Top 10 Reasons you MIGHT be an Audiophile
Vložit
- čas přidán 7. 08. 2024
- The AUDIOPHILIAC lays out who we are!
0:00 Intro, You Might be An Audiophile...
2:10 Reason Number 10
3:05 Reason Number 9
4:03 Reason Number 8
4:51 Reason Number 7
5:51 Reason Number 6
6:46 Reason Number 5
7:50 Reason Number 4
8:56 Reason Number 3
9:37 Reason Number 2
12:23 Reason Number 1
13:48 Audiophiliac Viewer System of the Day!
15:29 Outro
Twitter: @AudiophiliacMan
Instagram: / steve.guttenberg
#audio #audiophile #musiclovers - Věda a technologie
A couple years back I visited Audio Classics in Vestal, NY. While I was there a guy came in with his wife and daughter and was looking for a specific piece of equipment, maybe $5K. The daughter was, of course, bored, the wife was complaining. During a quiet moment she began talking to me, and, long story short, I told her in the audiophile world it was not that expensive, and way less than other pursuits such as gambling, drinking at bars, cars, etc., and less dangerous than, say, woodworking, and he was home, with his family, and happy. Her mood softened, and said she could now see that.
Great encounter, so!!!!
Amos, that's a great story. When it comes to audiophilism , woman can be a PIA. I'm 71 yo, retired and a Music Lover (and a Resurgent Drummer after 50 years !). In 1987, for new house in Westchester County, I made a contact thru an associate for a Stereo HiFi store in Mt. Kisco NY. After listening to a variety of equipment in their sound room, I settled on the recommended NAD 1300 Preamp, NAD 2600 Amp / stack; a Dual CS 5000 TT (the cartridge was later updated); a Onkyo 6 disc CD changer / player and most importantly, a pair of KEF 104/2 Tower speakers. The Tower speakers were the Marital Challenge. First word out of wife's mouth: Oh NO , not in My Living Room"... By 1987, we were married 13 years - now with 2 kids. The battle ensued for a couple of weeks. Then I took Charge :):). Installed the equipment in a Rustic Country type cabinet that She picked out. I installed shelves, wired the equipment up (using Monster Speaker Cable [probably 12 gauge or better], drilled thru the floor and ran the Cables thru the basement [ranch house] along the ceiling to each Speaker which was placed in separate corners of the LR. When I turned that Sucker on, played her favorite Joni Mitchell LP, and really enjoyed the sound !! Then when I played a CD , that blew us both away. That system is still there , plays like it's new, no Sub Woofers, No EQs, just pure clean & clear sound. When we play a Pavarotti CD, Holy Crap !! Same with Led Zep, America, Doobie Bros, you name it.
Another thing that I did after learning of BT receivers. Got one, couldn't even repeat the name right now. But just plugged into a source jack, attached the electric cord, hit the BT pairing button, paired easily to my Google Phone and this can play Streamed music directly to the Stereo system.
Doing good work there. 👍
Good on you a little help that way goes a long way to helping us guys enjoy life a bit more after a long week at work
Steve, humble female here! I have been lurking for a long time, but afraid to say anything for fear of not being taken seriously. I have always called myself a Jr. Audiophile, but I guess after watching your video I can now call myself an Audiophile! I love the information you provide. I'm learning all the time.
Nice to hear from you Gayle!
Go away, we don't like females here, we're Audiophiles and Audiophiles are men, old boring MEN with opinions, and our number 1 opinion is only men can be Audiophiles because we have the best ears. 🦻
(Please understand that I'm joking, welcome to the madhouse)
Ya girl! I love this ❤️
Keep going loving listening music.
Nice to run into a fellow female audiophile! I have been into music and gear since I was a teenager and I’m now 84 and have four audio systems.
I'm female, and I'm an audiophile. One day, several years ago, my mom walked into my office lamenting that I'd returned and bought yet *another* amp. Then she said, as my then-system was playing *Music For Quiet Listening Vol I* (Mercury Living Presence), quote, "I don't know why you care so much about the way music sounds - !" Then she stopped. Just stopped and listened. I'd never seen her do that before. She whispered, Ohhh ... That's *really* nice. I like that *a lot*! Okay, now I get it." Honestly, there are a ton of reasons why I think women don't get into audio, and I think a lot of it is complex and socially based. (I'll avoid diving into all of that.) The one thing that keeps me from going crazy with gear is simply that so much of it is huge! I can't deal with an amp that weighs 70 pounds, or a set of speakers larger than I am!
Thanks for sharing your story Kammy!
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Happy to share!
No, Please Dive Into It! We're lost, sad. We need to know!
I’m here!! I am trying to spread the “good news”! All my girlfriends call me when they need to know “who sings this/that?” or have any audio questions. I started buying records when I was 12 with babysitting money. My first “system” was a Panasonic Thruster smash rack. I have a lot of gear now. I totally am an AUDIOPHILE. I’m learning something new EVERYDAY and I feel like I still know nothing. My system is a “work in progress” but it’s fun and I love it. By the way, I proudly wore my AUDIOPHELIAC shirt to the State Fair today. I love the “system of the day” 😍
Preach!
I guess I am one of your 1%. I began my “addiction” when I was 8 years old. Starting with a Danny Kaye album. And the Chipmunks! In 1965 I was 10 and I bought my first Rolling Stones album, December’s Children. I collected over 1000 albums in the following years. Sadly I sold my records in a futile attempt of trying to keep peace in the family. A decision I immediately regretted as I watched the buyer pack everything up in boxes, including my B&O turntable. It took him several trips back and forth to his car carrying away a lifetime of my memories. That was 2019. And I found I couldn’t make the sacrifice of giving up my passion. So, I’m sorry if this is long and boring... I became literally depressed about letting the albums go. In 2020, using my Covid Cash and Biden Bucks, I bought the beginnings of my current "audiophile" system. My stereo is not welcome in the living room so; I have 4 towers, 2 bookshelf, my center speaker and a very nice subwoofer all neatly crammed into my 10x12 bedroom. I have managed to collect about 150 old and new albums! For better or worse music is my heroin! It’s my time machine. And it makes me happy. I am 67 now and I spend what disposable income I have on rebuilding my vinyl collection and upgrading my hifi. I do have a point. Don’t give up your passions just to please someone else. There’s nothing like putting on an album that suits your mood, sipping on a drink or smoking a bowel of some legal reefer madness (both) and getting lost in the sauce. I just close my eyes and listen for every nuance of the guitar playing on Tin Pan Alley (Stevie Ray Vaughan). God I love it! Sorry for the long story, but it's my story that makes me an audiophile.
Audio goes better with a good story!
Aawwww,,,,,,,,, I loved your story. Everyone likes the comeback kid.
Peace
Great story! And this hobby absolutely needs more women. Thankfully, my girlfriend is becoming more and more passionate about music (specially on vinyl) and I LOVE sharing music and moment with her. I’d love for more people to have the same. Everything is better when shared with the ones you love the most
Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the music 🎵🎶🎼
Sorry, Steve. I was talking in general from watching other hifi videos. Apologies. I feel embarassed. You are definitely in the category of an audiophile. Great comment. Should be a Stereophile column
Another woman here based in Ireland and loving the videos Steve! And yes, fitting into another rare category of only really coming into this in my 50’s although my dad was a music critic in the 60’s, interviewed the Beatles when they came to Ireland and was always playing high quality music so I guess the training was there early! Keep up the great work, I’m still slowly building my system!
Sarah, thanks for sharing your story!
An audio enthusiast is someone who enjoys music and gear, desiring to get the most enjoyment out of each listening moment, obsessing about the specs and capabilities, dissecting the gear not the music, searching for that next WOW moment, product or song.
An audiophile is someone who seeks an accurate, reproduction of real life instruments and vocals, enjoys critiquing each listening moment, dissecting the music through the gear, listening for naturalism and realism.
There is nothing wrong with being one or the other or a hybrid. There are a lot of similarities but a few differences that set each apart.
One focuses more on gear, measurements, graphs and specs; the other focuses more on the music, instruments, vocals and reproduction.
Top 10 reasons you might be an audiofool:
1. You own expensive AudioQuest cables
2. You own a $15k power conditioner
3. You use cable risers
4. You think some DACs sound buttery smooth
5. You think expensive USB cables make a difference
6. You paid $10k for room treatment
7. You paid over $100 for a Mo Fi record
8. Instead of using equipment to listen to music, you use music to listen to your equipment
9. You can hear the difference between cables, but you can't hear your wife call you from across the room
10. Michael Fremer is your hero
lol
😂
Number 8 is spot on!
You know when you're an audiophile, when the missus says to you "let me get this straight, you spend over £1,000 on speaker cables because you can 'hear the difference' but you can't hear me calling you from the kitchen" 😳
Spending a lot of money on cables does not make you an audiophile. That is a common misconception.
Great comment. I better not share that with the boss
Hahaha...truth!
When she never hear me asking her "come pls and listen to that" means cables are good enough for her.
You know I never thought my equipment was good enough to qualify me as an audiophile. But I know now this video proves the fact that I am. Thanks for the great video.
Thank you for this video and I love this channel! Of course, I'm an audiophile. I think I inherited it from my mother who from the time I was a little kid started me on Ratt, Bon Jovi, Africa Bambaataa and anything Parliament/Funkadelic related. I think it started when I was in the living room at age 8 and my parents were sleeping in on a Saturday morning after a fun night. My mom had a Kenwood KR-1000 that they were bumping all night and I wondered, "what if I took the VCR and ran it into my mom's receiver?". Long story short I figured it out and popped in Die Hard. My parents came running downstairs like "What the hell?" and we watched Die Hard and hours of MTV. Today I'm watching your video in a recording studio sitting behind a Midas console running into a Heritage Audio MCM 32 and out through a pair of Focal Twin6 Be's. I have a funny feeling this never dies until we do 😉 Bowls will be packed and music will be listened to tonight🌿🌿 Cheers!
I've been an audiophile since I was 17. I cant tell you the pleasure it's brought me.
Hello to everyone, anyone of you who is a music lover with the soul not with the mind.The mind think too much and we loose the essence of listening music .Doesnt count too much the gear and the amount of money that we spend for our hobby.Since I follow this channel I'm impressed of the simplicity of advices from Sir Steve Guttenberg in which way we must listening music.Honnestly I appreciate your hard work .Congratulations Sir.
If your speaker cabinets are larger than your refrigerator, you might be an audiophile.
#2 is a revelation for me! At 56 yrs old, I’ve never joined an audio club to hear many other home systems, but I agree with your show comment. I rarely like many of the systems at audio shows, and always come home, listen to my system, and confirm that I still love it (even with its faults). My friends tell me my system sounds great, but I can’t trust them to be brutally honest!
If your equipment lets the music touch your soul, you're an audiophile.
Steve, thanks for an interesting discussion. I remember buying my first set of nice two way speakers in the 70's with real solid walnut cabinets. They were called CompuFlex I believe. I paired them with a Technics turntable and a Clarion integrated amplifier which sounded good in my bedroom as a teenager. The audio shop in Bethesda MD sold McIntosh components as well for their high end line which I admired but never really paid much attention since they were so expensive and out of reach. Fast forward to the late 90's when my Audiophile uncle took me into his music room to show me his Rega Turntable and Beautiful Thiel speakers to play some Bill Frisell. Gone Like A Train.....which describes how I've felt since when it comes to audio gear.....lol. What a journey it's been.
Thank you for this video. It gives a vivid description of who an audiophile is. I found myself agreeing, smiling and laughing all through the video as I watched. Been an audiophile since my teenage. Big up Steve!
Great show Steve! I’m one of the people who started my audiophile bug at 15. Left it (kids etc...) from age 34 to 56. Back in now and building my system back up. I kept all my vinyl and my Linn turntable and have been adding new (barely used) gear and am having a blast. Pic to come soon. And Dave- I had the Ohm Walsh 2 speakers and loved them. They vanished in a move. Cheers!
Love your channel Steve! I really appreciate your explanations of systems, and your years of experience you bring to each episode. My purchases based on your honest reviews have made me look like an audio enthusiast turned audiophile! Keep up the great work!
Been watching you for years. And you still manage to make your channel so interesting. Still my favorite channel. 2 thumbs up Steve.
I love music. I don't love my gear. I love that my gear lets me hear my music better. My system gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. I will never forget the shock the first time I listened with a my first seperate dac. Likewise with planar magnetic open backs.
I’ve been working in the industry for 25+ years. Have had the opportunity to own many great brands, naim, moon, chord electronics, linn, rega, pmc etc… I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoy your CZcams content. It’s very refreshing and completely honest. You’re in a different league to the average CZcams HiFi reviewer. Great work! Keep it coming. Greetings from the 🇬🇧
Thanks for the kind words Andy.
Audiophile. Interesting. As much as I chose not to consider myself a audiophile, I guess I am. Oh well. I do meet the majority of the criteria you stated. I did give up cars, race cars, and boats. I don’t even buy watches anymore. At 74, all I have is my music and the equipment that brings the joy. I’m content.❤️
Me three! And there’s a reason I don’t spend much time thinking I’m an audiophile. I was born in the UK and moved to Australia in 1965. Audiophile is just not a word in common use in either country. At best people might say of me “he’s into hi-fi”, or “he’s really passionate about music”.
Are you threatening me with being an Audiophile, LOL. Thanks for your great work.
Yep, I avoid the word Audiophile. But sure, I qualify. Always loved music, love it even more when it sounds great, and love the gear that makes it all happen. From my 1st system in 1972 - Thorens TD165, Pioneer SA&TA8100 amp & tuner, and a used pair of Large Advents, to the amazingly good but not all that expensive stuff I have today (too much to list here) - those three pillars (music/sound/gear) make it good to be alive!
So well articulated Steve and once you get the tattoo, there’s no going back. I simply cannot think of a more savvy term and indeed, even when showing non audiophile friends my stuff or the difference, most still don’t get the pathway past the initial buzz-bang, eyebrow raise and smile.
Always a great listen Steve. I can really relate to all your comments 😎👍 Thank you
Another great video. Well done! I think the reason for much of our differences or different perspectives is just a manifestation of the fact that this is all so subjective and personal. ‘Good stuff! 👍🏻
Fred Nester
I recently moved into a new house with a much larger listening space and I am currently shopping for a new up-to-date system for both home theater and music listening. But I want to tell you how I became an audiophile and my first buying experience around 1990 for my first system for a small listening area and a tight budget. I was in a HIFI store in Scottsdale, AZ to check out some speakers. They had two showrooms for speakers. One was for large, expensive, esoteric, audiophile stuff that was too large and too expensive, but I listened to them anyway with interest for a baseline comparison (I was impressed most with the large B & W speakers). The other showroom had a smaller bookshelf, and medium to low-priced speakers. There were a few floor-standing tower speakers (they sounded the worst, boxy and directional with some high-frequency distortion). Prices ranged from $200/pair to $4000/pair. There were about a dozen speakers to review and all were linked to a switchboard that the salesman could use to demonstrate the sound comparison. I closed my eyes and began listening and I could point to what was playing (not good) until he switched to a certain brand. Suddenly, I could not tell which speaker was playing or where the music was coming from, and the sound was open, seamless, and coherent. I walked among the speakers and could not figure out what was playing until the salesman pointed them out, and I was completely blown away and got the surprise of my life. They were small Boston speakers at $500/pair. You probably remember what they are. They were passive two-way speakers with a cast aluminum alloy enclosure like the small Genelec speakers of today. To my ear, they were the best sounding speakers that I heard in the store regardless of price and I am surprised the company eventually stopped making them instead of making them even better. I thought they had a real winner with that product. I bought a matching center speaker ($350) and two surrounds at $150 each, and I got a Snell, powered subwoofer that matched well. I still love those speakers and I am setting them up in another room. I got an Onkyo 939 5.1 receiver which I also love (it cost $2400, a little pricey for the time) but later became obsolete for Home Theater because it doesn't have HDMI connections for the newer flat-screen TVs and Blue Ray players. But it is well made, plenty powerful, and sounds great for two-channel stereo listening. It also allows you to select and adjust different soundfield modes, something unique that I love but some people hate. I got a Sony ES CD player for about $900 that I still use and it still plays and sounds well in spite of its age. It was and remains a high-quality machine. I write this to show that the more expensive and newer gear is not always the best-sounding choice for your listening space and I have been very happy with those purchases over the years. Quality stuff that matched well together at a reasonable cost and that sounded good to my objective ear is what I chose in retrospect. Sadly, there are fewer audio shops available anymore to audition audio equipment in this manner before making purchase decisions.
A music and hifi enthusiast is how I would describe myself.
Luckily everyone is free to choose their own label, if they feel the need to. 😉
Happy listening to all.
I've loved music since I can remember (5-6 years old) back in the 60's.The gear bug hit me at 19 back in 1979. Back then we considered ourselves guys who loved great music, specially live music.
As we got older work and family meant little to no live music, consequently bringing the live music experience home became a must. The love of music, the sound of music reproduction, and the means (gear) that delivers it is our PASSION!. Call it what you may these three are the bedrock of being an "audiophile". Additional layers, such as the ones that Steve describes maybe added.
Thanks Steve.
Every time I look at those Sound Absorbing/Diffuser Panels on your Wall I keep seeing "Morse Code"! (which I can read as I am a Radio Ham as well as an "Audiophile"), Great Videos as usual Steve.
thought it was braille
Didn't think of that, might be a Secret Code or something, like Buy more Vinyl !!.
I remember your great commentary, in CD Review.
As there is no clear upgrade path here for a changed 'whole system'.
You helped make me aware of Schitt.
Plan is to buy modi DAC and Vali headphone amp early Sept , to connect to gear as noted below. Higher end headphone can come later. Now it is older 250ohm DT770 and a lowly HD598.
Besides regular line outs, I have Toslink and Coax out from a vintage Denon CD player, Toslink and USB out in turntable TEAC TN 570 (which has DAC and phono preamp in it), and Toslink in Tascam CD recorder.
Small apt.(Two Bridges, Manhattan) always background sound until it lessens in chill of fall and winter. Room is as big problem as budget.
Fantastic episode! I was nodding my head in agreement while watching this!
You nailed it with this audiophile list. I was wondering about number 2, but the viewer system of the day reinforced it. I agree with all 10 and enjoyed the video. Thank you!
Very cool viewer system(s) today 👍🔊😊🎶
Hi Steve, I am a audiophile. Love music and for 3 years have been listening to you . Thank you for everything.
Great topic ( and shirt) Steve!
Haven't droped in for a while, dude that soul patch is awesome 👍
From the old and dusty, single speaker, AM, 1960’s radio, while scrolling through the AM stations and smiling at the nostalgia. To the multi thousand dollar reference system in a dedicated room and grinning at the stunning sound stage…. Audiophile. 😍😍
Great video. I'm the only audiophile I know because I live far away from most of the world population in southern Tasmania, so that is probably why. However I do have quite a few friends who like music and they all seem to love parties at my place. I just play DJ most of the time when we have gatherings. Another point, I think that some percentages applied to these ten reasons may be good. I would put myself at at least 50% the music, 30% the gear and the other 20% filtered out over the others. I try to turn people on the good hifi but it's an uphill battle with my circle of friends. In fact, my adult children are the most interested in music and "seperate's" type audio and they want to steal all my records!
Yes, it all started when I was a little kid and was amazed with the music coming from my father's tube The Fisher amp and the Garrard turn table, listening to my parents records of The Beatles, The Ventures, Frank Sinatra, Engelbert, Tom Jones or Elvis.
Then when a teenager going from home to home with friend to share and make tapes of our recently acquired rock records and admiring each other family's Japanese solid state systems.
Since then what have been the constant reasons, are definitely 1 and 2
I define an “audiophile” as someone who loves hi Fidelity music to the point that they are never satisfied with their equipment. I am satisfied with my system, therefore by my definition, I am not an audiophile….but….I am never satisfied with the “software” and with 3000 CDs in my archive, am always looking for something good that I don’t have: like The Rolling Stones in Texas in ‘78….😎 which is why I watch you, for info about music, in which you seem to have great taste.
My 40-something gal pal, after listening to my system (Cambridge 5.1 with Goldenear stand mounted speakers), asked to go audio shopping for a new home system. So we went to Best Buy (where it's hard to hear one system without the bleed from another one nearby) & I suggested a nice soundbar (I think it was a Polk). "Wow, $400!" she exclaimed. No sale. A year went by she asked about audio again, so we visited Brooks Berdan here in the SG Valley. She really liked a $4,000 Revel speaker system which made me exclaim "Wow! I think you can do pretty well but spend less than that." Cut to 2020 and she became a proud owner of a Yamaha receiver & a pair of $5,000 Focal floorstanders.
Wow!
OMG! I just listened to that Ray Charles album. Absolutely amazing. I never was a fan of Ray, but this album shows a side I never knew existed. It’s truly JAZZ! Many thanks.
Great video Steve and I really enjoyed it and I agree with your top 10!!
Wow!! Great video! I’ve always asked the question, What makes one an audiophile? Being a sound chaser for the music you love? The thrill of the gear hunt? I think you nailed it but, one thing you forgot to mention is the look of the gear. We all just stare at our gear. Lol!
Steve, I didn’t expect that you’d post my systems as viewer system of the day & to mine & my wife’s surprise they made the feature lol! Last month they made the cover of Désire magazine with my wife and now this! 😊
Since these pics, I have added a beautiful set of OHM F’s to my main set up. Thank you for making my day sir! 🙏🙏🙏
I have been a self identified audiophile since I was 12 years old...but I've kept it secret. In the golden age, the tag of audiophile carried with it a snobby, self eclectic connotation. It was exclusive with the self exclusionary point of being locked behind money. In today's world it is getting better with the advent of the Internet. I remember going to the high end stereo stores back in the 70s and being intimidated by the salesmen in some cases, and being downright excluded in others. I am so happy that things are beginning to change, I just decry the lost years that I can never get back.
IN the 70s they had "stereo" or "hifi" shops selling mass market(Japanese) type mid to about high end stuff. Highest end was kind of fringe then and even required DIY sometimes. You could go to a stereo store where there were receivers galore and speakers galore, but you might not find the super pricey stuff there. They were happy to see you and happy to take your money, not really snobs at all. You could assemble a pretty good system with their offerings and not feel like an outsider to hifi.
@@tomsherwood4650 which is exactly what I did. I'm talking about the places that sold McIntosh and the like. My first experience was at my father's boss' house, where I was fascinated with his Tube McIntosh setup. There was a store in Columbus, Ohio called Custom Stereo..in the late 70s I was 19, fully employed and looking for that same magic that I experienced as a child. I was, first ignored, them given the brush-off...I had brought albums with me and wanted to demo some gear, and although the store was empty, I was told that all the systems were spoken for, though I was looking at 2 empty listening studios. I then asked to make an appointment and was told they didn't do that. I never set foot in that store again and did go on to spend thousands at your aforementioned shops after that. That has stuck with me all these years. I had similar experiences with other "HiFi" shops, though I don't remember the names like that first experience. A lot of young people have had similar experiences. I am truly sorry if that never happened to you. It gives you perspective.
@@stephenstevens6573 My experience was like yours. The only time I recall experiencing brutal class discrimination is at a high end audio store. The message was, based only on my suburban hippie like appearance: “you are in the wrong place. You need to go, you might scare off some real customers.”
@@ProgRockKeys my experience exactly. Thing is...I was a musician actively performing in the community..I had a very discriminating understanding of sound.
audiophile simply means audio lover. one might even call a bass head blasting rap from their car an audiophile if they have the passion for those things you mentioned.
Your comments/assessment is ON POINT... EXACTLY!! -thank you Steve for this, Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!! -forever your FAN.
I guess I am a rare music lover turned audiophile in their 50s. Mainly a question of funding priorities and WAF. Took detour through playing music after Ph.D. and focusing funds on that. Now I have it all: can buy any record I want, have a system in listening room I like (thank you pandemic), my instruments (violas d'amore), and essentially a 4-day workweek (vacation accrual). 🙂 I have never heard anybody else's system. Modest music collection of around 1200 titles, half records half CDs a few tapes. Mainly oddities in Punk-Goth-Indie-Experimental spectrum and HIPP baroque, and actively growing again in the past three years.
Also on the cost of hi-fi. In the 1970s I had a girlfriend whose parents purchased her a Bosendorfer piano for her birthday. I believe that today they start at around $US250,000. Now _that’s_ a lot of money for someone passionate about music. Kinda makes the ~$US5,000 or thereabouts my system is worth seem tiny!
Steve: Your number 10 should be number 1.
Also, I have a dozen friends our age who are huge music lovers / collectors with simple systems (i.e., a vintage made in Japan receiver, table and speakers like Advent, etc. They never think about improving the sound of their systems that they say are “good enough for me.” When they hear the term audiophile they either roll their eyes or link it to expensive systems…which to them is $2,500 and beyond.
I know your definition of audiophile but most people I know connect the term with expensive systems and those who are OCD about gear . I also know several who listen to their systems far more than music. All they talk about is imaging, detail, musicality, etc.and know very little about the music or the artists. To each their own.
I'm an audiophile but a budget one. However, I still don't know what kind of sound I want. I tried Klipsch rp600m, kef q350 now I'm trying b&w anni 606 at this moment. I found that I liked the kef sound. good combo with my Denon pma800. Later, I would explore the amp but at this moment stick with my Denon. Thanks, Steve for the great vid!
Hi.Try this Elac speaker with PS AUDIO SPROUT 100.Amazing combination for the price range.1000 USD .
Tough to beat the kef q350 for the money especially with a good quality Denon, I agree.
You had me at the Intro and certainly fully described by number 9! In addition to the tech, it's amazing how you can take out a vinyl record dated from 1972, give it a wipe, and it still sounds great 50 years later! That part amazes me too! I started young and would also be the DJ while still in high school at dances for all schools because I had the content to play! I did get away from vinyl for 35+ years but never away from music. Went to CD's, then FLAC files through a DAC, and now back to the beginnings, Vinyl, which is still the best!
I could not agree more. When I bring out 50-year-old vinyl and plop it onto my Rega P6, magic ensues.
Had it with vinyl and now I feel it with cassettes because I learned last time how to wash my >30 years old dirty tapes. They sound above imagination, never heard them like that On other hand today I received my purchase of original published cassette which is dated some 25years back and in sealed in brand condition. Excellent like winyl. Restored like brand new Hi Fi Telefunken cassette recorder which had producer fault and all this is new adventure back to past.
@@Mikexception I went through a cassette phase and an 8-track phase too. God those 8-tracks were horrible! 😀
@@LifelongMusicJunkie Althoug I had no occasioneven to listen even to 8 track I always was a great fan of it because it was as much as 8. A lot. High end user's comfort 😃.
I had few phases in cassettes - - first 40 years ago when they offered cheap way stereo recording. So I got polish bulky and that was first disappointment for so much noise - more then i even wished to have .
Then got polish Hi fi drawback type with NR B and C - it did job with exceptional quality anyway maual handling, long wzzzzzz... and loud shots at every operation...I was desperate to DYI the wire remote controll. Gave it to my teenager.
Got Onkyo - quite top class reverse with remote - annoyed me with uncontrolled cancelling my precious tapes.... got rid of it for free after 20 years. .
Then got B&O Ouverture set - fantastic in all aspects, brillant quality of sound remote and reverse...., except ageing belts and automatic level - not for Hi FI man.
Now I got 2 pieces of that Telefunken type which is totaly maual by "brutal man's force" simple but silent and strong , does what I want, with nice "wipers" and one has Dolby B and other Dolby B and Hi Com - no matter i I do not record with NR but for brand tapes in Dolby a must. Seems for me it is at end my best choice. I always needed to have sound aquarium in front and it delivers.
Of course for R2R tapes I have 4track stereo Uher and 2track stereo Bang Olufsen.And ouvertura with CD and LP Bang Olufsen. But at moment it's nothing but casstettes 😄
Steve, you NAILED it !
Right on Steve! I agree with every one of your points especially about the Quad Speakers. I will make one exception though and we have discussed it before. The Quad Planar Headphones. They sound better with every session and for the price I don’t think other headphones in the price range or even triple the price range can compete. Check all the reviews from Absolute Sound, Stereophile, Positive Feedback and more. They all love them. I doubt that we will ever agree on this component and now I think I understand why. You’re not fond of the Quad speakers and you did not give these headphones enough burn-in time to really get the true measure of them.
My dear friends... there is no better time to be an audiophile... the entire Universe of music is at our fingertips... we are able to converse with other audiophiles online... we are able to read multiple reviews before buying gear... we have resources to shop for new and used gear... what a great time to be an audiophile... thanks for sharing your passion 🙏
Great video. #4. People get defensive about the money they spend because some folks have more money to put into the hobby than others. That leads to jealousy. Also leads to the nonsense that a $500 piece of equipment sounds better than a $15K piece of equipment. Some people are just like that.... Bottom line: You spend what you can afford, and hopefully you are happy with you have.
I started in '74, with my Marantz receiver & JBL L100's!
So many great points, but #2 really jumped out at me. I didn’t know that most of us aren’t impressed by the other guy’s system.
I sat down to listen to my audio repair guy’s voice of the theatre horn speakers, driven by some classic Macintosh tube amps and high $ streaming stuff. It sounded like a public address system to me; by which I mean, really horrible. I’ve never heard live music played through pro sound reinforcement systems that I would call “audiophile” quality, yet I hear about everyone trying to replicate that “live” sound in their living rooms. And sure enough, this guy did get “that sound” in his living room - wow! We are all so different!
Love the Marantz JBL system! I have a 2230 driving some 15” 3 way JBLs, basically the L300. My secondary system, had it since the 70s.
I am an audiophile! I am also back in and LOVING IT MORE THAN EVER!!! 👍🏼😁👍🏼
Oh yes! I’m an audiophile by most of your definitions. I’d put love of music as number 1 though. Thank you for your entertaining videos. I might not always agree but This elderly Brit likes your style!
Thanks Andrew!
You nailed it! Awesome list, funny too😅
Honestly, I‘m one of those who wouldn‘t call themselves „audiophiles“ actually… However, I must admit that basically all of your points very much apply to me though…!🤔 Perhaps, I should just re-think my opinion on the (my) meaning of that term😅
Kind regards from 🇨🇭
It’s a mystery to me that so many quibble with the Oxford English Dictionary that states that an audiophile is: “a devotee of high-fidelity reproduction of sound”. Given the heterogeneity of the human population it’s axiomatic that there will be differences between individual audiophiles. Insisting on certain auxiliary characteristics is as perverse as accepting that Labradors are dogs, but insisting Pekinese aren’t _really_ dogs. As far as other people’s systems, only rarely do I actively dislike what others own. Having friends with more income than I meant I had to tailor my systems on a lower budget than I might have wanted. In my retirement, despite having far more money set aside for luxury goods, I’ve found no desire to spend up big even though I could. Most of my spending is on the music still and after all, as you say and I heartily concur, it’s all about passion for music.
I built some bookshelf 8" coaxial speakers with the semi open driver mounting. I took them to the local hifi shop so they could give me an opinion. But they were biased and were a bit reluctant cos (as usual) they didn't have the time. But I gave them some Whisky and that helped. When I came back to pick up the speakers they were unprecedentedly cheerful. And I asked them how they sounded, and they said the speakers sounded a lot better than they thought...and that I might be onto something. So their attitude changed and they said that they are looking forward to more speakers. Witch is happening soon! (2 pairs) A 5" SIngle driver plus woofer speaker and an 8" coaxial plus woofer speaker, both in floorstanding boxes.
I smell Oscar you hit the nail on the head Steve Short documentary
I also started young but I can´t agree fully that I want moore and better and better. I want to be well pleased, to reach the feeling of joy that my system performs well and that I can enjoy music. I know that there is no limit of what you can spend on a Hifisystem, so I go for "satisfied". Am I an Audiophile?
Yes you are, but in the less common subset of “satisfied” audiophile!
Nailed it Steve!
Im an audiophile/movie junkie and I luv it and I need a concert hall or maybe an old church, you see I'm old school and like to play music back the way it was recorded LOUDLY.
Yup started when I was 12 on a cd Walkman with a sennheiser earphones. Just didn’t know a name for my addiction back then. Now at 36 with my dream system, multiple headphones, many pre-amps and amps including Firstwatt and numerous speakers. The current main system consists of JBL 4344, Firstwatt F6 and a Korg nu-tube like the one behind you! A proud audiophile. Thanks for the video Steve
I don't call myself an audiophile as the word never existed in my time...I am 84 and always loved music from age 14 ..listening or dancing to it.I have a wonderful vintage /modern system that I love ...I am really nothing more than a music lover....love your videos Steve
Start early? I think I was about 9 or 10 when I found this tabletop console stereo in a box in the attic. I asked about it, and my dad said it was his stereo when he was a bachelor, but it didn't work anymore. It was about the size of a boombox, but this was years before they were made, and had a wood casing, an AM/FM tuner, a pressboard back and terminals for a turntable. My dad said if I could fix it I could have it. I was so excited! STEREO.
My older brother had a stereo. There was a stereo console in the living room. But I had just a little mono AM clock radio.
I took it apart, and found the problem. The power cable just went through a hole in the back, and one of the leads was broken off at the solder point. Paint was speckled all over the thing, my dad had used it when he was a painter, and my guess was that wrapping the cord around it day after day had bent the wire strands back and forth, and finally the last strand broke.
I borrowed a soldering iron and solder from a neighbor, and speck by speck scraped the paint dots off the outside. it was surprisingly loud for it's size, (about 20"X8"X8") i wish I could remember the name of it.
That was the start of it. I saved enough money for a turntable, swapped the speakers out of it, and was constantly told by my parents to turn it down. When we moved about 3 years later, it got lost, somehow. I had a crappy stereo for a while, then got a panasonic "boom box" that was pretty decent in the 80's, but it never rivaled that first stereo that I cherished.
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" >:)
Hi Steve, great video. Not sure if I'm an audiophile or not. All I can say is that I have loved music and the gear for many years and I still get goosebumps listening to some of my favourite sounds. Would love to own a really high end system one day. 👍🤞
Steve, I feel that you are genuinely sophisticated. Chuckled at gambling can piss away lots of money. Easy to spend more money on vinyl and CDs than intermediate systems. I would like to be in an audiophile club.
Steve, you are Spot On, absolutely right in your observations.
An audiophile is a man that needs to have something beautiful in his life, and chooses music and the equipment to hear it with joy.
Vinyl enthusiasts are men that want to own a piece of art and choose a turntable.
Reason number One totally out and out Contradicts Reason number Ten, which comprehensively defines an Audiophile.
Hi Steve, I'm with you regarding the Quads. I've heard the '63s sounding superb, but never really got into the original ESls. As far as alternative's to the word 'Audiophile', how about "Sonic Shaman"?
A work colleague who liked much music I also liked, eventually became a friend & when he first heard a record on my system, the side finished & before i got up to lift the arm, he took a pause & breath and said something to me like "Effing heck Steve, i didn't know a stereo could sound like that ..& a record too! (CD's had recently become "the holy grail") ..that was amazing, more an event, not like playing anything on my stereo" (80's superstore level smoked glass door'd rack system) ...or he said something extremely close to that (I had just played him a side of 'George Thorogood & The Destroyers' best by far & first L.P; i assume with no other writing on the sleeve's front) because i knew he had that L.P. too. In the next decade'ish, all of his own stereo slowly comprised of all of my own post-upgrade spare stereo pieces he bought off me, speakers & all, bit by bit as i upgraded, then had a great, mostly vintage stereo system at typically cheap pre-eBay rates, & i often enjoyed something new he had to play me whenever i visited him. Altogether by then he had a Thorens 150 with SME series 3, a P.S.Audio IV pre (with a gr8 internal mm/mc phono stage!) A Radford STA'25, 4xEL34 valve power amp & pair of large KEF efficient 3-ways (B139/T27/B110?mids, like Rogers used on their tiny LS3/5A's, minus the B139 woofers) He had told me how he loved it & he should have froze that stereo right there!
When I visited him next after not seeing him for over a year, Instead of the fulsome deep, clear & detailled sounding KEFs I sold him, he had a crummy sounding pair of Mission v.small tower speakers that he convinced himself were great, his new small 2-way light towers with 2 paralleled 4" inch bass/mids & dull sounding plastic chasis'd tweeters were not great & when he played something, I thought by 15 seconds in "Kev! what have you done & why ..It sounded great last time I was here & now its just a pale reflection of it't old self" but I didn't want to burst his balloon so i just asked him why he got rid of the 3-way KEF's? He told me something like: "Somebody where I work knows a lot about hi-fi & he told me 'Mission make the best stereo gear" so I sold the KEFs to put towards these new Missions I got by mail order from Richer Sounds" He must have paid over half as much for them as the whole system he had bought from me, bit by bit, & the whole sound had taken a crash in sound quality. I wish I'd been around to make him see sense. I still have memories of how good those old large KEF's sounded when I had them first & when he had them. There's a story or msybe two in there.
Regarding reason 2, other peoples system sound bad. My take on this is it's mostly due to the room. The impact of the room and set up is really big but then the owner is so use to it. It takes quite many hours to get used to a room unless it's really well treated so it's disappear.
Great vid as always - and yes, I'm an audiophile!
It is right about room. Usualy people equal room size with sound size and it leads to room reverbration which may be (is) impossible to fight
Hi Steve. Great video. Really enjoyed it. I am poor as a church mouse. Will never get close to buying what I want, but I am am audiophile. Been so since the age of 11, when I was studying music. May I add a number 11 please. For me, an audiophile is also about the pursuit of knowledge. I watch many channels and read many articles. I am excited when something new comes along. I want to know how it works and why it's different. Gets my juices flowing. E. G. Pro ject has released a new range of balanced turntables. I know this is not new, but I am intrigued to find out if with the new balanced phono pre amps if this technology makes any difference. Xx
Sorry for xx. Force of habit. Girlfriend and all. Oops.
Started in their teens? I started around the age of five or so, playing my aunts Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard records on her fold out portable record player. And will probably die as one. Took three years of electronics just to make informed decisions on gear.
Whelp, Steve….Ya got me….Checked pretty much every box. Please remove the cameras and microphones. Thanks….lol. I don’t wear fancy clothes, eat at fancy restaurants, drive an expensive car, but my system is nice, and records are holding up a section of my house. 👍🔊🤗🎶
I think that we can (and often do) replace the word audiophile, when describing equipment at least, as reference. Reference quality speakers, reference quality amps, reference recordings et al.
When it comes to audiophiles as individuals or a group we quite often coin the term 'audiophools' and I think that is a term that can be pretty self explanatory, to some. It can be used to describe the lengths that we can go to to achieve our goals, a nice description. It can also be used to describe our beliefs, not shared by non audiophiles, about the cost of cables, cartridges, even equipment. A lot of people just don't get it. Some (most) would think audiophiles as being audio elitests, hence the reason some don't care for the title, too snobbish.
I like the term 'audio practitioners', I think it sums up the word as practitioners enjoying reference quality (whatever that encompasses) equipment and music.
Just my 2 cents.
I was introduced to music on records by being given a large carton of 78rpm records from the 40s. I had no way to play them. My godmother gave me a 78rpm player that unfortunately had a dead amplifier. I saw an ad for a place in the strip district of Pittsburgh that sold electronic "stuff". I cajoled my dad to take me there one Saturday and found a 3 tube mono amp for about $10. When I installed it and played the first record by Benny Goodman, I was hooked. Changed the 4 inch speaker. Changed the turntable to a 3 speed one. Changed the tonearm. Ordered a Heathkit 14 watt stereo amplifier. That was only the beginning of my audiophiliac journey.
My wife has agreed with every purchase as a song bird and loves music & movies as much as myself. Started with an Aiwa boxed set, RadioShack sub, Sanyo VCR, 27" CRT Tv, PC and games. Today's list of products for 3 rooms is too long to list. It's always about improving the viewer and listening experience. No individual item is over $2k US but it looks and sounds like a theater.
It keeps guys at home out of the bars or trouble. lol.
Reason 11 for watching Audiophiliac videos: see what shirt Mrs. Audiophiliac came up with this time
That's a good definition of an audiophile, Steve. I'm always afraid to get someone into this expensive hobby. They might end up blaming me for losing thousands overnight :D
In regards to listening to other's systems Steve? When you get home from a listen & you look at your own setup. It's comforting that you think your system sounds best. Cos your ears are used to hearing things a certain way. And if you go to other places - your ears / mind are out of the comfort zone. And so start to judge other systems. You got your home setup exactly how you like it with the physical pressings you own & know. It must be hell being an audio gear reviewer. Having to keep swapping around tech & trying to see what 'fits'. I doff my cap to you and the brilliant John Darko for making 'Audio Talk' more accessible and with a passion.
As for alternatives to 'Audiophile'? I dunno man. The word is a pigeonhole. And it's just stuck. I'm a 'listener' & not an Audiophile.....BUT...I do look out for good presses / recordings for better quality before the loudness war's ruined it all. Thank god for online forums!
Some of us are not just into high quality Home Audio, but also carrying that sonic awesomeness over to one's vehicle, as well...
A lot of the reasons we prefer our own systems is the same reasons people prefer that old well worn chair. It's what we are used to and have spent the most time with. If I stay at a friend's place and listen to their system for days on end, then I can settle in and start to appreciate it.
Steve: Every one of those 10 applies to me. And naturally, I believe my audiophile system to be the finest on earth---Magnepan, Pro-ject, Jolida, Emotiva, Schiit, Rega, Black Ice Audio, Cambridge, and Harmon Kardon Rabco ST-8. My tribes are vinyl over CD and tube over solid state and Magnepan over everything else.
Steve, this is quite the analyzed / thoughtful description of being a so -called Audiophile. An Audiophile left Untreated will become a Audiophiliac!! A Newer disease :):). Your order could be moved around, but Nos. 10 & 9 are poignant points. Most people I know, simply Lug it in , play what they have and go on. I am not one of those folks. Love the sound of MUSIC (Number 5 !!), that's what can cause the OCD form Audiophilism. I find that people that play instruments may look at audiophilism to a greater extent. Your point about Gambling and Pissing away money, gives credence to another major topic not for this forum. Suffice it to say, that with all the sports gambling that has now exploded upon Sports fans will be a major MISTAKE! That in itself will create massive disasters for families. Audiophilism is way behind that. Enjoy the Music. Kudos to Steve. PS: Dave has some fabulous STUFF. Please advise me on how one sells older equipment - I've never done it (Speakers for now).
I’m an audiophile and have been since I was 16. I’m 62 now. Nothing gives me more pleasure than music played on fine gear!
I guess I’m an audiophile😂
I got my first system at about 17 years old and I still have the turntable and speakers today.
Now I’ve finally got me a McIntosh MC462 and a C49 “oh it’s on now”
I’m deployed and when I get back in going to inbox them and set up my system😎
“Audio Realism” Steve. In response to your Number 1 point/challenge. I’m slowly working on a script for an upcoming video that defines the concept and compares it against Audiophile-ism. Thanks for this video👍
I currently own 6 sets of speakers and 4 amps. I think I’m an audiophile
Stevieee!