2. analog
  3. 157823-146675

Should people with no turntable or reel to reel be considered audiophiles?

Just like those driving a Porsche SUV can join PCA (digital audio fans can join Audiogon) but are certainly not Porschephiles unless they also own a coupe (Panamera owners I guess gets a pass here).

Please respond with a yes or no and we'll tally a vote for the first 100 responses.

sokogear
wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
1,069 posts
 

All this bunk makes me want to get a Tesla; Stuttgart ‘s great cluggers aside.  Boasting about my ride doesn’t make me a man.  Decrying only those with a turntable are audiophiles is elitist clap trap.  

I’m listening to Dylan’s new Sprechgesang “Rough and Rowdy Ways” on Qobuz with no turntable in site. And yes Virginia I’m an Audiophile. 

Anyone who loves music is my club maybe with the exception of a gamelan music hoedown. Many if us can’t afford the Crème de la Crème but we know about it. That’s why many are here. 


millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
What is the advantage of a balanced input or output for phono stages?
Good question. When you find one let us know.

looscannon
60 posts
 
Sokohgear, I said that not glupson. I also said that audiophiles like to manage their own gear. I did not say that they but new gear every five minutes. Only Mike L seems to do that. We clean and set up our own turntables, change tubes, make our own cables if we are smart audiophiles and spend more time listening to music than most people.
We also have a tendency to appreciate sports cars and bicycles. I have a new Specialized Diverge. Built it up Campy Super Record 12 speed EPS Disc with Fulcrum tubeless wheels and Hutchinson Sector 32 tires. Ugly bike , heavenly ride. My old Merlin will have to do swim suit duty.
What an FN record, The Crane Wife by the Decemberists. The whole house is bouncing 🥴
justmetoo's avatar
justmetoo
381 posts
 
Are you an audiophile when you ONLY use an MM cartridge, i.e. don't care to use 'highly advanced' MC cartridges? 

Kind of don't care to rock up with a 911 and showing up in an SUV thing...🤔 

Like real audiophiles use MCs... and not MM/MI/MF 'things'... 😥 

Michélle 🇿🇦 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Separate question that I haven’t been able to get answered in another discussion about phono stages (not sure why). What is the advantage of a balanced input or output for phono stages? Is that feature only available on very expensive models? Is there a special MC voltage where this feature is helpful?

Read this article

I must admit that designers of ultra expensive High-End audio equipment are very slow and probably the last people in audio who came into balanced (XLR) connection, because this is the ONLY TYPE of connectors (inputs,outputs,interconnect) professionals are using for ages. Come to any studio and you will never find any RCA unbalanced cables, ONLY XLR (Balanced) for everything including microphones.

You can run only balanced cables from MC cartridge to the speakers like Zu Audio Druid (they have XLR port too)

More very nice XLR cables from ZU for audiophiles 

While the conventional hi-fi RCA cables must be short (under 1.5m ), the XLR cables can be very long.
More to discover