Is audiophilia a symptom of something undiscovered in audiophiles?

[jsrtheta]

Like with just about anything else, there are neurotics and hoarders involved with audio. One of the differences is that the nature of the hobby encourages neurotic behavior. Not enough "air" in the sound? Spend $10,000 on speaker cables. Not happy with the sound of the LP you're playing? Check out different pressings, wind up with five. When it's all over, you don't want to hear that music anymore. Have a problem with inner groove distortion? This very expensive gizmo will reduce [but by no means eliminate] IGD.

The Ken Fritz video, though presented as a celebration of the ultimate in audio, clearly demonstrates these issues:

(6) One Man's Dream - Ken Fritz Documentary - YouTube

Ken Fritz built the speakers [that is to say, he designed the enclosures for raw drivers he bought and hooked up via an active crossover], the room itself, all the furniture. He collected LPs to the tune of 28,000 discs. But, he says he wasn't listening to the system for five years as certain parts were being sorted out. I'm sorry, but that speaks of an obsession with gear, not music. He speaks of getting a truckload of opera, but he doesn't like opera, he just owns it to own it. If he spends four hours a day, every day, listening to his record collection, one at a time, he will hear each record once by the time he's 96, if he makes it that far and odds are that he won't. I noticed Ken showing off his record collection, pulling out the mail order Beethoven bicentennial, Time/Life edition of Symphonies, Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic, 1962/1963. Most of those pressings are defective, many off center. No amount of money or effort will make that edition [of a rather good set of recordings: the original "Tulip" pressings are first rate if not trashed] sound good. Else where, we look at a shelf filled with Tchaikovsky, Ken pulls out an old copy of an obscure opera, "The Enchantress", and lets us know he's never going to listen to it.

There's some PS Audio A/C regenerators he bought and used. Tests here demonstrate that they do nothing for the sound, but add to cost and bragging rights.

All the aspects of this homemade, $1,750,000.00, endgame system indicate that it's all about the gear, that very little music will be played on it. It wouldn't be the first time this has happened. I'd say it's in the very nature of Audiophilia for neurotic behavior to be actively encouraged. The end scroll thanks the audio companies seen in the video. The video's supposed to be a celebration of high-end audio, but it left me with the impression that chasing high end audio is ultimately a dead end, that it ultimately distracts from music and becomes a very expensive neurosis in and of itself.

I moved from Chicago to Colorado in 1993. I was getting ready to pack up all my vinyl when it struck me I never played them anymore. So I culled about seven from the collection that hadn't been released on CD yet, then called a recording engineer I knew and asked him if he wanted them. He raced in from the suburbs and we put them in the trunk of his car, which immediately clunked as the rear end dropped from the weight, and he sped off, smiling.

The point is, I never, ever regretted that decision. And as, one by one, those seven I kept were released, finally, on CD (one only in the last year or so), I got the CDs and gave the vinyl away.

I never saw the point in keeping something I knew I would never use again. Even in my early, audio-obsessed days, if I bought the latest "must have" DAC or preamp, I sold what it replaced. Very occasionally I regretted it, but my regret was due to disappointment with the new piece, not because my "priceless" collection was deficient.

 

[Blaspheme]

Like with just about anything else, there are neurotics and hoarders involved with audio. One of the differences is that the nature of the hobby encourages neurotic behavior. Not enough "air" in the sound? Spend $10,000 on speaker cables. Not happy with the sound of the LP you're playing? Check out different pressings, wind up with five. When it's all over, you don't want to hear that music anymore. Have a problem with inner groove distortion? This very expensive gizmo will reduce [but by no means eliminate] IGD.

The Ken Fritz video, though presented as a celebration of the ultimate in audio, clearly demonstrates these issues:

(6) One Man's Dream - Ken Fritz Documentary - YouTube

Ken Fritz built the speakers [that is to say, he designed the enclosures for raw drivers he bought and hooked up via an active crossover], the room itself, all the furniture. He collected LPs to the tune of 28,000 discs. But, he says he wasn't listening to the system for five years as certain parts were being sorted out. I'm sorry, but that speaks of an obsession with gear, not music. He speaks of getting a truckload of opera, but he doesn't like opera, he just owns it to own it. If he spends four hours a day, every day, listening to his record collection, one at a time, he will hear each record once by the time he's 96, if he makes it that far and odds are that he won't. I noticed Ken showing off his record collection, pulling out the mail order Beethoven bicentennial, Time/Life edition of Symphonies, Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic, 1962/1963. Most of those pressings are defective, many off center. No amount of money or effort will make that edition [of a rather good set of recordings: the original "Tulip" pressings are first rate if not trashed] sound good. Else where, we look at a shelf filled with Tchaikovsky, Ken pulls out an old copy of an obscure opera, "The Enchantress", and lets us know he's never going to listen to it.

There's some PS Audio A/C regenerators he bought and used. Tests here demonstrate that they do nothing for the sound, but add to cost and bragging rights.

All the aspects of this homemade, $1,750,000.00, endgame system indicate that it's all about the gear, that very little music will be played on it. It wouldn't be the first time this has happened. I'd say it's in the very nature of Audiophilia for neurotic behavior to be actively encouraged. The end scroll thanks the audio companies seen in the video. The video's supposed to be a celebration of high-end audio, but it left me with the impression that chasing high end audio is ultimately a dead end, that it ultimately distracts from music and becomes a very expensive neurosis in and of itself.

I've only skimmed that video, the overall aesthetic isn't for me. Apart from big Krells, which they don't show much of (unless I missed that bit).

 

[Robin L]

I've only skimmed that video, the overall aesthetic isn't for me. Apart from big Krells, which they don't show much of (unless I missed that bit).

It goes on for a long time, Krell gear is all over the place, Ken points to it every time he encounters examples, which is a lot. Made a lot of furniture to ensure the Krell gear was thermally stable. Goes into minute detail as regards just about everything. Sometimes it seems like he's really on to something. But I couldn't help but notice that the man seemed to have spent very little time actually listening to music on that gear. If I had that place, I'd charge $500 a pop for "The Audiophile Experience", 6 hours with the sound system, fancy cocktails or other brews, sweet spot recliners or Eames chairs. BYOLPs. That system really should be playing Led Zep, in my uneducated opinion.

 

[Foulchet]

I am not really an audiophile but I am somewhat interested in gear in general. I sometimes fall into audiophilia periods. I think this is when I have exhausted music options and am somewhat bored with the music which does not give me the emotions I want. To find them back, I am tempted to invest in gear to find the things in the music that makes the enjoyment back.
Another aspect might also be a relative « boredom » in life when playing with gear might fill the bill. Finally I just like gadgets.
But whatever I do, I generally find the emotion back when hearing radio which funningly is of low quality. Because radio is more unpredictable and is associated with night errands with my car.

 

[ReaderZ]

Is audiophilia a symptom of something undiscovered in audiophiles?

A month or so ago, I suddenly realized that I’ve been in this hobby for many years now and I have stopped listening to music. I, like many audiophiles, are now unknowingly listening to the gear that plays the music.

I listened exclusively to a pair of AirPods for a couple of weeks and I recalibrated my brain to not listen to the gear and instead listen to the music. I kept comparing the AirPods to my expensive headphones for a day but then I realized one day that I just listened to the music. I didn’t notice that I was wearing AirPods. I didn’t care what Amp & DAC I was using to play the audio.

I realized I had to capitalize on this moment and sell all my entire audiophile headphone collection and I couldn’t be happier about the decision

I’m sure there are a lot audiophiles who are subconsciously stuck in this hobby. The question is, is audiophilia a symptom of OCD or something else?

Let's just say it would be a sad day if I can't tell Airpods and my (not overly) expansive headphones.

 

[001]

Hhhmm, following on from the guitar post; I play guitar regularly, but can't come at 'collecting' them. After all, I can only play one at a time AND I'll only be able to play the same way with the same chord shapes and riffs.
However, I *really* like the look of some guitars and admit to 'lusting' after the odd one. But, sense prevails.
Similarly, I've appreciated good equipment that reproduces music and, for me, looks good also. Same thinking process as the guitar example however, and as a result, apart from 1 DAC, all my equipment is 'vintage'. I'm happy (even if I admit to drooling over some good looking equipment every now and then). I'll replace stuff with better stuff when it breaks.
FOMO will always lead to dissatisfaction. I shall try to heed the command from the Doobie Brothers "Listen to the music"

 

[syn08]

Some people get enjoyment from the gear. It isn't a bad thing, as long as you're not deluding yourself about the sound.

It’s not bad at all to delude yourself about the sound; I would say such delusions are a natural byproduct of the human brain.

What is bad is eventually attempting to delude others.

 

[ReaderZ]

Like with just about anything else, there are neurotics and hoarders involved with audio. One of the differences is that the nature of the hobby encourages neurotic behavior. Not enough "air" in the sound? Spend $10,000 on speaker cables. Not happy with the sound of the LP you're playing? Check out different pressings, wind up with five. When it's all over, you don't want to hear that music anymore. Have a problem with inner groove distortion? This very expensive gizmo will reduce [but by no means eliminate] IGD.

The Ken Fritz video, though presented as a celebration of the ultimate in audio, clearly demonstrates these issues:

(6) One Man's Dream - Ken Fritz Documentary - YouTube

Ken Fritz built the speakers [that is to say, he designed the enclosures for raw drivers he bought and hooked up via an active crossover], the room itself, all the furniture. He collected LPs to the tune of 28,000 discs. But, he says he wasn't listening to the system for five years as certain parts were being sorted out. I'm sorry, but that speaks of an obsession with gear, not music. He speaks of getting a truckload of opera, but he doesn't like opera, he just owns it to own it. If he spends four hours a day, every day, listening to his record collection, one at a time, he will hear each record once by the time he's 96, if he makes it that far and odds are that he won't. I noticed Ken showing off his record collection, pulling out the mail order Beethoven bicentennial, Time/Life edition of Symphonies, Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic, 1962/1963. Most of those pressings are defective, many off center. No amount of money or effort will make that edition [of a rather good set of recordings: the original "Tulip" pressings are first rate if not trashed] sound good. Else where, we look at a shelf filled with Tchaikovsky, Ken pulls out an old copy of an obscure opera, "The Enchantress", and lets us know he's never going to listen to it.

There's some PS Audio A/C regenerators he bought and used. Tests here demonstrate that they do nothing for the sound, but add to cost and bragging rights.

All the aspects of this homemade, $1,750,000.00, endgame system indicate that it's all about the gear, that very little music will be played on it. It wouldn't be the first time this has happened. I'd say it's in the very nature of Audiophilia for neurotic behavior to be actively encouraged. The end scroll thanks the audio companies seen in the video. The video's supposed to be a celebration of high-end audio, but it left me with the impression that chasing high end audio is ultimately a dead end, that it ultimately distracts from music and becomes a very expensive neurosis in and of itself.

I feel this is a completely different topic than OP. OP is not about completely crazy overpriced gear but giving up pursuit of high quality even at reasonable price, I am going to be perfectly honest, I have air pods and they sound like shit, completely unsuitable for music unless you have nothing else, I take $25 koss over them.

 

[Blaspheme]

I feel this is a completely different topic than OP. OP is not about completely crazy overpriced gear but giving up pursuit of high quality even at reasonable price, I am going to be perfectly honest, I have air pods and they sound like shit, completely unsuitable for music unless you have nothing else, I take $25 koss over them.

Which AirPods are we talking about? Max, Pro or Amateur?

 

[ReaderZ]

Which AirPods are we talking about? Max, Pro or Amateur?

OP says airpods, so airpods, not pro, max etc.

 

[Blaspheme]

OP says airpods, so airpods, not pro, max etc.

I thought so, it just seems less believable if that was the case.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

I’ve had a theory about this for a long time. A lot of people find solace in ritual. Speaking as an atheist and former Roman Catholic who grew up in the Bible Belt of the southern U.S., I suspect the ritual involved in system setup, maintenance and constant tweaking fills some sort of void deep in my psyche that attending mass used to placate.

 

[Robin L]

I feel this is a completely different topic than OP. OP is not about completely crazy overpriced gear but giving up pursuit of high quality even at reasonable price, I am going to be perfectly honest, I have air pods and they sound like shit, completely unsuitable for music unless you have nothing else, I take $25 koss over them.

OP: "Is audiophilia a symptom undiscovered in audiophiles?" That's the question. Not about a specific target, but about something usually not discussed as regards audio. And the aspects that are neurotic and potentially self-destructive about the hobby happen to go under the heading of "something undiscovered". The OP ends with: "The question is, is audiophilia a symptom of OCD or something else?" So I was following in that direction.

 

[redshift]

I’ve had a theory about this for a long time. A lot of people find solace in ritual. Speaking as an atheist and former Roman Catholic who grew up in the Bible Belt of the southern U.S., I suspect the ritual involved in system setup, maintenance and constant tweaking fills some sort of void deep in my psyche that attending mass used to placate.

The search of the hows, explanations, “meanings” and optimality in an existence that defies a simpleton mind I suppose?

We all gotta feel we’re doing something worthwhile, however futile that is.

Nope; I’m not a nihilist.

 

[redshift]

OP: "Is audiophilia a symptom undiscovered in audiophiles?" That's the question. Not about a specific target, but about something usually not discussed as regards audio. And the aspects that are neurotic and potentially self-destructive about the hobby happen to go under the heading of "something undiscovered". The OP ends with: "The question is, is audiophilia a symptom of OCD or something else?" So I was following in that direction.

I got a serious case of the OCD cringes from kitsch audiophile jank.

A different OCD rages from badly engineered, measuring and sounding gear.

Yes, I am an engineer. Don’t hold it against me.

 

[H-713]

Like with just about anything else, there are neurotics and hoarders involved with audio. One of the differences is that the nature of the hobby encourages neurotic behavior. Not enough "air" in the sound? Spend $10,000 on speaker cables. Not happy with the sound of the LP you're playing? Check out different pressings, wind up with five. When it's all over, you don't want to hear that music anymore. Have a problem with inner groove distortion? This very expensive gizmo will reduce [but by no means eliminate] IGD.

The Ken Fritz video, though presented as a celebration of the ultimate in audio, clearly demonstrates these issues:

(6) One Man's Dream - Ken Fritz Documentary - YouTube

Ken Fritz built the speakers [that is to say, he designed the enclosures for raw drivers he bought and hooked up via an active crossover], the room itself, all the furniture. He collected LPs to the tune of 28,000 discs. But, he says he wasn't listening to the system for five years as certain parts were being sorted out. I'm sorry, but that speaks of an obsession with gear, not music. He speaks of getting a truckload of opera, but he doesn't like opera, he just owns it to own it. If he spends four hours a day, every day, listening to his record collection, one at a time, he will hear each record once by the time he's 96, if he makes it that far and odds are that he won't. I noticed Ken showing off his record collection, pulling out the mail order Beethoven bicentennial, Time/Life edition of Symphonies, Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic, 1962/1963. Most of those pressings are defective, many off center. No amount of money or effort will make that edition [of a rather good set of recordings: the original "Tulip" pressings are first rate if not trashed] sound good. Else where, we look at a shelf filled with Tchaikovsky, Ken pulls out an old copy of an obscure opera, "The Enchantress", and lets us know he's never going to listen to it.

There's some PS Audio A/C regenerators he bought and used. Tests here demonstrate that they do nothing for the sound, but add to cost and bragging rights.

All the aspects of this homemade, $1,750,000.00, endgame system indicate that it's all about the gear, that very little music will be played on it. It wouldn't be the first time this has happened. I'd say it's in the very nature of Audiophilia for neurotic behavior to be actively encouraged. The end scroll thanks the audio companies seen in the video. The video's supposed to be a celebration of high-end audio, but it left me with the impression that chasing high end audio is ultimately a dead end, that it ultimately distracts from music and becomes a very expensive neurosis in and of itself.

From that video, it's pretty obvious that the process of building the equipment is as big a hobby as using it. He showed his wood shop (which is a very impressive wood shop) and much of the furniture he's built (much of which is absolutely beautiful). Obviously he loves woodworking and really puts time into the furniture he builds. The same goes for his turntable- it's a fun (albeit very expensive) project.

Building, collecting and tweaking things is just as valid a hobby as using them. It's also possible to have both as a hobby, with the usage being secondary. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[VMAT4]

Let's face it. We (audiophiles) are anal about our stereos. Audiophools are foolish as well as anal.

 

[audio2design]

Is audiophilia a symptom of something undiscovered in audiophiles?

 

[Wes]

I doubt the problem is undiscovered but merely a specific form of various disorders known for many decades.

 

[ReaderZ]

I thought so, it just seems less believable if that was the case.

By less believable you mean it's hard for your to believe someone cannot tell the difference between airpods and something like HD800s or Utopia?