Problem with audiophile as a description is there are two types. Those who want the audio to be as accurate as possible to source material, and those that just want it to sound good. I am in second group.
The term "audiophile" has definitely experienced some misuse, and plenty of people who call themselves audiophiles are actually just people who like high-quality audio. That's not the sort of person I'm talking about here, it's the "true" audiophile, in the pure sense of the word, who is cursed to chase the impossible dream of perfect audio reproduction
This article is about the measurements crazy ones. It just didn't bother to mention that until the last paragraph.
Not sure why they get to keep description really
An audiophile is a person who loves listening to high-quality sound from a stereo or home theater. Audiophile-grade recordings and equipment are designed to reproduce music without distortion or coloration. When hi-fi took off in the 1950s, the first audiophiles were also "stereophiles
Way I see it, Audio Phile is the same as Music Lover. Its just another way of saying it. Labelling people who want better sound in this way almost makes people want to reject label. Some of the reviewers I watch reject it, and yet they make videos about new releases. If it was called Music lovers... more would be included.
Seems to be a concerted effort to keep people happy with what they have. No looking outside the box. No hearing anything better than what Bose/Sony Offer at the low end. Sell them on features that have nothing to do with how they sound. Keep people from wanting more. Really its probably just a way to sell headphones to people who don't want them. ANC and all the extra features might be why they buy them, to have a quiet trip. But it still stops people wondering what else is out there - which is beneficial to the companies as you need someone who will always buy them. It can take a long time to escape this trap.
Quite often, audiophiles are as passionate about the equipment they use as the music they listen to, and the gear can be very costly. An entry-level system typically costs around $10,000, while top-end systems reach the stratosphere (see images below). Contrast with videophile.
its the second part of definition that is the domain of the "true audiophiles" as this article puts it. Entry lvl of 10k seems... too much. It depends on what your end goal is. My set up right now is good enough for me. That and I don't want speakers and all that jazz.
With this article's description, I am not an audiophile, as I just like my music to sound as good as I can get it. Audiophiles are normal people who just want their sound to be accurate. Anyone can become an audiophile... all it takes it hearing better sound and finding out what you missing. And actually caring enough to want to bridge the gap. How you react may determine what type you are though.
There needs to be another term for people who just want more than Lo-Fi is willing to offer. Right now, the gap is mostly price, and it lets some truly awful products remain for sale that people shouldn't be buying.
When Apple Ear Pods Pro 2 are only $USD100 less than Hifiman Arya Stealth, and aren't even in the same league, you have a problem. Admittedly you can't use Arya on a bus without complaints but that isn't the point. Good quality audio isn't that far away, you just need to look. Hifiman do make wireless headphones but they haven't really tried yet. Unlike Focal.
People are almost dissuaded from looking. Mostly as the gap in price between Bose/Sony/Sennheiser ANC headphones, and better ones can almost be double the cost unless the good ones are on special (like the Arya are now, on Amazon). There is no mid fi level, its really hard to find anything better than the cheap headphones, so most people might not look. There are no good choices between The Apple ear pods pro 2 and a pair of Focal Battys, but there is an $750 difference in price. Plenty of space for someone to fill.
But then wireless is a false dream for audiophiles as you can't get lossless hi res audio over BT now, even with the new version they are talking about as it only offers lossless when its running at its max connect speed, any other time it drops down to the other versions. So until BT actually is lossless, I will stick to wires.
Audiophiles prioritize high-fidelity audio for accurate sound reproduction.
I think I have always been like that though. I may not have had the budget but if I wasn't spending money on the hardware, I was buying as much music as I could find. I used to go to a record store every lunchtime while at one job, and it was only because they closed that I stopped going to any in town. Stopped buying music completely for about 10 years or so, not wanting to use Itunes as I didn't like Apple. Finding music was hard back then.
Its not like buying expensive audio gear is new to me... I have had a ton of walkman's and a minidisk based walkman, and a
HDD based mp3 player, and an
MP3 playing portable CD Player. I only really stopped in the last 15 years or so when I have been using my phone instead.
I just stuck to using earbuds as I never knew IEM existed. That has changed this year. Up until now most of what I bought was for portable use. Now it mostly isn't.
I don't have an DAC/Amp that is as accurate as the supposed "true" audiophiles would want, I don't mind it can change how it sounds by changing a mode -this right here is a bone on contention among Audiophiles as many say dac's don't change how music sounds while others have actually experienced it.
It also depends on what headphones I am using as to if the modes are noticeable. The new ones don't seem to be as affected by the modes as much as all my other ones - mode 1 makes most of them seem like I am listening in a smaller room, whereas Mode 2 knocks down some walls. Some of the people who tested my amp heard the differences, others didn't.
So it depends on what you are listening on as to if it makes any difference. If all your headphones already sound the same, it might not be noticeable.
A lot of the problems stem from everyone hearing things differently. Our head shape can play a large part of that when it comes to headphones. There can be physical reasons for variation.
"True" Audiophiles are constantly fighting over the results of tests and what they all mean, as well as a supposed perfect sound curve everyone likes. Some realise there isn't a perfect sound curve, we are all different after all.
Audiophile-grade equipment is expensive, potentially limiting enjoyment for those with budget constraints.
Not all of it. You can buy dongles for less than $100 that can provide, some of the cheaper dac/amp combos score well, and most IEM are below that price too. Using IEM/Dongle attached to phone will give better sound than a BT earbud will. Its a start... many might be happy stopping here. It depends on if you like having music interrupted by phone calls or not. I didn't.
It is true that there are lots of stupidly priced items.
How you deal with that is on an individual basis. I can't afford most of it and I don't actually want most of it. I know I won't beat my current headphones any time soon, and I don't really want any other hardware to play it on.
- I don't want speakers unless I have to buy them because new PC motherboards don't support my current ones.
- Because of 1 I also don't need a power amp. If I do get speakers they will be self powered and run off my Aune.
- I don't want a turntable as I don't have any records
- I don't need a streamer as such as I only have the Aune now and its attached to PC now, so a streamer is pointless - What is a streamer
Audiophile grade gear can be snake oil as well. Such as Audiophile grade USB Cables for several thousand dollars, or power conditioners. I am willing to accept the material might make a difference on headphone cables but only as its an analog signal, not binary. And maybe some Speaker cables for same reason.
Non-audiophiles may not perceive additional benefits of high-end setups.
That is to be expected. Anyone outside a hobby may find it hard to understand why people spend time/money on it. People spend large amounts on seemingly pointless endeavours (Steam games libraries come to mind). If it keeps them happy and not angry, why not? If I wasn't spending my money on audio it would have gone on PC anyway. That is just as much a money pit as say... a house or Audio can be.
Maybe you should start by having a friend help you run a small double-blind experiment using your setup and something less fancy. Can you reliably tell the difference? What if you just swapped out the cables? Can you tell the difference? How much of your perception is coming from you, and how much is coming out of your current speakers?
This wouldn't work as the person would still believe, there would be a small doubt and thats all it would take, and the test has to be set up right to be truly blind
Seems there is a cure for some, its to find gear you are happy with.
I spent $USD700 on my Aune S9C Pro that would let me play headphones that are up to $USD6000 in price (if I were to find them on the side of road as no way I buy them).
Then I spent $USD650 on Hifiman Arya Stealth that reviewers say are the best all rounder headphones you can buy.
I can't get any better. So I will stop chasing a unicorn and just enjoy what I have.
Most of my purchases this year were to let me use something I had previously bought to its fuller potential. Like the next thing I want is just cables so I can attach my newest headphones to my Aune and get more power out of it. I am not buying any more audio this year after that. I do wnat one more pair of IEM but that can wait until next year.
Not all high end headphones sound the same. Unlike Lo-Fi, they not all bass cannons and actually are tuned to underline certain parts of the frequency range. Without anywhere to actually hear them, it would be really expensive for me to just buy them to see what they are like. So I am lucky I have liked the 3 over ear headphones I have bought in the last 10 months, but it might take me a while to find an IEM that I like. There is more variety in them at low price points so picking the right ones can be harder, especially if you unsure what sound you like.
letshuoer.net
dictionary.cambridge.org
en.wikipedia.org
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