Thread: What is an Audiophile?

This topic is about Audiophiles, not Music Lovers. And to be clear all Audiophiles are Music Lovers, but not all Music Lovers are Audiophiles. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong about being a Music Lover and a not an Audiophile.

What is an Audiophile? In the past few days, I've seen a lot of opinions on this topic, but all of them seem wanting. None of them complete.

Anyone can use a term - and that even incorrectly - but what is every aspect (a 1, 2, 3 etc. complete list) of who / what an Audiophile is? What makes an Audiophile an Audiophile? How does he differ from a Music Lover? Let's assemble a complete list with the reasons why items are being included on the list.

IMO, this can be a excellent learning opportunity.

We need a new word | Stereophile.com

Originally Posted by Spock

Like i juts said in your other topic

...being an audiophile has to do with attitude. Has to do with the search for the best possible reproduction. And that implies both looking for a good system and looking for the best recordings that exist.

I agree, but others don’t. That’s why I’m trying to get some better perspective - a better longer definition.

Originally Posted by rbbert

We need a new word | Stereophile.com

A somewhat good article explaining the difficulty and somewhat misuse of the word. Everyone seems to use the word, but may mean something else by it.

So far the list includes:

1. Audiophile Attitude
2. Best System within one’s price range
3. Looking for the best recordings that exist

4. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
5. Concerned about vibration of components
6. Concerned about their own hearing health

Originally Posted by TheGemState

7. Has a very understanding wife or is divorced.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

In some cases there’s a lot of truth to this one. Glad I have an understanding wife.

Help me to remember to add it to the very end as a PS.

"A person that enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music"

Originally Posted by jadedavid

"A person that enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music"

That’s a good one.

So far we have:

1. Audiophile Attitude
2. Best System within one’s price range
3. Looking for the best recordings that exist
4. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
5. Concerned about vibration of components
6. Concerned about their own hearing health
7. Enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music

PS: Has a very understanding wife or is divorced

#3 is impeded by #2

I "think" I am in the club but obviously at the lower end of the budget. I am happy with whatever version of recording I have and I actually try not to duplicate same or different media of the same music. I do care about my room but can do nothing much with it. I care about vibration and tackle it on a budget. I care about power and ran a dedicated line and bought aftermarket PCs.

I do enjoy the upgrades I have done and one more coming. It is obvious each time you re-listen to something familiar for the first time with whatever upgrade I have done.

I really don't know if I should be excluded because I don't buy multiple copies of the same music. I also don't have the disposable cash to do it if I wanted to.

Me thinks you are trying to pigeon hole as opposed to the looser use of the word in question. You cannot constrain what a real Audiophile is and that is why the definition fits so many to begin with. I am also a Gearophile and listen to the gear sometimes too.

Originally Posted by rbbert

We need a new word | Stereophile.com

Good read but the comments at the bottom were better

This same thread just started on Audio Asylum. It became a virtual cable discussion.

My comments there were basically,

Like many here my music interest started with AM radio when I was young late 50's early 60's.
As time went by I discovered the music could sound better. Without any real commitment to creating an audio system I looked for ways to make the music sound better.
It just kind of snowballed to keep improving equipment and environment to have better sound to enjoy my music..
The music was the catalyst but making it sound better became the issue of pushing the snowball up hill.

If sound is not really important for music lovers I guess I could just take my glass of wine and set in my car and listen.

So, what does that make me in their world. i really don't care, but I guess I don't understand why we need to be lumped into a category.

Let’s have a better definition of a music lover first. No, not all audiophiles are music lovers. I have friends that are still sitting on a few dozen favorite albums they listen to on an infrequent basis. The genre they listen to is also extremely limited and the other music does not appeal. So classic rock a few dozen CDs and few dozen audiophile grade female Divas, that’s where it ends... Is that a music lover? But their systems are pure audiophile grade.

For me, it has to do with enthusiasm for the hobby. Who is more the audiophile: the chap who only has $1,000 to spend on an entire system but actively works to buy the best system for the buck or the chap who spends $500,000 on a system because some salesperson tells him (or her) it is "the best" but never actively listens to it?

Originally Posted by tino27

For me, it has to do with enthusiasm for the hobby. Who is more the audiophile: the chap who only has $1,000 to spend on an entire system but actively works to buy the best system for the buck or the chap who spends $500,000 on a system because some salesperson tells him (or her) it is "the best" but never actively listens to it?

Sort of like the guy who takes his Mazda Miata to the track every weekend vs a guy with 3 Porsches who has never been to the track? Or a guy with $5k worth of camera body and lenses that takes a few dozen pictures in his backyard vs a guy with an iPhone and a thousand gorgeous Instagram street photography pics?

The term Audiophile has become a pejorative. Has something to do with Tice Clocks and Brilliant Pebbles. Or so I think.

Music is art.
Audio is engineering.

An audiophile harnesses engineering in the service of art.

Originally Posted by TheOctopus

Sort of like the guy who takes his Mazda Miata to the track every weekend vs a guy with 3 Porsches who has never been to the track? Or a guy with $5k worth of camera body and lenses that takes a few dozen pictures in his backyard vs a guy with an iPhone and a thousand gorgeous Instagram street photography pics?

Enthusiasm versus Possession.

To me an audiophile is an audio enthusiast.

Within that broad category you have the music enthusiasts and the gear enthusiasts. I tend to move back and forth within that broad area sometimes focusing on the music and at other times on the hardware and software. To me the context of music is all important.

Regards


.

Some of these are rather redundant, but the different phrasing is helpful for a better understanding. Ultimately everything in the audio chain matters. Some of these "everything's" are listed below.

So far I believe we have the following:

1. Audiophile Attitude
2. Enthusiasm for the hobby of Audio; an audio enthusiast
3. Looks for ways to make the music sound better
4. Best System within one’s price range
5. Harnesses engineering in the service of art
6. A tendency to move back and forth between being a music enthusiast and a gear enthusiast
7. Looks for the best recordings that exist
8. The context of music is all important
9. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
10. Concerned about vibration of components
11. Concerned about the purity of power
12. Concerned about their own hearing health
13. Enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music
14. Enjoys experimenting



PS: Has a very understanding wife or is divorced

A music lover is focused on the end result - good music. An audiophile is focused on the process of getting there.

1. Audiophile Attitude
2. Enthusiasm for the hobby of Audio; an audio enthusiast
3. Looks for ways to make the music sound better
4. Best System within one’s price range
5. Harnesses engineering in the service of art
6. A tendency to move back and forth between being a music enthusiast and a gear enthusiast
7. Looks for the best recordings that exist
8. The context of music is all important
9. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
10. Concerned about vibration of components
11. Concerned about the purity of power
12. Concerned about their own hearing health
13. Enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music
14. Enjoys experimenting
15. As opposed to a music lover who is focused on merely enjoying good music, an audiophile is focused on the process of getting there.


PS: Has a very understanding wife or is divorced

1. Audiophile Attitude
2. Enthusiasm for the hobby of Audio; an audio enthusiast
3. Looks for ways to make the music sound better
4. Best System within one’s price range
5. Harnesses engineering in the service of art
6. A tendency to move back and forth between being a music enthusiast and a gear enthusiast
7. Looks for the best recordings that exist
8. The context of music is all important
9. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
10. Concerned about vibration of components
11. Concerned about the purity of power
12. Concerned about their own hearing health
13. Enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music
14. Enjoys experimenting
15. As opposed to a music lover who is focused on merely enjoying good music, an audiophile is focused on the process of getting there.
16. In their journey, they slowly become familiar with an audiophile glossary of terms and their special meaning within the hobby (Sounds Like? An Audio Glossary Glossary: A | Stereophile.com) and debate them



PS: Has a very understanding wife or is divorced

Originally Posted by Calvin

This topic is about Audiophiles, not Music Lovers. And to be clear all Audiophiles are Music Lovers, but not all Music Lovers are Audiophiles. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong about being a Music Lover and a not an Audiophile.

What is an Audiophile? In the past few days, I've seen a lot of opinions on this topic, but all of them seem wanting. None of them complete.

Anyone can use a term - and that even incorrectly - but what is every aspect (a 1, 2, 3 etc. complete list) of who / what an Audiophile is? What makes an Audiophile an Audiophile? How does he differ from a Music Lover? Let's assemble a complete list with the reasons why items are being included on the list.

IMO, this can be a excellent learning opportunity.

Excellent learning opportunity for who? You seem to be obsessed with coming up with a definition that is "complete." There will never be a universal definition for the word "audiophile" that people involved in this hobby will agree with no matter how many statements you put on your list. Even if you could get a small portion of the audio community to agree with your definition, who cares? This is a pointless exercise IMO. Who wants to be labeled by others and thrown into a box?

Looks like #7 puts me out of the club. I am aligned with every other point as best as I can.

Originally Posted by Calvin

This topic is about Audiophiles, not Music Lovers. And to be clear all Audiophiles are Music Lovers,

I think you have a fundamental misconception of an audiophile in the sentence above!

An audiophile is someone who gets greater pleasure from the pursuit of near-original sound than he does actually listening to the original sound.

How many of us actually go to concerts regularly? Some may but I'd suggest very few. There are people here who have spent so much on their kit, they could have bought a dozen concert hall or venue tickets per week for the rest of their lives! Granted it's a lot more hassle to see live music, but no hifi recreates the atmosphere and excitement of a live performance, whether this is a classical concert, or a jazz band in a pub, or anything in between.

Part of my tongue is in my cheek, but I’m sure you’ll recognise some truth in this. It always surprises me that real music lovers (professional musicians) often have relatively modest hifi systems of their own.

Originally Posted by Hear Here

I think you have a fundamental misconception of an audiophile in the sentence above!

An audiophile is someone who gets greater pleasure from the pursuit of near-original sound than he does actually listening to the original sound.

How many of us actually go to concerts regularly? Some may but I'd suggest very few. There are people here who have spent so much on their kit, they could have bought a dozen concert hall or venue tickets per week for the rest of their lives! Granted it's a lot more hassle to see live music, but no hifi recreates the atmosphere and excitement of a live performance, whether this is a classical concert, or a jazz band in a pub, or anything in between.

Part of my tongue is in my cheek, but I’m sure you’ll recognise some truth in this. It always surprises me that real music lovers (professional musicians) often have relatively modest hifi systems of their own.

I used to go to lots of concerts, mostly rock, smooth jazz and fusion. I would never want my system to sound like 99% of those shows.

Some are frowning upon this exercise; essentially saying what does it matter? And no one is forcing them to participate.

But definitions are important. Words have meanings. If we don’t know or understand the meaning of a word we may accidently misuse it or confuse it with another. It’s kind of unsettling that some can be in a hobby and not define its terms.

I’ve observed above that no one person contributed every characteristic of who and what an audiophile is. This has been more like the putting together a puzzle, each person contributing a vital piece of the whole picture. And though it’s not complete yet, we already have a better overall understanding of what an audiophile is. And it is already very clear that an audiophile is more than just a music lover.

IMO, the journey for a more complete definition helps to educate us all.

The definition continues to get more complete:

1. Audiophile Attitude
2. Enthusiasm for the hobby of Audio; an audio enthusiast
3. Looks for ways to make the music sound better
4. Best System within one’s price range
5. Harnesses engineering in the service of art
6. A tendency to move back and forth between being a music enthusiast and a gear enthusiast
7. Looks for the best recordings that exist
8. The context of music is all important
9. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
10. Concerned about vibration of components
11. Concerned about the purity of power
12. Concerned with lowering of the noise floor of their system
13. Concerned about their own hearing health
14. Enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music
15. Enjoys experimenting (i.e. cables, cartridges, etc.)
16. As opposed to a music lover who is focused on merely enjoying good music, an audiophile is focused on the process of getting there.
17. In their journey, they slowly become familiar with an audiophile glossary of terms and their special meaning within the hobby (Sounds Like? An Audio Glossary Glossary: A | Stereophile.com) and debate them



PS: Has a very understanding wife or is divorced

Originally Posted by Calvin

Some are frowning upon this exercise; essentially saying what does it matter? And no one is forcing them to participate.

But definitions are important. Words have meanings. If we don’t know or understand the meaning of a word we may accidently misuse it or confuse it with another. It’s kind of unsettling that some can be in a hobby and not define its terms.

I’ve observed above that no one person contributed every characteristic of who and what an audiophile is. This has been more like the putting together a puzzle, each person contributing a vital piece of the whole picture. And though it’s not complete yet, we already have a better overall understanding of what an audiophile is. And it is already very clear that an audiophile is more than just a music lover.

IMO, the journey for a more complete definition helps to educate us all.

Yes they do. Take the word "nonsense" for example. We don't need a new all encompassing definition of what the word audiophile means. Remember this: Audiophiles seldom agree on ANYTHING and you coming up with a new definition of the word "audiophile" means zero in the grand scheme of this hobby and it will not be adopted by anyone.

Originally Posted by Calvin

4. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
5. Concerned about vibration of components
6. Concerned about their own hearing health

all part of the 'system' (#2) IMO ........

As stated earlier, some of what is listed will be somewhat redundant, but the different phrasing I believe helps us capture a better over nuance of what being an audiophile really is.


1. Audiophile Attitude
2. Enthusiasm for the hobby of Audio; an audio enthusiast
3. Looks for ways to make the music sound better
4. Best System within one’s price range
5. Harnesses engineering in the service of art
6. A tendency to move back and forth between being a music enthusiast and a gear enthusiast
7. Looks for the best recordings that exist
8. The context of music is all important
9. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
10. Concerned about vibration of components
11. Concerned about the purity of power
12. Concerned with lowering of the noise floor of their system
13. Concerned about their own hearing health
14. Enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music
15. Enjoys experimenting (i.e. cables, cartridges, etc.)
16. As opposed to a music lover who is focused on merely enjoying good music, an audiophile is focused on the process of getting there.
17. In their journey, they slowly become familiar with an audiophile glossary of terms and their special meaning within the hobby (Sounds Like? An Audio Glossary Glossary: A | Stereophile.com) and debate them
18. An audiophile is constantly learning about his system, music, etc. While there is satisfaction along the way, they embrace the journey of discovery
19. An audiophile enjoys sharing his system with others and gaining different perspectives on his pursuit of audio nirvana
20. Audiophiles listen – intently, not only to the music, but to everything else in the audio chain and beyond
21.


PS: Has a very understanding wife or is divorced

Glad I'm not an 'audiophile', just a person who loves to sit in the sweet spot for hours listening to the stereo create wonderful music.

Originally Posted by BlueFox

Glad I'm not an 'audiophile', just a person who loves to sit in the sweet spot for hours listening to the stereo create wonderful music.

I presently consider myself a music lover. However, I do see that I'm on a journey to possibly becoming an audiophile in time. The more I listen and read about other people's systems the desires above seem to be calling my name. It's not that I necessarily desire to be one, but rather the passion for the hobby seems to be driving me that direction.

Originally Posted by kzhtoo

Audiophile is someone who strikes for the best fidelity of music production within their means and limits.

And it seems someone really wants to be viewed as a real audiophile.

Note: majority of people wouldn’t be on this forum if they aren’t audiophiles.

I like your definition of an audiophile and will incorporate it into the list above.

However, I don't necessarily consider someone who merely joins an audio forum automatically an audiophile. I think some who join are audiophiles and others are not.

I consider audio forums a place to learn the various aspects of audio from some who are audiophiles and others who are not. I think they each at times can offer unique perspectives on the hobby. I'm thankful for each.

A definition of an Audiophile continues to mature:

1. Audiophile Attitude
2. Enthusiasm for the hobby of Audio; an audio enthusiast
3. Looks for ways to make the music sound better
4. Best System within one’s price range; someone who strikes for the best fidelity of music production within their means and limits
5. Harnesses engineering in the service of art
6. A tendency to move back and forth between being a music enthusiast and a gear enthusiast
7. Looks for the best recordings that exist
8. The context of music is all important
9. Concerned about the room acoustics, speaker placement, etc.
10. Concerned about vibration of components
11. Concerned about the purity of power
12. Concerned with lowering of the noise floor of their system
13. Concerned about their own hearing health
14. Enjoys the mechanics of recording and or reproducing music
15. Enjoys experimenting (i.e. cables, cartridges, etc.)
16. As opposed to a music lover who is focused on merely enjoying good music, an audiophile is focused on the process of getting there.
17. In their journey, they slowly become familiar with an audiophile glossary of terms and their special meaning within the hobby (Sounds Like? An Audio Glossary Glossary: A | Stereophile.com) and debate them
18. An audiophile is constantly learning about his system, music, etc. While there is satisfaction along the way, they embrace the journey of discovery
19. An audiophile enjoys sharing his system with others and gaining different perspectives on his pursuit of audio nirvana
20. Audiophiles listen – intently, not only to the music, but to everything else in the audio chain and beyond; they constantly attempt to perfect the art of listening

PS: Has a very understanding spouse or is divorced

I tend to think of the audiophile - music lover distinction as a continuum rather than being one or the other. Over the years, I have drifted from mostly audiophile to mostly music lover. Now that I'm in my mid-60s my hearing isn't nearly as good now as it once was.

Originally Posted by Oly

I tend to think of the audiophile - music lover distinction as a continuum rather than being one or the other. Over the years, I have drifted from mostly audiophile to mostly music lover. Now that I'm in my mid-60s my hearing isn't nearly as good now as it once was.

Interesting. You have me wondering. As electricians are trained to one of three levels: Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Electrician would it accurate to view Audiophiles from a similar perspective?

Does having a semi-understanding wife count?

Semi is way better than not at all.
Mine has "0" interest in audio but is fine with my addiction so long as I don't spend away our retirement plan.