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How many of us are on this joint? I figured the Music forum might have audiophile posts, but it looks like that forum is mostly for game threads (i.e., what did you last listen to in [genre]) rather than discussions.
What gear do ya got? Planning any upgrades any time soon?
MartinLogan Motion 60XTs
Rega Elex-R amplifier
Bluesound Node n130 DAC/streamer (using Tidal via the BluOS app)
musichall mmf 1.3 turntable (I'm looking for a recommendation for a new turntable to pair with my setup...)
I'm thinking of one of the Rega Planar tables, but am unsure. I'm relatively new to the turntable scene and that musichall was my first ever.
Honestly, I feel like much of audiophile interest has gotten commercialized. Much of the literature on this you'll find is from marketing material or consumers who talk a lot about technology that they don't really understand.
I feel like people should get their information on this subject from the people who actually repair these devices; people with an understanding of electronics - rather than 23 year old kids on youtube that are just regurgitating marketing materials.
The placebo effect is real. If people pay a premium for expensive cables, expensive DAC/amplifiers, or $1000 headphones, they will be convinced they hear a difference. But without a blind test, it's hard to factor out human bias. The brand, aesthetic and price can all sway our opinion on a product.
Honestly, I feel like much of audiophile interest has gotten commercialized. Much of the literature on this you'll find is from marketing material or consumers who talk a lot about technology that they don't really understand.
I feel like people should get their information on this subject from the people who actually repair these devices; people with an understanding of electronics - rather than 23 year old kids on youtube that are just regurgitating marketing materials.
The placebo effect is real. If people pay a premium for expensive cables, expensive DAC/amplifiers, or $1000 headphones, they will be convinced they hear a difference. But without a blind test, it's hard to factor out human bias. The brand, aesthetic and price can all sway our opinion on a product.
I mostly agree with you, yes. If folks with a bunch of disposable income but no real understanding of the technology are simply buying the most expensive equipment based on some 23 year old kid's youtube review, they are probably not audiophiles in the sense that I'm thinking of...just people with money to burn.
That being said, there is a very real and measurable difference between listening to music on a crappy system vs a nice system. I still have my previous setup (it was my first, while I dabbled in the hobby to make sure it was something I truly wanted to invest time/money/research into) and am able to switch back and forth to again make sure that the difference in sound quality is worth the price/investment. The difference is truly night and day.
Not as relevant as you think nor is that writer as clever as he thinks he is with his gatekeeping. His whole shtick is "lol audiophiles only care about equipment not music". Sure, maybe a few out there do, and they should probably be labeled more of technophiles, but enjoying your tech and enjoying the music your tech produces are not mutually exclusive. Again, there are plenty of insufferable audiophiles out there but the vast majority are music lovers who want the best sound possible. That nonsense elitist article is actually genuinely insulting with its generalizations. So, I love my new speakers and amp so that automatically means I....don't actually love the music? Mental gymnastics. What about people who attend a dozen concerts a year and also enjoy their tech?
As for me and my journey to audiophilism and why I started this thread because I recently upgraded after my MIL blew one of my old speakers. It was a set of Wharfedale Diamond 225s, the first pair of "real" speakers I got. I loved them up until their death, and my Yamaha receiver. Obviously I'm going to replace the blown speaker though! Got a fantastic deal on these 60XTs - they are ordinarily $2400 a pair, but there was slight cosmetic damage to the cabinet from shipping, didn't come with the grills or the spikes. Acoustically though- perfect. Got em for $1000 total. The little Yamaha receiver was not equipped to drive them properly as they are powerful speakers, and it would regularly overheat. So...when I could afford it, got the best amp I could afford that paired well with the speakers. I auditioned 5 different amps both in the showroom and in my home, and this Rega was by far the best sounding. I also got it on sale, $500 off! To the above article's point, this amp and these speakers will last me for years and years. I love this system!
So....that's enough bashing the word "audiophile" or judging people for having equipment - who else has a great system and what do you got? Share some pics of your sys and your vinyl collection!
Here is a short post on some interesting bt headphones that I've come to appreciate.
Like a lot of people I listen to music from my phone while I am in the gym.
The bluetooth headphones I currently use are under the brand name "Aftershokz". Rather than sitting in the ear canal the transducer sits on the skin right in front of the ear. They are bone conduction head phones.
I bought them mostly out of curiosity and now Iv'e been using them just about daily for several years now. Obviously good for leaving your ear canal open so that you can hear your surroundings but also they sound surprisingly well and are comfortable for the hour or so that I use them. You can put foam ear canal plugs in to stop ambient sound but I dont bother.
They were $79 off Amazon when I bought them and I see now they are up to $149
I have an S21 cell and I use a free app called Musicolet that plays my personal music files.
This is a fun theread I'll revisit and post my home system and RV vehicle system too.
A $50 bluetooth party speaker sounds identical to a $5000 system, and anyone who believes otherwise is an absolute moron and certainly not a music lover. How dare someone buy speakers, amps, DACs and be fond of their setup? Certainly not any REAL music lover! This is 100% validated by your 28-year-old article, don't worry.
Moving on.
Last edited by LordHelmit; 11-21-2022 at 03:09 PM..
A $50 bluetooth party speaker sounds identical to a $5000 system, and anyone who believes otherwise is an absolute moron and certainly not a music lover. How dare someone buy speakers, amps, DACs and be fond of their setup? Certainly not any REAL music lover! This is 100% validated by your 28-year-old article, don't worry.
Moving on.
In other words, you don't have a lick of evidence to refute anything Bob Pease wrote, so instead you choose to get offended.
And I rather suspect that Ohm's Law and Coulomb's Law haven't changed in the last 28 years.
I probably don't qualify as an audiophile, even though I helped install high end sound systems in ski lodges, assisted my father in building a college radio station, designed and constructed a projection booth, have built tube amplifiers from scratch using only schematics.
Why? I'm older, my ears are still good but not those of a 20 YO, and I am far more interested in the performance of the artist than the reproduction system. Gergiev conducting Scheherazade on Youtube has me clapping in the background. STUNNING rendition.
Listening to my records from the 1950s and 1960s on my decent but not high-end system? Brubeck holds up. Some others - not so much. Having played instruments, been caught out by my music teacher having a beer at a Dixieland bar while listening to the live band, and having close to perfect pitch, what offends my senses are not roll-off profiles but a singer who hits high notes just slightly flat, or a pianist who fluffs and tries to cover.
I'm not an audiophile. I just enjoy good music and appreciate the skills of the musicians.
I've no bone to pick with audiophiles. I used to enjoy the world of 35MM cameras and be impressed by their capabilities. However, I was not a great photographer, and left those cameras to those who could better utilize them.
In other words, you don't have a lick of evidence to refute anything Bob Pease wrote, so instead you choose to get offended.
And I rather suspect that Ohm's Law and Coulomb's Law haven't changed in the last 28 years.
Evidence? Offended? Ohm's Law and Coulomb's Law? LOL, who do you think you are? This is the Hobbies section on C-D, lmao. You're just another standard holier than thou online jerk- again, you win dude! You're better than me as a human being simply because you don't know the difference between a $50 bluetooth party speaker and a hifi system, nor can your old boomer ears hear the difference. I get it. I'd be salty too, my friend. If you want evidence- find it. The Internet will tell you whatever you want to read, so your 28 year old opinion article is a moot point. As are you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by harry chickpea
I probably don't qualify as an audiophile, even though I helped install high end sound systems in ski lodges, assisted my father in building a college radio station, designed and constructed a projection booth, have built tube amplifiers from scratch using only schematics.
Why? I'm older, my ears are still good but not those of a 20 YO, and I am far more interested in the performance of the artist than the reproduction system. Gergiev conducting Scheherazade on Youtube has me clapping in the background. STUNNING rendition.
Listening to my records from the 1950s and 1960s on my decent but not high-end system? Brubeck holds up. Some others - not so much. Having played instruments, been caught out by my music teacher having a beer at a Dixieland bar while listening to the live band, and having close to perfect pitch, what offends my senses are not roll-off profiles but a singer who hits high notes just slightly flat, or a pianist who fluffs and tries to cover.
I'm not an audiophile. I just enjoy good music and appreciate the skills of the musicians.
I've no bone to pick with audiophiles. I used to enjoy the world of 35MM cameras and be impressed by their capabilities. However, I was not a great photographer, and left those cameras to those who could better utilize them.
I feel ya on this. I too am far more interested in live performances than the reproduction you can get from a system. BUT, it's not always practical to go to every live performance, and although I go to several per year I still just want to listen to good, accurate-sounding music in my living room as I sip my bourbon and cuddle my puppies, lol. There's not a lot of activities in the world that make me more happy than listening to Loreena McKennitt or Simon & Garfunkel or Bob Marley in my living room at night cuddled up and warm and toasty. Closing my eyes and feeling the music. It's a great feeling.
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This is the Hobbies section on C-D, lmao. You're just another standard holier than thou online jerk- again, you win dude! You're better than me as a human being simply because you don't know the difference between a $50 bluetooth party speaker and a hifi system, nor can your old boomer ears hear the difference. I get it. I'd be salty too, my friend. If you want evidence- find it. The Internet will tell you whatever you want to read, so your 28 year old opinion article is a moot point. As are you. 
