Celebrity Audiophiles?

audioferret · « **on:** 6 Apr 2006, 02:37 pm »

So, who are the celebrity audiophiles out there?

I am pretty sure that John Cusak and Quentin Tarrantino are.

Cusak's films High Fidelity and Gross Pointe Blank seem to suggest his interest. Notice the NAD CD Player in his High Fidelity Apartment. The Deleted Scenes on the DVD were awesome...particularly where he is unable to buy another man's vinyl collection from an abandoned wife. That scene was priceless.

Tarrantino seems to be so, particulary from his soundtracks and music references during films.

Who else is in the club?

murphy11 · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 03:25 pm »

Both Fabio and Mike Piazza are Krell fans

http://www.transparentcable.com/products/reviews/full_reviews/ref_scottwilkinson_avinteriors.html

http://www.audtek.com/krell.htm

chadh · « **Reply #2 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 03:41 pm »

I'm not sure that the NAD player in High Fidelity is much of an indication of anything other than NAD's interest in placing products in films. I think the most blatent of these was in "The Italian Job", where the nerdy computer geek (he liked to be called "Napster", as he claimed the whole Napster thing was stolen from him) lusted continually over some NAD HT Receiver.

Of course, at the end of the movie once Napster was fabulously rich thanks to a successful gold heist, he managed to buy the aforementioned receiver along with large speakers and proceeded to play music so loudly that it blew the clothes off the women he brought into his place. Now, that was a classy movie!

Talking of product placement, though, I noticed on the closing credits to "House" the other night they mentioned SOTA turntables.

On the topic of celebrity audiophiles, sometimes manufacturers will mention which celebrities have chosen to use their products. I have no idea whether this is indicative of anything at all (maybe the gear was given away for advertising purposes, maybe the extremely rich celebrity bought it because he/she could, or because it looked nice...I have no idea. But perhaps it's because the celebrity cared, and thought it sounded nice). Anyway, the most recent example of this I saw was on the Butler site. They list Clapton, Elton John, Eric Johnson and Billy Gibbons as people who use their gear. But as they also list Pink Floyd, they might just be talking about professional use.

Chad

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #3 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 03:51 pm »

There are probably many, as they are artists, but Clint Eastwood would come to mind. His (oft depressing) film 'Bird' was a tribute to Charlie 'Bird' Parker and he's stated his love of Jazz and Blues in interviews.

Gotta' have a good system to enjoy that music

Occam · « **Reply #4 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 03:53 pm »

Let us not forget the actor Vincent Gallo. A man of strong audio (and artistic) convictions.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 04:06 pm »

Bill Cosby - or was that Dr Huxtable jazz stuff all just an act?

gitarretyp · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 04:18 pm »

Based on the stereo that's in the portion of three extremes called cut by director fruit chan, i'd have to say he's an audiophile. Mcintosh source, unidentified tube amps, and duevel bella luna or jupiters.

Gordy · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 04:18 pm »

Quote from: mcgsxr

Bill Cosby - or was that Dr Huxtable jazz stuff all just an act?

Cosby is the drummer in a Jazz band and back in the 80's Miles Davis was married in Cosby's home. I never saw the show myself, but I presume Cosby was a writer for the show and expressed his views through the character...

chadh · « **Reply #8 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 04:36 pm »

But "music lover" or even "musician" isn't the same as "audiophile."

I don't think you'd have to try very hard to find musicians and music lovers who have no interest at all in audiophilia. Most of the musicians I know simply don't think that better gear ever sounds sufficiently more "real" to validate the expense.

Now, I'm certainly not looking to get into an argument over the value of better gear - I'm just saying that the fact that Woody Allen plays clarinet in a trad jazz band every week in The Village, and made a movie about a guitarist who was nearly as good as Django Rheinhardt, doesn't mean that he's an audiophile. For all I know, he was physically and emotionally scarred many years ago when burnt on a glowing tube, and to this day distrusts all forms of stereo equipment.

Chad

Freejazz · « **Reply #9 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 04:41 pm »

I was living in Bucktown/Wicker Park when "High Fidelity" was shot ... the music store was actually an empty storefront that was deliciously (to this music lover) recreated to look like that great little record shop.

All the equipment in the movie was sourced through a great small shop that was in the area - Decibel Hi-Fi (still there, but in a new location - actually very close now to where the movie was shot.) In fact, when they came back for re-shoots, Jeremy, the owner, had to scramble to put together the "same" equipment for them.

Nothing there to attest to Cusak's status ... yet nothing to deny it either!

I do remember the story of John F. Kennedy Jr. shopping at Stereo Exchange store on Broadway in the Village ... and equipping his loft with some nice equipment.

Folsom · « **Reply #10 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 05:22 pm »

Musicians of all people are lacking the need of high end equipment. When you are a musician your ears are trained very well. You pick up on every thing better, you know the notes, how it was played etc etc....

For that reason they can listen to some of the poorest sound equipment and the music is still there for them.

Also they have the biggest reason to want good high end gear as they clearly love music to a degree many do not.

nathanm · « **Reply #11 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 05:38 pm »

You'll probably find more celebrity audiophiles (actors etc.) than musician audiophiles. The musicians I've known also have a similar apathy towards equipment as others have described. It just doesn't interest them. I would suspect they are much happier hearing the full force of live performance sound and anything else comes up short, no matter how fancy the gear. Audiophiles are wannabes in a way, and I don't mean that to sound insulting. It's just that they are trying to enjoy at home what they cannot get on stage and play themselves. I can't imagine how there can be any comparision between a very loud multiple-source experience of playing live and a relatively quieter more one-dimensional experience listening to a recording over 2 speakers. Adequate separation between the two experiences is necessary for disbelief to be suspended when hearing the recordings whilst still enjoying it and thinking it's realistic.

acresm22 · « **Reply #12 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 06:06 pm »

There's a story about Michael Keaton coming into the local hi-fi shop here in the mid- to late-90s. The store at that time would have been carrying Energy, Sonus Faber, Martin Logan and Wilson. Don't recall which of these he was listening to, but he asked, "Now how do these compare with Bose?"

As I recall, he didn't buy anything.

Just a funny story...maybe says a little something about Michael Keaton's interest in hi-fi, but says more about Bose's successful and pervasive marketing efforts over the years.

Soundbitten · « **Reply #13 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 06:13 pm »

Bill Clinton played the sax but I don't know if he was an audiophile .

Bill Baker · « **Reply #14 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 06:20 pm »

I don't think you can connect celebrities as being audiophiles based only on what you see in TV programs and/or movies.

I do kno wthat Madona's manager purchased a pair of Jolida 3000 mono blocs. Where they were going I do not know.

There have been some nice pieces showing up in movies and TV shows.

As good as it gets - McIntoch
Friends - Martin Logan
House - All kinds of good stuff
Tomb Raider - Clearaudio Master Reference

I can't remember all of them but when pieces show up on TV shows and movies, we always tend to notice it. It drives my wife nuts. I may not remember what happened in the movie but the best scenes were of the audio gear

Dracule1 · « **Reply #15 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 06:37 pm »

Of all the celebrities, the most amusing audiophile is FABIO, the "I can't believe it's butter" overbuffed, long hair, Italian? guy. He has the original Martin Logan Statement speakers and custom made 4 mono block Krell amps, source electronics... that must have cost close to $300K at the time. "I can't believe he's an audiophile"

Mike Dzurko · « **Reply #16 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 07:19 pm »

Peter Nero has recorded 67 albums since his first in 1961. He's won two Grammies and garnered 10 additional nominations. He is the founding Music director of the world renowned Philly Pops, one of the largest independent pops orchestras in the country. And we're proud he picked ACI for his speakers

http://www.audioc.com/aboutaci1/custquotes/peternero/peternero.htm

dado5 · « **Reply #17 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 08:52 pm »

Billy Bob Thorton and David Letterman have both mentioned having high end systems in interviews and one of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 (joel or mike) guys was a tube head cause the bot's made fun of him being one several times

Folsom · « **Reply #18 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 09:15 pm »

Mike D of The Beastie Boys says in a song "hand me the wax I am not using the CD" so he probably is one too.

nathanm · « **Reply #19 on:** 6 Apr 2006, 09:37 pm »

Many name hip hop DJs scratch using Koetsu cartridges I've heard.