[SoundGame]

Let's define audiophile as someone who can relate to and understand these guys - a video quite well know in audio circles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs1aUws0Lrs

[1oldguy]

My god were crazy.......Now the trick is to surround ourselves with others who have the same affliction  so we don't notice. 

[SoundGame]

Yes, when I first saw this video, quite awhile back, I could totally relate to what these guys were saying, while still being able to see the weirdness in it all but, isn't it fun being a little weird?   

[neekomax]

That was a fun movie. After all the web lurking I do around this stuff it's funny to actually see actual humans and their (quite elaborate) systems.

I checked "No" on the poll, mainly because I don't really buy into the extraneous non-verifiable rigamarole that seems to accompany actual sound reproduction - racking and power treatment and magic cables and the like - which I see as being one of the hallmarks of audiophilia.

But I definitely consider myself a 'speaker-phile', because I obsess over and just freakin' love speakers.

Oh, and those guys definitely make me feel less crazy about the $2,500 I've spent on my stuff, which I think sounds pretty awesome.

[JBLMVBC]

I checked "no" because I am a pragmatic about sound not a cult member.

[jimdgoulding]

I checked "no" because I am a pragmatic about sound not a cult member.

That about sizes me up, too.

[larevoj]

I have seen this video before and felt its a little extreme...making us Audiophiles senseless "sound" creatures!!

[Pez]

I think anyone who is on this site and checks 'no' has some serious denial issues and isn't being honest with themselves. Sorry, but no amount of justification or word spinning changes the fact that you love audio, equipment and music, you're an audiophile. Deal with it.

[neekomax]

I think anyone who is on this site and checks 'no' has some serious denial issues and isn't being honest with themselves. Sorry, but no amount of justification or word spinning changes the fact that you love audio, equipment and music, you're an audiophile. Deal with it.

Hmmm, I see what you mean. Given your criteria, I'd have to agree.

However, I still feel like there's more than one breed of hobbyist here. If you're lifting your cables, treating your power, and worrying about minute amounts of jitter going into your $2K DAC, you're definitely an audiophile.

If you spend most of your money/effort on speakers and acoustics, are content with a reasonably capable amp and source components, and buy $30 cables, then that constitutes a different approach, I'd say.

I'm of the latter persuasion, of course. It may be less fun given the lack of constant upgrade excitement, but it sure is cheaper, and I'm digging my sound here  .

[jaxwired]

Hmmm, I see what you mean. Given your criteria, I'd have to agree.

However, I still feel like there's more than one breed of hobbyist here. If you're lifting your cables, treating your power, and worrying about minute amounts of jitter going into your $2K DAC, you're definitely an audiophile.

If you spend most of your money/effort on speakers and acoustics, are content with a reasonably capable amp and source components, and buy $30 cables, then that constitutes a different approach, I'd say.

I'm of the latter persuasion, of course. It may be less fun given the lack of constant upgrade excitement, but it sure is cheaper, and I'm digging my sound here  .

I was thinking the same thing PEZ posted but I do see your point.  You are defining audiophile as a kind of a tweak nut case.  And yes, there's lots of audiophiles that fit that description.  I think most of us are in between.  Don't own cable elevators, but I do care about the cables themselves...  I checked 'yes'.

[Laundrew]

Great topic, very interesting - I voted "no."

While I love Lady Laundrew and also most certainly, our cherished Big Guy, Hector - I find that I do not harbor the same feelings for my music or audio equipment. I have often considered if an individual can truly love art or music.

Do not get me wrong as music is very important to me but do we really require the type of equipment we purchase to enjoy music? I still deeply enjoy my music playing on my "half dead" stereo in my Corolla during my daily commute, but to also be fair, my home audio equipment certainly elevates my enjoyment on many levels.

For me, it is the message in my music, the lyrics if you will and perhaps we could better look at this medium as dynamic poetry. Music is certainly food for the introvert and it is quite simply "home." Do we actually have to spend thousands of dollars on audio equipment to help us think back to a cherished time in our life's when we hear a special song on the radio?

I believe that we are slowly coming to the end of a Golden Era in North America with the deterioration of our economy and individuals will no longer have the disposable income to spend on luxury items such as high end audio equipment - perhaps we will be looking at "a meat and potatoes" only society.

Awesome topic 

Be well...

[Pez]

Yes there are definately different 'sects' of audiophilia. Vintage dudes, DIY dudes, über priced gear dudes etc etc etc. that doesn't mean you somehow do not still fit under the 'audiophile' umbrella no more than being from Maine or Hawaii makes you any less American. We may all have different tastes and approaches, but we are all still audiophiles. 

[JohnR]

I'm with Pez.

[1oldguy]

Yes there are definately different 'sects' of audiophilia. Vintage dudes, DIY dudes, über priced gear dudes etc etc etc. that doesn't mean you somehow do not still fit under the 'audiophile' umbrella no more than being from Maine or Hawaii makes you any less American. We may all have different tastes and approaches, but we are all still audiophiles. 

Couldn't agree more.....Anything less is denial......But hey,we are all allowed to believe what we want right?

[BobRex]

Great topic, very interesting - I voted "no."

While I love Lady Laundrew and also most certainly, our cherished Big Guy, Hector - I find that I do not harbor the same feelings for my music or audio equipment. I have often considered if an individual can truly love art or music.

Do not get me wrong as music is very important to me but do we really require the type of equipment we purchase to enjoy music? I still deeply enjoy my music playing on my "half dead" stereo in my Corolla during my daily commute, but to also be fair, my home audio equipment certainly elevates my enjoyment on many levels.

For me, it is the message in my music, the lyrics if you will and perhaps we could better look at this medium as dynamic poetry. Music is certainly food for the introvert and it is quite simply "home." Do we actually have to spend thousands of dollars on audio equipment to help us think back to a cherished time in our life's when we hear a special song on the radio?

I believe that we are slowly coming to the end of a Golden Era in North America with the deterioration of our economy and individuals will no longer have the disposable income to spend on luxury items such as high end audio equipment - perhaps we will be looking at "a meat and potatoes" only society.

Awesome topic 

Be well...

Laundrew, think about it this way.  You have over 2000 posts on a website dedicated to audio.  Now, it is possible that every post was a conversation about music, and not the details of its reproduction, but you and I both know that's not the case.  So to now say that you are not an audiophile is, well, absurd.  I agree with Pez, your presence here, by default, makes you an audiophile.  If not, then why did you spend any disposable income on elevating your enjoyment on many levels.

That we are concerned about (and willing to discuss) sound enough to move beyond a clock radio or an Ipod with stock earbuds makes all of us audiophiles at some level.  Yes, like everything else in life, there are extremes.  But those extremes don't define the hobby, nor should they.

[Laundrew]

Laundrew, think about it this way.  You have over 2000 posts on a website dedicated to audio.  Now, it is possible that every post was a conversation about music, and not the details of its reproduction, but you and I both know that's not the case.  So to now say that you are not an audiophile is, well, absurd.  I agree with Pez, your presence here, by default, makes you an audiophile.  If not, then why did you spend any disposable income on elevating your enjoyment on many levels.

That we are concerned about (and willing to discuss) sound enough to move beyond a clock radio or an Ipod with stock earbuds makes all of us audiophiles at some level.  Yes, like everything else in life, there are extremes.  But those extremes don't define the hobby, nor should they.

Greetings BobRex   

You have raised some very interesting and perhaps valid observations - I must look at topic a little deeper and repost, as I mentioned earlier, an awesome topic.

As for 2000 plus posts, it is just a product of me not getting out of my basement very much.

 

be well...

[John Casler]

IMHO you are an Audiophile if you have "one" of the following:

1) Sit in the sweet spot and listen to MUSIC or your SYSTEM

2) If your goal when purchasing equipment is the betterment of your system and listening experience

3) If one of your main hobbies or pastimes is involving yourself in the selection of gear, and or acoustic treatments (dead give away) to make the experience or system better

4) Spend time associating with other like-minded hobbyists with the same goals

5) Spend a disproportionate amount on gear compared to the average person

6) Evaluate gear based on SONIC PERFORMANCE rather than the way it looks.

I know there other qualifiers, but if you have one of the above, you are likely an audiophile and finally;

If you are still reading this, then you are either an audiophile or want to be.   

[Diamond Dog]

As for 2000 plus posts, it is just a product of me not getting out of my basement very much.
 

be well...

There you go. Audiophile. 

D.D.

[SoundGame]

Though I totally relate to most of what these guys express in the video about their enjoyment of music and of their systems, I would say I personally differ from them in a few ways:

1) I wouln't say, I'm eccentric - as these gentlemen clearly come across.  If you met me for the first time you would probably come away thinking he's just a regular guy (whatever that means)...and would have no idea of my passion for everything audio, unless you got me talking about it.  I have a keen awareness of peoples perceptions and also have my own personal idea of what is balanced and choose to live with those fairly broad confines.
2) My financial priorities revolve around the family first i.e. home, car, health, food, entertainment etc. and money for my music and system comes from any excess/disposable income - I don't take on debt for this hobby and never will and would never let it curtail my lifestyle.
3) I like to get improvements in my system but weigh the costs heavily.  I don't change for the sake of changing or on feeling or a fleeting desire, it has to be a good reason and make mid-to-large improvement.  Bang for buck along with product reliability and resale value are big factors that come into play along with the sound quality.

This all said, I get lost in the music as came across in this video.  At times, it is absolutely breathtaking.  It is an escape while being real.  I strive for improvement, within the confines of what is reasonable and affordable to me.

This is the only documentary video I've found on this hobby, I wish there were more.  If anyone has others, I would love to see them. 

Happy listening.
 

[Pez]

As for 2000 plus posts, it is just a product of me not getting out of my basement very much because I'm listening to my system

I finished that sentence for you Laundrew.