Im joking really, im an audiophile myself with a decent hi fi set up that cost a few thousand dollars.

However, there is a subset of audiophiles that completely perplexes me. It just seems to me that at some stage, its no longer audiophilia (love of sound) but rather, some kind of neuroses where you have to control and make whatever you hear ‘pure’ or whatever it is. I worked in a psych ward years ago, and some of the stuff schizoprenics would say (about things being impure and such) echo alot of what I hear obsessive audiophiles say sometimes.

For example, theres audiophiles that would buy stuff like this:

https://www.toys4vip.com/en/luxury-toy/turntable/

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A $133,000 turntable hooked up to a power conditioner, just so they can play a vinyl. I mean, this is fucking crazy right?

  • Silverjerk@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    This isn’t just the “audiophile” hobby, it’s every hobby. I’m a guitarist and keyboard enthusiast as well, and the same habits and quirks permeate those hobbies.

    Some hobbyists buy gear for the love and joy of the thing that the gear facilitates (music, media, etc.). Some simply enjoy collecting; acquiring new, unique and interesting gear brings them joy – they may appreciate the engineering, aesthetics, etc. Some are looking for the “perfect” listening experience; that is their goal, to get as close to being “in the room” with the recording. They’re trying to recreate an environment where they feel like they’re standing in front of a band or artist and listening to them perform in real time.

    When achieved, this can be a transformative experience and I do understand the draw – it is one of the few times listening to music made me truly emotional (imagine standing in the room with the Beatles at Abbey Road).

    There is nothing wrong with any of these hobbyists. Unfortunately, this does tend to cause conflict in hobbyist communities – the biggest arguments tend to be between these different types of individuals, or individuals within a specific category that believe their opinions are empirically true. There also tends to be a lot of gatekeeping and elitism. Some people marry their past times. It’s unfortunate, but it may be the only thing that brings joy to their lives, and they commit themselves to it utterly and completely.

    The only time I question the sanity of anyone in this hobby is when they actually refer to themselves as an “audiophile.”