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- #21
CHAPTER IV
WHAT MOTIVATES/PURSUES AN AUDIOPHILE?
WHAT MOTIVATES/PURSUES AN AUDIOPHILE?
Knowing which standard should serve as a reference for the performance of our systems does not mean that it is (more) easy to achieve credible performance with that same standard. As we have already seen, it all starts with the difficulty of a correct capture, a capture that has also pursued the original timbre of the instruments, culminating in the enormous task of reproducing it in a domestic environment, with all the necessary quality electronics, with all the care in its combination, accessories used and other idiosyncrasies such as the interaction of the system with the room, etc. And given the magnitude of this task, considered by many to be a utopia that allows nothing more than a pale representation of reality, given the impossibility of achieving the fidelity that is so desired, why so many audiophiles insist on running in search of this high-fidelity, of that Holy Grail of home music reproduction? Is it because they don't know/ignore this impossibility? What do they believe? Why do they fight?
Looking back in time, before the invention of the phonograph, I imagine the anxiety of someone who liked music and only be able to enjoy it in concert halls, on occasions spaced out in time, special and unrepeatable, and as long as they got the necessary ticket. Going back even further in time, I feel a certain sadness when music was something that only the elites had access to, a privilege of kings and their courts – apart from the musicians, of course. If we stop for a moment to reflect and forget the many complaints we have in relation to a perfect world that insists on not appearing, we undeniably live in a fabulous time, where technology has immeasurably improved our quality of life, and among other things and for what matters in the context of this manifesto, it also brought with it the democratic access to music.
So, what is behind this passion for audio and motivates the existence of audiophiles is the (practically) unlimited access to the musical universe and the ability to bring music to us anytime and anywhere? Is being an audiophile the result of this possibility? Or, put instead, does this passion for sound is the result from the physical impossibility of going to all the concerts and hearing all the musicians we idolize in situ? A combination of both factors? But if the difference between recorded music and later reproduced in a home environment and its enjoyment at live musical events is so big, as all those who use these events as a reference claim, how can they even sit in front of their system and enjoy the music? Is being an audiophile simply a sign of… resignation? Or simple habituation? Can those with a regular presence in live concerts still frantically search for the best home sound reproduction, can he still be an audiophile? Is there something else motivating this passion for sound? What do you ultimately get from a live concert, amplified or not, that is absolutely irreproducible at home, and conversely, if they exist, what will be the added value of a home reproduction system? Will there be added value? If it exists, this would lead us to think that the music reproduced has differentiating characteristics from live music, distinct enough to be the reason for this endless search – and perhaps not necessarily worse as so many claim!
Let us start from the undeniable observation that technology has allowed a new approach to music, with the manipulation in the studio of the different intensities of different instruments, allowing some to be highlighted and others hidden, simultaneously with a whole series of sound artificialisms such as stereophony, phase changes and others. And with that, the musical message became undeniably different. Was it precisely this artificiality that brought something so different, so new and seductive that gave rise to the audiophile and his passion? More than satisfying the possibility of listening to any musician at any time, will not be the technology able to overcome some of the constraints of live reproduction, allowing us to immerse ourselves and enjoy the essence of the musical message as under no other circumstances was/is possible, working as an amplifier of our sensory perception, bringing us to the hyper realism of listening, as said in the phrase that serves as the motto for this manifesto? No longer in the sense of simple representation, but rather in the sense of possibility, the possibility that current technology has brought to us. An easy comparative example: cinema brought with it the existence of close-ups, so it is not uncommon for us to be able to observe all the details of a face in an image measuring, let´s say, 2 meters high. This great expansion is no longer a faithful reproduction of reality, but rather one of its possibility. Now, as we all recognize, this artificiality can induce and amplify our sensory perception. And no one rejects it for the infidelity in reproducing reality! Likewise, in audio, it is also possible to find this hyper-real reproduction, which expands the scale and detail, facilitating and/or intensifying the capture by our receivers. Said this way, it can be inferred that this new virtual reality achieved in our homes, by our systems, can even bring us closer to the true essence of the musical message, which, if confirmed, would provide an explanation for the (almost) obsessive behavior of the audiophile. One would finally understand the passion behind the hobby. Because there was/must be something very strong motivating this (almost) insane pursuit of good sound. However, this different form of presentation in the sense of possibility has not yet been understood and this makes the audiophile to live in permanent conflict with himself, divided between what he considers to be real and its accurate representation, divided between reason and feeling. And what he don´t understand he rejects, especially when that incomprehensibly feeling draws him more towards to the virtual. And then he goes into denial, denigrating the concept and praising the "real", referring to its representation, to that possibility, as something smaller, something imperfect. I hope this manifesto can help and make a contribution to calm those audiophiles with a more restless spirit, overwhelmed by the constant dichotomy (real/virtual) in which they feel trapped.