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A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?

77.236.0.201
Posted on October 29, 2009 at 16:18:13
Japesgalore
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 Have you ever known a person who was obsessed with perfection? You could say that each of us has a bit of a perfectionist in them; some more than others. But would you go as far as to say that you had a full-blown illness when it came to trying to attain perfection? In the mind of a true audiophile, the quest for perfection is an almost all-consuming one. Generally not being totally foolish people though, they realize that perfection is not actually attainable. Yet, there is still part of them which demands they pursue the unattainable, like it were an addictive addictive drug. The name they've given this condition, with it's specific set of almost anxiety-like symptoms, is audio-nervosa.

There are other pursuits out there which require extreme dedication but, I swear, none is as unassuming as trying to get truly realistic and emotionally-engaging sound to come off from whatever it was recorded on, be it CD, vinyl or any other medium. In attempting to create live-sound music in the comfort of your own home, the layers of discovery involved are quite staggering. Scratching one surface leads to a new and often totally unexpected dimension underneath. It could all start with the purchase of your first 'seperates' sound system and it may, just may, result in a life-long condition and forever-deepening relationship with quality of sound.

In the first instance, anyone would be pleased with having purchased their first 'true' stereo, consisting of a separate CD player, amplifier and speakers. After all, it's a new and shiny toy. The critical thing here seems to be whether any research was done prior to the purchase. In most cases it seems the advertising and/or ill-informed shop assistant in the local local electronics superstore are allowed to dominate the decision making process. There's nothing wrong with that but, if one were in any way diligent in their approach to researching the topic, prior to or even after making the purchase, they would have no doubt come across the fringes of a known, but little understood, community – the community of the sound-quality obsessed nutters known as audiophiles. Having any inclination to taking up their advice means your own journey had just begun.

The audiophile community are a group of people who chat on internet forums, go to conventions and meet at each others houses, and who often spend vast sums of money on things most people would never even fathom existed for that kind of money. The classic example here being cables. There are actually numerous companies on the web which specialize in making cables. Some of these cables retail for $1000s. And it's not just speaker cables, which you may have even bought yourself at some point (for a few bucks), but the cables which connect your equipment to the electrical socket can be bought for a wallet-busting $11,000, as in the case of the Nordost 'Odin' cable. But that's nothing, the current record is for a set of cables that would set you back, wait for it... $90,000! So, as you can see, the sky is the limit here in terms of how much you could pay, and I haven't even touched on the cost of speakers and amplifiers and such (which of course reach into the $100,000s) or the various other ancillary components such as a equipment racks (which can cost $1000s) and little anti-vibration blocks for which to put your equipment on (which easily cost $100s).

You might be wondering what on earth could be in these things that brings them to the value of houses, or high performance cars, or Gucci handbags, all of which we know are well worth the asking price. Indeed, a lot of the prices are inflated, and many of the products are known for being more snakeoil than genuine refined quality. The truth, sadly, is that many a buyer would only spend this kind of money on sound equipment because he, and it usually is a he that buys such things, hasn't got anything better to do with it. The true audiophile, on the other hand, doesn't have to spend $100,000s, he only has to spend $1,000s. But this is where things start to deviate from almost all the rest of consumer culture. For you see, the audiophile is not interested in the status associated with owning such equipment, but with the end result – the truth of the sound.

Without going into absurd detail, or parodying the audiophile as someone who sits hours on end marveling at the accuracy of the sound of bird song or rustling leaves emanating from his speakers, I'll just say that their quest is actually about deriving as much emotional satisfaction from great musical pieces, whether they be classical, rock or hip hop, as possible. The 'layers' alluded to earlier are the phases one goes through when realizing that new, more expensive equipment is not, actually, the answer to getting better, more engaging music. All one really has to do is take care of all the parts which make up their system, and that does include getting the right cabling, equipment support, room acoustics, clean electrical supply and so on, and to find the synergy in all of it. Where audio nervosa comes in is in the sheer number of variables associated within these individual areas. As you begin to understand more, the more you realize that there is a whole lot more to learn. All the while you are second-guessing your own perceptions because, as it soon turns out, you are alone in your pursuit and don't even have proven science to back you up.

The audiophiles which you can speak to online have this realization in common. They've created websites such as audioasylum.com and audionervosa.com where they argue about the benefits of one kind of cable over another. It seems absolutely crazy in the eyes of the outsider, but these people at least know that it's not attaining the goal of perfection that's important, but the actual journey one takes to get there. It's a process of discovery, on a scientific level as well as personal, that you realize is a reflection of life itself.

I believe you started off on the wrong foot with this crowd. Here's some advice:, posted on November 3, 2009 at 06:48:10
Recordfan
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 When I read your subject line, I assumed you were an English professor or a high school English teacher (i.e., literature, grammar) as did most of the respondents. That sets the bar pretty high for grammar, spelling, and writing style. As such, you were mercilessly attacked as one who should be a standard bearer in this area. However, teaching English as a second language, which is a very noble pursuit, does not carry the same level of literary/grammatical responsibility. My advice is to use spelling/grammar check and move on with your essay and forgive and forget this particular experience at the asylum.

They should ask for their money back, posted on November 2, 2009 at 07:25:24
Bruce from DC
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 At least four errors in the first paragraph . . . and I stopped reading after that.

You want a list?

1. 3rd sentence: "But would . . " This is a good illustration of the basic rule that a conjunction should not be used to begin a sentence. Here, the word "but" is totally superfluous. It is no more than an expletive.

2. 5th sentence: "Generally not being totally foolish people though, they realize . . ." The adverb "generally" is misplaced. It modifies the verb "realize" and should be placed next to it. "Though" is superfluous. (That's a twofer, but I'll count it as one.)

3. 6th sentence: "Yet, there is still part of them which demands they pursue the unattainable, like it were an addictive addictive drug." Do you intend this redundancy, or is it just a typo? Also, correct syntax requires the use of the indefinite article "a" before "part."

4. 7th sentence: " . . .with it's specific set of almost anxiety-like symptoms . . ." A common error: confusing the possessive "its" with the contraction of "it is," "it's." Here, the meaning obviously is the possessive "its," which is spelled without the apostrophe.

As a general matter, your style is typical of a pedant, who attempts to elevate the tone of his writing by the use of redundant words. Only lawyers say things like, "cease and desist."

You shouldn't emulate them.

(BTW, ordinarily, I would consider it unfair to subject a casually-written post to this kind of scrutiny. However, by identifying this as an essay that you shared with your students (presumably, as a model for them to emulate), you asked for it!)


Aren't you dead yet?, posted on November 3, 2009 at 15:54:08
Keith Lockwood
 Damn

RE: They should ask for their money back, posted on November 2, 2009 at 13:41:25
Japesgalore
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 This was an example of an informal peice of writing, where use of humour, 'spoken' english and idiomatic language were key. Read my response to the opening post for a little more context and, dare I say, justification.

Here's how I respond to your list:

1. What's wrong with the expletive? It's needed to create the contrast on the previous sentence. Doesn't sound the same without, so I keep it.

2. 'Generally' does not modify 'realize', it modifies 'not being foolish'. Move it next to realize and the meaning changes. 'Though' I added to imply a 'but'. I suppose I could have written the sentence "But because they're generally not foolish people", but the inversion I felt was suited. That's two back to me, but lets maintain it as one.

3. These I'll give you. I was too much in English 'spoken' mode and ignored the 'a'. Technically it should be there, but does it really matter? Really, in this case the article is superflous. Maybe in other contexts 'a part' would suit the RHYTHM more than 'part'.

Yes, the second 'addictive' is a typo. Like I said, read my justification and you'll see I put little effort in to making this 'right'.

4. Again, a typo.

I have to say, your points hardly inspire concern, let alone respect for your authority on the matter. I was worried with what you had found after reading the title of your post, but, nah. What do you do exactly that makes what I wrote so beneath your standard of expectation?

Just because something you're reading is described as an essay does that you mean you have to approach it with the exact pedantry of which you accuse me of later? Why don't you just read it it all and forget that you have to be looking for mistakes (but if you happen to find any, which no doubt you will, please, make me another list;).

a few more..., posted on November 2, 2009 at 12:51:51
tunenut
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 Too many unnecessary dashes: life-long, forever-deepening, emotionally-engaging....none of these need the dashes.

"It were" should be "it was"- subject and verb tense should match.

"extreme dedication but, I swear, none is as unassuming"- unassuming makes no sense in this context, it appears the word you are after is "consuming."

"sound to come off from whatever it was recorded on, be it CD, vinyl or any other medium"- very awkward clause ending with a preposition, it would be much cleaner just to say "sound from any recording, be it CD, vinyl or any other medium."
but, posted on November 2, 2009 at 13:25:37
slapshot
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 actually: "it were" is the correct tense, but it really should be "as if it were" to capture the counter factual nature of the statement. Similar to saying:

"If I were rich, I'd buy 20.1 Maggies"....clearly, me not rich, me not have 20.1 speakers. Me wish I were; me wish I did! :)

I feel for this guy...I don't think he knew what he was getting himself in for when he posted this originally. Knowing the audience, which he clarified in hindsight was very useful, but the www opens one up to all perspectives and all levels of criticism, and he has certainly received an earful.

you're right, posted on November 2, 2009 at 14:09:34
tunenut
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 I just didn't like "like it were", but you're right, the change should be "as if it were."

Pompous bozos the lot of you!, posted on November 3, 2009 at 03:39:01
Japesgalore
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 'Like' and 'as if' are interchangeable here, 'like' is only more informal, and in fact more commonly used in American English (I'm quoting Swan's 'Practical English Usage' here, essentailly the bible of English grammatical structures). Whether YOU like a particular word or not is not the issue here, is it? It was my artistic choice and aim to be informal in this case, as well as throughout the piece.

But you noticed I used 'were' (which you wrongly thought was incorrect) to express an unreal comparison, which is in fact more formal than using 'was'. The combo just works better.

And, you seriously think I meant the word 'consuming' there? 'Unassuming' means modest and unpretentious (dictionary.com). To be fair I used it by assuming that it meant that something was not overt, which I guess is similar and works in that, in trying to find the sound that works for you, you have to go on a deeply personal journey. Ultimately, you realize that what others think isn't important. Of course, there are plenty of pretentious audiophiles out there, which I alluded to in my article and which seem to have taken issue with it:)

Yes you might have a point about some of my dashes. Lifelong is apparently one word. So, my spelling is atrocious, does that make me a bad writer? Bah!

Nah, doesn't bother me, posted on November 2, 2009 at 13:43:34
Japesgalore
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 They're just a bunch of snobs, really ;)

RE: A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?, posted on November 1, 2009 at 07:19:27
andy19191
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 It is interesting when audiophiles genuinely try to explain the basis of their beliefs and enthusiasms. Unfortunately, in doing so they open themselves up to potential ridicule. You have made a number of assumptions about audiophiles that are likely to be in conflict with what the more mathematically/scientifically inclined of your students see and believe. Perhaps it will form the basis for some discussion.
I hope so, posted on November 1, 2009 at 07:23:44
Japesgalore
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 :)

EDIT SINCE FURTHER READING OF POSTS BY PEOPLE WHO CLEARLY MISSED THE POINT: I hoped so! :(

A bit of context might be needed here..., posted on October 31, 2009 at 15:19:41
Japesgalore
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 Wow, I certainly wasn't expecting this many replies, especially ones which went straight for the jugular. It's all good though. Let me just clarify a couple of things though.

It teach English in a language school in Poland, and I'm English. One of my classes is studying at an 'advanced' level (I can't explain to you what exactly constitutes being advanced in ESL but basically these guys are pretty communicative and are able to handle any writing thrown at them, with a dictionary by their side to check any difficult words). The unit we're on is about 'communities'. So, I wanted them to write me a piece on any community they wanted. It could have been about their own local community, the Michael Jackson fanclub community or the local racists. Anything. The condition was that it be written in an informal, casual style, with use of 'spoken English', humour and idiomatic expressions. Arguably more difficult than more formal letters and reports that they usually practice in preparation for their exams.

I thought I'd motivate them a bit by saying that I would write one myself as an example of the kind of thing I wanted. So the day before their lesson I finally sat down and bashed out this piece, on a topic which I hold dear to my heart. I wanted it to be informative, not too high-brow, and to maybe even change preconceptions of those on the outside. I wrote it in about 4 hours, with maybe another hour of tweaking prior to the lesson. I wasn't too fussed about perfection in writing as a I wanted them to see that it's difficult for a native to write 'properly' as well. In fact I had forgotten just how hard it was to present a fairly complex topic succincly and to make it as interesting and accessible as possible.

I thought I'd done a pretty decent job. A couple colleagues told me it was very well written. So I thought I'd just drop it on the Asylum, as is, to get your views. Perhaps I was expecting to generate more of a conceptual discussion, based on the content of what I'd written, rather than a critique of my writing style and grammar. But in hindsight my thread title may have invited it, which is actually good as well. I hadn't written anything creative since I was like 12, apart from the odd long-winded forum post, so I needed the reality check.

I just kind of believe that a good piece of writing can be read like a stream of thought. Mine has it's issues that hinder that I'm sure, but then again it might be something that one would have to get used to ;)

RE: A bit of context might be needed here..., posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:45:23
Japesgalore
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 Right then, somebody else right their own fucking piece summarizing what it means to be an audiophile. Come on, show me how it's done, and I might just go back an tweak mine, like I tweak my system, and my sisters nipples. We'll put them to the vote of the lunatics in this place, if they'll even bother to read them. But you know, I'll gladly accept when I've been bested, I'm no Hemingway after all!

Sorry about that..., posted on November 1, 2009 at 02:41:16
FenderLover
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 Sorry, if you found some of the responses inappropriate. Perhaps if you had initially stated the details of your class assignment. And the purpose of your essay (being an example for your students), it may have helped. Yeah, I know it’s not the author’s responsibility, but I’m sure you know how emotional people can be concerning this hobby. Especially “audiophiles.” A label which may carry a negative connotation. Some may have reacted in a kinda defensive manner. Try not to take their comments personally. Unfortunately, folks can be quick to judge. I hope that most criticism of your essay was meant to be constructive. If it wasn’t then heck, the “issues” prolly lie more with the critic, than the author. I agree that it’s difficult to write at any length. It’s a lost art in today’s rapid, fast paced & abbreviated mind-numbing methods of communication.

Look, pal, it's not bad but it ain't Hemingway. nt, posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:18:11
geoffkait
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 nt

Sour grapes. Time to review your Aesop's Fables. (nt), posted on October 31, 2009 at 12:49:03
Al Sekela
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 :(

Who, me?, posted on October 31, 2009 at 15:29:01
Japesgalore
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 Care to ellaborate in what way I'm mocking the thing I've not got?

A little essay, posted on October 31, 2009 at 08:51:27
DaveT
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 I agree with the overall theme of the essay. I think it is concise enough, and I get your meaning. My immediate grasp of the meaning, may well, come from my own bias,

I would suggest you check to make sure the various personage is consistent (I, they, you, etc.) It is my personal belief that one should try to say whatever must be said as concisely as possible. That is to say if can be said in one sentence do so,

My practical experience comes from writing from a war zone (before the Internet), when thoughts in poorly written sentences were brought to my attention 2 weeks later in a response. Then the correction was sent, and the subsequent response to the original thought came a month after the thought was first penned. I leraned to try to get thought accurate the first time.

As a technical writer I found you had to dumb things down. You have no idea what the reader's background may be. Concise clear thoughts are necessary when writing technical documents. Short of an ongoing dialogue via the mail, where one's background may be well known it is best to be clear and concise. This normally requires some forethought on the part of the writer, and considerate editing.

I think you have gotten you general thought across. However, in instances where unintended questions arise; they must be answered. (breaking the 2 sentence paragraph rule for the sake of being clear and concise).

Some polish here and there wouldn't hurt, but overall a well written theme.



DaveT
RE: A little essay, posted on October 31, 2009 at 15:41:22
Japesgalore
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 Is that bias the fact that you're an audiophile? Yeh it's hard to say what a person on the outside would think of it - I'll be getting some class feedback next week.

Yeh this issue with I,they,you,etc has always been a bugger for me. I change cos, where at first it suits to be impersonal, I somehow sense that the 'rhythm' calls for taking a more personal tone at certain points. I've never been able to figure out how to factor that in to my writing.

Vague, abstract thoughts are fleeting and I found it hard to get the idea down succinctly. A while back this would stop me from ever putting pen to paper, but now I sort of let myself fall into it blind and trust that most of the 'framework' of the idea would appaer. Then I go back and try to re-jig things.

Thanks though for the complementary words.

I like your examination of "audio-nervosa"..., posted on October 30, 2009 at 19:57:26
mpathus
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 ...likening it ot an illness - I'd start with that.

More comparisons to charming neurotic pecadillos could keep the whole contextual.

More of the satirical "...well worth the asking price." please.

I like your conclusions.

If you're not paid by the word, keep it concise.

Thanks, that was enjoyable.

RE: I like your examination of "audio-nervosa"..., posted on October 31, 2009 at 15:43:34
Japesgalore
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 Thanks, you're welcome. I'm glad you picked up on the satire - someone below missed it and had even a little dig about it, hah!

RE: A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?, posted on October 30, 2009 at 18:48:03
Tobias
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 There are proofreading errors, "with it's specific set " for example.

I agree with madisonears about the stilted style. You began to lose me around the fourth sentence, as it became harder to understand what you were really saying. I think you could profitably lose qualifying formulations. For example,

Generally not being totally foolish people though, they realize that perfection is not actually attainable.

could be rewritten as

They are not fools, they realize that perfection is unattainable.

Have another go and don't give up.

RE: A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?, posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:05:57
Japesgalore
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 "There are proofreading errors, "with it's specific set " for example."

Of course, there a few glaring proofreading errors, I left them in to allow my students to dig them out. I've added a post under my first one to give a little more background to why this was written and posted.

"They are not fools, they realize that perfection is unattainable."

Yeah but why be so blunt? The sentence I wrote isn't one of my better ones that's for sure but it's pretty much got the tone I wanted to inject to the piece. I call it 'hint of sarcasm' :) I dithered between it and:

Generally not being totally foolish people, they realize that perfection is not attainable.

But then again that's got that bluntness. Like I mentioned above, I like my pieces to be read as a stream of thought, and these little additional words I feel help with that.

Of course I might be wrong on all this and maybe in time I will recognize the error of my ways...

RE: A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?, posted on October 31, 2009 at 17:46:43
Tobias
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 Ah, now I understand the reason for the proofreading errors.

Is it brutal of me to point out that if you don't tell the reader the errors are there on purpose, it is impossible for him not to think you goofed?

It makes me think of the time I was out biking while wearing toe straps. I arrived at a red light and saw a crowd waiting on the other side to cross. In order to demonstrate the dangers involved in wearing toe straps and the high degree of skill needed for success, I purposely did not remove my right foot from the pedal. Actually this is the gist of what I shouted to the laughing crowd after I fell over.

I generally think that sarcasm has to be very clever indeed to be worth writing. Alexander Pope and Winston Churchill come to mind. To language learners, I think it's a good idea to signal the coming of sarcasm some way in advance of its actual arrival, or they don't get it. That's just me, though. Come to think of it, I appreciate the odd signal myself.

I like Strunk & White. There is also the British classic, Plain Words by Sir Ernest Gowers. Sure, true artists need not be bound by the conventions of the commonplace communications these writers seek to improve.

Clear and well-written, posted on October 30, 2009 at 16:45:17
DougE
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 I know how difficult it is to write well. "Phooey!" to the nay-sayers! Your paper is well written and I enjoyed it.

Thanks thanks!, posted on October 31, 2009 at 15:49:36
Japesgalore
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 Your words of support are much appreciated. I do like polarizing people though, it's a sign that what you'd created IS good, on a level other than 'the obvious':)

RE: A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?, posted on October 30, 2009 at 15:40:45
james.kim76
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 i Like this essay. What grade of english is this for though?

Im not very helpfull i wouldnt have gotten through english at allk if it wasnt for www.Audiobooks.net

Thanks man!, posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:08:29
Japesgalore
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 This is for EFL, English as a Foreign Language, advanced level.

This is poorly written. nt, posted on October 30, 2009 at 13:58:38
Steve Parry
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 .

Wow, and who the hell are you, the guru?, posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:14:32
Japesgalore
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 .

90k speakers are an obsession ..., posted on October 30, 2009 at 10:04:28
Bill the K
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 of Audiophiles but 90k cables belong to the enlightened ones.A truly enlightened Audiophile will only be satisfied using a 90k cable with their 90k speaker.All others using Home Depot extension cable to Nordost or whatever are pretending to be happy.If an audiophile wins the Lotto,he will buy a 90k cable along with Magico and YG Acoustics and Wilson.

Has an Audiophile ever won the Lotto?

If a 'true' audiophile won the World Lotto, posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:28:56
Japesgalore
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 which doesn't exist, and bought himself a $10million stereo, you think that would make him happy instantly? Hell no, a true audiophile would have to go through the same drama of tweaking as the true audiophile who's only spent $10thousand, and would still have the same niggling senstations that, well, it still aint perfect. There is a point of course that you have to finally accept what you've got, after you'd tweaked all the 'areas' to their extreme and been through all the iterations to know that what you've got IS the best you can get - is that when audio-nervosa subsides? Doubt it, but at that point you naturally change hobbies and stop nearly listening to music as much.
You are right, posted on October 31, 2009 at 23:47:54
Bill the K
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 This Audio Nervosa can stretch beyond the systems.I feel the acoustics of Radio City Music Hall and the Madison Squre Garden should be improved before they have concerts by Rush and CSN&Y and others there.Some CD recordings should have been done better;some singing by known performers sound poor.Some 'live' performances are not for the enjoyment of music but are for mass gatherings for some hyping, like the Gospel prayer
groups.Some songs sound like speaking in 'tongue' anyway.

Is there a 'contended' Audiophile? If there is,the music has died.

RE: 90k speakers are an obsession ..., posted on October 30, 2009 at 10:19:10
FenderLover
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 I don't think it's the hobby. But, rather the person (personality) that can make this pastime seem crazy to an outsider. You ought to see some of the things posted on other boards.

I say you'd better find a good editor..., posted on October 30, 2009 at 09:54:52
tunenut
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 The points are clear enough but the language and reasoning are both tortured. For example:

"You might be wondering what on earth could be in these things that brings them to the value of houses, or high performance cars, or Gucci handbags, all of which we know are well worth the asking price. Indeed, a lot of the prices are inflated, and many of the products are known for being more snakeoil than genuine refined quality."

Really? We know houses and Gucci handbags are "well worth the asking price?" Really? Every house is well worth its asking price?

I'd say this needs much work to be a clean document.

RE: I say you'd better find a good editor..., posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:33:09
Japesgalore
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 That particular sentence would have been far clearer if I knew how to retain the italics on the word 'know'. It was just a bit of satire/irony on my part which at least someone had picked up on above :)

Agreed, but I didn't want to be that brutal...(nt0, posted on October 30, 2009 at 12:29:11
mkuller
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 (nt)

apologies, posted on October 30, 2009 at 19:20:35
tunenut
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 I did not realize that the writer was from Poland. The English is much better than my Polish would be! The points come across fine.

I'm English mate,, posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:49:26
Japesgalore
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Joined: September 25, 2007
 we've just got this way with irony which, strangely, seems lost on many an American ;)

RE: A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?, posted on October 30, 2009 at 08:52:34
soulfood
Audiophile

Posts: 1500
Joined: August 9, 2001
 I don't particularity care for your slant on topic. If you must, for starters I'd omit the first paragraph and give a nod to the publications.

That's cool, posted on October 31, 2009 at 16:51:30
Japesgalore
Audiophile

Posts: 212
Joined: September 25, 2007
 but could you say what you mean by giving 'a nod to the publications'?

RE: That's cool, posted on October 31, 2009 at 19:51:21
soulfood
Audiophile

Posts: 1500
Joined: August 9, 2001
 You would not have a foundation for a perspective without audio publications.

For example when you say, "The name they've given this condition, with it's specific set of almost anxiety-like symptoms, is audio-nervosa.", who do you really think they are?

RE: That's cool, posted on November 1, 2009 at 02:41:21
Japesgalore
Audiophile

Posts: 212
Joined: September 25, 2007
 'They' are the audiophile community. I did't know the expression was taken from a publication. What does one do in this instance, when attempting to put together a comprehensive bibliography. I hate all that pedantry.

RE: That's cool, posted on November 1, 2009 at 05:53:26
soulfood
Audiophile

Posts: 1500
Joined: August 9, 2001
 "What does one do in this instance, when attempting to put together a comprehensive bibliography."

Be patient or become a tool of the media. You're not breaking new ground. Respect the complexities by reviewing this thread, for instance.

Don't take the asylum/nutters thing literally either. You might research how others perceive audiophiles, here. I'm not sure what is in the archives but there have been enough audiophiles vs non-audiophiles/DBT type battles to keep you busy for a very long time.

Enjoy the music, that's what I do. There was not enough of that sentiment in your essay in my opinion. If you really feel it is your immediate calling to examine the audiophile community, I can't help you further.
You TEACH English? In the USA?, posted on October 30, 2009 at 08:02:12
madisonears
Audiophile

Posts: 487
Location: midwest
Joined: September 6, 2006
 Primary or secondary level? If I got this essay from a sophomore in high school, they'd get a B+, perhaps A-. I recognize that language skills are in sharp decline, and this essay represents at least a thoughtful presentation of an idea with few blatant errors. As a post in an internet forum, it's much better than most. I've seen college graduates write worse. Hell, I've seen business letters signed by CEO's that were not written as well. In absolute terms, however, it's certainly not the best writing, with a casual yet stilted style and somewhat careless grammar.

If I were trying to teach English to non-English speaking students, this would be a good example of "conversational competence".

As for the content, it is accurate.

Peace,
Tom E

I do, posted on October 31, 2009 at 17:05:12
Japesgalore
Audiophile

Posts: 212
Joined: September 25, 2007
 In Poland, at a bunch of levels. This class is 'advanced'.

I always disagreed with the criteria by which students were graded for their peices of writing in English classes in English schools. It was obvious stuff that would get a student marked down, spelling and grammar etc, while any deeper and more subtle techniques were totally lost on the teacher. Or they would just expect the style to conform to whatever style they though an essay should be written in - usually dull. If the style deviated from that, as in if it had some actual character in it, they would consider it to be 'inappropriate', never mind if it was informative and clear (and especially if it was more likely to actually grab the readers attention).

You're of course entitled to your opinion, I'm no expert after all, not qualified in writing or literature (only in teaching the fundamentals, i.e. WHY we say what we say, meaning grammar), but have you tried reading the essay without attemptiong to grade it in any way? Does it not have 'character' and convey a particular nuanced tone (never mind the obvious mistakes contained within)?

Anyways, I know it can be tweaked to bring our the particular tone and central idea more clearly, but you would be amazed at how just a slight change here or there could instantly bring the whole thing to another level (JUST like tweaking a sound system). My post attached to the first one gives some background on why this essay even came about.

RE: A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?, posted on October 30, 2009 at 06:35:00
Matts_
Audiophile

Posts: 1975
Joined: February 4, 2005
 I say get a Strunk & White and take it to heart! make each of your students get one, too.

Hadn't heard of them, posted on October 31, 2009 at 17:14:34
Japesgalore
Audiophile

Posts: 212
Joined: September 25, 2007
 so I checked Wikipedia. My class is a foreign language class so their wisdon might be lost on them. I myself try to adhere to one of their main rules - to get rid of all words unless they are absolutely necessary. In the case of this essay though, and for my writing in general, I aim for the extra words to add distinct character. It was something that a poster picked up on above, but his suggestion I didn't agre with.

'Serious' creative writing is not something I'm getting into yet, even though I do have ideas for stories knocking about my head. I've just always been afraid of not being able to be up to the task; of not being able to put my ideas into words. Maybe getting a hold of and reading that book might put my fears to rest...

RE: Hadn't heard of them, posted on November 2, 2009 at 06:29:00
Matts_
Audiophile

Posts: 1975
Joined: February 4, 2005
 writing is just like anything else- lots of practice and good feedback feed constant improvement. Many good and great writers read Strunk & White at least once a year and keep a copy around all the time. Good luck!

RE: A little essay I wrote for my English class (one that I teach). What say ye?, posted on October 30, 2009 at 02:09:26
Bhasi
Audiophile

Posts: 620
Joined: July 9, 2001
 Hi

Good writing, of course, and an interesting read, so well suited to its intended purpose, I'd guess. I can't disagree with anything content-wise.

In the interests of pedantry, though, can I point out a few typos, etc?

'addictive addictive' in the last line of para 1

'it's' in the same line

(There's another repeated word somewhere else but I've lost it. Spell-check?)

There's also an inconsistency regarding pronouns: at one point you use 'one' and 'they' or 'their' to be non-gender-specific but elsewhere use the masculine forms.

Personally, I quite like sentences like 'The classic example here being cables.' but I suspect a student might challenge its grammaticality!
No offense - I like this better, posted on October 29, 2009 at 16:39:51
kavakidd
Audiophile

Posts: 14053
Location: Upstate NY
Joined: April 15, 2004
Contributor
  Since: April 21, 2004
 Nice piece tho

Have you ever known a person who was obsessed with perfection? You could say that each of us has a bit of a perfectionist in them; some more than others. But would you go as far as to say that you had a full-blown illness when it came to trying to attain perfection? In the mind of a true audiophile, the quest for perfection is an almost all-consuming one. Generally not being totally foolish people though, they realize that perfection is not actually attainable. Yet, there is still part of them which demands they pursue the unattainable, like it were an addictive addictive drug. The name they've given this condition, with it's specific set of almost anxiety-like symptoms, is audio-nervosa.

There are other pursuits out there which require extreme dedication but, I swear, none is as unassuming as trying to get truly realistic and emotionally-engaging sound to come off from whatever it was recorded on, be it CD, vinyl or any other medium. In attempting to create live-sound music in the comfort of your own home, the layers of discovery involved are quite staggering. Scratching one surface leads to a new and often totally unexpected dimension underneath. It could all start with the purchase of your first 'seperates' sound system and it may, just may, result in a life-long condition and forever-deepening relationship with quality of sound.

In the first instance, anyone would be pleased with having purchased their first 'true' stereo, consisting of a separate CD player, amplifier and speakers. After all, it's a new and shiny toy. The critical thing here seems to be whether any research was done prior to the purchase. In most cases it seems the advertising and/or ill-informed shop assistant in the local local electronics superstore are allowed to dominate the decision making process. There's nothing wrong with that but, if one were in any way diligent in their approach to researching the topic, prior to or even after making the purchase, they would no doubt have come across the fringes of a known, but little understood, community – the community of the sound-quality obsessed nutters known as audiophiles. Having any inclination to taking up their advice means your own journey had just begun.

The audiophile community are a group of people who chat on internet forums, go to conventions and meet at each others houses, and who often spend vast sums of money on things most people would never even fathom existed for that kind of money. The classic example here being cables.

There are actually numerous companies on the web which specialize in making cables. Some of these cables retail for $1000s. And it's not just speaker cables, which you may have even bought yourself at some point (for a few bucks), but the cables which connect your equipment to the electrical socket can be bought for a wallet-busting $11,000, as in the case of the Nordost 'Odin' cable. But that's nothing, the current record is for a set of cables that would set you back, wait for it... $90,000! So, as you can see, the sky is the limit here in terms of how much you could pay, and I haven't even touched on the cost of speakers and amplifiers and such (which of course reach into the $100,000s) or the various other ancillary components such as a equipment racks (which can cost $1000s) and little anti-vibration blocks for which to put your equipment on (which easily cost $100s).

You might be wondering what on earth could be in these things that brings them to the value of houses, or high performance cars, or Gucci handbags, all of which we know are well worth the asking price. Indeed, a lot of the prices are inflated, and many of the products are known for being more snakeoil than genuine refined quality. The truth, sadly, is that many a buyer would only spend this kind of money on sound equipment because he, and it usually is a he that buys such things, hasn't got anything better to do with it. The true audiophile, on the other hand, doesn't have to spend $100,000s, he only has to spend $1,000s. But this is where things start to deviate from almost all the rest of consumer culture. For you see, the audiophile is not interested in the status associated with owning such equipment, but with the end result – the truth of the sound.

Without going into absurd detail, or parodying the audiophile as someone who sits hours on end marveling at the accuracy of the sound of bird song or rustling leaves emanating from his speakers, I'll just say that their quest is actually about deriving as much emotional satisfaction from great musical pieces, whether they be classical, rock or hip hop, as possible. The 'layers' alluded to earlier are the phases one goes through when realizing that new, more expensive equipment is not, actually, the answer to getting better, more engaging music. All one really has to do is take care of all the parts which make up their system, and that does include getting the right cabling, equipment support, room acoustics, clean electrical supply and so on, and to find the synergy in all of it.

Where audio nervosa comes in is in the sheer number of variables associated within these individual areas. As you begin to understand more, the more you realize that there is a whole lot more to learn. All the while you are second-guessing your own perceptions because, as it soon turns out, you are alone in your pursuit and don't even have proven science to back you up.

The audiophiles which you can speak to online have this realization in common. They've created websites such as audioasylum.com and audionervosa.com where they argue about the benefits of one kind of cable over another. It seems absolutely crazy in the eyes of the outsider, but these people at least know that it's not attaining the goal of perfection that's important, but the actual journey one takes to get there. It's a process of discovery, on a scientific level as well as personal, that you realize is a reflection of life itself.


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"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
RE: No offense - I like this better, posted on October 29, 2009 at 17:01:07
Japesgalore
Audiophile

Posts: 212
Joined: September 25, 2007
 Oh yeah, that does make sense, I just did a straight cut and paste from my doc file, with no background to why I did it or anything (but now I've added in the paragraph spacing as per your suggestion - the audioasylum doesn't seem to recongice tab indentations). It's hardly been re-analysed as well so I'm wondering what flaws people can pick out. I'm sure it can be better but I hope it just about encapsulates the nature of the quest.

EDIT- Ok, so I've looked closer - you seem to have added a couple more paragraphs. That's cool, I've always had a major problem with knowing where they augh to go. Not looked any closer to see if you've actually made any changes to the content.

EDIT#2- Actually, I've also always had a major problem with two-sentenced paragraphs. When writing they often strike me as rather, hmmm, jarring, unless they're entirely called for in the context. Tho from a reader's perspective it might just be better to have them where 'they should be'.

Nothing added, posted on October 29, 2009 at 21:27:22
kavakidd
Audiophile

Posts: 14053
Location: Upstate NY
Joined: April 15, 2004
Contributor
  Since: April 21, 2004
 it's just - especially on the computer - that breaks make reading much easier. I was just being a smartass if the truth be known

"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain

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