Does being an audiophile stop you from liking music?!

Just to be clear, i am not a audiophile.
I love music and want it to be as enjoyable as possible where i happen to be.

*The quest for that “quality enhancement” to get that last bit of “quality” at a very high cost, is it worth it.?

Does being an audiophile stop you from liking or enjoying music?!

Disclaimer:

  • be an audiophile, good for you.
  • it is your money.
  • does your “use that applies” know?
  • whatever applies…
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You can be happy about anything and enjoy it if you see added value and the purchase price seems justified. We have audiophiles, musicophiles, technophiles, picophiles, DoItYourSelfiphiles and many more interested people here who came, stayed or left Roon for very different reasons. One product cannot cover all the world’s needs.

Music is our link and Roon has a lot of them. I initially just wanted to see and hear my database well edited for once in my life and find cross connections to music services. My old ears would not be good enough for audiophile enjoyment. My love of music remains in old age, as do many devices I have used for decades. Without investment, buying or tinkering, however, no one gets ahead online with their old analog technology.

The advice here is so varied that everyone finds his direction. Even the audiophile needs his guidance and help. There Roon is a very good place to start.

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LOL, so that makes me an audiomusictechnopicDoItYourSelfphotogadgetophile. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

To be an audiophile per the literal definition you just have to be “a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction” - Merriam-Webster or be “a hi-fi enthusiast” - google.

There are a wide range of users from casual to fanatic who all share an interest in music to varying levels. We must “like” music or we wouldn’t care about listening to it. Even if we just “like” having back ground noise all the way up to critical analytical listening sessions.

I would venture to say that if you are posting on a music site (Roon) and asking this question you may just meet the definition of an audiophile. If you weren’t just a little enthusiastic you wouldn’t care enough to ask or comment on the topic. :slight_smile:

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I remember back in the 80s some people had a very expensive system and about 10 records that they knew intimately. By upgrading I’m sure they knew them so well that they could hear differences.
I have so much music there is very little that I know so well as to notice enough differences to warrant spending more money. I suppose I could go on a quest to learn something well enough and test a load of new Hi-Fi to see if it warrants an upgrade but to be honest I can’t be ar5ed and would rather enjoy the diversity of music I have.
So I guess I’m saying that liking music keeps me off an eternal upgrade path.

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Ridiculous question imo.

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I think there is something to it … :wink:

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A question deserving or inviting derision or mockery? Did you get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning Charles?

As for the question, I’m with @bearFNF. If you define an audiophile as a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction, I think that would probably cover the majority of the people here.

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If anything, music saved me from being an audiophile.

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John @John_Darko has some interesting feedback:

I regard myself ‘lucky’. I’m off the seemingly-endless ‘merry go round’ of upgrades, and the kit doesn’t matter anymore.

I get more excited by new releases and new music on a Friday, than by the latest upgrade or bit of kit.

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Yes it is. Because it’s just another attempt at stirring up division against those who enjoy the gear aspect of audio and tweaking their hifi setup (and, aghast, even the network behind it). Somehow that’s supposed to also preclude them/us from being passionate about music as well, which imo is insulting and wrong. Bollocks! as the Brits might say. And, as you so handily point out, it’s not even a question that needed to be asked at all, esp on an audiophile forum.

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That’s not how I read it. I may be wrong, but I think you’re maybe being a bit oversensitive. Perhaps @PeterD could clarify.

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Same here, did not read it that way, besides, this is a forum, discussion is good, as long as we stay civil about it.

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I reread it. Perhaps it was an innocent question, but it comes off as patronizing to me. Not so much if he had paraphrased it with “I AM an audiophile” vs ‘not.’

Read it yet again and now I’m feeling that English might have gotten in the way of his point being clearer. But it still has that us vs them quality about it that I would love to see more on this forum abandon (or just keep over at ASR).

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Charles,

And who is it now to have stirred up “division”? :wink:

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It’s not just this thread - it’s all over the Roon forum whenever gear is talked about, anyone that has a positive experience with say, cables or networking gear improving sound quality, the objectivist wolf pack pounces and pronounce we’re all delusional and hate music vs our love of ‘snake oil.’ Gets old after awhile. I guess I’m not wanted here and I’m wasting my time (aren’t we all?). I’ll stick to support issues from now on.

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As my system improved I found my musical tastes widened so for me the answer is no.

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This :+1: Could not agree more.

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Ditto. I’d never really been into jazz or classical much before finally getting a good sounding setup. Now that’s about all that I listen to.

One last word about the OP’s question. Do amateur chefs get asked if they actually enjoy food because they prefer using All Clad when a $9.99 aluminum non-stick from Walmart can also cook a meal?

I’ll never forget a few years back when I went to photograph Pearl Jam and showed up in the pit with a pair of Leica M9’s and a few lenses in a smallish bag. The other photographers, with their massive dslrs and zoom lenses, looked at me with a look that said ‘what does he think he’s going to do with those?’ I even saw a snicker on one of their faces. Of course, after three songs when they were all escorted out and I stayed and shot amazing pics of the entire show, I got the last laugh. Just saying we should all be careful of excoriating others on here for their choices or what they may or not may not hear, because we may know nothing of their background and experience.

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This works best when we see another point of view not as a provocation, but only as a different experience and point of view. We are all allowed to be happy about our decisions, everyone makes it right for himself and is allowed to share this experience.

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“Worth” in what way? Almost everyone on this forum is already spending more on audio gear than the average 1st-world citizen would consider sane. What’s worth what is a matter of personal values.

My other big disposable $ sink is backcountry ski touring in remote mountain locations, something that most of you likely would consider totally nuts: cold, dangerous, expensive, exhausting. Even skiers among you would wonder why not just use the lifts and avoid dangerous terrain. But guess what, it’s for me most rewarding.

I used to go to lots of live music events (20-30/year) before COVID, and I’m starting to get back as pandemic conditions improve. I support multiple music nonprofits. Is that worth it? Depends on my values, someone might ask why not use those funds for their favorite endeavor instead.

Same for audio gear. I’d rather spend on systems that give me a level of musical presence than on a nice car, so I run my barebones utilitarian, take me to the mountains, Subaru into the ground while someone else would be driving a Tesla.

TL; DR I love music, so I choose to listen to it in the best possible ways, whether live or through great audio gear. Seems pretty obvious, no?

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