ArthurPE

a person who enjoys live music and is foolish enough to think they can replicate the experience in their home via machinery

cobalt

You obviously have never heard a great system.

ArthurPE

I've heard some pretty well sorted out ones...
Wilson, Audio Research, etc.
maybe $100k in a dedicated room

but 3 dimensional is hard to reproduce

my system is far from $100k, is in a good room, and satisfies me...
but is not like the 'real thing'

driving simulators are pretty good, but I prefer a car

btw: I consider my self an audiophile (although I'm sure others wouldn't)
got Stereophile in the mid 70's (before magic wire and such, lol)
college system: ST70 tube amp, PAT4 preamp, FMI 80 speakers (used in Wilsons original design as the top end) Philips 212 w/Shure V15

ltc

This forum is a trolling free zone.

If you feel the urge, you know where P&C is ...

Bob Rouleau

I used to be an audiophile. I stopped when I discontinued reading audiophile magazines. My system sounded good in spite of having 0.0001 percent THD when the latest and greatest pre-amps and or amps were 0.00005 percent THD.


Now I just listen to the music without considering the equipment used to reproduce it.

cobalt

Interesting analogy, Although I have tried simulators that were darn near close and required an 18 wheel rig to move around they still don't come as close to some of the systems i have heard. I mentioned i listened to a system on another thread the other day that was near to impossible to differentiate between live and you did not need to close your eyes to appreciate it. I would say if you could place curtains in front of the system without altering the sound 95% of the people you had listen to it would swear it was live.

After all the definition of an audiophile is A person having an ardent interest in stereo or high-fidelity sound reproduction. I think we all agree without the music there is nothing. What drives us is not only the appreciation of the music but the appreciation of it's reproduction. I find I listen to music I would never consider listening to on a basic stereo just to see how accurate the system can be. In return I experience music i normally would not consider.

ArthurPE

trolling?

I was being (tongue in cheek) serious
and I consider my self a 'foolish' audiophile

my current system (much like Bob, it's the software, ie, music > the hardware for me now...can't or don't choose the 'chase the drasgon', lol, and I'm a hardware geek by nature...a EE) is a Mc MA6300, MA RS6, PS3 feeding a CA DacMagic...I recently put everything (900 CD's) on a laptop using the highest quality Media Player format...USB to DacMagic

most would say that system is 'lo fi', but to me, in my room ~ 14 x 33 x 7 .5, it sounds good to me...and I guess that is all that counts

re: McIntosh, recently got a tour of the factory (on the way to Montreal for f1) by the president himself, Charlie Randall, a class act...he comp'ed me a copy of the Kessler book...it was good fun

bigmac

WEMU.

MikeBat

I think the dedicated music listening room is the true starting point.

Below that, you listen to music.

rmrmd1956

You listen to a quadraphonic recording of your car revving through the gears with a little subwoofer added. Do this over and over until your wife comes home. Largactil helps.

john weires

What does it take to be an audiophile? Answer: It helps to be obsessive compulsive! Seriously I own a high end audio shop and a significant percentage of audiophiles exhibit this behavior. Many are looking for perfection outside of themselves in the build quality, sound and precision of the gear.
I bet a lot of Porsche owners fit the same profile!

Being an audiophile myself and also a musician, the creation and playback of the music go hand in hand and in the home it is hard to have one with out the other. Enjoying and learning about the gear is a bonus as it interacts with the music.
My shop wouldn't exist with out audiophiles nor would I have a lot of friends
that I made through this shared hobby.

Audio Video Logic
Urbandale, IA

mdrums

As a musician who still makes his living in this industry this is absolutely correct. You can come close and have fun in this quest.

Also no matter the expense of the sound system it all depends on the actual recording....then your room...then your system.

ArthurPE

I think you have the hierarchy perfect:
the recording quality is key, been listening to the Beatles mono reissue and they are amazing....same for older jazz (from the big names who could afford the best) like Miles, Coltrane, etc.

if you listen to say an Al Schmitt recording (maybe 'late for the sky' or any steely dan) you get an accurate reproduction of the artist's intent, not the engineer/producer...just sounds very close to 'real'

next room (dimesnions, acoustics, set-up, background noise/HVAC/resonance)

then hardware, any decent modern equipment (of sufficient power) with GOOD speakers will fill the bill...

dshepp806

Dog ears (engineers that KNOW the difference) and a perfect listening environment (with perfect speakers)....simple.


All of which is dependent upon proper capture, first.


Doyle

V225

I don't know what you mean by "the experience".

Live concerts normally have horrible acoustics, loud crowds, and you are rarely in the perfect listening position. I think of my system as surpassing any real-world concert situation in terms of fidelity & pleasure of listening. Of course, a band playing in a perfect room with only you in the audience, sitting in the perfect location would sound awesome I'm sure...but I don't think this will ever happen.