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Audiophilism is a hobby

This post grew out of another discussion on music vs. sound. According to a poll taken in that discussion, it is clear most A’goners claim they listen to their rigs primarily for the music. Although I don’t doubt the truth of that, I maintain that much of the listening is as a hobby, with music being a very important component. I’m not saying we can’t be profoundly moved by the music but rather that a lot of our enjoyment comes from the sheer sound emitted from our speakers. Great music is of course a vital part of the experience, but with all the manipulations we do with our systems, we  are fascinated by the idea of sound in itself as a hobby.

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jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,251 posts
 

True! I was listening yesterday to one of the first all-digital rock albums Peter Gabriel's Security. I had the original CD in a vintage 16-bit player and was amazed by the vividness of the sound quality!  I felt what I was hearing was the master such was the explosiveness of the transients and the strong rhythmic drive of the bass. Shock the Monkey never sounded better!

knotscott's avatar
knotscott
981 posts
 

That’s true. We all have different sensitivities and needs from our systems in order to be able to get a visceral feel from the music. We’re all unique in that regard....my wife and girls are just as happy with a crappy stock car radio, but I rarely listen to it,,,,it sounds like noise to me.

Many of us are fascinated by all the sciences involved with what makes the gear tick, and/or what’s required of the gear to allow us to get past the physics of the gear and lost in the music. It is indeed a "sub-hobby" within the audiophilia world, and it can be a very diverse journey by itself.

I suspect sub-hobbies are a part of many hobbies.

czarivey
5,946 posts
 

It really needs some diagnostic coding. Medical bills will be extremely high especially for those that in the need of constant upgrades. 

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