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An audio enthusiast is someone who cares enough about listening to music that owning a superior stereo system is essential. He may go to unusual lengths to obtain a better and better system, but will at least live with something for a while and appreciate its merits. He can hear the differences between this and that.An audiophile is someone who has crossed over to really caring more about the stereo equipment than the music being played, much of the time. He too can hear the differences between this and that, but he finds himself listening only for those differences, much of the time. He is one whose perspective and sense of relativity has become warped by what Freud termed "the narcissism of small differences" (though Freud was applying it to how people judge one another).An audiophool is someone who cannot really hear the differences between this and that, but imagines he can, doesn't really know what he's looking for, but eagerly buys into every new thing that comes down the pipe.Most of us probably skate a fine line between audio enthusiast and audiophile; in my book the latter is something ideally to be resisted...as irresistible as it can certainly be.And I agree that live concerts often disappoint. But it sounds like everyone is referring to amplified concerts. Acoustic music is the best benchmark for audio enthusiasm and high fidelity reproduction, imnvho. Happy New Year everybody...
I chuckle at those that rather listen to their systems than live, obviously they are comparing to amplified music in a poor enviroment. Take a great Orchestra in a Great Hall and there is no system on earth that come close ! This coming May The Phila Orchestra will be performing Mahler's 8th symphony (Symphony of a Thousand), one of if not the largest orchestral/choral productions of all time. The ONLY way to appreciate this well be in person !
Welcome aboard xander,Your reply at this tender age (compared to most of us) is refreshing and offers promise that this is not a hobby for just old farts. Your interest, passion, and commitment are commendable. As your time and finances would seem to dictate, you fit the wikipedia definition quite well. IME getting your hands dirty and trying to understand how the equipment actually works are vital aspects in being a successful audiophile.How much we spend is a personal matter. As long as it doesn't get in the way of having an otherwise healthy social, economic, and financial life most audiophiles wouldn't deem it to be excessive. (Mother Theresa would have probably have considered Bill Gates buying an i-Pod as excessive.)
Just don't lose love for the music. Many have burned out after spending extreme amounts of resources on the last iota of detail/whatever or from listening for all the sonic nits versus hearing the soul of the music. This is exactly why audiophiles are critized for their sickness. In fact part of the wikipedia definition I edited out (because I don't comprehend it) was the reference to a Japanese practice for using music only as a reference and assemble systems for the intellectual pleasure alone.
And protect those young ears, keep them from damaging spls as long as possible. And thanks for the post.
My definition of audiophile is a music lover who achieves total musical nirvana with the best possible equipment he or she can afford. In other words an audiophile attempts to get the most honest and realistic sound reproduction possible within their means.FWIW...
...I place more value on the musical side of it vs the equipment. I would choose lots of music options with a decent system over a megabucks system with a few audiophile albums.
Can we agree on this definition?
