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General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

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RE: Audiophiles

Posted by Duster on December 30, 2020 at 15:26:02:

There has always been a clear differentiation between the notion of an audiophile, and that of a music lover. Of course, most if not all audiophiles are avid music lovers, but they have taken a keen interest in how sound reproduction can be greatly affected by what type, make/model, and methodology is chosen for the purpose. A music lover who is not an audiophile can still be an audio equipment fan, a gearhead who does not pay much attention to what a typical audiophile cares so much about. I've come across a number of AA Inmates who are gearheads, but don't relate to the audiophile demographic.

There are many levels of audiophile interest, with some folks paying close attention to what audiophiles might share in a forum like Audio Asylum, pick-out a nice audio system that fits their lifestyle and budget, and will only casually thumb-through a catalog from an audio retailer to see what might strike their fancy, since their enjoyment of music has been greatly increased by the improved sonics that dedicated if not obsessed audiophiles have helped to develop and advocate over the years. Then there are the very many different kinds of audio gear that a listener can choose from, and this in itself can become a fascinating activity.

There are many special interests that capture the heart and mind of those who deeply relate to such matters, including many hobbies that involve just as much enthusiasm over what others may find uninteresting, or even trite. What's the big deal, they might ask. But audio gear and all things associated have a profound effect in the lives of a stereotypical audiophile, in a manner that can be considered a waste of time and effort for so little reward. It's just music others might say, as long as they can feel the bass, they are quite happy with the Boogie Factor.

There is also a social factor involved in audiophilia, since from the very beginning audio clubs and audio rags were of great interest, especially those who were in the US military that returned to America during the second world war, many who learned how to operate, and how to repair advanced electronics and electrical systems that the military implemented throughout the war, including overwhelming new technologies introduced during such intensive wartime efforts. So technology and electrical engineering is just as vital as being addicted to sound like many audiophiles are, and maybe don't quite know it, as of yet.

Radio Row in New York City, which happened to be where the Twin Towers once stood, offered tube amplifier parts and kits and other gear for sale, and sold finished audio components to folks like my father, who bought a fine-sounding Lafayette tube audio system that I grew-up with, and thus became captivated with the magic of loudspeakers during my youth. So I became an audiophile while I danced in front of the loudspeakers as a toddler, since I wasn't just listening to the music, I was feeling the sound.

Cheers, Duster