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$$$ vs music enjoyment

The January 2013 Stereophile e-mail newsletter featured an interesting reprint of a 1994 article titled "R.I.P. High-End Audio?" The reprint generated interesting discussion, and I found one post in particular raising an interesting point.

"The article suggests there is some public good to spreading the high-end. I'd like it first shown that someone is happier listening to music on $20 speakers than 'mid-end' $2k speakers. I mean empirical evidence - hook up blindfolded listens to brain scanners and measure their neurotransmitter levels. If there were a correlation between musical enjoyment and price beyond a certain point I'd have expected my musician and conductor friends to own better stereos than they do."

A few points raised there. Does a more expensive system (a nicely set up, moderate system vs. a significantly more expensive system) indeed elevate the level of musical enjoyment? It would be very interesting to compare owners of all-out assault systems with average audiophiles who can't wait to fire up their systems on a Friday night to get themselves immersed in music. I believe I myself would in fact enjoy the music more if able to afford a more expensive system, even though my modest system has given me extreme enjoyment. But who knows...

And then, yes, why does the audiophile community feature relatively so few musicians? I must say this argument is actually not very convincing to me. The underlying assumption is that any given trade professional would necessarily strive to replicate or pursue the same standards or level of performance in his private life, which I think is a fallacy. Does a fancy restaurant chef have to always eat gourmet food at his home to enjoy it? Does a fashion designer have to always wear designer clothes lest they show high fashion is a sham?

Comments welcome.
actusreus
in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
Actusreus you say Why does the audiophile community feature so few musicians in this hobby, put that question to them , I think a common answer would be they have better things to spend their money on.

And finally, the ultra expense of any given componet has nothing to do with any realism of playback performance despite what the audio media including others preach,
learn to listen on your own.
schipo
1,268 posts
 
Tan43
you make a good point. I would also ad carpenters and their own homes. Most have cabinets falling apart and loose floor boards.
actusreus OP
733 posts
 
Roxy54

What a stupid, blanket assessment. You just lost all credibility in this discussion.

Said a watch/jewelry salesman...Ok...

First of all, relax. I simply posed a question in my first post, but of course some have taken it in a completely different direction, as often happens here.

There are many people who would agree with me that expensive jewelry, watches and cars are predominantly status symbols and people who obtain them do not feel "passionate" about these items the same way audiophiles feel about their systems that they might have spent years to assemble with great care and effort, even if they are people of great means. Mike Lavigne converted a barn into a dream-come-true listening experience, but it took a lot of work and time. Fume all you want, but walking into a jeweler and buying a Rolex is not the same thing. The way luxury items are marketed only proves my point. In fact, many suggest that, if there is such a thing as decline or death of the high-end, it is partly due to the fact that audio industry has never marketed its products as status symbols like the high-end watch or jewelry makers have always done.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"In fact, many suggest that, if there is such a thing as decline or death of the high-end, it is partly due to the fact that audio industry has never marketed its products as status symbols like the high-end watch or jewelry makers have always done. "

When you make the "many suggest...." comment, where are you getting that info from? Can you show me where I can find an example of someone saying this?
onemug
784 posts
 
Seems like there are two camps:

One buys music to listen to their equipment. and the other buys equipment to listen to music.

They both exist, always have, always will.

I'd think most musicians are really just paying attention to the music. I've have recording artist/friends that enjoy my system and in conversation say how good it sounds but they don't feel the need to have anything like it. Maybe others do. Neil Young has been vocal about vinyl sounding better than digital and now he is championing better hi-rez downloading so you can't lump everyone together.

For me: I love music and I've been fortunate in being able to afford some nice equipment but I only bought when it would cause me to enjoy the music even more.

Case in point, and the subject of this thread, is a recent finding that I have a soft spot, aka love, for vintage equipment. I have a dedicated vintage room that cost a fraction of what my other system(s) cost yet I find myself some months spending more time in there. I could analyze how much better the big system is but I'd rather just enjoy the music.

That's the story. I now return you to your regular scheduled argument, umm, discussion. :-)

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