That the ability generally doesn't exist in the first place.....
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Theory on Why There Aren't More Audiophile
- Thread starter Pancreas
- Start date
Unbalanced
Active Member
I was reluctant to go there.
So where are you going?
Unbalanced
Active Member
Apparently nowhere
kemmler3D
Master Contributor
Tend to agree. It's not all-or-nothing.
Some, but not most people, become audiophiles by hearing a truly excellent system and having a lightning-bolt moment.
The rest of us hear incrementally better sound somewhere and want better sound than what they have. Then they start to wonder how much better it could be.
Also, a lot of people get on "the ladder" via IEMs or headphones, where you can have verging-on-world-class sound (as far as headphones go) for a few hundo at most.
So I think it's mostly a lack of interest, it's not like anyone is unaware that better speakers than what they have exist.
I for a change shopped for beer and being a constant Jameson Whiskey slurper to drink beer is now unusual for me. I used to drink a lot of beer when I was younger but I prefer a good triple distilled Irish whiskey now. So anyway... I got a 8 pack of Black Ice Malt beer at 6.1% and it tasted pretty poor at first but as I got them ice cold and crispy they are taking on a attractive quality. Will I purchase more? I maybe will in years to come but what I really want is a Old English Porter @ ~10%. I find that chocolate chip cookies, fudge and pickles go very well with Old English Porter and as I read reviews they advised and so I was amused in a major way.
But... The selection of gear for a low price is better than it has ever been. There are few excuses now.
I was all like... wtf? Wowow... we are getting a statistical electron flow formula...LoL."Now the math: .01 x .25 x .1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x .25 = .0000625" seems like THD value for most good performing dacs
Or a nice set of headphones/earbuds.
Do you think self taught training and familiarity are required to hear the difference and determine the choice of what is better or not?
I listen to an old Radio Shack "Patrolman" transistor radio in the garage.
I listen to the not very good stock infotainment stuff in the Camry while driving.
I listen to the won't play loudly cleanly LSR308 daily drivers that spray the room here in the audiotorium for TV and sound in the background.
If I really want to listen I fire up the Krells and MartinLogans when I want to immerse myself in an audio performance.
I can hear the differences. And havng a nice rig was something I found I wanted to do.
The real question could be "Why doesn't everybody go to the extremes in various things that others do?"
The real answer could be "Because they don't feel like it."
I think I'm alone out of the thousands of people here to fly gliders. Nobody else "feels like it", else, they would, or would at least aspire to.
The reason in my mind that they don't go to extremes is because they have not figured out that is is less expensive to buy good gear than to constantly trade up and such.
I think you linked me to the statistical difference of the amount of gliders in The USA versus Europe and the difference was in the multiples of tens of thousands more in Europe. The enthusiasts simply outnumber the USA enthusiasts in the USA en mass because they are different.
Galliardist
Major Contributor
The sound quality of "non-audiophile" sound has increased massively over the course of this century. That's digital for you, along with the designers of non-audiophile audio products having access to effectively hifi electronics and only really being limited by the speaker itself.
TVs seem to be a remarkable exception to this. Presumably, to sell expensive soundbars.
But in most cases, people don't NEED audiophile speakers and so on. There are plenty of other things they do need.
TVs seem to be a remarkable exception to this. Presumably, to sell expensive soundbars.
But in most cases, people don't NEED audiophile speakers and so on. There are plenty of other things they do need.
Luxury items have always been attractive and goal setting stuff for most people though.
Galliardist
Major Contributor
Fashionable luxury items come first. Luxury audio is well down the list, and you can always buy a luxury Bluetooth speaker if you must.
How about a Beosound 2 Ferrari Edition for $6K US?
I agree in some ways and means in that fashion is a major driver although I see people with no tatties, no fancy jewelry and such and they have nice earbuds or headphones. So they like luxury but are subdued about it.
Galliardist
Major Contributor
So when are such things "luxury" rather than just "better". And when are "nice earbuds or headphones" seen as audiophile, or even luxury, outside of audiophilia?
I still think about this in terms of the kid upstairs enjoying music in high fidelity on their phone and earbuds, while downstairs Dad is plugging in yet another set of tubes and making the sound worse.
I've never heard of Bose QC level headphones referred to as either audiophile or as luxury, either. And rarely even as expensive, outside of, er, these forums.
I believe that they became status symbols and audiophile stuff when the wages on average never kept up with inflation over the decades. Earbuds and fashionable headphones are now luxury status symbols. Therefore audiophile stuff. (I see Beats headphones worn like badges.)
Waxx
Major Contributor
Most people who are into hifi are turned off by the prices. A locally here very famous music programmer, Eppo Jansen, known as programmer for the Pukkelpop festival and radiohost/musical editor on Studio Brussel (national radio) and "Willy" (commercial rock station) that is known in Belgium for it's exellent musical taste recently said openly in a podcast that he went looking for "high quality speakers" a few times but was turned off by the prices. So he keeps using his old hifi system "that cost less than a month salary."
He knows studio monitoring from the national radio, where he works, so it's not that he does not know the difference. But that difference is not worth the money that a B&O speaker system or a pair of higher quality studio monitors or so cost. But he still uses his old very average pioneer stereo system and headphones to listen to music and it does the job he says...
And many are like that. Many use older systems that they bought relative cheap second hand these days, or buy decent cheap systems, not high end or top level studio monitors because they don't care. What they have does the job for far less money, money that they can spend on music, concerts, or just other non music related stuff. And even when they have the money, they don't care enough to spend a lot on them.
He knows studio monitoring from the national radio, where he works, so it's not that he does not know the difference. But that difference is not worth the money that a B&O speaker system or a pair of higher quality studio monitors or so cost. But he still uses his old very average pioneer stereo system and headphones to listen to music and it does the job he says...
And many are like that. Many use older systems that they bought relative cheap second hand these days, or buy decent cheap systems, not high end or top level studio monitors because they don't care. What they have does the job for far less money, money that they can spend on music, concerts, or just other non music related stuff. And even when they have the money, they don't care enough to spend a lot on them.
I see where you are coming from and going to I think. I think that the thriftiness of some and the richness of others has always been a factor.
