Comments on: Shattering audiophile stereotypes

If you're not into audio audiophiles can seem like a strange lot. The Audiophiliac says it ain't so!

[sllipperieste]

Hi,

Is there a way to contact Steve Guttenberg? I may have access to a very unusual 35 mm projector that has only been used 1 time (It belongs to my father-in-law). He is 85 years old and has been in the business his whole life. I also wanted to ask about the best way to sell my Mark Levinson LPN 2 pre-amp with all the original cabling. I have an Adobe file describing the unit that I got from the company in Bedford, MA (USA) who bought Mark Levinson. It cast about $7,000.00 new and matches up pretty well to some of their new products. I hope you can respond Steve. I'll get more info on the projector.

Steve Thompson

[osynnek]

I see most of the good hifi shops that have disappeared. The number of hifi shops that cater mainly to the home theatre crowd is more common, the number of hifi shops that throw seminars (there used to be lots of educational seminars to attend) are gone, the quality of music available (maybe I'm just getting old) is also scarce. I see big box stores and cheap poor quality downloads displace good customer service and education and consistant high quality. But you get instant gratification. Buying a good music system is no longer a 6 month research project.

Chicken and egg question, right?

There are people out there that have never heard a well recorded CD, let alone sit down and listen to good music on a turntable.

My nephew came over to listen to some music a few months back.
...so after picking his jaw up off the floor after listening to Norah Jones' CD, Come Away With Me, and then hearing the same record off of an LP, he turns around and says, what can you put together for me for $300?

[cromeyeller]

I don't even know where in my large city to buy LPs. After searching on Amazon, I was surprised by the availability, but still thought that there are relatively few in comparison to CD.

I do like their sound. In fact, some friends have been amazed when told they're listening to a vinyl record. In some ways, they sound more real, but it seems like they don't have the solid bass or extreme highs that CDs have.

[hfjacinto]

Audiophiles.

I always believed there were 2 types of Audiophiles, 1 was the guy that got the best equipment because it was the best and then when better came out he would buy that. Then the 2nd type is the guy that loves sound and vision and they the best they can afford. When they have more money or better comes out they listen or see it to see if the improvement is worth it, when it becomes worth the cost they buy it. For example DVD's vastly superior to VHS so spending $300 + on a DVD player was worth it, compared to blu-ray and it is not currently worth it. When they have 5 disc Blu_ray DVD changers than I will see.

In my opinion the 1st type of audiophile does not appreciate anything but having the best, if this is the type of person that Steve is lamenting the loss of than good riddance.

About high end audio. I blame the internet. Why pay full price when the internet can get you the same item for 50% less??

[GRobLewis]

I'm afraid audiophiles are today's ham radio operators: devotees of a dying hobby. People today get their entertainment hardware they same way they get their entertainment: prepackaged. They don't have the free time, or the available living space, or the money, or the passion for today's mostly forgettable music. The population is aging: family duties and activities make pursuing an audiophile hobby much harder (Your kids don't want to listen to your music, especially played at realistic volume. Neither do your neighbors.) And let's face it, a lot of stuff hard-core audiophiles do (like comparing the sound of different $500 speaker cables) is just plain silly. They need to get a life.

[shomie911]

Not all audiophiles are old, check out Head-Fi.org, plenty of the members of that site are between the age of 16 to 25.

[epitone]

Sorry, but I still think $699 for a stereo-only amplifier is quite expensive. That's what I paid for my full-featured Onkyo home theater receiver and most of my speakers combined, and I still have the priciest home theater of anyone I know.

[v1m]

It's all relative. My Simaudio integrated cost about twice as much as the Rotel, and that was a used price. And it's far from top of the line. But I love it and made the choice after auditioning lots of gear -- which, unlike your set I'm willing to bet, I was able to take home and try in my place, at my leisure, for days at a time. Testing. Comparing. Matching. Grooving! Until I found what was best. That's the fun of this hobby (and also the danger to your wallet). But as long as we're comparing apples to oranges. . .What I'd do with a home theatre system I can't even begin to imagine. I like movies that feature people saying intelligent things to one another, and so have no need for 8.1 or 7.1 or 5.1 or even two channels of Spiderman.

[tehrani625]

I am 16 years old and I am not a true audiophile but I love my Sennheiser HD600's they are amazing especially when you use a head phone amp. I don't have one and I am looking for a good deal. For now I just turn up my iPod or run it through my stereo receiver for a bit of extra power. For my iPod I have a pair of B&O A8's they are comfortable for the bus and school so I don't mind. To be honest I got the HD600 as a gift but I did pay for the A8's. I like CD's and my iPod gives decent quality sound so I don't complain. I also have a pair of Koss UR-40 decent sound I like them a bit more then the A8's. I know no one of my age that knows as much as I do about good sound and how to get it. I do think it's ridiculous to spend more then $100 on a set of speaker wires and to then compare them is also not sain. But thats just me. I would definitely have a pair of full size speakers with a small sub vs the little satelights with a massive sub that most people use for a home theater. But in some cases what your headphone cable is made of does matter. Compare a set of scull candy ear buds with a pair of sennheiser ones and you will know what I am talking about.

[BigStarryEyes]

I don't think $700 is expensive for a nice Rotel unit. I bought my first stereo receiver, a Rotel, in 1975 and paid probably about $250-$300 at the time. I was an 18 year old student and that was affordable for me then. Adjusted for inflation 33 years later, $700 seems pretty cheap for a good piece of audio equipment like the Rotel.

[rrh13]

I have been an audiophile since I was in my teens. Primarilly, because I had the good fortune to see a lot of different genres of live music. I think the audiphile that buys into the concept of finding equipment within their means to most accurately recreate music is something to aspire to. I listen to an extremely wide array of genres, and that includes, pop, rock, rap to classical and opera, and it all sounds better over a well put-together system. I think this Rotel is not within everyone's budget, but should be praised for being close to affordable for so many people, for being an excellent peice of equipment. If you take the time to listen to a good system at different price points, it is easy to hear the differences. You just have to be willing to try it. Then it is a question if it matters to you. There will always be those for whom it does, and those for whom it does not. For those that it does, and this is what you can afford, than enjoy it. For those that enjoy an onkyo, great. For those that only listen to mp3's on your ipod with the included headphones, and enjoy it, great. But if you love music, and want to really hear what it sounds like, try to listen to something that may make you feel like you were at the studio. These types of products, including the rotel, will help you hear what you have been missing, and just may change your mind. Remember,it is about the music, not simply your choice of equipment.

[Rádi Pál]

Great Name /5.1 av amp. not one said/ Once again glass turntable . This is Very good /sorry small englis lang./my name is [e-mail] 48years ago /

[Rádi Pál]

Great Name /5.1 av amp. not one said/ Once again glass turntable . This is Very good /sorry small englis lang./my name is [e-mail] 48years ago /

[zbangando]

I fail to see that in order to be considered an audiophile, age is considered a factor. As for someone that spends $600 dollars on audio equipment in total or close to it, I feel needs to be exposed to higher standards.