Snobbery in Hi-Fi. Why are people so stupid and turn their noses up at gear costing much less which is just as good?

[mhardy6647]

Yea, who can you talk to about good audio equipment? It is easier to find that sort of person than to find someone you can talk to about the Ligeti etudes or organ works of J. S. Bach.

1) Many Lutherans would be happy to talk your ears off about Bach. He's our patron saint, he is -- you know... if we did saints.
2) Failing the location of an actual Lutheran in the field (and there are different flavors of them out there, so it can be a quest!), there's always Radar O'Reilly.

 

[mhardy6647]

Old things go through (arbitrary) cycles, so if an old thing seems ugly just wait a decade or so for tastes to change

Rule Number One of collecting: Keep what others throw away and throw away what others keep.

 

[Bwaslo]

One man gathers what another man spills, I think someone said.

 

[Oddball]

Collecting the old garbage is also not that great if you don't have a huge garage to do with it. Most of the old garbage will remain as such. Some will become a treasure though.

 

[Multicore]

Why snobbery? That's a good question. I don't believe it is a human universal, i.e. not simply a feature of human psychology. It's going to be present in any society that is organized with social ranking. And it's not particularly to do with money and goods, although these are a handy way of signalling rank in the cultural language of a consumer economy. I'm reading the P. G. Wodehouse Blandings saga stories: they soaked in snobbery but the worst snobs get a life lesson or comeuppance and the heroes are those who show kindness equally.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

I 've come to like that guy, Benn Jordann, (Is this allowed?) a musician with a great mind. THat

This YouTube Video,
could shed some light on hat most interesting group of people.. the audiophiles of which we ASR-ist are a subset...

The subtitle may fit this thread tile:

A deep dive into why you take it personally when someone buys different things than you.

Peace.

 

[Oddball]

Why snobbery? That's a good question. I don't believe it is a human universal, i.e. not simply a feature of human psychology. It's going to be present in any society that is organized with social ranking. And it's not particularly to do with money and goods, although these are a handy way of signalling rank in the cultural language of a consumer economy. I'm reading the P. G. Wodehouse Blandings saga stories: they soaked in snobbery but the worst snobs get a life lesson or comeuppance and the heroes are those who show kindness equally.

In simple English please? I still not sure if snob or not - and probably I am as explored the outer boundaries of the realm. But then it might be harsh to call curious the snobs? And where is than the boundary?

 

[Market Town Cannery]

1) Many Lutherans would be happy to talk your ears off about Bach. He's our patron saint, he is -- you know... if we did saints.
2) Failing the location of an actual Lutheran in the field (and there are different flavors of them out there, so it can be a quest!), there's always Radar O'Reilly.
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Lutherans do do saints: cf The Apology of the Augsberg Confession, Article XX1(c.1530). Certain saints are honoured in the Lutheran liturgical calendar.

 

[Multicore]

In simple English please? I still not sure if snob or not - and probably I am as explored the outer boundaries of the realm. But then it might be harsh to call curious the snobs? And where is than the boundary?

Snobbery is an attitude of being better than others and is orthogonal to the monetary value of your assets.

Clarence Threepwood, fictional 9th Earl of Emsworth, patriarch of Blandings Castle(*), was no snob. His sister Lady Constance very often was. She felt that her wealth, cultured sophistication, and social position made her better than others. Similarly people of meager means can be snobs too since ones conception of oneself as better than others is always relative and one can almost always find someone to point at and feel better than.

In my opinion, having an expensive hifi doesn't make someone better. It's just means they've got an expensive hifi. But to a hifi snob, it makes all the difference. Sneering put downs and jealousy might make an appearance in the ensuing drama that, for us egalitarians, can be so entertaining. Conversely a person with an expensive hifi might also be a kind and decent person. As I said, orthogonal.

(*) If this is all new to you, try the TV version. It's a lot different than the books but excellent in its own way. Connie and Clarence have their first confrontation in the first minute. Connie's snobbery is explicit in the 21st minute.

The Great Gatsby is another good literary exploration of snobbery and how it relates to wealth and other social symbols.

 

[mhardy6647]

Lutherans do do saints: cf The Apology of the Augsberg Confession, Article XX1(c.1530). Certain saints are honoured in the Lutheran liturgical calendar.

Point taken.
I was a little too abstract in invoking the notion that we're all saints.
We still think awfully highly of Bach.
I love singing Bach.

 

[Oddball]

Snobbery is an attitude of being better than others and is orthogonal to the monetary value of your assets.

Clarence Threepwood, fictional 9th Earl of Emsworth, patriarch of Blandings Castle(*), was no snob. His sister Lady Constance very often was. She felt that her wealth, cultured sophistication, and social position made her better than others. Similarly people of meager means can be snobs too since ones conception of oneself as better than others is always relative and one can almost always find someone to point at and feel better than.

In my opinion, having an expensive hifi doesn't make someone better. It's just means they've got an expensive hifi. But to a hifi snob, it makes all the difference. Sneering put downs and jealousy might make an appearance in the ensuing drama that, for us egalitarians, can be so entertaining. Conversely a person with an expensive hifi might also be a kind and decent person. As I said, orthogonal.

(*) If this is all new to you, try the TV version. It's a lot different than the books but excellent in its own way. Connie and Clarence have their first confrontation in the first minute.

The Great Gatsby is another good literary exploration of snobbery and how it relates to wealth and other social symbols.

I certainly don't feel better that the others because I do have few cents to spare. On the contrary, it's much worse once you have too many options. Perhaps you have not experienced the paradox of the choice.

I think you are going a bit too far with this topic. I would not call a guy with Revel 328 a snob, just privileged enough encounter such speaker. If you go higher that then that, I could see some snobbery involved. Some own KEF Blades so arguably they are sobs? And some of the very prominent members?

 

[Multicore]

I think you are going a bit too far with this topic. I would not call a guy with Revel 328 a snob, just privileged enough encounter such speaker.

Isn't that what I said?

If you go higher that then that, I could see some snobbery involved. Some own KEF Blades so arguably they are sobs? And some of the very prominent members?

No. I said snobbery is orthogonal to the price of the speakers. Snobbery is a state of mind.

 

[Oddball]

Isn't that what I said?


No. I said snobbery is orthogonal to the price of the speakers. Snobbery is a state of mind.

I am not sure what orthogonal even means. But then again, seems like snobbery is not well defined. You seem to define snobbery a bit loose if at all.

 

[Multicore]

I am not sure what orthogonal even means.

An independent variable.

But then again, seems like snobbery is not well defined. You seem to define snobbery a bit loose if at all.

Like pornography, you know it when you see it.

Actually, I did say what I believe it to mean:

Snobbery is an attitude of being better than others

So, for example, having KEF Blades doesn't make you a snob. Thinking they make you better than someone with Sonos speakers makes you a snob.

 

[Oddball]

I am sure that porrnography is not the he right thing to quote. But then we are probably done unless we what the mod to come in. Which is not my preference. Calling people snobs requires a bit more that your careless posts.

 

[RexrothPigeon]

Absolutely sure that prorngonrapy is not the right the right tight got quote.

1. whut?

 

[TTT15]

Looks like small groups of people dividing into smaller groups of people in order to feel strong by excluding others. I don’t see any objective evidence on a daily basis that tribalism makes the world a better place.

 

[Groove01]

Looks like small groups of people dividing into smaller groups of people in order to feel strong by excluding others. I don’t see any objective evidence on a daily basis that tribalism makes the world a better place.

100% nailed the intent and objective of OP!

 

[egellings]

Did someone say "Rolex"?!?! My $22 Casio watch I am using while swimming when on vacation is more accurate...
I don't know if it is a matter of low self esteem or something else I am unaware of.

You want a time piece, not an ornament, that, as a side hustle, tells the time.

 

[RexrothPigeon]

Looks like small groups of people dividing into smaller groups of people in order to feel strong by excluding others. I don’t see any objective evidence on a daily basis that tribalism makes the world a better place.

Freud described this:

Narcissism of small differences - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org