You're not a true audiophile unless...
I can't tell you the number of posts I've seen that start with something like this. Why are some people so anxious to qualify this like it's some sort of title? Being an "audiophile" isn't a concrete or objective thing like the citizenship of the country you were born in or being an MA. It's reflective of your hobby or taste, much like calling yourself a "foodie." Can anyone else chime in with some of the more ridiculous qualifications people have come up with for calling oneself an "audiophile?"
@emergingsoul ....Imho, you’re close.... What we call cavepeople were not much advanced from the critters about them. Likely ’rhythms’ caught the ears first as being ’pleasant’ ...took a millennium for that to escalate into ’that which we do’ for whatever seemed apropos.... Sex, animal howls, beating sticks and rocks....hyping the gang into the hunt mode, be it for dinner or just the annoying neighbors.... Now? 3 piece suits, Beemers, and 100K$ audio collections...*nasty L* |
Unfortunately it is a bit like a black and white cookie. A very two-sided term: it can certainly mean one who loves audio, but it also carries a pejorative connotation of elitism, conspicuous consumption, and in some cases scientific rejection. I suppose that is just due to the various personality types that make up the group, and the dynamics of paying a lot for something and then feeling the need to defend it. I always love to see nests of cables and stacks of components next to records and CDs strewn about as indicating a true music lover who doesn’t think of the pristine equipment aesthetic, and the image it projects, as the highest priority. While I am very interested in audio quality, I always try to distance myself from the audiophilia characterization because of those connotations. I am a music lover who is secondarily interested in how different gear works and interacts. More of a gearhead concept. Either way, it’s all a tempest in a teacup. 99.999% of the world doesn’t give a hoot. And I may be a few 9s short. |
The question strikes me as an invitation to a "no true Scotsman" fallacy. (No "true Scotsman" puts sugar in his porridge, wears anything under his kilt, etc.) Just be who you are and stop worrying about what others do, assuming they don't mean to kill you or forbid you and yours from living your life. In general the world would be a better place.
|
