How rare of a breed are we (audiophiles)?

[Timcognito]

Isn't the sound from almost from any playback device better than it ever was. Aren't most circuits micro-embedded in some kind of chip or digital processor and assembled in modular fashion using the same building blocks. I can't tell the difference between my CDs and streaming and it's not just my aging ears. With the possible exception of speakers and DSP isn't good sound a near commodity in the digital age. With rampant snake-oil and placebo effect clouding subjective aural judgment can one always detect the the better sounding device or are they all mostly pretty good. Features and connectivity dominate, with sound quality a given to many. Music itself is becoming like fast food, as a snack while working or driving, a private indulgence rather than a shared experience. Maybe that's why there are fewer and fewer audiophiles.

 

[Zensō]

Most people are perfectly happy with the modern version of personal audio, which is much better and more convenient than it ever has been. An iPhone and a pair of AirPods Pro 2 (or equivalent) is certainly high fidelity by any reasonable standard. This makes it hard to justify the expense and inconvenience of taking it any further, particularly if you’re not a gear head and just want to enjoy music.

The other issue is that audiophiles themselves have created a situation where the hobby is viewed as eccentric. Four and five figure cables, speakers that require forklifts to move, and all of the other esoteric gear you see at audio shows has to be be a big turnoff for most people. Why do you need all of that if you have 100 million songs in your pocket?

 

[ta240]

I don't know what a "genuine audiophile" is so I can not answer.

He whose name shall not be uttered, answered an email question today, as he does every day, answering a question ranking audiophiles. For me, it's more of a WHY IS THIS EVEN A THING??? I don't even care a little bit where I stand in some sort of pecking order of "audiophiles," and if I meet someone else's standard of what an "audiophile" is.

I'd say audiophile is one of those terms that means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.
Is it someone that just enjoys listening to music? Or does it have one of the many limitations that some like putting on the term: - someone that doesn't do anything else while they listen? - someone that only likes accurate reproduction? - someone that likes it reproduced in a specific way they prefer? - someone that doesn't care about the technical part just what they like to listen to? - someone that spends a lot? - someone that keeps spending on 'better' equipment? - someone that just buys a system and listens to the same equipment for decades? - someone that reads forums on audio?

The ranking fills the need that a lot of people have to not only belong to a tribe but belong to a more exclusive tribe. I see it a lot with the "you aren't a true audiophile if you don't...." Basically whatever allows them to say "I listen better than you".

To me anyone that reads forums and continues to research audio and buy new equipment after they have a setup they like listening to might be more of a fanatic than an -phile.

 

[fpitas]

speakers that require forklifts to move

We have to suffer for our art!

 

[Zensō]

We have to suffer for our art!

True. My back has suffered plenty moving drum kits and PA systems over the years.

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

I disagree with the notion that being an audiophile is an expensive hobby. Being an audiophile who believes a lot of the classic audiphile myths can make it an expensive hobby, but there's no reason it has to be at all. A few hundred dollars can get you a very very high quality headphone set up. It's (that being really good sound) much less costly now than it has been in decades past.

I don't really think we're much rarer now than we've ever been. I only have a couple friends who are into music in a way that's similar to myself - which I sort of define as sitting in a listening spot and focusing on listening to music for prolonged periods of time as the sole activity. Most everyone else I know - even if they describe themselves as music fans - really use music as background noise while other stuff is happening. And even those couple of friends of mine aren't into gear like I am. They don't really research it at all or pay attention to much beyond the most basic features and specs. They have decent stuff to listen on but it's just stuff they went and grabbed off the shelf at Best Buy when they decided they needed something. I suspect our numbers are relatively similar now to what they've ever been in the past. However, I think the baseline has improved quite a lot...I think the general quality of sound that people are arriving at simply by accident is higher now than it's ever been.

Personally, I think the definition of being an audiophile has to include the aspect of "obsessing" to a degree over gear. I don't think a person who loves music but doesn't care about gear in any serious way would be considered an audiophile.

 

[ta240]

...... The other issue is that audiophiles themselves have created a situation where the hobby is viewed as eccentric. Four and five figure cables, speakers that require forklifts to move, and all of the other esoteric gear you see at audio shows has to be be a big turnoff for most people. Why do you need all of that if you have 100 million songs in your pocket?

The funny thing to me, and possibly why they get more people over there every day, is the eccentric side is kinda fun and sometimes more friendly.
Sort of a: do you want to hear stories from your uncle that was foolish with his money but had amazing adventures or do you want to hear your other uncle talk about his 401k? I'd rather hear stories from Nelson Pass, Guttenberg and even the PS Audio guy than talk SNR numbers over a beer.
Sure, there is way too much over-the-top crazy stuff but there is also plenty of just fun stuff. It is nice to have enough information to think "that is likely BS but I'm glad you enjoy it".

 

[fpitas]

True. My back has suffered plenty moving drum kits and PA systems over the years.

I built my behemoths in modules for that reason.

 

[fpitas]

which I sort of define as sitting in a listening spot and focusing on listening to music for prolonged periods of time as the sole activity

I agree with that!

 

[DWPress]

To me anyone that reads forums and continues to research audio and buy new equipment after they have a setup they like listening to might be more of a fanatic than an -phile.

I'm a fanatic then.

The term "audiophile" is certainly a subjective term and I have no qualms letting anyone self assign the moniker to themselves despite whatever equipment they may be using. If earbuds and a phone are all you need to be happy and rock out then by all means - be happy.

I would postulate though that those of us who continue to refine our largish systems (for whatever reason) enjoy occasionally listening at higher SPL as cleanly as possible with no added noise and distortion beyond the gear and speakers abilities. In this case, the speakers gotta be big at least....

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

The funny thing to me, and possibly why they get more people over there every day, is the eccentric side is kinda fun and sometimes more friendly.
Sort of a: do you want to hear stories from your uncle that was foolish with his money but had amazing adventures or do you want to hear your other uncle talk about his 401k? I'd rather hear stories from Nelson Pass, Guttenberg and even the PS Audio guy than talk SNR numbers over a beer.
Sure, there is way too much over-the-top crazy stuff but there is also plenty of just fun stuff. It is nice to have enough information to think "that is likely BS but I'm glad you enjoy it".

Sure the stories are fun...but I want to be the 401K guy. lol...

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

I'd also note that I don't think I can ever recall hearing anyone define themselves as an "audiophile" who wasn't also very much interested in the gear. I don't think I've ever heard a person who was just a music fan or even a musician call themselves an audiophile. The only place the term really ever comes up is on forums like this one. lol

 

[kemmler3D]

Music appreciation as a hobby, especially outside a more general AV / movie enthusiast bent, is already pretty niche. I wouldn't say all, but I would hope most 'audiophiles' pick up the bug through music appreciation.

I don't really agree with this. "Music appreciation" in a narrow sense is a niche hobby. But almost everyone listens to music for enjoyment to some extent. Do they pay enough attention to the music to qualify as "music appreciators" in your eyes? I would argue that's irrelevant.

And, in surveys I've conducted, almost everyone identifies "sound quality" as their most important criterion for speakers or headphones. Nominally, everyone cares about sound quality - almost everyone is "an audiophile" in a certain sense.

The real question is why people stop seeking out better sound quality at a relatively poor level.

 

[kemmler3D]

Four and five figure cables, speakers that require forklifts to move, and all of the other esoteric gear you see at audio shows has to be be a big turnoff for most people. Why do you need all of that if you have 100 million songs in your pocket?

I think this might be a bigger factor than we might like to admit even here at ASR.

In almost any consumer review of audio equipment, the person feels the need to preface the review with "I'm not an audiophile, but..."

"Audiophile" has become synonymous with a spendthrift crank who spends all their time promoting expensive superstitions. Basically they're Jack without the beanstalk, and they won't shut up about the magic beans.

Nobody wants to be associated with that, and even "regular folks" realize that if you want to get a good value-for-dollar, just do the opposite of whatever "audiophiles" do.

The solution may be simple: new branding. "Audiophiles" are the magic beans guys, forget them... we're just "Sound Optimizers" or something, now. Who doesn't want optimal sound?

 

[pseudoid]

The average expenditure of the top 20% of US households on A/V equipment is apparently roughly $1500 per year [per] https://www.statista.com/statistics...fluent-us-households-on-home-theater-systems/

I don't know where that number comes from but I am skeptical that it is luxuriously high price tag or the definition of A/V equipment.
Most people that have seen and/or listened to my "A/V equipment" may consider them to be of audiophile-grade.
But I don't even spend that much every year, although I do have a periodic churn rate and upgrades.
I think there aren't many people that I know that would spend $1.5k/yr on A/V equipment, even if they kept getting their equipment stolen, every year!
I have really tried to instill investing in a decent system to most people that are within my earshot but 21st peeps don't seem to mind listening thru IEMs or some BT speakers or tin-cans inside their TV.
I gave up trying to be an audio "influencer", as my track record has become deplorable.

ADDED: Original link inside @kemmler3D' quote

 

[kemmler3D]

I don't know where that number comes from but I am skeptical that it is luxuriously high price tag or the definition of A/V equipment.
Most people that have seen and/or listened to my "A/V equipment" may consider them to be of audiophile-grade.
But I don't even spend that much every year, although I do have a periodic churn rate and upgrades.
I think there aren't many people that I know that would spend $1.5k/yr on A/V equipment, even if they kept getting their equipment stolen, every year!
I have really tried to instill investing in a decent system to most people that are within my earshot but 21st peeps don't seem to mind listening thru IEMs or some BT speakers or tin-cans inside their TV.
I gave up trying to be an audio "influencer", as my track record has become deplorable.

It comes from a survey, although Statista doesn't reveal the actual source unless you pay for a subscription. It was limited to people making over $100K per year in the US.

I am not saying that one needs to spend a certain amount to get audiophile-grade (whatever that means) sound.

However, if you are spending $1500/y on average on audio and video, you already spend enough in that category to achieve "audiophile" sound. So we can conclude that even if we subtract expensive TVs and whatnot, the top 20% has plenty of money left over to be audiophiles if they want to.

 

[Steven Holt]

I'm not an audiophile. I'm a music lover and a gearhead. Generally, audiophiles aren't well thought of on this forum, for good reason. They seem to be more interested in telling people how much their rig costs and how much better it is than yours. Most irritating, they seem to hear things that nobody else can.

 

[rogu3]

I'm not an audiophile. I'm a music lover and a gearhead. Generally, audiophiles aren't well thought of on this forum, for good reason. They seem to be more interested in telling people how much their rig costs and how much better it is than yours. Most irritating, they seem to hear things that nobody else can.

I prefer the term "audiofools" for that crowd

 

[restorer-john]

Audiophiles don't become audiophiles without hearing the difference for themselves first. So if you think there ought to be more people "in the hobby", this is the problem to solve.

And therein lies the problem. The HiFi stores have disappeared due to lack of custom and the entire pursuit of high fidelity music reproduction has become marginalized. People can read all the reviews they like, study as much as they want, but at the end of the day, they need to hear the differences demonstated to them.

Classical music is what drove high fidelity in the first place and it is less popular than it ever was.

 

[Doodski]

And therein lies the problem. The HiFi stores have disappeared due to lack of custom and the entire pursuit of high fidelity music reproduction has become marginalized. People can read all the reviews they like, study as much as they want, but at the end of the day, they need to hear the differences demonstated to them.

Classical music is what drove high fidelity in the first place and it is less popular than it ever was.

The personal computer I think took the wind out of a lot of peoples' audio equipment purchasing sails. People have the PC and that's enough for many.