Why I'm a bad audiophile

[L.J.]

I haven't played in over a year, and what's sad is that I own a table. I still can't get into my garage.

It's just been sitting there, covered up and waiting for me. I play just for fun I guess. I doubt I'm good enough to join a league or anything.

[GMichael]

I haven't played in over a year, and what's sad is that I own a table. I still can't get into my garage.

It's just been sitting there, covered up and waiting for me. I play just for fun I guess. I doubt I'm good enough to join a league or anything.

The APA league is handicapped so anyone can win. Plus there is a handicap limit per night. So teams need low rated players as much as they need high rated ones. If I were to play a match with my wife, I would have to win 7 games before she won 2. Whoever gets to their number first wins the match.

[Armando]

for most of my 61 years on the planet.

61 years, eh?! Funny you should be called a junior member!!!!!!!!!

[Armando]

You know, it would be a whole lot more helpfull If you didn't get personal here and actually addressed some of the stuff kex was saying. I mean being a headphone buff and knowing nothing about speakers, I can't really comment on the issues you guys were talking about, but a rational,logical, scientific approach to posts by kex leads me to beleive that It's you who puts up factless, pointless and idiot posts . At least make an attempt to let less informed readers know what you're on about.

[Florian]

You know, it would be a whole lot more helpfull If you didn't get personal here and actually addressed some of the stuff kex was saying. I mean being a headphone buff and knowing nothing about speakers, I can't really comment on the issues you guys were talking about, but a rational,logical, scientific approach to posts by kex leads me to beleive that It's you who puts up factless, pointless and idiot posts . At least make an attempt to let less informed readers know what you're on about.

Its not worth my time, i have written pages, Magazines have used the systems i recommend for over 10 years sometimes as references to judge every single other speaker system commerically avaliable. People will travel across the globe to hear them and i have absolutly no interest in discussing this with a side who has no understanding of it. I help those who want and seek help not to make my point. Besides i have written pages already and you can read up about ribbon technology and look at the Alon Grand Exotica, Infinity IRS-V, Genesis 350SE, 1.1 etc... and find ribbons in all those designs. There is no need to defend anything, i have no need to argue. I only argue when wrong information and heresay is posted. If you have a question then PM me and i will gladly explain to you incl. on the phone why ribbons are superior when it comes to reproducing the music in an uncolored and neutral way. I am just here for fun, i dont get into technical discussions here and see no point in it. Mike A, G and J Michael, Bernd, Y-Sur. and others on this site i stay in touch with. This is fun for me, and not a "convert a box user" station, either people want real music or not.

Cheers

Flo

[swicken]

Here at AR, (where I call myself an "audio enthusiast" anyway), it's not so bad, but in that other place I get no respect at all. Here are the main reasons.

• I don't love vinyl. I don't think it is inherently the superior medium. I don't like the rice krispies. I think the big difference from CD is (or was in the past) recording method, and that the best CDs are as good or better than LPs. I don't cherish handling LPs: cleaning them before and after each playing; the tense moments lowering that $$ cartridge on the record, etc..
• I don't love tubes. With good recordings, including RBCDs, decent quality solid state sounds better. I'm deeply suspicious that the "musicality", "soul", "depth", "harmonic texture", "wholeness", "continuity", etc., attributed to tubes are really artifacts of higher distortion.
• I have no patience for tweaks. My experiments with the likes of power cords have been a wast of time and I certainly have inclination to spend a $1000 each on a set of them despite claims of "huge improvement" from some golden ears. I'm "close minded" about the possible benefit of jars of pebbles and the like.
• I'm boggled at the price of very expensive components and doubt the incremental value of $5000+ amps, $10,000+ speakers, not to mention $100,000+ turntables.
• But worst of all, I have a utilitarian attitude. That is, good enough is good enough. Tiny improvements and absolute perfection aren't essential to my enjoyment of the hobby.

I think I like you.

[Feanor]

I think I like you.

Didn't think I was.

[Armando]

Its not worth my time, i have written pages, Magazines have used the systems i recommend for over 10 years sometimes as references to judge every single other speaker system commerically avaliable. People will travel across the globe to hear them and i have absolutly no interest in discussing this with a side who has no understanding of it. I help those who want and seek help not to make my point. Besides i have written pages already and you can read up about ribbon technology and look at the Alon Grand Exotica, Infinity IRS-V, Genesis 350SE, 1.1 etc... and find ribbons in all those designs. There is no need to defend anything, i have no need to argue. I only argue when wrong information and heresay is posted. If you have a question then PM me and i will gladly explain to you incl. on the phone why ribbons are superior when it comes to reproducing the music in an uncolored and neutral way. I am just here for fun, i dont get into technical discussions here and see no point in it. Mike A, G and J Michael, Bernd, Y-Sur. and others on this site i stay in touch with. This is fun for me, and not a "convert a box user" station, either people want real music or not.

Cheers

Flo

Thats a bit more user friendly! And a lot less modest. Whats your status with headphones?
K, Im gonna count on you to give me the deal with speakers, so try and be a bit unbiased please. I heard some cool Infinity box speakers recently. They were ok. Whats the difference? Which Is better and why and for what type of music. And finally, what according to you is the ultimate rig, price no bar.
Thanks!

[emorphien]

Its not worth my time,

Then either a) don't post or b) don't be surprised when people call you an arrogant snob.

[hifitommy]

vinyl is one of the least expensive things you can do to improve your musical enjoyment, especially if you live in a large metro area. here is a list of a recent stop at record surplus in W.LA:


renee rosnes (piano) w/the danish radio big band cd $5
ray brown-walk on-2cd set, his final trio recordings-$14
nat geo dvd-into the great pyramid-$8

all the rest $1 per disc:

artie shaw-moonglow (didn't have ANY artie.
ellington-new mood indigo
ellington-the intimate...on pablo
best of art tatum-pablo
soul flutes-trust in me-cti-great personnel list-hancocj,gale,carter,g tate,r barretto,etc
mjq-under the jasmin tree
paul horn-inside II
paul horn-inside the great pyramid (promo, xlnt shape,incl booklet)
paul horn-monday,Monday
donald harrison/errence blanchard-black pearl
by goerge-goe cables plays gershwin
pablo live montreaux 77-ray bryant
LA four-scores
cal tjader-breathe easy
bobby mc ferrin blue note EP

at the moment, 12:55am on sun, 4/2, i am listening to the ray brown cd set on my system:

http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/588.html

a mix of tubes and ss. the soundcraftsmen/bellari is active now but the rbcd playing on the sacdp is just fine sounding at present. the arc will go into service again soon. is see that you also have sace capability which parallels vinyl sound without the accompanying vinyl artifacts.

my point is that one doesnt need to use vinyl to validate audiophile status, which may not be an appellation anyway. being a music lover is what it takes. i dont care which format the music is in if its music that stimulates me. i HAVE had vinyl playback remind me that the right playback of the music can affect its enjoyment though. e.g.:
kraftwerk's autobahn on my former tt-vpi hwIII/sme IV/sumiko talisman vdh. i had never been taken with that music until then. i suppose i should try it with my sota/mmt/fr setup for comparison's sake.

as for the tubes, i wasnt prepared for the difference provided by the arc and how UNtube sounding it is. dynamics, freq extension, and tonal accuracy all floored me. had i not known it was tubes, i wouldnt have believed it.

you have invested in some nice equipment, whether that classifies you as an audiophile or music lover is up to debate. i think youre a music lover that realizes it takes good equipment to bring it home.

[Feanor]

vinyl is one of the least expensive things you can do to improve your musical enjoyment, especially if you live in a large metro area. ....

hifi, I appreciate what you're say about vinyl, and I especially appreciate that you make you suggestion from a music loving rather than a audiophile point of view.

The smaller city where I live doesn't provide much choice of used vinyl, especially not classical or jazz, unfortunately. That's on the one hand; on the other, I would need to upgrade my vinyl playback set up, and, frankly, I'd rather use the budget on other equipment upgrades or else silver dics.

[bobsticks]

, frankly, I'd rather use the budget on other equipment upgrades or else silver dics.

This was just an unfortunate typo, right?

[hifitommy]

that large amounts of money must be spent to equal rbcd playback. sacd maybe but not rbcd. the $500 range would more than be adequate to expose the superiority of vinyl sound. still the non availability of vinyl in your area might be a bit of an impediment.

records by mail can be a decent source for some reasonable pricing, and trips into such cities ans nyc and LA can yield great rewards. its a choice that only you can make.

http://www.recordsbymail.com/

well, if you ever come to LA, let me know and i can give you a list of stores that will keep you busy the entire time youre here.

[Feanor]

that large amounts of money must be spent to equal rbcd playback. sacd maybe but not rbcd. the $500 range would more than be adequate to expose the superiority of vinyl sound. still the non availability of vinyl in your area might be a bit of an impediment.

records by mail can be a decent source for some reasonable pricing, and trips into such cities ans nyc and LA can yield great rewards. its a choice that only you can make.

http://www.recordsbymail.com/

well, if you ever come to LA, let me know and i can give you a list of stores that will keep you busy the entire time youre here.

I'll check out that link and get that list if I'm headed to the LA area.