You might notice (CGC certainly does) that I make occasional reference to the term “audiophile” in my blog posts. Perhaps it would be helpful to take a moment to explain what this means. I’d also like to take the opportunity to discuss the extent to which it applies to me.
Basically, an audiophile is a person who seeks out and, ultimately, enjoys, the refinement of musical playback so that what is heard reflects what was originally recorded as closely and accurately as possible.
The stock in trade of any serious audiophile is a high fidelity system, i.e. one that produces minimal distortion in sound reproduction. A typical two channel, hi-fi stereo system will include, at minimum: source (turntable or CD player); amplification (integrated amp or pre- and power-amp combination, tubes and/or solid state); and transduction, or conversion of signal to sound (loudspeakers).
The key, in terms of achieving high fidelity, is the extent to which each of these components along the chain in your system are capable of reducing the distortion that electronic components invariably introduce into the transmission of the music signal from the recording (on vinyl or CD) to your ears.
An audiophile, then, is a person who will spend much time, thought, effort, and money into building and modifying a system that achieves some degree of high fidelity playback.
But the audiophile is a peculiar beast. There are many people in the audiophile community who scrutinize the performance of their system so intensely that the enjoyment of the music itself inevitably becomes secondary to the reproduction of sound(s). In the worst of cases, enjoyment of the music may be removed from the equation altogether.
Conversely, many connoisseurs and collectors of music eschew the pursuits and concerns of many audiophiles. For these people, having a basic system that allows them to listen to the music without excessive and distracting levels of distortion means that there is no reason to tinker with it or spend a lot of time and money improving it.
Me, I fall somewhere between, probably closer toward the music connoisseur/collector side of the spectrum. I want to build a system that performs optimally within my modest budget and is capable of allowing me to enjoy the music that I love.
Ultimately, the music is what matters. The gear exists to facilitate enjoyment of it.
“There are many people in the audiophile community who scrutinize the performance of their system so intensely that the enjoyment of the music itself inevitably becomes secondary to the reproduction of sound(s).”
Well said.
I’ve had many conversations with my torrent friends about this very paradox: those who strive so hard to achieve the ultimate sound often miss the music along the way.
That said, you’re well on your way to building a superb sound system, no doubt situating you closer to the audiophile crew than the middle of the pack.
Also, there appears to be a movement afoot in the “indie” music scene to produce super grainy, lo-fi sounds, such as Thee Oh Sees, Best Coast, Little Girls, etc. (garage rock). It’s ironic, therefore, that so many audiophiles place tons of emphasis on a quality sound system, but listen to music that sounds shitty no matter the quality of the system itself.
I’m not saying that Thee Oh Sees are a shitty band (in fact, I’m a big fan), but the quality of their recordings is secondary to the aesthetic of their signature, lo-fi sound. In other words, a sound system such as yours is superfluous if all we get are recordings that sound like they were made on my tape player.
Back to the quality sounds, kids.
Yeah, I’m no fan of the ultra lo-fi, made in a trash compactor while it’s operating type of recordings that some of the bands you mention are aiming for.
I can understand, and appreciate, a certain type of stripped-down approach to recording but that shouldn’t entail, nor should it excuse, shitty sound production and mastering in the recording process.
Not in my humble opinion, at least.
To answer your question: yes. Anyone who has an entire post about their “stylus” and litters other posts with mV-this and db-that can’t otherwise self ascribe. And another thing about Maude Barlow, I wouldn’t describe a $3k stereo system as “modest”. But as long as you don’t lose sight of the reason you’re here, I won’t give you a hard time. Or at least not much of one.
PS – go Wayne go!