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How to explain our obsessions to the uninitiated?

My father in-law asked me last night at dinner, just what makes one box more special than the other (referring to the components within a system) so much so that one can command a higher price and succeed in a competitive marketplace? I tried explaining as best I could and don't know if I did a very effective job at it. I was wondering if anyone has come across an online resource, or even a thread here that may do a good job at putting into words that someone who knows nothing about this hobby can relate with, exactly what it is that makes one component better than another and worth the price of admission? Since he expressed some interest I was thinking of pointing my father in-law to something like that if it exists. I will also take the time to try to sit him down and listen, of course, but I'd also like to find a well-articulated (hopefully brief and to the point) description of the carrot on the stick. Perhaps I'll just compose something myself. It is not the first time someone has asked me. There's always the response; "...if you have to ask, you probably won't get it anyway." I'd rather be more positive and try, at least, to share my enthusiasm, even if the likelihood may be towards the inference of that more rude response. What have your experiences been in sharing your hobby with those who otherwise wouldn't care about such things?
jax2
mt10425
1,138 posts
 
The explanation is in the sound. Play him something he is familiar with. Every time I make a small change (and spend more money) and my mom (she's 84) has that (now what are you doing?) look on her face, I play Sinatra at the Sands vinyl for her. Every change makes him sound just like she remembers when she saw him there way back when.

As for your father-in-law, play something on a clock radio then something on your equipment and ask him which one HE enjoys more and why.

It's always more effective when people come to their own conclusions instead of ours.
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knownothing
1,606 posts
 
Your summary statement is excellent and as good as necessary I think.

Taking chadnliz's comment to a further extreme - you might just tell "Dad" that all the nerve endings that would have been in one part of your anatomy ended up in your brain attached to your ears instead. Although the words "" and "father in law" used in the same context, let alone the same sentence, is a recipe for trouble?!?

Only slightly more seriously, I like the analogy of reproducing a digital image on a computer or TV screen. The end result is a combination of how well the image was captured initially, and the ability of the hard drive, video card, and screen resolution and color capability to faithfully reproduce that image. Most people can easily tell the difference between a VGA image in 16 colors and a HD signal in millions of colors. Your "boxes" do a better or less good job of reproducing the "sound pixels", and you can hear this difference and it affects your enjoyment. Some boxes may have less resolution and the sound's "color" may be off a bit from the original digital image, but you or another person may like this better than a more completely accurate reproduction of the original (but not perfect) digital image because this version more closely represents how you experience live images in real time with your own ears (or eyes, why some people like tube boxes over solid state boxes or paintings over photographs, for example).
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
there are only 2 groups....1.people with obsessive hobbies and 2. people who don't understand people with obsessive hobbies. i hate to be the one to break the news, but putting your thoughts into writing for those in group 2 (it's a father-in-law to boot)is not a good idea.
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
Chad, if your contention is true, I'll bet you have one killer system.
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
HA! Just keepin' it real! Did I mentioned my second music room with a Bose Wave radio???
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