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A no-taking-sides, no judgment classification of the 4 types of Audiophile. "The audiophile bestiary".

Peluvius

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To me it does, when they don't care about sound quality they, by definition, are not audiophiles so no subset.
They just enjoy music, regardless of the delivery system. Which is fine but not your typical audiophile which always searches for 'better' sound quality.
Of course an audiophile can still enjoy listening to music even when the sound quality is not as good as they want. They will, however, always have at least one 'audiophile' system somewhere which a music lover doesn't need to have.

I believe everyone who loves music cares about sound quality, that is where we are apart I believe.

Hypothetical: Music lover is offered two all in one systems identical aside from the fact that one sounds twice as good as the other one. Which one would they walk away with?
 

Digby

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hat does not preclude them from being an Audiophile, just means they would not spend money to improve their system. The two are not linked.
I don't agree. To be an audiophile you must have an interest in audio equipment. There are plenty of music lovers happy to listen to music on a poor quality midi system, they are not audiophiles. I think to be an audiophile you have to take an interest in equipment and be willing to part with money (beyond the typical, depending on income) to do so. You don't need to spend tens of thousands, it is not a competition, but you have to have an interest. Plenty of music lovers have no interest whatever in audio reproduction equipment.

BTW I think audiophile is a crap term, but it is what it is.
 

CapMan

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Anyone who has ever heard a live gig at Ronnie Scott’s in London will be able to confirm that quality audio reproduction and an enjoyable musical performance are not correlated ! That place has the worst PA ever !!!
 

Peluvius

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I don't agree. To be an audiophile you must have an interest in audio equipment. There are plenty of music lovers happy to listen to music on a poor quality midi system, they are not audiophiles. I think to be an audiophile you have to take an interest in equipment and be willing to part with money (beyond the typical, depending on income) to do so. You don't need to spend tens of thousands, it is not a competition, but you have to have an interest. Plenty of music lovers have no interest whatever in audio reproduction equipment.

BTW I think audiophile is a crap term, but it is what it is.

Then you challenge the definition of the word not my proposal. I am not much for labels myself either but I was making the assumption the definition was agreed.

Definition of audiophile

: a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction

I can be enthusiastic about Hi-fidelity reproduction without giving a hoot about technology can't I?
 

Peluvius

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Anyone who has ever heard a live gig at Ronnie Scott’s in London will be able to confirm that quality audio reproduction and an enjoyable musical performance are not correlated ! That place has the worst PA ever !!!

There was a place in Kings Cross (Sydney) called the Chevron rock room that was as close to the "cage stage" in Blues Brothers as any venue I have ever been in. The sound was horrible but we just kept coming back for more......
 

Digby

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Definition of audiophile

: a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction
Definition from where?

I can be enthusiastic about Hi-fidelity reproduction without giving a hoot about technology can't I?
Only in the abstract, in reality to be enthusiastic about hi-fi reproduction, means you must give a hoot about the technology. The two are inextricably linked.
 

Stokdoof

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Unfortunately, I do not fit in any of the groups mentioned by the member with the original post. Should I leave this forum now ?
My hobby is ’everything with electical cables’, like my wife says. Most of the time this hobby focusses on audio equipment.
 

Peluvius

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Definition from where?


Only in the abstract, in reality to be enthusiastic about hi-fi reproduction, means you must give a hoot about the technology. The two are inextricably linked.


Yes, I tend to agree we are in relatively abstract territory although there are plenty of mass market examples where a product promoting improved sound quality has been targeted successfully at a segment that would not identify with an "audiophile" classification.
 

Digby

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Yes, I tend to agree we are in relatively abstract territory although there are plenty of mass market examples where a product promoting improved sound quality has been targeted successfully at a segment that would not identify with an "audiophile" classification.
isn't this splitting hairs? Because a clever advert has taken people outside their usual behaviour (remember the pet rock?), doesn't mean they are a part of a group they previously weren't, even fleetingly. Those that maintain an interest become audiophiles, the 90%+ who don't go back to being something else (a person easily swayed by advertisements?).
 

goat76

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What is pretty clear to me reading this thread is that people, in general, don't like to be put in "category boxes", yet I think many of those same people do exactly that to others when they argue with someone they see as having an opposite view from themselves. :)

Most things are not either black or white and everything in between is a gray zone. What I think is the OP's goal here is to shine some light on that, and it doesn't always have to be "us vs them".
 

garbulky

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This is not true at all. Objectivists value controlled listening tests quite highly and more than numbers. And regardless, when it comes to speakers and headphones, they definitely listen and evaluate.
Yeah I think there needs to
Be a variety of classification for “objectivists”. Perhaps a measurements only audiophile who only cares about the numbers and places high priority on low distortion. However audibility of this often inaudible distortion is placed at a low tier when selecting for audio gear.
 

MaxBuck

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Anyone who has ever heard a live gig at Ronnie Scott’s in London will be able to confirm that quality audio reproduction and an enjoyable musical performance are not correlated ! That place has the worst PA ever !!!
I didn't get to Ronnie Scott's when I was in London this year, and I'm kicking myself. Next summer for sure.
 

MattHooper

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To me it does, when they don't care about sound quality they, by definition, are not audiophiles so no subset.
They just enjoy music, regardless of the delivery system. Which is fine but not your typical audiophile which always searches for 'better' sound quality.
Of course an audiophile can still enjoy listening to music even when the sound quality is not as good as they want. They will, however, always have at least one 'audiophile' system somewhere which a music lover doesn't need to have.

Sir, you are correct!

Do I appreciate it if I get a ride in, or drive, a nice car - better than the one I own ? Sure. But I don’t spend any effort in thinking about or buying such cars. Instead the income that might have gone towards a nicer car - had I been a car enthusiast - goes towards my actual passions (e.g. audio, home theater, dining out).
It would feel pretty silly to put me in the category of car enthusiast just because I enjoyed a lift in my friends Porsche.
 
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Madlop26

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I think for the “objectivist” the ears are the one running the show or let’s say the final goal, but the instrument is not perfect, so needs scientific validation with well-staged double blind testing, otherwise you are fooled very easily. If it were possible, I would choose my equipments just by double blind testing, but unfortunately the logistics and the time and effort needed are quite close to impossible.( try to imagine double blind test hundreds of gears you are interested)
For subjectivist their ears are running the show? Most likely the bias are running the show, there are many situations when a blind test is easy to do to corroborate one strong opinion about a gear but they never dare to do it.
.
 

fpitas

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Unfortunately, I do not fit in any of the groups mentioned by the member with the original post. Should I leave this forum now ?
My hobby is ’everything with electical cables’, like my wife says. Most of the time this hobby focusses on audio equipment.
I don't fit either. I've already resigned myself to a life of quiet desperation.
 
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