Why are you an Audiophile?

Mike, ( edited : forgot to quote AS's boss)

Great story. Thanks for sharing !
Mine is quite opposite. Although my beloved dad loved music, he was not into technology at all and did not care on what system he would listen to it, but anyway he had very little financial means. I grew up with a tiny tape player / recorder as the unique sound system of the house and later on a portable Sony tape / radio was considered as a superb unit in our little flat.
I dreamed all my childhood of a real system. I guess that is the second reason why I am an audiophile today and why I 'm so obsessed with gear.
First reason is of course love for music.
 
I'd like to have ultra hi-end audio gear. :) ...And a new ultra hi-class girlfriend. :exciting: :derf:

I'm just kidding, in case. I want nothing else than peace, and music is a good provider of that.
I wish that they would all listen to peaceful music in Egypt.
And that would be the best foreign help we can provide them, I think.

Good one Bob !
 
Great post Cyril !
I also discovered lots of artists from my passion for HiFi.

My journey to the hobby came about through a friend who had just bought a high-end audio system. Before that, I was like most others - had a few hundred CDs that I listened to on a crappy system bought at a big box retailer. Usually had music on as background while I was doing something else. But when I heard my buddy's system (I remember he had JM Focal Lab 918 speakers I believe, a Pathos Logos integrated amp, a Cary CD player which he later replaced with a Burmester CD player, and a VPI Scoutmaster with Lyra Helikon catridge and an Aesthetix Rhea phono stage), I remember thinking to myself I could not believe what was coming out of those speakers! This was in NYC circa 2000-2002. When I moved to Boston in 2002, I always had that sound in the back of my head and I started researching local dealers and reading up on gear. I bought RH's book (Intro to High End Audio or something like that) to start learning the lingo and what to listen for when auditioning gear and started making the circuit at different local bricks and mortar dealers. I struck up a good relationship with the folks at Goodwins and the rest was history.

The interesting thing for me is that I became a music lover because of my high-end rig. The ability to reproduce music at this level made me want to explore new music and I went from listening to largely rock and some pop and some electronica to listening to that stuff plus blues, jazz, folk, some country and classical. More importantly, as many of you have already said, it's a way to completely unplug and relax. It's a form of meditation and mental stimulation. It's a trip when you are in the right frame of mind.

I am also a tinkerer and a perfectionist and love the equipment side and love to read about it but again with the primary motivation being to get the playback system to a point where it can get me even closer to the pure enjoyment of the music.

So in a funny way, I came to the music via the equipment first.
 
In the condo building where I grew up the neighbors underneath our place had no kids so they loved me coming over to visit. They had a Bang & Olufsen Beogram with tangential arm, a Beocenter and a pair of Heybrook speakers. I stared at the B&O gear and I asked, WTH is that?!

20 years later here I am, not owning a car. Public transportation rocks!
 
Vlad:

If we only had decent public transportation in the Los Angeles area...it's getting better, yet nothing like in Europe. Oh yeah, audio...I still remember the first time I saw a full B&O System...it was as jaw dropping as the first time I heard and saw planars.

Jim
 
In my mind the risk of getting stabbed in the LA metro is worthwhile if it takes you one step closer to better speakers. :snicker:
 
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