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Other than music, why are you an audiophile?

I would hope that the first reason why anyone is an audiophile is that they love music. I’m going to assume we all have that in common. So the question is: Other than music, why are you an audiophile?

I’ve had an interest in audio and hifi for twenty years, but it took me a long time, and a fair amount of introspection, to come up with a good answer. My answer is personal. It may not be true of anyone else. Here it is:

Other than music, I’m interested in audio because I’m fascinated by EMERGENCE. The concept of ‘emergence’ has been around for at least a century. It has been used by philosophers and scientists to mean a whole that is “greater than the sum of its parts.” More technically, emergence is a relation between system-level characteristics and component-level characteristics. A system’s characteristics EMERGE from the characteristics of its components when…

(1) The system’s characteristics are DIFFERENT IN KIND from the characteristics of its components.

(2) The system’s characteristics are CAUSED BY the characteristics of its components.

(3) The system’s characteristics are DIFFICULT TO PREDICT from the characteristics of its components.

What does this have to do with audio? Everything. In an audio system…

(1a) The musical characteristics of an audio system are DIFFERENT IN KIND from the electrical/mechanical/acoustical characteristics of its components.

(2a) The musical characteristics of an audio system are CAUSED BY the electrical/mechanical/acoustical characteristics of its components.

(3a) The musical characteristics of an audio system are DIFFICULT TO PREDICT from the electrical/mechanical/acoustical characteristics of its components.

Hence, the musical characteristics of an audio system EMERGE from the electrical/mechanical/acoustical characteristics of its components. In other words, an audio system, taken as a whole, seems “greater than the sum of its parts.”

To me, the phenomenon of emergence differentiates audio, as a hobby, from many (but not all) other hobbies, where emergence does not happen. To me, the phenomenon of emergence is what makes hifi seem like magic, in that something beautiful and emotional emerges out of something mechanical and electrical. And that is why, other than a love a music, I am an audiophile.

Anyone else?
bryoncunningham
davt's avatar
davt
500 posts
 
I am an audiophile cuz it's cool. I have a lot of freinds who are like, "wow, your an audiophile, that's so cool man. You must be real cool". and chicks, chicks dig it when I talk tubes and power cords. Their like, "wow, tubes and power cables".

But the main reason is the music, getting in that smokey jazz club, sitting back and chillin out. Bliss.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I'm an audiophile for the sex...there I admit it. My system is a straight up aphrodisiac....women see it and their clothes just fall off....it's magic. Yeah baby!
scpetscott
47 posts
 
When everything clicks, its the closest thing to time travel.
blindjim
3,092 posts
 
BTW… is being bald a prerequisite? If so I’ll turn in my card.

Otherwise…

No wife.

No dog.

No boat.

No neighbors.

Don't drive. So I Can't race anymore.

Can't fly.

Don’t drink.

Don’t gamble.

Gave up on sex.

Cheifly because I've got nothing to do and all day to do it.

So I immerse and emerge. Otherwise I'd drown.
jndean
132 posts
 
Thanks for the idea of emergence. That is very appropriate. For me it is for the music and the challange of assembling a system paying attention to the law of diminishing returns. I have also always liked the glow and the smell of electronics. Also I have heard harsh shrill bright bad sound and good sound sounds better.
In the olden days to hear music one had to attend a musical event. Now we can simply insert a CD or play a record. I would agree that it, when done right, is the closest thing to time travel.
Thanks for the philosophy.
John
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