produced by the system would be the end.

 

[RamblinE]

Flawed poll was flawed. Didn't have both as an option.

 

[Delta17]

I voted music lover. I listen too loud at times, always have. (At home or live shows.) I don't know that I can always recognize some nuances that would make an Audiophile distinction, but i like for music to sound as good as it can when I listen.

 

[SoCal Sam]

I voted music lover. It does not take an audiophile to love music. Any one who says so is a retailer.

 

[tubed]

the thrill of it all

 

[Stefus_Prime]

It's a tough choice, but I'm more of a music lover with an appreciation for technology and DIY. Kind of tough to picture an audiophile that doesn't like music though.

 

[tshrew]

Music and vintage gear lover, but with little $$ and OCD. Also a HAM. 73 W8BT

 

[JohnnyNapalm]

Music but with a quality reproduction.

 

[timmy.timmy]

Music first but as a teen, if I'd had the money, the sources for the knowledge (to teach me and understand the complex world of old and new phono gear) that I only acquired lately with more spare time to browse on tinternet, I'd have work my way to bring out the best juice out of my "obscure" vintage crate digged out 45's. Because it's that music I love but when put into splendor it is a thrill !

 

[Snow]

I truly believe that one must be a music lover to be an Audiophile certainly not all music lovers are Audiophiles but all Audiophiles are music lovers. Example there are many people I know that are constantly listening to music and could care less what produces the sound or how good it sounds as long as it is music and the Audiophile on the other hand is constantly looking for better sound quality and would much prefer to listen to music on the best gear they can afford/find


Regards Snow

 

[stish]

Both and I believe that would have led the pack if included in the poll. The simple fact that we frequent an audio forum suggests an interest in sound quality at a level to qualify as audiophiles. However in anyone has a different understanding and wants nothing to do with the term, that's alright too.