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What is wrong with audiophiles?

Something that has happened countless times happened again last night. Ordinary people over for a party listening to some music easily hear things audiophiles argue endlessly don't even exist. Oh, its worse even than that- they not only easily hear but are stunned and amazed at what they hear. Its absolutely clearly obvious this is not anything they ever were expecting, not anything they can explain- and also is not anything they can deny. Because its so freaking obvious! Happens every time. Then I come on here and read one after another not only saying its impossible, but actually ridiculing people for the audacity of reporting on the existence of reality.

What is wrong with audiophiles?

Okay, concrete examples. Easy demos done last night. Cable Elevators, little ceramic insulators, raise cables off the floor. There's four holding each speaker cable up off the floor. Removed them one by one while playing music. Then replaced them. Music playing the whole time. First one came out, instant the cable goes on the floor the guy in the sweet spot says, "OH! WTF!?!?!"

Yeah. Just one. One by one, sound stage just collapses. Put em back, image depth returns.

Another one? Okay.

Element CTS cables have Active Shielding, another easy demo. Unplug, plug back in. Only takes a few seconds. Tuning bullets. Same thing. These are all very easy to demo while the music is playing without interruption. This kills like I don' know how many birds with one stone. Auditory memory? Zero. Change happens real time. Double blind? What could be more double blind than you don't know? Because nobody, not me, not the listener, not one single person in the room, knows exactly when to expect to hear a change- or what change to expect, or even if there would be any change to hear at all. Heck, even I have never sat there while someone did this so even I did not know it was possible to hear just one, or that the change would happen not when the Cable Elevator was removed but when the cable went down on the floor.

We're talking real experience here people. No armchair theorizing. What real people really hear in real time playing real music in a real room.

I could go on. People who get the point will get the point. People who ridicule- ALWAYS without ever bothering to try and hear for themselves!- will continue to hate and argue.

What is wrong with audiophiles?

Something almost all audiophiles insist on, its like Dogma 101, you absolutely always must play the same "revealing" track over and over again. Well, I never do this. Used to. Realized pretty quickly though just how boring it is. Ask yourself, which is easier to concentrate on- something new and interesting? Or something repetitive and boring? You know the answer. Its silly even to argue. Every single person in my experience hears just fine without boring them to tears playing the same thing over and over again. Only audiophiles subject themselves to such counterproductive tedium.

What is wrong with audiophiles????
millercarbon
prof
3,491 posts
 
millercarbon,

Because, as I said, its pretty much all of them.


Ok, so then you are just factually wrong.


Normal people are curious, amazed, moved by the music.



So are many audiophiles. Myself, every audiophile I know, and most on these boards from what I've seen.


Of course you can continue your cartoon-people strawmen, but that says more about you than your cartoons.


Really, this thread is clearly just your excuse to be high and mighty and diss other audiophiles.   So, yeah, beat that dead horse (of straw).



BTW, even though I find this thread of yours to be full of fallacious ideas, it doesn't mean I dismiss all your other posts, and that you don't contribute good stuff to the forum as well.


Cheers!





dentdog's avatar
dentdog
506 posts
 
Could we go back to cable elevators for a minute. Never tried any but with my relatively recent experience with power cords and interconnects being positive I might be interested. Especially if it expands my sound stage.

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,635 posts
 
“this thread is clearly just your excuse to be high and mighty and diss other audiophiles.”

prof, you nailed it 😉
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,277 posts
 
An audiophile , this is a large encompassing concept for sure!

For me a self educating process of hearing in the context of a self experimenting creative process of implementing material conditions for a better hearing....Upgrading bias to achieve this goal is the caricaturing process.... A true audiophile is born only when the man stop to buy in a compulsive way, and begins to listen through the conditions of his homemade room and audio system trough an increasing investigative and creative process toward improve S.Q.... No placebo effect explain or can even explain years of constant improvement, because of the creative investigation of all means to gain high quality....I am only interested in this creative process and the step toward it...Money cannot buy that....Money only buy the illusion of perfection, not the self educating process and joys of hearing by our owns experiments...If not, gives me a million bucks I will bought the best system in the world and called myself the greatest audiophile...For sure the assh… always pointed to his ass...


 I apologize for my last sentence, I speak about nobody in particular and only want to describe a general human attitude that is in all and each one of us....My best to all....


noble100's avatar
noble100
2,419 posts
 
What is wrong with audiophiles????

  If your talking about this audiophile, well, I don't even know where to begin.
     First, I don't even like being called an audiophile.  I think it's too snobbish and pretentious.  I prefer to refer to myself as a music/movie lover and audio/video equipment enthusiast.
     I actually have a lot of other interests and hobbies, such as archaeology, cosmetology, Nazi and meteorite hunting, reading, history, scuba diving, helicopter skiing, pina coladas, walking in the rain and knitting. 
     But my favorite pursuits are whiskey and fist fights, in that order.  First a couple belts of whiskey, then a bit of dancing for acclimation and strategery, I ask the young challenger if it's not a wee bit past his nap time, he gives me that typical stupid bewildered look which serves as a trigger for me to unleash about 8-10 seconds of lightening fast, well choreographed, endlessly practiced and ferocious bone crunching strikes that inevitably culminates in my challengers taking an extended blood soaked nap.  
     I don't even know why I enjoy this ritual so much, how it all got started, who these endless succession of challengers are, why it relaxes me so much and whether it's even legal.  Afterward, I usually say goodnight, go home and relax with my system for a couple hours, either watching a movie or listening to music, before going to bed.  I always wake up the next day feeling great, just thoroughly awesome!  
     So millercarbon, what is wrong with audiophiles?  I wouldn't know since I'm just a music/movie lover and A/V equipment enthusiast but I sometimes get the feeling I might need some help.  Sorry, I don't use cable lifters and, therefore, have no opinion on their efficacy.

Later,
 Tim
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