Solid State, Tube, Electrostatic, Horn, Cone, Active, Ported, Sealed, Ribbon, Vinyl, CD, Silver, Copper, etc all are valid.
It’s what you prefer.
Unless it's a CD changer...............
2) If you have not heard a component, speaker, cable, or tweak…you DON’T have an opinion.
Unless it's a CD changer............
3) Some general observations about Audiophiles
a) They talk a lot. A lot. And they love to disagree.
True, but not unique to audiophiles...........
b) They often like the sound their equipment makes, rather than music.
It's a stereotype that I'm afraid is virtually non-existent in reality.
c) Many shun live rock, pop, or jazz because of “bad sounding” PA systems.
I cannot speak for others, but I'll always go for a well-recorded live album, if that's an option. I think rockers show their real stuff in concert. And unless the sound is horrid, I'll take the live event every time.
d) They love to obsess about specs. They love to listen to specs.
Maybe the so called "objectivists", but otherwise, once again, virtually non-existent in reality.
Audiophile: “I just downloaded a killer 192Khz/24 bit album from XYZ.com…!” Co worker: ”How is the music?” Audiophile: “Huh?” Who cares, it’s High Resolution!”.
Where do you get these stereotypical stories from?
e) They love to have opinions on OTHER people’s systems and rooms.
Including CD changers they've never heard...........
Some absolutely true encounters:
One audiophile listening for exactly 30 seconds to my system then bellowing…”Yeh, boy have you got some room and set up problems!”….
They'll hear anomalies for the first time........... Such comments should never be taken personally.
One audiophile giving me a lecture on what type of fibers should be in the carpet in front of my system.
Now that I think was made-up........
One audiophile telling me that If I don’t have my cables elevated with expensive contraptions that reduce “cable/carpet interaction” I was an idiot.
I'd ask him, can you *explain* this "cable/carpet interaction?".........
4) Some general observations about the audio press and critics:
a) Unfortunately, they don’t make money from subscriptions, hence reader not always served. Mostly, but not always.
Agreed, but I think you're stating the obvious..........
b) Critics inject way too much of their personal idiosyncrocies into reviews. In my personal opinion, they should review a products in the mindset of the prospective buyer.
You have a good point there...........
c) The audio press is generally populated by middle aged (plus) white males. It is what it is, I just think a more diverse spread would be interesting to get different points of view.
When I read a review, it's usually by someone who I've never seen a picture of............
Bad Things Audiophiles have brought upon us:
1) Audiophile recordings.
Agreed...... Most sound no better than commercial recordings.
2) Expensive, sonically inconsequential tweaks. No, I don’t mean power cords and isolation devices.
You might as well include them...... Most of them IMO don't work..........
3) Children deprived of college tuition money.
Now that would be a shame, if such situation exists............
4) Wives with no vacations.
Only if the wives in such cases are weak-minded in their budget discussions..............
