Audiophile?

[SuperjazzyJa]

I'm okay with being called; audiophile, audio geek, etc. To me, an audiophile is anyone who cares enough about sound quality to get the best sounding system to his/her ears that he/she can afford and to spend time with speaker placement, room treatment and/or whatever tweaking the individual deems necessary and can afford in order to get the best sound possible to his/her ears from the system. As far as I can tell, most if not all AKers fit this definition.

I really don't see any reason to get bent out of shape over terms or labels.

 

[Dr. Morbius]

here is another question: Why do audiophiles hate the term audiophile so much?

Good question. I don't care for it. I refer to myself as an audio enthusiast.

 

[racca]

here is another question: Why do audiophiles hate the term audiophile so much?

Because the mainstream audiophiles, who are purchasing reasonably-priced gear while taking care to match equipment and set it up well, don't like being associated with the fringe audiophiles who drool over cables that cost $10,000 per foot and stick magic rocks on their amps.

 

[RamblinE]

Speak for yourself. I have no beef with so called "fringe audiophiles" and happily associate with them when I can.


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[Wigwam Jones]

Because the mainstream audiophiles, who are purchasing reasonably-priced gear while taking care to match equipment and set it up well, don't like being associated with the fringe audiophiles who drool over cables that cost $10,000 per foot and stick magic rocks on their amps.

I don't think those kinds of comments are called for. I'm not singling you out; I have made similar comments in the past and I'm trying to not do that sort of thing anymore. It's bad for AK and unnecessarily hurtful to some.

Let's say that the logic is that if a person is very much involved in their hobby, to the point of what some might consider an obsession, and those persons are given a name (like 'audiophile'), other who also are into the same hobby but not to that extreme sometimes don't like to be thought of that way by those not involved in the hobby at all. One might say "Yes, I'm an audiophile, but not to the extent that some are. I just like good music reproduction, I don't spend a fortune on it or sweat every single detail."

There is nothing wrong with people who choose to spend their money and effort to take it as far as it can be taken, and who believe that certain things improve the sound they're hearing that others think of as impossible. At at certain point, we're talking about the right of people to spend their money as they please and enjoy what they enjoy. Leave them be, live and let live. It is no skin off my back if someone thinks that something I find ludicrous improves their system. Fair enough, it's their system. They are audiophiles, I am an audiophile, and it's OK that we're not the same.

 

[Handlebar]

An Audiophile isn't a term one calls themselves and it's a cardinal rule among them. (or we'd all be one, huh) it's up to the peers to decide and an audiophile won't bash, but will be well versed and point out strengths and weaknesses.
Their Mantra is, "it can only get better"..

^ i was told that by one a long long time ago and believe every word of it, thus not forgettin' it..

Hbar


the best antiques are old friends

 

[racca]

I don't think those kinds of comments are called for. I'm not singling you out; I have made similar comments in the past and I'm trying to not do that sort of thing anymore. It's bad for AK and unnecessarily hurtful to some.

I should have explained myself better, and stated that it isn't my personal opinion or belief.

What I was trying to get at is the people who say "I'm not an audiophile" when clearly they are. If you made a scale of degrees of audiophilia, putting the guy with a cheap amp and speakers down at 1 and the guy with a $1,000,000+ system at 10, I think that the guys at the bottom of the scale doesn't think he has any association with the guy at the top of the scale, even though they're both audiophiles.

Basically, anyone who has make any effort to get better sound qualifies as an audiophile.

 

[jaymanaa]

I don't think those kinds of comments are called for. I'm not singling you out; I have made similar comments in the past and I'm trying to not do that sort of thing anymore. It's bad for AK and unnecessarily hurtful to some.

Let's say that the logic is that if a person is very much involved in their hobby, to the point of what some might consider an obsession, and those persons are given a name (like 'audiophile'), other who also are into the same hobby but not to that extreme sometimes don't like to be thought of that way by those not involved in the hobby at all. One might say "Yes, I'm an audiophile, but not to the extent that some are. I just like good music reproduction, I don't spend a fortune on it or sweat every single detail."

There is nothing wrong with people who choose to spend their money and effort to take it as far as it can be taken, and who believe that certain things improve the sound they're hearing that others think of as impossible. At at certain point, we're talking about the right of people to spend their money as they please and enjoy what they enjoy. Leave them be, live and let live. It is no skin off my back if someone thinks that something I find ludicrous improves their system. Fair enough, it's their system. They are audiophiles, I am an audiophile, and it's OK that we're not the same.

I always looked at audiophile as someone who never stops trying to make their system sound better. To me, that would mean they would pick up some basic scientific facts along the way. What makes people spend incredible sums of money when science has had stuff like this figure out for over 100 years is beyond me. I do find it interesting to watch though. It's also fun to explain it to guys that know the laws, like electricians at work. They all call bullshit on you until you actually show them. Going back to my first sentence, maybe there's nothing left to do but silly stuff. If something makes your system sound better to you, it's absolutely real (science be damned). There's always the brain and ear factor.:yes:

 

[JoeESP9]

Because the mainstream audiophiles, who are purchasing reasonably-priced gear while taking care to match equipment and set it up well, don't like being associated with the fringe audiophiles who drool over cables that cost $10,000 per foot and stick magic rocks on their amps.

Now that's just completely silly. Does a "motorhead" look down on the guy with the Ferrari Enzo? Does a photographer look down his nose at the Leica owner? Does a two wheeler look down his nose at the Bimota owner? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding no.

Why is it that only audiophiles seem to have a problem with those who spend big bucks on the same hobby? This seems to be the only hobby that has wallet police who decide that anyone who spends more than they think is appropriate for anything is on the "fringe" and worthy of condescension.

We are all audiophiles. That especially means anyone who posts to this or any other audio related forum.

Being an audiophile has absolutely nothing to do with how much one has spent on their gear.

 

[BayouTiger]

I always looked at audiophile as someone who never stops trying to make their system sound better. To me, that would mean they would pick up some basic scientific facts along the way. What makes people spend incredible sums of money when science has had stuff like this figure out for over 100 years is beyond me. I do find it interesting to watch though. It's also fun to explain it to guys that know the laws, like electricians at work. They all call bullshit on you until you actually show them. Going back to my first sentence, maybe there's nothing left to do but silly stuff. If something makes your system sound better to you, it's absolutely real (science be damned). There's always the brain and ear factor.:yes:

Funny how a terminology describing a hobby will be debated between the hobbyists. The reality is that we are all audiophiles to the outside. To the average joe who is listening to his MP3's on his iPod or the old clock radio on the nightstand or the HTIB in his den. The concept of building a system and spending time and money on audio as a hobby is a completely foreign concept and qualified the hobbyist as an "Audiophile".

As such, lots of products are sold based on them being good enough to appeal to those folks, as in "Buy this and you'll enjoy your music just as much as that guy with a stack of gear!"

(Wow, I wrote a whole paragraph, all I needed to do was post a Wave Radio ad!!!! )

 

[Wigwam Jones]

Now that's just completely silly. Does a "motorhead" look down on the guy with the Ferrari Enzo? Does a photographer look down his nose at the Leica owner? Does a two wheeler look down his nose at the Bimota owner? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding no.

Why is it that only audiophiles seem to have a problem with those who spend big bucks on the same hobby? This seems to be the only hobby that has wallet police who decide that anyone who spends more than they think is appropriate for anything is on the "fringe" and worthy of condescension.

We are all audiophiles. That especially means anyone who posts to this or any other audio related forum.

Being an audiophile has absolutely nothing to do with how much one has spent on their gear.

I absolutely agree with you, but I do think it's more than just audiophiles who engage in this kind of behavior.

Photographers often look down their noses at non-Leica owners, and vice-versa. It's a lot like here. Same for wine-lovers, I've seen it many times. And fans of mechanical wristwatches. I'm sure there are many others.

Some folks have a problem with others who enjoy the same things they do, but in different ways. They either condescend to those who can't pony up and spend huge amounts, or they smack around the people who do have the kind of money and desire to play with the ultra-high end. It never seems to end. And I've been guilty of it myself.

I'm tired of the anger and I'm tired of the hate.

 

[BayouTiger]

Absolutely Wiggy! My sister is one of those "value police" that is always willing to give you her two cents on why her recent bargain bin purchase is every bit as good as your TOTL buy. AND what a fool you were to buy it. Of course she is first in line for my hand me downs!!!

 

[onemug]

Once upon a time...

the term "Audiophile" didn't exist but there was a growing body of people who were starting to enjoy listening to reproduced music in their homes so someone decided to give "them" a name (like Baby Boomers or Gen-X). Audiophile seemed like the right term.

With the birth of the Internet, people that went searching for all things audio related, came upon sites dedicated to audio like AK, AG, and AA and would find "some" people obsessed with wires, fuses, etc and think "these people are nuts". So the word/label Audiophile started to have a negative connotation to it for some.

It still means what it meant but now the def has widened a bit to include nuts, OCD's, gear heads and/or whatever. In the future, maybe a new word will arise that will clarify who/what each of us is if you have to have a label.

For now, I don't worry about it. I prefer the term "music lover". It has the same number of letters as audiophile and is more accurate for me. Sounds better than "musicophile".

 

[barkerd]

I guess what my point included , but should have been clearer in stating : is the fact that the term has no meaning anymore. There was a time when it did.

I can't imagine anyone calling themselves a gearhead who has never wrenched on something. My observation is that a lot of people are calling themselves audiophiles these days who have very little, if any, experience, knowledge, of or passion towards things audio. If the rebuttal to this point is "its all subjective, and it's up to each individual" ..... then we enter into a conversation of relativism in which terms have little, if any, meaning. I believe a term should have some meaning to warrant it's use.

 

[jaymanaa]

Funny how a terminology describing a hobby will be debated between the hobbyists. The reality is that we are all audiophiles to the outside. To the average joe who is listening to his MP3's on his iPod or the old clock radio on the nightstand or the HTIB in his den. The concept of building a system and spending time and money on audio as a hobby is a completely foreign concept and qualified the hobbyist as an "Audiophile".

As such, lots of products are sold based on them being good enough to appeal to those folks, as in "Buy this and you'll enjoy your music just as much as that guy with a stack of gear!"

(Wow, I wrote a whole paragraph, all I needed to do was post a Wave Radio ad!!!! )

Yeh, hobbyist works for me. I used to spend way too much money on nitro powered model boats. I still catch myself looking at them in epay every now and then, but so far I've resisted. BTW, when I was like 19 I had an apt. in Tiger Land and parked my motorcycle in the kitchen. Man, those were the days, death valley, the food, the "other stuff". I'd do it all over in a heart beat.

 

[jaymanaa]

I guess what my point included , but should have been clearer in stating : is the fact that the term has no meaning anymore. There was a time when it did.

I can't imagine anyone calling themselves a gearhead who has never wrenched on something. My observation is that a lot of people are calling themselves audiophiles these days who have very little, if any, experience, knowledge, of or passion towards things audio. If the rebuttal to this point is "its all subjective, and it's up to each individual" ..... then we enter into a conversation of relativism in which terms have little, if any, meaning. I believe a term should have some meaning to warrant it's use.

It's probably one of those things where if you have to say it, you probably aren't. I hate saying when people ask. I put my hand over my mouth and say it real fast and low with a fake cough.:yes:

 

[the_nines]

The word 'audiophile' has been used in many ways. It's been a compliment and a slur. It's been misused and abused. So what?

It literally means 'lover of sound' (typically, sound as music). Period. That's it. Love music? You're an audiophile. If you think it means something else, that's a meaning YOU put on it. Feel free to do so, but dry your eyes if someone else misuses it in a way you don't like.

We see this kind of post from time to time. We also see similar posts from people complaining that companies use the term 'Hi-Fi' or "High Fidelity" as if it was a patented term that can only be applied if we personally agree with its goodness and quality.

I consider myself an audiophile. I like music. If you like music too, you're also an audiophile. Welcome to the club, but unclench. The word is highly subject to misuse. Life goes on.

Bang on!

Good post Wigs.

:thmbsp:

 

[Wigwam Jones]

I guess what my point included , but should have been clearer in stating : is the fact that the term has no meaning anymore. There was a time when it did.

No, there wasn't. There was a time when you decided what you thought it meant, and now some claim it means something different.

It meant and means 'music lover'. That's all it ever meant and that's all it means now. Everything else that's been assigned to it is based on personal decisions about what people want it to mean.

 

[RamblinE]

Can somebody please explain to me the negative fixation over how much one spends? And why some people get so butt hurt over it? It just seems to reek of insecurity and jealousy.


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[luvvinvinyl]

No, there wasn't. There was a time when you decided what you thought it meant, and now some claim it means something different.

It meant and means 'music lover'. That's all it ever meant and that's all it means now. Everything else that's been assigned to it is based on personal decisions about what people want it to mean.

This.

Can somebody please explain to me the negative fixation over how much one spends? And why some people get so butt hurt over it? It just seems to reek of insecurity and jealousy...

We call it "Reverse Snobbery" around here, and you pretty much nailed it.