there seems to be a "try for free" option for Qobuz: https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/music/streaming/offers At the higher resolution, you still might not like the album I suggested, but you might like one of the other 239,000.
Are you an audiophile or a music lover?
- Thread starter godofwealth
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The OP's question may not find a satisfactory answer to the extent that we switch between focusing on the music and the system. I find it hard, if not impossible, to do both at the same time. Once you stop listening to the system, then you can really enjoy the music (which does not mean you won't enjoy it even more with a good system).
The same can be said of recording quality (or concert hall acoustics). Some of the best music I've heard has very poor recording quality by modern "audiophile" standards. You simply have to set aside the critical assessment of the recording quality to enjoy the music.
There is a point at which the recording quality is so bad that you cannot hear the music, but that is pretty rare!
The same can be said of recording quality (or concert hall acoustics). Some of the best music I've heard has very poor recording quality by modern "audiophile" standards. You simply have to set aside the critical assessment of the recording quality to enjoy the music.
There is a point at which the recording quality is so bad that you cannot hear the music, but that is pretty rare!
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Here’s an interesting article in the Washington Post on someone who spent his entire life building his dream audio system costing in the millions of dollars, not to mention the huge time it took to build the components and his family’s time. How would you characterize him?
Et -et, not Aut-aut. That OP dichotomy simply doesn‘t exist. Music lovers that don‘t care for sound are simply an oxymoron. On second thought the opposite may not be true…
An amazing amount of effort, time and money that Ken Fritz invested.
It's so sad that ALS robbed him of many years of enjoying the music. But I think he enjoyed every minute of building his dream system.
It's so sad that ALS robbed him of many years of enjoying the music. But I think he enjoyed every minute of building his dream system.
For me the gear is a means to an end. I do appreciate good sound, but will sacrifice quality sound for the performance. Underscoring m preference for music is that I spend considerable time attending and enjoying live music.
Most definitely music lover , while I love my systems I mostly play jam Wi-Fi boom boxes or earbuds
Even if in nyc and playing my big System I rarely sit in the seats
most times some 25 or so back at my desk working
Kind of like a live band is playing over there thing.
If I do sit down properly I then become an audio engineer and deconstruct my music
this leads to what I feel I need to fix or try something
life is short at this point in my life so boom box
A little EQ and my toes tap and start head popping
With little hair.
Even if in nyc and playing my big System I rarely sit in the seats
most times some 25 or so back at my desk working
Kind of like a live band is playing over there thing.
If I do sit down properly I then become an audio engineer and deconstruct my music
this leads to what I feel I need to fix or try something
life is short at this point in my life so boom box
A little EQ and my toes tap and start head popping
With little hair.
My view is that you can’t really evaluate the gear without understanding the music.
I have found that some reproduced music is very difficult to “like” on some systems. But this can change as the system improves. I’ve found myself enjoying many “difficult to love” performances I’d previously dismissed on less capable systems. The first clue is that live performances of the subject music were previously far more enjoyable in live performances I’d attended, compared to the recordings of said music. My experience is that the closer a system gets to sounding real, the more heretofore difficult to enjoy reproduced music sounds like it’s worth listening to.
I have found that some reproduced music is very difficult to “like” on some systems. But this can change as the system improves. I’ve found myself enjoying many “difficult to love” performances I’d previously dismissed on less capable systems. The first clue is that live performances of the subject music were previously far more enjoyable in live performances I’d attended, compared to the recordings of said music. My experience is that the closer a system gets to sounding real, the more heretofore difficult to enjoy reproduced music sounds like it’s worth listening to.
I'm a music lover, but not by the OP's definition.
I've assembled 2 separate systems for that purpose. Not particularly interested in equipment discussions.
I've assembled 2 separate systems for that purpose. Not particularly interested in equipment discussions.
I must be another outlier as I do not fit in any of the either/or categories thus far. I am drawn to the aural sensations I get from musical instruments (including voice, even the song of a blackbird).
I remember a concert in Florence that I attended in the small stone chapel that Dante used to go to. The music was Mozart’s horn concerto, the musical instruments were two violins, a clarinet, an oboe and a bassoon. I am especially drawn to the tone texture of these instruments and, as the deep resonation from that bassoon filled every inch of that chapel, I whispered to my wife that “this” kicks the s### out of my hi fi.
I think live instruments sound best, I don’t however, like to go to concerts. Too many people coughing and sputtering in an enclosed space, tightly packed and very uncomfortable seats, or standing outside next to one speaker tower (or the portable toilets) in hot sun or pouring rain (yes, I am sure there is a term in psychology for me). So, for me, the home hi fi system that gives me the most life-like tones that I can afford.
What music do I buy? When I was a young man, friends would play records on their systems when you visited. This was not as simple and “nice” as it seems, for whenever you invited friends to listen to your records you were being judged on your choice of music (how cool the group was, not how good the recording sounded). So, many of my LPs are the usual from that period (The Doors, Jethro Tull, The Yardbirds, CS&N, Santana, Dylan, etc., and note that I am not the only one as many of these titles have been re-released as 45RPM ultra… from the master tape, etc., analogue LPs by specialty producers.
To hear those records as I remember the sound then, I have moulded my listening system into an old school style and sound. Pure analogue (vinyl) only, valve amplification (SET’s actually) and old horn speakers (with paper cones).
Over the years however, I have found pleasure in music styles that was unknown to me in my youth. My record collection contains (in addition to the rock and pop of the 60’s) a lot of older jazz recordings, world music (especially bossa nova) and a slowly growing classical section. As to listening, of primary importance is the tones produced, but I can not listen to music I do not care for so…
I can read music a little and play piano, guitar and ukulele a little as well. Which category do you see me in?
I remember a concert in Florence that I attended in the small stone chapel that Dante used to go to. The music was Mozart’s horn concerto, the musical instruments were two violins, a clarinet, an oboe and a bassoon. I am especially drawn to the tone texture of these instruments and, as the deep resonation from that bassoon filled every inch of that chapel, I whispered to my wife that “this” kicks the s### out of my hi fi.
I think live instruments sound best, I don’t however, like to go to concerts. Too many people coughing and sputtering in an enclosed space, tightly packed and very uncomfortable seats, or standing outside next to one speaker tower (or the portable toilets) in hot sun or pouring rain (yes, I am sure there is a term in psychology for me). So, for me, the home hi fi system that gives me the most life-like tones that I can afford.
What music do I buy? When I was a young man, friends would play records on their systems when you visited. This was not as simple and “nice” as it seems, for whenever you invited friends to listen to your records you were being judged on your choice of music (how cool the group was, not how good the recording sounded). So, many of my LPs are the usual from that period (The Doors, Jethro Tull, The Yardbirds, CS&N, Santana, Dylan, etc., and note that I am not the only one as many of these titles have been re-released as 45RPM ultra… from the master tape, etc., analogue LPs by specialty producers.
To hear those records as I remember the sound then, I have moulded my listening system into an old school style and sound. Pure analogue (vinyl) only, valve amplification (SET’s actually) and old horn speakers (with paper cones).
Over the years however, I have found pleasure in music styles that was unknown to me in my youth. My record collection contains (in addition to the rock and pop of the 60’s) a lot of older jazz recordings, world music (especially bossa nova) and a slowly growing classical section. As to listening, of primary importance is the tones produced, but I can not listen to music I do not care for so…
I can read music a little and play piano, guitar and ukulele a little as well. Which category do you see me in?
The term is “old”, sorry, no offense. I grew up in a very crowded area but now I’m avoiding going to highly populated places and prefer quiet places in walking distance.
Need this be a zero-sum game? Can one love music and admire the gear upon which it is reproduced? I would posit that there are three conditions:
1 Music Lover
2 Audiophile
3 Gear Head
Being a "proper" audiophile can be expressed in Euclidean geometric terms, having one foot equally in both planes, music AND gear.
1 Music Lover
2 Audiophile
3 Gear Head
Being a "proper" audiophile can be expressed in Euclidean geometric terms, having one foot equally in both planes, music AND gear.
Wonderful recording. I listened to most of the album. I was already a music lover though.
It must be special as after each track I played separately, Roon Radio would say it could not find any like it to play.
Those of you that have Qobuz give it a listen. I don't think you will be disappointed.
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