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Other than music, why are you an audiophile?

I would hope that the first reason why anyone is an audiophile is that they love music. I’m going to assume we all have that in common. So the question is: Other than music, why are you an audiophile?

I’ve had an interest in audio and hifi for twenty years, but it took me a long time, and a fair amount of introspection, to come up with a good answer. My answer is personal. It may not be true of anyone else. Here it is:

Other than music, I’m interested in audio because I’m fascinated by EMERGENCE. The concept of ‘emergence’ has been around for at least a century. It has been used by philosophers and scientists to mean a whole that is “greater than the sum of its parts.” More technically, emergence is a relation between system-level characteristics and component-level characteristics. A system’s characteristics EMERGE from the characteristics of its components when…

(1) The system’s characteristics are DIFFERENT IN KIND from the characteristics of its components.

(2) The system’s characteristics are CAUSED BY the characteristics of its components.

(3) The system’s characteristics are DIFFICULT TO PREDICT from the characteristics of its components.

What does this have to do with audio? Everything. In an audio system…

(1a) The musical characteristics of an audio system are DIFFERENT IN KIND from the electrical/mechanical/acoustical characteristics of its components.

(2a) The musical characteristics of an audio system are CAUSED BY the electrical/mechanical/acoustical characteristics of its components.

(3a) The musical characteristics of an audio system are DIFFICULT TO PREDICT from the electrical/mechanical/acoustical characteristics of its components.

Hence, the musical characteristics of an audio system EMERGE from the electrical/mechanical/acoustical characteristics of its components. In other words, an audio system, taken as a whole, seems “greater than the sum of its parts.”

To me, the phenomenon of emergence differentiates audio, as a hobby, from many (but not all) other hobbies, where emergence does not happen. To me, the phenomenon of emergence is what makes hifi seem like magic, in that something beautiful and emotional emerges out of something mechanical and electrical. And that is why, other than a love a music, I am an audiophile.

Anyone else?
bryoncunningham
aggielaw
264 posts
 
Mmmmmmmmm, brushed aluminum...

and pretty lights, too, preferably light blue!
rockadanny
1,037 posts
 
Other than being able to optimally enjoy music, which is number one reason, I am sensitive to and therefore agitated by unnatural sounding music - too heavy bass, sloppy or fuzzy bass, muffled mids, zingy or tizzy highs, cymbals that don't sound like brass, ringing piano, etc. When I hear music, even if it is faint, my brain will focus on it and I cannot ignore it. There is no such thing as background music for me - its all foreground, regardless of content or volume. Therefore, when I wish to listen to music I want it to be as real and natural as possible. Needs high(er) end gear to accomplish this.
jult52
153 posts
 
Because there's no going back? I have been building up my system over the last year and it has really sensitized me to audio performance differences. I just spent a week at my mother-in-law and was gritting my teeth at the harsh consumer grade digital sound that I was hearing. The moment when I was able to listen to my main rig after the return home was precious - the sound caressed my ears.

Life often involves compromises and backwards steps but there's no reason for that bitter lesson to extend to sound reproduction.
abucktwoeighty's avatar
abucktwoeighty
1,034 posts
 
It's a lot like sex...once you try it, there's never enough, and you're constantly looking for something better. Until you meet your soulmate.
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,333 posts
 
Interesting post. By your definition I am definitely no audiophile. I am only interested in reproducing music to the highest practical standard. I have no desire to create anything other than what is on the track. Anything that "emerges" and which should not be there is not something to be treasured - it is distortion and should be eliminated, if possible. My respect goes to the music and the recording, in that order.

To use an analogy, the stereo and room acoustic treatments while painstaking are simply like the hospital equipment in a delivery ward - they are there to look after Mum and to make the best possible delivery of the Baby.

Music is the baby!

The gear simply takes care of the delivery...
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