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The Definition of An Audiophile

My definition of an Audiophile is a person who seeks the recreation/reproduction of music in their home based on a live event.

The purpose of this thread is to gain an understanding of why the majority of people on this forum only compare components to each other. I don’t understand the terms of one amplifier sounding more musical than another. How about the “cold and sterile” attribute often attributed to Halcro amplifiers. The description “tube sounding” description sometimes applied to a solid-state amp is another example.

Whatever happened to a comparison of an actual live event? I consider myself an Audiophile; as well as, I presume, everybody else who frequents this website. How many of you so called Audiophiles have ever been to a decent live event. I’m not talking about your local Civic Center jam packed with 30,000 screaming punks smoking pot, no offense; I used to be one some time ago. How about a concert in a acoustically correct hall with minimal amplification?

The ultimate goal is unadulterated recorded music from the artist to your ears in the privacy of your home. As we all know every electronic component from the front-end source to the speaker adds some form of signature to the recording. The phrase “the best amplifier is the one that adds the least amount of unwanted distortion or noise to a signal” is a very good description. So when I read a thread on a comparison of a particular amplifier that sounds tube like or more musical then another this only mean one thing; the amplifiers are adding unwanted noise!!

Comparisons of “cold and sterile” are based on someone’s reference, most likely, to a tube amplifier or one that sounds tube like with it’s rounded off music transients to avoid the presumed solid state harshness. Have any of you Audiophiles ever thought that the “cold and sterile” attribute just might be the amplifier with the least amount of added distortion or noise to the original source?

How about the next time someone thinks about asking for advice on the qualities of a particular brand compared to another go to a live event before asking the question. That also goes for all you experts, with all the experience of multiple brand ownership and auditioning ready to give the advice. When you’re at this live event ask yourself this question; does the music sound tube like, cold and sterile, or does it sound like the real thing?
audia
mrjstark
1,112 posts
 
First of all, you CAN NOT recreate concert hall or any live event and the whole experience between 4 walls.......close to it??? maybe.
It is just impossible. We get it. But I don't see anything wrong in trying to get the ilusion of similar experience.

In my book, "Audiophile" is like a man with hart thorn apart between his true love(music) and his lover( gear).
So, it is like they say.........complicated. :(€<
newbee
4,767 posts
 
I regularily attend live unamplified concerts, both large and small scale. I'm constantly reminded that the home audio system can never be anything more of less than a pale replica of the live event. Why waste time and money on a goal of achieving what is unobtainable. Settling for a sound that you like, a sound that reminds you most of what you would like to hear live, is enuf, IMHO. I've long since concluded that most folk who use the 'live music' as a goal don't get out much. :-)
klipschfan
176 posts
 
Audiophile=More cents than sense.
rodman99999
6,158 posts
 
My reference has been live music(acoustic and amplified)as a sound tech for the past 30+ years. Rest assured: You have opened a can of worms with this thread. Live music is absolutely not "cold and sterile" unless terribly mal-adjusted by the sound tech, or performed in a very poor acoustic(YES- I've witnessed both). Everyone's goal is not the same as yours or mine though, and their references, preferences and opinions will be as varied as their tastes. Whatever I think of their idea of music reproduction: What makes them happy in their listening rooms is strictly their own business. Further it remains their right to consider themselves an "audiophile", regardless of how ludicrous you or I feel the application may be in their case. That's just a matter of semantics.
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