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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????
128x128millercarbon
rsf507
2,324 posts
 
@emcdade  “Sounds like a cool party.  We normally just swap wives at my parties and I can’t ever get anyone to do a cable test“.

I want to go to your parties! I’ll even bring cables to test.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
So long as they have sufficient flexibility, cables can serve a number of different purposes.
atdavid
736 posts
 
rsf507 wins .... till Clearthink loses his mind over you post :-)
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon OP
12,531 posts
 
People come to your home to socialize and listen to music. Audiophile removes speaker wires from cute little trestles, then changes cables, point out minor differences no one cares about. It sounded fine. He continues to try to educate guests, guests who were enjoying the music and camaraderie, who suddenly look baffled and say, "WTF, Nerd!".  

Well, no, actually not even close. What happens is when people hear music like never before they always are stunned and want to know why and how is this possible. Normal people, I mean. Which is the subject of the thread, demonstrated now almost minute by minute, how horribly un-normal and wrong audiophiles are.

So anyway the normal people see and hear and ask questions. Always. Which I answer. One of the more common answers being its not the speakers, or the amp, or even the turntable, its everything all together and especially all these seemingly tiny little details. Which I point out. 

This all usually happens in the time after one cut and while I'm getting another one ready. The only time I ever swapped cables it was when Caelin was there. And sorry but you'll just have to dream and imagine what its like having the CEO and cable designer who founded Shunyata Research over because that just ain't ever happening. To you. So eat your heart out. You're not worthy, and you can get up off the floor. Try real hard to think like a normal person for like one micro-second. Are you gonna tell Caelin, "Sorry, I know you brought your new cables and all but I got friends so stuff em back in the fancy plush bag and lets all listen to Billy Joel?" I don't think so.

Honestly, it doesn't matter what I say, one of you morons will latch on like a leech to the least salient aspect and suck for all you're worth. Pathetic.

But to wrap up, nobody is subjected to anything. I never play the same thing twice, that's for noobs and rubes, and with things like Cable Elevators the music isn't even interrupted at all.

Which you would know, if you actually read for comprehension instead of for snide comment ideas.

What is wrong with audiophiles? You guys are.
atdavid
736 posts
 
It’s rather cute how you think most audiophiles would consider it "special" to have the CEO of an audio cable company over or that they would be envious, whether Shunyata, or SR, Nordost, or ... well any of them. There are literally 1000’s of people I would be more interested to have over, and if we are talking audio, Floyd Toole, Nelson Pass would be far higher on the list.

My friends are pretty amazed by how my system sounds too. Can’t say any of them ever asked "how", the only exception being how there is so much bass from relatively small speakers ... and then only because the subs are not obvious.
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