The Audiophiliac

The Audiophiliac with a high-end Klipsch speaker.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

I know what's wrong with high-end audio: it's a secret.

Unlike high-end cars, watches, clothing, etc., 99 percent of potential high-end audio buyers are completely unaware of its existence. It's interesting, car magazines regularly plaster shots of cars that only a miniscule number of readers could ever buy, apparently because guys who drive Dodge Caravans love to read about Ferraris. Even the New York Times runs fawning features about the glories of exotic cars and not a peep about high-end audio.

High-end audio magazines and Web sites are only read by folks already in the game; the Audiophiliac's primary mission is bringing awareness of the better stuff to the wider world.

Sure, a lot of high-end audio is silly expensive, but there's a lot of good stuff that's fairly affordable. And the price of entry plummets when you buy used gear on eBay or Audiogon. Chances are your five year old Sony receiver is nearly worthless, so it may actually cost more to own than a high-end amplifier that you can use for decades.

When you factor in just how long a great set of speakers or electronics can last, it's easier to swallow the investment. A good friend is still using a Linn LP-12 turntable he bought more than 30 years ago. If you really love music, don't you want to hear it sound as good as it can?

Let us know by voting.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
--Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. patent office, 1899.

This infamous quote has been bandied about forever, but let's try to apply it to our times. Sure, the old commissioner was off by a bunch of decades, but what's left to be invented in audio and video now?

Yes, there will be higher than high-definition video, HDMI 1.4, and speakers that sound like real life, but those are refinements of already existing technologies.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Perhaps we've hit an impasse and we're not going to see any really new products for a few decades. What will a 2012 Blu-ray player do that a 2008 player cannot? Oh right, there may not be any Blu-ray players by 2012, there may a new format by then. But what will it do that a 2008 Blu-ray player cannot?

How about an iPod small enough to be injected into your bloodstream? You would just think about a song or movie, and it would play back in your head.

Who knows, maybe by 2012 there will be wireless speakers that don't have any wires. But it might take until 2022 before someone figures out how to make totally wireless speakers that actually sound good.

Does anybody buying an iPod in 2008 expect to get more than a few years of use out of the thing? My five year old iPod still plays, but I can't get it to work in newer iPod docks or iPod speakers. My iPod is too old.

Linn's turntable has been around since 1972.

(Credit: Linn Products)

A good friend of mine plays his 30-year-old Linn LP-12 turntable almost every day. It was an expensive turntable in 1978 when it sold for around $1,200. But he's gotten 30 years of use out of the thing, and even now listens to a lot more vinyl than CD. So his $1,200 investment works out to around $40 a year to own the thing. Can you imagine anybody buying an iPod today still using it in 2038? 2028? OK, how about 2018? Hmm, I don't think so.

Linn still makes the LP-12 turntable, the model has been in continuous production since 1972, and most parts are readily available. How's that for customer service? My Linn LP-12 is almost brand new, it's just 13 years old.

OK, iPods aren't high-end devices, they're disposable technology. Fair enough, how much do you imagine you'll spend on iPods or their equivalents over the next 30 years? There was one guy who responded to my "How many iPods have you owned?" poll who has already bought 26. So he's already made Steve Jobs richer by many thousands of dollars. Over the next three decades he'll spend a lot more, and still wind up with a closet full of useless junk.

I get it. Convenience trumps quality in most things. Fast food vs. slow food; fresh ingredients vs processed, which is pretty much the same deal with music. CDs, once the height of convenience and advanced tech are now viewed as archaic. CDs are too big, too easily damaged, and cost too much--so lower-fi MP3s and iTunes have put the CD on the road to oblivion. But to vinyl loving audiophiles LPs still sound better than any digital format. Everyone else couldn't care less about the sound quality their music, it's just not all that important to them.

Or is it that people are so busy now they simply don't have time for quality. Strange, our affluence makes us go for the quickest, lower quality option every time. Back in the day writers would use the same typewriter for decades, but now we have to toss out our computers every three or four years. We're living in a disposable culture, so we need to keep buying new, ever cheaper stuff, but if you have to keep rebuying it, is it really cheaper? High-end audio can be expensive to buy, but not to own.

I'd like to hear from you guys about your turntables, have long have you had yours? Is yours even older than my friend's 30 year old Linn?

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

The iPhone commercial parody on YouTube with genius filmmaker David Lynch hit the mark for me. His insight about people watching movies on iPhones, I'm paraphrasing--"You think you've seen the movie after watching it on your iPhone, but you'll be cheated. You haven't seen the movie."--could also be applied to music.

Just because you were listening to music while text messaging your boy/girlfriend doesn't mean you've actually heard the music. Exposure to music, art, film, what have you, is not the same as active engagement. It's kind of like having sex while watching Lost or Law & Order, which might not necessarily be a bad thing, but it does say something about the sex.

So the question is, do you ever just listen to music--without also doing something else at the same time?

Or do you--

Read

Cook

Work

Exercise

Commute to work

Or ________

while listening to music?

And when you just listen, does it change your feelings about the music?

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Do you buy CDs, LPs, MP3s, iTunes, or 8 track cartridges?

If so, do you buy them from Amazon or other online retailer, brick and mortar chain store, or local "record" shop?

Do you regularly buy used CDs or LPs? And rarely buy new CDs or LPs?

Do you subscribe to a subscription service, if so, which one? Rhapsody, Yahoo, Napster, etc?

If you really like a tune you heard from a subscription service do you buy it? Do you buy individual tracks or complete albums?

Or do you get your tunes from a P2P like Morpheus or Blubster?

What about DRM, do you care?

What percentage of your physical music collection did you get for free (ripped CDs, gifts, etc)?

Is sound quality a factor, would you pay more for higher quality downloads or subscriptions?

Do you buy CDs, burn 'em, and them sell them?

How do you discover new music? Radio, friends, online, record stores?

What have I left out?

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Not that I ever doubted your commitment, but you guys really love your iPods. Thanks to all who responded to last week's poll, here's what I learned.

First, Apple must be doing something right, more than three-quarters of the folks who responded own more than one iPod. Families seem to accumulate little armies of iPods--they pass from spouse to spouse to the kids--and from adult children back to their parents. So the average number was probably three 'Pods per family. Some people have actually lost count and don't know for sure how many they've owned. One guy proudly announced he has 26 iPods. And sure, I heard from more than few souls happy to remain iPod-less. Zune owners are the most vocal about their avoidance of all things Apple.

I was surprised just how few people mentioned video--only a handful cited ever watching movies or TV shows. So despite the technology advances, iPods are still mostly music players. Sure, my poll is a small survey. But if it turns out to be true that almost nobody watches video on their Pods, I'd be happy about that.

I gather most iPods don't last very long--two or three years is about it. Battery-related problems are the most common ailment, followed by screen and hard drive issues. I'm part of the small group still happily using their first and only iPod. A lot of you buy refurbished iPods to save some bucks.

KSC75, cheap but great-sounding headphones from Koss

(Credit: Koss)

Amazingly enough, barely anyone mentioned headphones. I wonder if I should take that to mean that most of you guys are still using the earbuds that came with your iPods. Say it ain't so!

Quick, check out Koss' awesome KSC75 headphones that go for $14 on Amazon. It's amazingly good for the money. But if you're any sort of audiophile wait for my high-end Klipsch headphone review coming next week--it may be the best ever in-ear headphone I've used with my iPod. By the way, iPod speakers were a more popular upgrade than headphones.

Repairs are common, but most of you seem perfectly happy with Apple's service, though I wondered about the guy who burned through nine(!!!) iPods in a row--all suffered hard drive failures. Hmmm!?!

Small as they are, it's no wonder people's iPods get lost or stolen. Maybe Steve Jobs should come up with a GPS for his next-generation models. Many just get old and die. You all take these mishaps in stride and happily trade up to the latest and greatest Pods. And so it goes.