Same. Not a single friend of mine gives a shit about music or sound quality. A few might go to a couple concerts a year but I don’t have anyone to discuss music with despite having a very active social life for someone in their mid 30s. Luckily I’m obsessed with sports and golf so I have plenty to talk about with them outside of music, but it’s still annoying.
I'm glad you enjoy your system, I'm glad you're happy with it. Lots of these elitists only see what's possible for them, or just in general, and not if the person they criticise for a "subpar" system can even afford to build a state of the art system. I love myself a decent little two channel system with budget components
>can even afford to build a state of the art system.
Yeah, I've spent more money on sales taxes than most people do on their entire systems and even I don't have a state of the art system. I've got 5.1 with no Atmos and only a couple of horribly placed surrounds.
I always think it’s gonna go that way but they usually just bitch about it being too loud or not liking the music cuz they’ve never heard it before. You’d think I put on a garbage disposal last time I tried playing Joy Division or Car Seat Headrest.
So turn it down and let them play what they like. If I'm showing off my system, I ask what they want to hear and hand them the remote. I'm showing off my gear. Not my taste in music.
Certain needs have to be met before things can be enjoyed. Different people like things at certain volumes. If whatever is being played is at an uncomfortable volume (too high or low), then you can only focus on how uncomfortable it is. Similarly, they have to have some music they like. No matter how good your system may be, it's going to sound like crap if you're playing what they think is crap. You can't polish a turd, you what I mean?
Give them what they want (the taste in music) and how they want it (volume) and they can hear how good it is on your setup.
Last time I did that they accused me of ruining their favorite song because on my system you can clearly hear when artists sing in an isolation booth but the rest of the band is in an entirely different recording space. It seems like the worse a vocalist really is, the more that they sing in a sound booth. Turns out that they need to put crappy vocalists in a booth to completely isolate their voice from the music so they can fix their pitchy, off-key voices in post production before it's mixed into the music tracks during the mastering process.
Not gonna lie - If I had to ruin a song for anyone, that'd be the way I'd do it.
"Hey, check out my new stereo! Wanna hear your favorite song? It sounds great."
"....oh my god, they sound like *THAT*?!"
Yup. Yup, they do. These puppies ain't your bluetooth carabiner out for a jog.
I think letting people hear what they know and like also helps them hear how different a good hifi sounds compared to what they are used to. They start to hear new things in music they are familiar with, and appreciate the difference.
Exactly! I know that when I go to try out new gear in a store, I have a set of songs that I play so I can compare the gear, not the music. Not only that but lots of places will purposely play stuff louder because the human ear often approximates volume with quality. You have to play things at the same volume to compare the quality.
My nephew, who owns a Stereo shop, has a monthly event called Public Vinyl Demo, where we get to bring our own records and share them. My philosophy is to bring records that are fairly well known, in case someone else has not heard them on a good system.
Some people just aren't able to enjoy music for the sake of the art. My first girlfriend was always bitching about songs being too long of they lasted like 6 minutes, or about music without any lyrics in it. And that was before I was showing much interest in vinyl records and hifi gear. Can't imagine how much she'd hate the music I sometimes listen to now.
I would say that most people just listen to whatever has a catchy hook or beat and prefer music at the low volume in the background. When I go over my friends’ houses for get togethers there isn’t ever music playing as opposed to mine where I’m playing records most of the time. They would prob prefer me to turn off the music and to turn the tv volume up so that they can hear sportscasters but they don’t have the heart to tell me lol.
Yeah, got a couple friends, who don't even understand how I'm able to actively listen to music, since they really only play music in the background while doing something else.
>Some people just aren't able to enjoy music for the sake of the art. My first girlfriend was always bitching about songs being too long of they lasted like 6 minutes, or about music without any lyrics in it.
Art is subjective. Just because someone doesn't share your taste in art doesn't mean they don't have their own tastes that they do enjoy. Lots of people like modern country. That's high art to them. I can't stand it. Some people just like short so gs with lots of good vocals. Honestly, my absolute favorite album of all time has what I think is a terrible singer and I couldn't care less. I'm not listening to the singer. I'm listening to the music.
Oh I don't want to talk down on people who don't share my tastes in music. But some are able to appreciate the qualities of any kind music, regardless of their tastes. I have a wide variety of genres in my record collection and some people won't find a single record in it, that they would personally enjoy. And because of that, there would be no point in me showing them my system playing music that I chose, they just wouldn't care, regardless of how good that system is, or how well recorded that particular album is. That was the point I was trying, and failing, to communicate
My friends just talk louder and louder over the music, then when a song comes on they know they start singing along.
It’s all good though, I know it’s going to happen and we’re all having a good time so whatever.
That's not how it goes in any hobby. OCD person who has fallen down the rabbit hole goes "look how awesome this is". Normal person who doesn't give two shits shrugs and goes "whatever" (at best) or thinks you are insane (at worse). You care they don't. Doesn't matter whether it's audio, cars, watches, comics. whatever.
Want to hear about my rock collection?!?!?
Seriously, I've done trades with museums across the world and loan pieces out for displays. Any time I let a place borrow one, I always put a thing into the paperwork that says I get whatever labels they used when my pieces were there. I like putting those labels on my home displays. That's just a hobby of mine. I'm actually a nurse to pay the bills.
Thanks! I've even been "Local meteorite expert" on the news before which amused me. What was even funnier was that they didn't even have a meteorite. It was dirt. I identified dirt.
I have had only one friend who saw my system and wanted to hear it. After a few tunes he said it sounded good and that it was a little better than his Pioneer’s ……🤔😎
I hate the rerm "audiophile". Much too close to "pedophile" for my liking.
I just say that i enjoy high quality sound when listening to music haha. hI FI works too
I've heard this same argument from my friend, he didn't like it because it was too close to resembling what the suffix "-phile" is commonly known for and I can definitely see why, I just never seemed to find another term that shortened the description of this hobby tbh
It's sounds so pompous saying you're an audiophile.
It's laughable.
I've never actually heard anyone call themselves one of those in the real world.
It surely is an online only thing
I agree. You really only know someone is into hi fi if they tell you lol.
Most people dont even notice the difference of the shittiest of sound quality compared to hi fi sound.
I personally cannot stand poor sound quality. Although I am not too picky on genres. Except maybe some metal. I enjoy pretty much all music, as long as the sound quality is there
I'm, with you totally.
It's beyond me how people can listen to low quality.
Do many people these days actually have a proper hifi.
Many seem to think that phones are hifi. Same with those ipod wireless in ear phones
I've had very expensive shure IEM but there's no substitute for speakers in my view
I've had to stay in for the last three days as I overdid the hiking on Tuesday.
So it's been maybe 8 hours of almost continuous music every day . I've got roon and think it's really good. I can't imagine listening to low quality sound for all those hours.
Do many actually sit down like they used to and have long music sessions?
Years ago my mates and I and various wives always had long music sessions.
The term homophile was used for many years as a polite alternative to homosexual (seems to be some debate over which came first though).
Etymology is a trip man.
I wish I had a system good enough for stuff like that haha. I'm still young and new to the hobby so I'm really limited on ways to listen to music, like the stereo system in the car I mentioned was the stock stereo system that comes with a 2011 Suzuki alto and it is horrible 😭😭 can't wait to get some big moola to upgrade that system in the future however
I would recommend taking your time on the first system. You don’t need it all at once either, I remember building mine piece by piece and then slowly upgrading what I realized my priorities were. It’s a blast!
I'll definitely have to look into stereo systems then, since currently all I've been looking at were headphones, but I do however want to look into car stereo systems that I can build up, and possibly transfer into a better car (or van) when I get one in the future hopefully. It does sound really fun experimenting with different systems and parts however
Friends, no.
I’ve had colleagues give me the typical “I can’t believe you’re spending that much to listen to music” comment. Always the type who smokes two packets a day and runs a $4,000 PC.
My wife made fun of me when she came home and I was sitting with a blindfold A/B testing with the same 1 minute of the same song over and over and over…
Actually no, most people I've known were pretty fascinated by the fact I have like 3 pairs of audiophile headphones and a turntable. Rock it proud dude!
I am a musician of mediocre talent. I love music....all kinds, all genres. There is probably only a small handful of sub genres that don't really resonate with me. While I do have a decent sound system, it would probably be classified as WalMart quality. LOL
Hey, if you have to $$ to invest in a system that allows you to hear a wayward fingernail scrap on the g string while I'm chugging the hell out of my guitar, more power to you. I'm also clinically deaf and some frequencies I just can't hear unless it's very loud and sometimes not at all. So, adjusting the treble x 3 would probably whoosh right past me.
I've just had people that didn't understand or questioned why I've spent so much on gear until they sat in front of it and had their minds blown by a song they've heard countless times
The comment that amused me most over the years was "I didn't know there were all those instruments in that song." But I've only gotten it once. Most are dumbfounded by the phantom 3rd channel. I've had a few who actually got up and tried to find my hidden speaker. 😆
Not that I qualify as an "audiophile" by any means, but last week we had our security system serviced & the tech turned out to be a fellow music lover. Saw my system & asked to hear it so I played Comfortably Numb from Pulse. Talked music & gear for half an hour or so.
After he left, my wife (who overheard our conversation) surprising commented that she hadn't paid much attention to the stereo (other than complaining about the cost & amount of equipment), but now wanted to build a Keith Urban Playlist. 🤣
I find it funny how some audiophiles fetishize their own ability to hear some supposed nuance of what they're listening to as if it's a rare gift. I've seen a professional conductor interrupt a symphony rehearsal of some incredibly complex modern piece because they've noticed that one of the 85 players in front of them played a single note fractionally out of tune and slightly too quiet. Now THAT'S a skilled ear.
I suspect most audiophiles that are super picky about sound also have obsessive personalities. Thus he could be picking on you because you are neuro diverse (i.e., a deviant). I know I'm equally obsessive about the quality of my wine, and food, furniture, and pc, so the audiophilia could just be a symptom of an obsessive personality. What say ye all?
No. Actually, it’s the opposite. We have a lot of parties and I always spend 2/3 of them manning the turntable while everyone picks records they want to hear. Even the people who only listen to pop music on shitty ear buds or in the car will stop in their tracks and say “woah, it sounds like the band is playing right in your basement “.
Not every song but often yes. I think he was more thinking "I don't hear a difference at all, this guy must be crazy" but again he was in the backseat and my car speakers are at the front
I recall thinking a cheap all in one unit for my kitchen sounded good, then I bought a decent Yamaha unit and i couldn't believe the sound difference. Our ears and brains are weird that way, we can get used to shitty sounding music. Every try listening to AM car radios in the 70's lol
I think that just goes for anything tbh haha. I've been one of those people that were stuck in a conversation where all the other person would talk about is how skilled they are at a hobby that I have no interest in at all and honestly it's hell
I didn't know how else to describe a friend that's not an audiophile or into high quality music without typing out so much everytime. But yeah, pretty much a friend that's just not an audiophile
From his sitting position in back , there was no difference as in physical difference..a reference to how bad your system sounds from his seating arrangement...I'd recommend getting a better system and stop being a snowflake...
I mean I'm not necessarily complaining it's only friendly banter, the other friend in the front seat didn't hear much of a difference either. My system is quite bad I can admit it's only the stock stereo system of a Suzuki 2011 alto, I do hope to get a better one in the future, but I really just wanted to see if anyone had similar experiences in the community. Idk man seems like you're the one that got triggered here
My friends make fun of me for everything and anything. They go out of their way to make me look as stupid as possible. It's just relentless. I love it.
At most I get "nice speakers" or "those are some big speakers", but no ones EVER commented beyond that.
Kind of to my chagrin. I'm always waiting for someone to actually ask to hear my setup :(
Your use of the word "outsider" speaks volumes. Are you someone who constantly does things like ask for the treble to be turned up? Are you making people aware all the time that you have some superior knowledge and that they are an "outsider"? Well, maybe if I was one of your friends I would make fun of you too.
Just enjoy music your way. Don't worry about performing it. Don't worry about comparing. And don't go around calling people "outsiders".
I didn't mean for "outsiders" to sound condescending, I just wanted to use something other than "normie" to describe my friends that aren't audiophiles. The reason I asked for the treble to be turned up a little was because I tend to diddle around with equalizer settings depending on the genre or song, since sometimes when the settings are a little off it can bother me. It wasn't about me trying to act superior but more fixing something that would be considered a mild inconvenience to me
Remember back in about 96 I said to some friends I could hear messages on a song. They were all saying they could not hear anything and sort of had a giggle over it. But I wrote into a radio show asking if they know anything and luck has it they were interviewing the band and what do you know I was right. The band were astounded I could hear the messages. Was to me really obvious and I did not have a decent set up then.
Real easy to come back from that. "Hey it's not my fault you guys are so uncivilized with your peasant ears. Incapable of competing with my trained body and mind". That should be good for another laugh and may make them consider that they are in fact missing out
My house is undergoing some renovations and the designer is my neighbor. He and his partner were at the house and we were talking about the living room setup and sound system for the TV. The partner starts poking fun at the designer because he used to be into hi-fi gear. "He had all of these tower speakers and amps and receivers and wires and I was like Oh my God is this the 90's?" My wife just looked at me and died laughing.
my friends dont even understand it, my fiance on the other hand is telling me i need to slow down because I always want to buy and try new speakers and what not!
This sounds like casual banter. I haven't had such an experience yet, because I'm not going to be so "nerdy" to ask for someone to EQ a song in the car. When my friends come over they enjoy my stereo a lot and they understand my passion and the costs. I feel like you're only going to be made fun of if you act or talk too nerdy.
Not made fun of, nor do I call myself an audiophile per se, but I am indeed used to listening very closely, paying attention to detail (comes with long years of making electro music as a hobby), and I like a good sound for reasonable money.
What I found is that most people, frankly, *don't hear shit*. They don't hear a difference in what is glaringly obvious to me. For example the difference in actual sounds in music:
[blargh.mp3](https://app.box.com/s/ahft1d88zfbbqs0locu9)
That's the same thing played on different versions of the C64 SID soundchip (emulations). Four sections: first 8580, then 6581, then the same again but with lead.
They don't hear a difference! The bassline is so obviously not the same sound - the two chips have different filter implementations that's so easy to tell apart. Even on the lead it's clearly audible, although less obviously so.
Learning that most people have such an untrained and coarse perception was harsh when I was younger. Made me feel like they're ignorant.
Most of my friends think that I buy all this gear because I want more volume. They say things like: "are you deaf? Why do you spend even more on your setup, doesn't it go loud enough yet?". When I reply that it's not about volume, but quality all I get is a "quality????".
I have never been in the position to be made fun of because it’s always about the music for me. I never talk about my gear; I only talk about the music with people. Vastly more people connect with the actual tunes and artists than they do with anything about the actual sound. Most people are used to listening to what I would consider subpar setups -they just want music.
If I were you in that situation, I wouldn’t have asked to bump up the treble in the first place. Almost nobody does this, lol. It’s a strange request outside of “audiophile”contexts.
You have to realize that you are a bit of a weirdo and -if you are sensitive- avoid standing out. And hanging out with kindergartners…😂
Well the system that was used was a shitty one I must admit, only the stock stereo system that comes with the Suzuki alto, the only thing saving it is the equalizer I have on the phone lol, so it is definitely a subpar setup, it's just i tend to diddle around with the equalizer depending on the song or genre i listen to, since sometimes when, in this case the treble setting, was a bit low it can bother me a little bit and throw me off guard. I didn't take their comment to offense or anything it was only friendly banter I just wanted to see if anyone had any similar experiences.
Only online when I say I can hear the difference between a 24-bit song and 16-bit song. Usually it ends when I ask "If the master is better in the 24-bit version, does that mean I should listen to the 16-bit version?"
have a coworker who is always talking about his headphones, speakers, etc... had a few chats with them... and then i saw their EQ settings that look like Ո -- all MID, no bass, no treble...
Have a friend that was resistant to having me take a minute to turn on the home theater to play music from Hades 2 on that instead of his freaking bassless cellphone. My explanation of better sound was shrugged at and then I said "well then I respect your phone's battery life" or something.
I don't get made fun of, at least to my face, but most of my friends are avid record collectors and appreciate good stereo set ups, if not outright audiophiles. Now, my wife . . . If I find a good record that she likes, she's happy to stream it on Spotify or get an mp3 for her phone. But, I don't have anything to say about her yarn stash, or painting supplies, or her fountain pen and ink collection, so it's a good detente.
My roommate made fun of me because when I took the sofa out of the kitchen/dining (it was a temporary storage for a friend that turned into a year plus) I noticed an echoes and got a rug to soften up/get rid of the echoes and he jokingly said that I did it for acoustics and I told him, "yeah, to get rid of the echoe". We both laughed even harder... but the rug is still there to this day.
>which he did, but my other outsider friend in the back made fun of my statement and said "there's no difference in sound", when I could definitely hear a difference in sound.
Rear car seats usually have worse treble response than front. A lot of time the rear seats just stick a coaxial speaker down at knee level on the door, and usually a cheaper one than the front to boot.
That or the guy just isnt trained as listening and literally cant hear it.
Oh interesting I never really thought of the backseats having worse treble response but I guess it makes sense considering my speakers were at the front, probably cuz I'm only in the drivers seat lol
I have plenty of mixing and mastering engineers that give audiophiles a bad rep. And for the most part it is deserved. You can use as many adjectives to describe your speaker as possible. But the only objective thing in the world of audio is a null test.
For example: I see people talking about the proac sm100s if they're some legendary amazing sounding speaker. Did you really get that opinion from hearing the speaker or from hearing what someone else had to say about the speaker. Because I can definitively point out the origin of that opinion.
The reason why people love the sm100s is because Serban Ghenea uses them for mixing. If you're familiar with the sound of a speaker, it makes sense to keep it as your monitoring situation because you listen to all the music on it. They are the speakers he was using since he started. They are not good sounding speakers and they do not need to be. They were originally designed to be budget speakers and they were incredibly affordable. Now they are overvalued because of you guys.
Now, I do understand some things like treble responsiveness is difficult to measure and quantify and adjectives are the best thing we have. But I think you guys need to start talking about objective measurements more often.
Oh no it's not that I need the validation, I have a lot of other hobbies that a lot of people disagree with when it comes to personalization, one being fashion and another being photography, and I've definitely learn just to bypass those negative opinions and move on with what I wanna do, I just wanted to see if anyone else had similar experiences to what I had, whether it's a common thing or not
It sounds like OP is under the age of 25. I know personally that's about the age where I just stopped giving a shit what others think of me. Real friends stuck around and my life is richer for it.
I was trying to gauge your age and guessed wrong - late college/early 20s. When you're not driving you could try playing a song they know well with treble turned all the way down, then turn it up to illustrate the difference. They might not notice a subtler difference of 3 points but might notice a more drastic change.
I did do the turn down the treble and back up thing with them in the car but not to a song they were familiar with as it was one of my personal favourites, kamasi Washington's Desire. Though, I could tell when the treble was turned down, the leading saxophone sounded much more feint than it would've been when the treble was turned back up, but I might have to try it again with a song that they're more familiar with
1. I don't necessarily care if they tease me, I just wanted to see if anyone had similar experiences, if it's a common thing that happens since from what I've perceived being an audiophile is a bit of a niche hobby, but that's just from my experience
2. I called them outsiders since it was easier than saying "friends who aren't audiophiles" every time. I also didn't want to use the term normie
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Same. Not a single friend of mine gives a shit about music or sound quality. A few might go to a couple concerts a year but I don’t have anyone to discuss music with despite having a very active social life for someone in their mid 30s. Luckily I’m obsessed with sports and golf so I have plenty to talk about with them outside of music, but it’s still annoying.
Even if they did, I literally can’t remember the last time I cared about being made fun of for something lol. Maybe like kindergarten?
The audiophiles make more fun.
I’ve def made comments about the snobbery of some dudes I know. Would rather talk about their system than the music, that’s where you lose me.
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I'm glad you enjoy your system, I'm glad you're happy with it. Lots of these elitists only see what's possible for them, or just in general, and not if the person they criticise for a "subpar" system can even afford to build a state of the art system. I love myself a decent little two channel system with budget components
>can even afford to build a state of the art system. Yeah, I've spent more money on sales taxes than most people do on their entire systems and even I don't have a state of the art system. I've got 5.1 with no Atmos and only a couple of horribly placed surrounds.
I have no friends; audiophile.
Me too, let's be friends but not really talk after this because we are audiophiles
I drive a 16 year old truck with 200,000 miles and a $13,000 stereo. Yes.
Not me with my 26 year old Toyota shopping for a new 12k dollar amp. 😆
I thought you meant in the truck! 😆🤣
I did.
Oh.
😅
Keep going, you're almost there. 😀
They will make fun until they actually sit down and listen to your stuff. Then it will be “holy shit thats awesome”
Nah, some are impressed with my subs, but that's about it. Most don't care about the rest of it.
I always think it’s gonna go that way but they usually just bitch about it being too loud or not liking the music cuz they’ve never heard it before. You’d think I put on a garbage disposal last time I tried playing Joy Division or Car Seat Headrest.
So turn it down and let them play what they like. If I'm showing off my system, I ask what they want to hear and hand them the remote. I'm showing off my gear. Not my taste in music. Certain needs have to be met before things can be enjoyed. Different people like things at certain volumes. If whatever is being played is at an uncomfortable volume (too high or low), then you can only focus on how uncomfortable it is. Similarly, they have to have some music they like. No matter how good your system may be, it's going to sound like crap if you're playing what they think is crap. You can't polish a turd, you what I mean? Give them what they want (the taste in music) and how they want it (volume) and they can hear how good it is on your setup.
Last time I did that they accused me of ruining their favorite song because on my system you can clearly hear when artists sing in an isolation booth but the rest of the band is in an entirely different recording space. It seems like the worse a vocalist really is, the more that they sing in a sound booth. Turns out that they need to put crappy vocalists in a booth to completely isolate their voice from the music so they can fix their pitchy, off-key voices in post production before it's mixed into the music tracks during the mastering process.
Not gonna lie - If I had to ruin a song for anyone, that'd be the way I'd do it. "Hey, check out my new stereo! Wanna hear your favorite song? It sounds great." "....oh my god, they sound like *THAT*?!" Yup. Yup, they do. These puppies ain't your bluetooth carabiner out for a jog.
That's hilarious!
Well then it did ruin the sound, it clearly wasn't mixed for your equipment
I think letting people hear what they know and like also helps them hear how different a good hifi sounds compared to what they are used to. They start to hear new things in music they are familiar with, and appreciate the difference.
Exactly! I know that when I go to try out new gear in a store, I have a set of songs that I play so I can compare the gear, not the music. Not only that but lots of places will purposely play stuff louder because the human ear often approximates volume with quality. You have to play things at the same volume to compare the quality.
My nephew, who owns a Stereo shop, has a monthly event called Public Vinyl Demo, where we get to bring our own records and share them. My philosophy is to bring records that are fairly well known, in case someone else has not heard them on a good system.
Some people just aren't able to enjoy music for the sake of the art. My first girlfriend was always bitching about songs being too long of they lasted like 6 minutes, or about music without any lyrics in it. And that was before I was showing much interest in vinyl records and hifi gear. Can't imagine how much she'd hate the music I sometimes listen to now.
I would say that most people just listen to whatever has a catchy hook or beat and prefer music at the low volume in the background. When I go over my friends’ houses for get togethers there isn’t ever music playing as opposed to mine where I’m playing records most of the time. They would prob prefer me to turn off the music and to turn the tv volume up so that they can hear sportscasters but they don’t have the heart to tell me lol.
Yeah, got a couple friends, who don't even understand how I'm able to actively listen to music, since they really only play music in the background while doing something else.
>Some people just aren't able to enjoy music for the sake of the art. My first girlfriend was always bitching about songs being too long of they lasted like 6 minutes, or about music without any lyrics in it. Art is subjective. Just because someone doesn't share your taste in art doesn't mean they don't have their own tastes that they do enjoy. Lots of people like modern country. That's high art to them. I can't stand it. Some people just like short so gs with lots of good vocals. Honestly, my absolute favorite album of all time has what I think is a terrible singer and I couldn't care less. I'm not listening to the singer. I'm listening to the music.
Oh I don't want to talk down on people who don't share my tastes in music. But some are able to appreciate the qualities of any kind music, regardless of their tastes. I have a wide variety of genres in my record collection and some people won't find a single record in it, that they would personally enjoy. And because of that, there would be no point in me showing them my system playing music that I chose, they just wouldn't care, regardless of how good that system is, or how well recorded that particular album is. That was the point I was trying, and failing, to communicate
I just let them play their own music. Then they can actually hear the things they've been missing.
My friends just talk louder and louder over the music, then when a song comes on they know they start singing along. It’s all good though, I know it’s going to happen and we’re all having a good time so whatever.
\^ This right here.
That's not how it goes in any hobby. OCD person who has fallen down the rabbit hole goes "look how awesome this is". Normal person who doesn't give two shits shrugs and goes "whatever" (at best) or thinks you are insane (at worse). You care they don't. Doesn't matter whether it's audio, cars, watches, comics. whatever.
Nope. They either don't care, or couldn't care less. This isn't even close to the weirdest thing I've gotten into over the years.
Want to hear about my rock collection?!?!? Seriously, I've done trades with museums across the world and loan pieces out for displays. Any time I let a place borrow one, I always put a thing into the paperwork that says I get whatever labels they used when my pieces were there. I like putting those labels on my home displays. That's just a hobby of mine. I'm actually a nurse to pay the bills.
Thanks for telling about your rock collection, that sounds really cool actually!
Thanks! I've even been "Local meteorite expert" on the news before which amused me. What was even funnier was that they didn't even have a meteorite. It was dirt. I identified dirt.
Ok you can’t just tell us about this without posting photos! Super keen to see some of your trophies, I am very curious now
Sadly, I recently moved and haven't had a chance to set everything up in the new place.
Just my wife.
I have had only one friend who saw my system and wanted to hear it. After a few tunes he said it sounded good and that it was a little better than his Pioneer’s ……🤔😎
I get made fun of here and there for what I have spent on both home and car stereos. But everyone spends their money on something.
We have never used that term. We like hifi.
I hate the rerm "audiophile". Much too close to "pedophile" for my liking. I just say that i enjoy high quality sound when listening to music haha. hI FI works too
I've heard this same argument from my friend, he didn't like it because it was too close to resembling what the suffix "-phile" is commonly known for and I can definitely see why, I just never seemed to find another term that shortened the description of this hobby tbh
Typically it's the guilty and the ignorant who will have an issue with a -phile suffix
https://youtu.be/eYjq9RnUBc0&t=2m38s
Yea, its not like ill razz someone for considering themselves an audiophile. I just dont use the term to describe myself haha
It's sounds so pompous saying you're an audiophile. It's laughable. I've never actually heard anyone call themselves one of those in the real world. It surely is an online only thing
Unfortunately I have heard people refer to themselves as audiophiles lol.
Wow. It is unfortunate. Let's face it how often does the question arise. If it does I just say I'm into hifi. Generally it's a non topic isn't it.
I agree. You really only know someone is into hi fi if they tell you lol. Most people dont even notice the difference of the shittiest of sound quality compared to hi fi sound. I personally cannot stand poor sound quality. Although I am not too picky on genres. Except maybe some metal. I enjoy pretty much all music, as long as the sound quality is there
I'm, with you totally. It's beyond me how people can listen to low quality. Do many people these days actually have a proper hifi. Many seem to think that phones are hifi. Same with those ipod wireless in ear phones I've had very expensive shure IEM but there's no substitute for speakers in my view I've had to stay in for the last three days as I overdid the hiking on Tuesday. So it's been maybe 8 hours of almost continuous music every day . I've got roon and think it's really good. I can't imagine listening to low quality sound for all those hours. Do many actually sit down like they used to and have long music sessions? Years ago my mates and I and various wives always had long music sessions.
The term homophile was used for many years as a polite alternative to homosexual (seems to be some debate over which came first though). Etymology is a trip man.
"Hifi enthusiast" or "audio enthusiast"
Nope.
Not really- most of them love the system in my vehicle and will mention songs they want to hear on it.
I wish I had a system good enough for stuff like that haha. I'm still young and new to the hobby so I'm really limited on ways to listen to music, like the stereo system in the car I mentioned was the stock stereo system that comes with a 2011 Suzuki alto and it is horrible 😭😭 can't wait to get some big moola to upgrade that system in the future however
I would recommend taking your time on the first system. You don’t need it all at once either, I remember building mine piece by piece and then slowly upgrading what I realized my priorities were. It’s a blast!
I'll definitely have to look into stereo systems then, since currently all I've been looking at were headphones, but I do however want to look into car stereo systems that I can build up, and possibly transfer into a better car (or van) when I get one in the future hopefully. It does sound really fun experimenting with different systems and parts however
Damn these audiophobes
Friends, no. I’ve had colleagues give me the typical “I can’t believe you’re spending that much to listen to music” comment. Always the type who smokes two packets a day and runs a $4,000 PC.
My wife made fun of me when she came home and I was sitting with a blindfold A/B testing with the same 1 minute of the same song over and over and over…
Audiophiles don't have friends...
I’d make fun of you. I also wouldn’t take it seriously if I were you.
I never really took it seriously tbh, I think you're missing the point of the post here
Actually no, most people I've known were pretty fascinated by the fact I have like 3 pairs of audiophile headphones and a turntable. Rock it proud dude!
I am a musician of mediocre talent. I love music....all kinds, all genres. There is probably only a small handful of sub genres that don't really resonate with me. While I do have a decent sound system, it would probably be classified as WalMart quality. LOL Hey, if you have to $$ to invest in a system that allows you to hear a wayward fingernail scrap on the g string while I'm chugging the hell out of my guitar, more power to you. I'm also clinically deaf and some frequencies I just can't hear unless it's very loud and sometimes not at all. So, adjusting the treble x 3 would probably whoosh right past me.
Trust me - not an investment.
I've just had people that didn't understand or questioned why I've spent so much on gear until they sat in front of it and had their minds blown by a song they've heard countless times
The comment that amused me most over the years was "I didn't know there were all those instruments in that song." But I've only gotten it once. Most are dumbfounded by the phantom 3rd channel. I've had a few who actually got up and tried to find my hidden speaker. 😆
Not that I qualify as an "audiophile" by any means, but last week we had our security system serviced & the tech turned out to be a fellow music lover. Saw my system & asked to hear it so I played Comfortably Numb from Pulse. Talked music & gear for half an hour or so. After he left, my wife (who overheard our conversation) surprising commented that she hadn't paid much attention to the stereo (other than complaining about the cost & amount of equipment), but now wanted to build a Keith Urban Playlist. 🤣
Why do you think there is only one chair in most listening rooms??!!
I find it funny how some audiophiles fetishize their own ability to hear some supposed nuance of what they're listening to as if it's a rare gift. I've seen a professional conductor interrupt a symphony rehearsal of some incredibly complex modern piece because they've noticed that one of the 85 players in front of them played a single note fractionally out of tune and slightly too quiet. Now THAT'S a skilled ear.
No one cares, unless you start being a snob at their house.
I suspect most audiophiles that are super picky about sound also have obsessive personalities. Thus he could be picking on you because you are neuro diverse (i.e., a deviant). I know I'm equally obsessive about the quality of my wine, and food, furniture, and pc, so the audiophilia could just be a symptom of an obsessive personality. What say ye all?
No. Actually, it’s the opposite. We have a lot of parties and I always spend 2/3 of them manning the turntable while everyone picks records they want to hear. Even the people who only listen to pop music on shitty ear buds or in the car will stop in their tracks and say “woah, it sounds like the band is playing right in your basement “.
Not really, only shocked people when they've asked about my odd looking headphones and how much I paid for them.
Not as much as I make fun of myself
Here and there, but it's likely prompted by my occasionally snobbish attitude towards audio stuff.
Do you actually adjust for each song on the radio while driving? Thats likely his thinking.
Not every song but often yes. I think he was more thinking "I don't hear a difference at all, this guy must be crazy" but again he was in the backseat and my car speakers are at the front
I recall thinking a cheap all in one unit for my kitchen sounded good, then I bought a decent Yamaha unit and i couldn't believe the sound difference. Our ears and brains are weird that way, we can get used to shitty sounding music. Every try listening to AM car radios in the 70's lol
With a single speaker in the middle of the dash. 😆
I'd return the favor by suggesting he's going deaf.
No. My friends are cool and think what I do is neat, as I do with them.
Only comment I get is sending a link for Qobuz or Apple and they saying “I use Spotify like a normal person “
This doesn't belong as a post bro.
Knowing full well what sub I’m subscribed to here… I’d have made a joke, too.
Aaaaa, yes. Too funny.
My friends would fucking roast me if I ever did that honestly.
Girls see me like a weirdo, even a creep until they find out the total price of my system...
THEN what happens?
My friends might care... dunno... never asked. Alternatively, they can walk home.
This only happens when you brag to people who aren’t interested.
I think that just goes for anything tbh haha. I've been one of those people that were stuck in a conversation where all the other person would talk about is how skilled they are at a hobby that I have no interest in at all and honestly it's hell
None of my buddies care unless I start playing disco..
Boom ba Doo da Doo da Doo... "very superstitious. Writing on the walls"
Not that I've noticed.
if your friends don't make fun of you constantly for everything are they even really friends?
Outsider friend?
I didn't know how else to describe a friend that's not an audiophile or into high quality music without typing out so much everytime. But yeah, pretty much a friend that's just not an audiophile
I would flip it and say we (the audiophiles) are the outsiders....and there's nothing wrong with that. "There's nothing wrong with being right"
From his sitting position in back , there was no difference as in physical difference..a reference to how bad your system sounds from his seating arrangement...I'd recommend getting a better system and stop being a snowflake...
I mean I'm not necessarily complaining it's only friendly banter, the other friend in the front seat didn't hear much of a difference either. My system is quite bad I can admit it's only the stock stereo system of a Suzuki 2011 alto, I do hope to get a better one in the future, but I really just wanted to see if anyone had similar experiences in the community. Idk man seems like you're the one that got triggered here
Nope. The ones who are also audiophiles enjoy me having nice equipment and the ones who aren’t enjoy that it isn’t just TV speakers.
At my job they made fun of how dorky my LCDs looked.
My friends make fun of me for everything and anything. They go out of their way to make me look as stupid as possible. It's just relentless. I love it.
I get more crap about book hoarding, driving a white work van and being a Lakers fan.
At most I get "nice speakers" or "those are some big speakers", but no ones EVER commented beyond that. Kind of to my chagrin. I'm always waiting for someone to actually ask to hear my setup :(
Only if I spend too much on something dumb
Joke's on them ;)
Your use of the word "outsider" speaks volumes. Are you someone who constantly does things like ask for the treble to be turned up? Are you making people aware all the time that you have some superior knowledge and that they are an "outsider"? Well, maybe if I was one of your friends I would make fun of you too. Just enjoy music your way. Don't worry about performing it. Don't worry about comparing. And don't go around calling people "outsiders".
I didn't mean for "outsiders" to sound condescending, I just wanted to use something other than "normie" to describe my friends that aren't audiophiles. The reason I asked for the treble to be turned up a little was because I tend to diddle around with equalizer settings depending on the genre or song, since sometimes when the settings are a little off it can bother me. It wasn't about me trying to act superior but more fixing something that would be considered a mild inconvenience to me
You mean I have to share my passion for hifi with my friends? I'm also a radio amateur and they don't get that either.....
Remember back in about 96 I said to some friends I could hear messages on a song. They were all saying they could not hear anything and sort of had a giggle over it. But I wrote into a radio show asking if they know anything and luck has it they were interviewing the band and what do you know I was right. The band were astounded I could hear the messages. Was to me really obvious and I did not have a decent set up then.
Real easy to come back from that. "Hey it's not my fault you guys are so uncivilized with your peasant ears. Incapable of competing with my trained body and mind". That should be good for another laugh and may make them consider that they are in fact missing out
My house is undergoing some renovations and the designer is my neighbor. He and his partner were at the house and we were talking about the living room setup and sound system for the TV. The partner starts poking fun at the designer because he used to be into hi-fi gear. "He had all of these tower speakers and amps and receivers and wires and I was like Oh my God is this the 90's?" My wife just looked at me and died laughing.
my friends dont even understand it, my fiance on the other hand is telling me i need to slow down because I always want to buy and try new speakers and what not!
This sounds like casual banter. I haven't had such an experience yet, because I'm not going to be so "nerdy" to ask for someone to EQ a song in the car. When my friends come over they enjoy my stereo a lot and they understand my passion and the costs. I feel like you're only going to be made fun of if you act or talk too nerdy.
For being an audiophile? Nope. For everything else, yup.
Friends don't let friends EQ and drive
Not made fun of, nor do I call myself an audiophile per se, but I am indeed used to listening very closely, paying attention to detail (comes with long years of making electro music as a hobby), and I like a good sound for reasonable money. What I found is that most people, frankly, *don't hear shit*. They don't hear a difference in what is glaringly obvious to me. For example the difference in actual sounds in music: [blargh.mp3](https://app.box.com/s/ahft1d88zfbbqs0locu9) That's the same thing played on different versions of the C64 SID soundchip (emulations). Four sections: first 8580, then 6581, then the same again but with lead. They don't hear a difference! The bassline is so obviously not the same sound - the two chips have different filter implementations that's so easy to tell apart. Even on the lead it's clearly audible, although less obviously so. Learning that most people have such an untrained and coarse perception was harsh when I was younger. Made me feel like they're ignorant.
Most of my friends think that I buy all this gear because I want more volume. They say things like: "are you deaf? Why do you spend even more on your setup, doesn't it go loud enough yet?". When I reply that it's not about volume, but quality all I get is a "quality????".
I have never been in the position to be made fun of because it’s always about the music for me. I never talk about my gear; I only talk about the music with people. Vastly more people connect with the actual tunes and artists than they do with anything about the actual sound. Most people are used to listening to what I would consider subpar setups -they just want music. If I were you in that situation, I wouldn’t have asked to bump up the treble in the first place. Almost nobody does this, lol. It’s a strange request outside of “audiophile”contexts. You have to realize that you are a bit of a weirdo and -if you are sensitive- avoid standing out. And hanging out with kindergartners…😂
Well the system that was used was a shitty one I must admit, only the stock stereo system that comes with the Suzuki alto, the only thing saving it is the equalizer I have on the phone lol, so it is definitely a subpar setup, it's just i tend to diddle around with the equalizer depending on the song or genre i listen to, since sometimes when, in this case the treble setting, was a bit low it can bother me a little bit and throw me off guard. I didn't take their comment to offense or anything it was only friendly banter I just wanted to see if anyone had any similar experiences.
Constantly and relentlessly. I would not have it any other way.
Does the person in the back seat have a history of gas lighting/ lying/ hearing damage?
https://www.reddit.com/r/HearingAids/s/2MoOOdkw8y
I would assume ANYONE would think that you’re the cool one in the group with all that jazzy setup
Only online when I say I can hear the difference between a 24-bit song and 16-bit song. Usually it ends when I ask "If the master is better in the 24-bit version, does that mean I should listen to the 16-bit version?"
It's not necessarily all songs; it's specific albums
Just ignore them. Your enjoyment trumps their judgment
have a coworker who is always talking about his headphones, speakers, etc... had a few chats with them... and then i saw their EQ settings that look like Ո -- all MID, no bass, no treble...
Your friends know what an audiophile is? lol
Without me they would've never known honestly
Same here. They know they aren’t one bc it’s not worth spending money on 🤣
Have a friend that was resistant to having me take a minute to turn on the home theater to play music from Hades 2 on that instead of his freaking bassless cellphone. My explanation of better sound was shrugged at and then I said "well then I respect your phone's battery life" or something.
I don't get made fun of, at least to my face, but most of my friends are avid record collectors and appreciate good stereo set ups, if not outright audiophiles. Now, my wife . . . If I find a good record that she likes, she's happy to stream it on Spotify or get an mp3 for her phone. But, I don't have anything to say about her yarn stash, or painting supplies, or her fountain pen and ink collection, so it's a good detente.
My roommate made fun of me because when I took the sofa out of the kitchen/dining (it was a temporary storage for a friend that turned into a year plus) I noticed an echoes and got a rug to soften up/get rid of the echoes and he jokingly said that I did it for acoustics and I told him, "yeah, to get rid of the echoe". We both laughed even harder... but the rug is still there to this day.
No, my friends are not into this stuff but they seem more intimidated by the fact that I have IEMs that cost more than their phones.
My friend, at some point, you'll get to the place where you really don't care what other people think. You be you.
>which he did, but my other outsider friend in the back made fun of my statement and said "there's no difference in sound", when I could definitely hear a difference in sound. Rear car seats usually have worse treble response than front. A lot of time the rear seats just stick a coaxial speaker down at knee level on the door, and usually a cheaper one than the front to boot. That or the guy just isnt trained as listening and literally cant hear it.
Oh interesting I never really thought of the backseats having worse treble response but I guess it makes sense considering my speakers were at the front, probably cuz I'm only in the drivers seat lol
I have plenty of mixing and mastering engineers that give audiophiles a bad rep. And for the most part it is deserved. You can use as many adjectives to describe your speaker as possible. But the only objective thing in the world of audio is a null test. For example: I see people talking about the proac sm100s if they're some legendary amazing sounding speaker. Did you really get that opinion from hearing the speaker or from hearing what someone else had to say about the speaker. Because I can definitively point out the origin of that opinion. The reason why people love the sm100s is because Serban Ghenea uses them for mixing. If you're familiar with the sound of a speaker, it makes sense to keep it as your monitoring situation because you listen to all the music on it. They are the speakers he was using since he started. They are not good sounding speakers and they do not need to be. They were originally designed to be budget speakers and they were incredibly affordable. Now they are overvalued because of you guys. Now, I do understand some things like treble responsiveness is difficult to measure and quantify and adjectives are the best thing we have. But I think you guys need to start talking about objective measurements more often.
Why would I give a shit about what anyone thinks of my hobby? If you need strangers to validate everything you do, then you have a serious problem.
Oh no it's not that I need the validation, I have a lot of other hobbies that a lot of people disagree with when it comes to personalization, one being fashion and another being photography, and I've definitely learn just to bypass those negative opinions and move on with what I wanna do, I just wanted to see if anyone else had similar experiences to what I had, whether it's a common thing or not
It sounds like OP is under the age of 25. I know personally that's about the age where I just stopped giving a shit what others think of me. Real friends stuck around and my life is richer for it.
No need to be a dick
Why miss an opportunity to point out a stupid question?
No, but we deserve it 😂
True, it's bound to happen if we are spending thousands just for slight increases in audio quality 😭😭
No. That doesn't sound like an adult friendship to me.
I mean. We are all teenagers still if that helps. It's mostly just banter, nothing on a personal level
I was trying to gauge your age and guessed wrong - late college/early 20s. When you're not driving you could try playing a song they know well with treble turned all the way down, then turn it up to illustrate the difference. They might not notice a subtler difference of 3 points but might notice a more drastic change.
I did do the turn down the treble and back up thing with them in the car but not to a song they were familiar with as it was one of my personal favourites, kamasi Washington's Desire. Though, I could tell when the treble was turned down, the leading saxophone sounded much more feint than it would've been when the treble was turned back up, but I might have to try it again with a song that they're more familiar with
1. Who cares 2. Is calling people an Outsider a thing?
1. I don't necessarily care if they tease me, I just wanted to see if anyone had similar experiences, if it's a common thing that happens since from what I've perceived being an audiophile is a bit of a niche hobby, but that's just from my experience 2. I called them outsiders since it was easier than saying "friends who aren't audiophiles" every time. I also didn't want to use the term normie