dragonball said:
@esanthosh: i dont agree. what if the audiophile is a poor person or a person like ami_07 - a 'new audiophile' who is just starting? What if he enjoys music on his friends' high end systems?
In that case, the best job for an Audiophile is to become a reviewer
(or land a job in a recording studio)
It also depends on how you consider one as an audiophile. Wiki defines an audiophile as "from Latin audio[1] "I hear" and Greek philos[2] "loving," is a hobbyist who seeks high-quality audio reproduction via the use of
non-mass-produced high-end audio electronics"
Enjoying music and being an Audiophile are two different issues, IMHO. To enjoy music, one only needs to just have "good ears" and taste in music. We
listen, audiophiles
analytically and critically listen - I think therein lies a difference.
Audiophiles, if I could define them by what I read in Head-fi and other forums, are not only concerned with the "enjoyment" part, but also step up a bit and dissect what they hear. We at most times are concerned with the
feel of the music. But an audiophile, I think, is concerned with the technicalities of listening. No doubt, an audiophile is also a good attentive listener who enjoys music. But, we tend to stop with the best we can get, whereas an audiophile would search for that extra something - Singer breathing, a cymbal crash, that minor lower frequency impact - and in accordance with his taste, dives a little deep. We talk in terms of artists and songs. An audiophile would take it to the next level and talk in terms of frequencies, sound stage, imaging, sonic characteristics, coloration etc., of the equipment that produces it.
Most audiophiles start a simple life - wondering why people spend so much on "stuff". Later, they start as budget-fis and once they get their feet wet, all they could think of is the next better (though not necessarily the costlier) upgrade. It is not necessarily the "show off" mentality, but the sheer joy of listening the same music better. As long as disposable cash is available, I am sure many would end up in a vicious cycle of upgrades.
Once you get a good headphone, you need an Amp to drive it, which then reveals that your 128kbps rips do not cut it any more and so you get to re-rip your music in FLACs and 320 kbps MP3s. You hear that modding the headphone and upgrading the cables could make them durable and better sounding. Later, you change the opamps to change the sound signature to suit you. But then again, you worry that the inter-connect between Headphone Amp and the source may be the weakest link and you upgrade it to a custom cable. ......and life goes on.....:ashamed: (BTW, that does not describe me, yet
)
I may be totally wrong in how I perceive an audiophile, since I have no experience in being one
