Audiophiles vs DIY-o-philes

There is a vast chasm between science and art. My career is in the former but my stereo is based on the latter. For me, it is the only way to go but it takes a lot of effort, thought, and understanding to get a grasp on any form of art. Many people don't want to go to all that trouble and instead settle for the much easier route of using formulas to achieve their goal. Unfortunately, the scientific road is littered with pot holes since formulas are inherently based on a simplified version of our world.

Measurements are descriptions of this scientific road. However, they cannot tell the whole story since we are always dealing with an infinite number of variables - which includes the human ones. As a result, they only offer a view of trees and not of the forest. This can lead to severe misunderstandings that all originate from the oversimplified formulaic basis. During my years of engineering research, I have run into lots of people who are blinded by the numbers. Our world is more complex than we know, and to feel that measurements tell all is to fall prey to an ego trip.

I have thought of making my own amps and speakers before but have decided there are other people who have devoted their life to the cause and thus are surely way ahead of me in terms of greater understanding. Human experience is the only way to learn beyond simple formulas.

Buying the equipment is much more expensive than DIY but anything "great" never comes cheap - whether in terms of money or time. Besides, finding just the right components for my room and ears is a sufficient artistic endeavor for me to feel fulfilled for a long time to come.

Arthur

Not that word "emotion" again! Look, the electrons don't care much for that kind of stuff. I admire those knowledgeable enouhg to be DIYers. You will find them on AA. More power to them!

The toughest thing for non-DIY audiophiles is to leave superstitious pretentions to art behind & accept that many even high-priced commercial components are compromised & built to cost. The problem has been aggrevated by the trend toward industrial design in fit & finish of audio components, which adds materially to cost without improving performance. The discussion is not really about science vs. art: any good DIYer spends time listening to music. Unfortunately some DIYers don't have the cash or experience of well-healed audiophiles in evaluating high-end commercial pieces relative to home-grown efforts. Industry price inflation has led DIYers further into retreat from upscale consumer behavior and widened the gulf between audiophiles and the original DNA of the hobby in DIY. Doubtless there are DIYers with pale skins from too much obsessing over oscilloscopes in sunless basements-- and who rarely come up for air or music. But for every one of these, there are 10 suckers born every minute who eagerly pay a rediculous premium for nebulous improvement in some new audio component, or conduct an endless merry-go-round of transactions in audiophile nervosa on Audiogon.

My background is in art & DIY is a hobby.

I think you are way off base. The DIY audiophiles I know build and then listen. It is 100% about how things sound and nobody really cares that much how it measures. Measurements may come later and are used to analyze when things go wrong, but if it sounds good the measurements don’t matter.