After reading this definition I realize that I am not an audiophile......
So then, what am I, I think that I am a Blast-O-Phile in that I like to blast
my music really loud and I prefer my music live.
I am just wondering if you read this definition if you are
an audiophile or a Bast-O-Phile like me ???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiophile

Audiophile, and not ashamed of it. Though I carry my own definition (which, admittedly, is not too different from the one at the top of the Wiki link).

See, I wish that I was an audiophile but I am not. I wish that I could pretend
because I consider audiophiles more musically sophisticated than me, but alas, I am just a guy that likes really loud music with a strong beat and I prefer it live.

I'm just a dude that likes the music that I do and great sounding gear to play it with. Not sure what that "makes" me, doesn't really matter :)

I'm glad that I'm not the only one

I'm glad that I'm not the only one

Crank away and be happy :thmbsp::guitar:

Audiophile: from Latin audire "to hear" and Greek philos "loving" -does describe me (I think). The rest of the guff in the article...well, I don't know. But I love to hear stuff.

Audiophile: from Latin audire "to hear" and Greek philos "loving" -does describe me (I think). The rest of the guff in the article...well, I don't know. But I love to hear stuff.

I love to hear stuff too :)

Your new avatar is very nicely distracting...

I didn't realize I was breaking some rule about being an audiophile by listening to music loudly...oh well, I guess I'll stop...

Nah :)

I see the Awesome Mac Stacks and it give's me a woody... Then I look around at my system and think, "Hey, I could have had a V8" ??? ....
I do truly admire most of the audiophile systems that I have seen here....
They look like they mean some serious business.....Especially those Mac Mono-blocks.....BOING !!!

Audiophile when I'm relaxing
Blastophile when I'm drinking.

Music affectionado

-dave

I think I'm more of a distortophobe.

..and do audiophiles have ampliphiers?
...would that make me an audiofile?

Audioblasterphile

Your new avatar is very nicely distracting...

If you enjoy Hot Asian women Poohsan's Avatars are always excellent and he changes them about every other week. I always look forward to his next new Avatar.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/member.php?u=20300

I see my self as a Audiophile but how load does my music have to be a Bast-ophile?

I'm a Blaster that can't stand distortion.

Audiophiles are people who seek to listen to music at a level of quality as close to the original live performance as possible. They use high-fidelity components to try and attain these goals. Most are music lovers who are passionate about high-quality music reproduction.

This describes me pretty well (even if the word makes me cringe).

Audiophile with Blastophile tendencies :D

To quote Alice Cooper, "Just tried to have fun. Raised hell and then some. I'm a dirt talkin', beer drinkin', woman chasin' minister's son. Slap on the make-up, blast out the music, wake up the neighbors with a roar like a teenage heavy metal elephant gun." I'M GUILTY!

This describes me pretty well.

"Audiophiles are people who seek to listen to music at a level of quality as close to the original live performance as possible. They use high-fidelity components to try and attain these goals. Most are music lovers who are passionate about high-quality music reproduction. "

OK then.. going by that description, what does that make me.. live performances for what I listen to is usally at an insane level, but I listen at lower levels at home, but still very loud on occasions.. but it has to be CLEAN and CLEAR, or I'll walk away...

I also use the same type of equipment that the live performance would use.. Which means there is no way I could come any closer to reproducing the live sound, other than just hire the band...

so does that make me an audioblastphomist?

Crankit up ! Crankit up !

Audiophile term is something I try to avoid. People percieve the word diffrently depending on who you talk to.

I just Love music clean, clear and loud.
By most I would not be considered an Audiophile anyway cuz I only own PIONEER gear and listen to Rock, & Metal music.

I just call myself a Rocker.:guitar::rockon:

Like madpioneer, audiophile is not a word I like. People tend to associate it with $1200 cables and putting little bottles of shiny rocks atop a turntable, and I'm definitely not about that.

I am a little of both. :music:

I prefer 'music enthusiast' to describe my passion for the art form. Clean and clear. Use of tone controls is just to compensate for the ears loudness curve.

Audiophile when I'm relaxing
Blastophile when I'm drinking.

Oh my god did he hit the nail on the head.

Evan

sounds like mumbo jumbo to me, unless you are an acoustic music junkie, then it makes sense to some degree. That would be classical buffs and folkies. I can play either of those roles upon occasion, but it's limiting.

Why can't you be an audiophile and try to recreate the sound of Led Zeppelin live? I don't see any contradictions there, personally.

What's the one thing they do in most hifi stores to impress the potential customer? Blast the hell out of it. Even classical.

So who are the audiophiles again?

When I previously Pictured the audiophile, he or she is was very meticulous, arrogant and condescending, over-educated snob, that must have the best of everything and there had better not be any dust on it or he will have the maid shot in the head. He is someone that know's everything and figures that nobody else can even come close to his level of knowledge about anything. He speaks using alot of big words that he has taken the time to look up in obscure periodicals only to speak in a tongue that he can understand as if to belittle others and make them feel inferior. He actually is not even a real music lover, rather, he is an anal dude or dudette that is a major control freak whose parents were probably both politicians. Now, I can see that my perception has all been wrong. The Audiophile is a Blast-O-Phile with lots of money and some are creative audio equipment designers as well. I'll bring the beer ????

It'll be hard to have most people agree with that definition as it's obviously coming as a reaction against those who don't share your biases.

The simplest and yet most effective definition I've seen for the difference between audiophiles and audio enthusiasts is that the former has more invested in their gear rather than their music and for the latter it is reversed. All else seems to come as an artifact of that primary difference, such as inventing terms like 'PRAT' to excuse their approach to audio.

Simple and it isn't flipping the middle finger to a large group as much as yours.

Unfortunately, this thread overall is completely blocking out those who a) value their hearing and want to keep it a while longer and b) actually have common courtesy and don't want to inflict their music on the neighbors.

- JP

This is a hobby for me. My hobby is collecting. I collect "Vintage Pioneer Electronic Components". Like the Pioneer HPM-100 Loudspeakers I added to my collection yesterday.:yes: :banana: :D

They will be powered by my Vintage Pioneer SX-1980 Stereo Reciever.

I love my hobby. Now it is time to CRANK EM UP !!!

or C) don't have neighbors to worry about, and really enjoy their music and equipment, and live as they see fit, instead of fitting in...

or C) don't have neighbors to worry about, and really enjoy their music and equipment, and live as they see fit, instead of fitting in...

Refer to A.

Charivari wrote, "It'll be hard to have most people agree with that definition as it's obviously coming as a reaction against those who don't share your biases.

The simplest and yet most effective definition I've seen for the difference between audiophiles and audio enthusiasts is that the former has more invested in their gear rather than their music and for the latter it is reversed. All else seems to come as an artifact of that primary difference, such as inventing terms like 'PRAT' to excuse their approach to audio.

Simple and it isn't flipping the middle finger to a large group as much as yours.

Unfortunately, this thread overall is completely blocking out those who a) value their hearing and want to keep it a while longer and b) actually have common courtesy and don't want to inflict their music on the neighbors.

- JP"
THANK YOU DOCTOR RUTH!

Refer to A.

Guess that's where I need to add D) Some of us are pert near deaf as it is, and need ta 'ave it a tad louder... :tears:

I do have to agree somewhat with what you pointed out.. if you ain't a snob, your not a audiophile per the OP.. or you like it loud.. which is removing the people that just like music in the background, and don't care how well it's produced...

Honestly, I consider myself a little of both.. only I'm not a snob.. far from it.. I work around those kind all day and find hours of amusement in their ways...

But I do love having the best system I can afford that plays the style of music I listen to the way it would sound live.. and to me, that's an audiophile.. but then, that also makes me a blaster, because live rock shows are loud...

jbrainey
I can just here that milk crate under the SX-1980 going, UUUUGH,AAAHHH Get it Off! Get It Off!

That sheet of 1/4" tempered plate glass between them is earning its keep too ! :yes:

THANK YOU DOCTOR RUTH!

You're welcome. Remember, our way is not soft grass, it's a mountain path with lots of rocks.

http://www.dancingmonica.com/imagefile/drruth.gif

- DR

Horny old hide

Audiophile with Blastophile tendencies :DI'm a blastophile with audiophile tendencies. Actually I'm too busy enjoying the music to decide. :D

I first read that as "blastocyst with audiophile tendencies". :D

I've decided that I'm a Blast-O-Cystic----Phil-Harmonic----Chicken Chokin----Son of a Gun---

Audiophile I guess. Tho I don't crank it as much as I used to, I still like to rock and roll.
S***t! That sounded like my dad talking!

S***t! That sounded like my dad talking!


Sooner or later...it happens to all of us.

I love to hear stuff too :)

Your new avatar is very nicely distracting...

Blame poohsan, it's all his fault. I see madpioneer also has the sickness...

I don't think how loud you play it has anything to do with being an audiophile or not. One of my friends does all the guff ($20000 amps, silver wire for power as well as cabling, da da da...) and still likes to listen at ear-splitting levels. And has heaps of music.

Me, I like to listen. And when the vacuum cleaner's on, and I'm in another room, I still like to listen...loud.

I guess I mostly have shot my wad on women, dining out, rental cars and traveling.......
I never really took the time that I would have liked to, to build a system that
I would consider impeccable. I was too busy having sex and eating food. Plus, both of my ex's hated what they considered my big stereos. Now they're gone and I'm going to build the set that pleases me. I did like blasting the music all of those years and having sex to the beat. Makes it easier to focus.
Kind of like dancing............

speakerlust
I was there for awhile spending money on women, but I never let the dream die or completely lose my focus. Even when I was married I had a dedicated play room with my KISS collection along with my stereo and music recording mini-studio. Of course I know the ex was not happy about it thats probably why she is an ex.
After my divorce I went all out and said screw it! I am gonna do it (he said do it! huh,huh,huh) come hell or high water women & wallet be damned.:yes:

Why is this thread titled no audiophiles allowed and then you seek to ask them a question. Seems you were trying to skew your own poles results before it got off the ground.

Ironically the results are probably not what you were looking for...

Grumpy, I just can't get mad at you, your Krusty the Clown Avatar is the best. I used to be such a Krusty junky that it was one of the few kids video games that I used to, "try" and play. It was called, "Krusty's super fun house". Anyway, as for my headings to this or any post, I am actually quite shy and I overcompensate sometimes, but my innability to post a good opening line that expresses what I want is one of the times that I lose face and my shyness rears it's embarrassed position. I'm not the guy that walks up to a group of people and enters the group very well, but once I have made it into the group, I can talk just fine. I did want a comparison of Audiophiles to just kind've sloppy or average radio guys like me, yes, there has been a shocker for me, but it is that is the definition of of an audiophile or Blast-O-Phile is not at all what I thought it would be, and as usual, although I go into something thinking how different we all are as human beings and come out seeing that we are all pretty much the same...........

I am actually quite shy and I overcompensate sometimes

Your not very shy about admitting to 'choking your chicken' tho! :no::scratch2:LOL

That is another feeble attempt at my using humor to enter a group

I'm a little of both - just depends upon the mood - and what's on the turntable / in the CD player.

Martin

I guess I am both. Any music with a nice bass line even classical written in the minor keys. Loud enough for me to feel it and be absorbed by it. Most of all its gotta be clean cant stand distortion.

I'm an 'audio enthusiast' that wishes I had an 'audiophile' system so that I could be a 'blastophile'.

I am a Blast-O-Phile that wishes he knew what all of the Audiophiles know
without all of the schooling .......

I gotta go with audiophile even though it dont really fit my listening habits,yes im performance oriented when it comes to squeezing every last drop of performance out of my system ,but on the other hand, i didnt buy 1200 watt Mcintosh monoblocks to sit & listen to Nora Jones using 2 watts from the amps,i like to blast it out real good:yes:

I gotta go with audiophile even though it dont really fit my listening habits,yes im performance oriented when it comes to squeezing every last drop of performance out of my system ,but on the other hand, i didnt buy 1200 watt Mcintosh monoblocks to sit & listen to Nora Jones using 2 watts from the amps,i like to blast it out real good:yes:

:rockon::rockon::rockon:

:rockon::rockon::rockon:

Around here we dont call it loud till we can see the next door neighbors windows ratteling:thmbsp:

I gotta go with audiophile even though it dont really fit my listening habits,yes im performance oriented when it comes to squeezing every last drop of performance out of my system ,but on the other hand, i didnt buy 1200 watt Mcintosh monoblocks to sit & listen to Nora Jones using 2 watts from the amps,i like to blast it out real good:yes:

I've said it a million times: all I ask for is to be able to enjoy the song played at it's originally recorded level. What good is a stereo unless it can do that?

Heard That !!! .......

I'm a reformed Blast-o-phile who graduated to Audiophile who still likes to push it past 11 every so often, but usually not for too long. It might have to do with that ringing I get every so often in my ears...beeeeoooooeooooeooeoeooeoooeoeoeoeoeoeoeoee e. One too many Dead shows close in to that 45,000 watts.

I'm a reformed Blast-o-phile who graduated to Audiophile who still likes to push it past 11 every so often, but usually not for too long. It might have to do with that ringing I get every so often in my ears...beeeeoooooeooooeooeoeooeoooeoeoeoeoeoeoeoee e. One too many Dead shows close in to that 45,000 watts.

:ntwrthy: 45,000 WATTS !!! :yikes::yikes::yikes:

Just like my music clean and just a little loud.Don't care for "live" recordings or rap crap

i feel i'm more somwhere inbetween.

I grew up a blast-o-phile . . . even later became a drummer.

BUT, after years of listening to music performed by musicians who really care about what they can get out of their instruments, whether musically or sonically, I've drifted towards becoming an audiophile. I don’t always want to listen at near-live levels. The music presents itself differently at lower volume levels. Sometimes, it’s nice to just listen to the little things that are difficult to hear at loud levels because the prominent sounds are in the way.

Anyway, once a blast-o-phile, always a blast-o-phile. I still have to crank it up occasionally.

Audiophile. But, judging from the increasing complaints from friends/family/neighbors, I think my advancing age is slowly making me a blastophile.

I'm both, and proud of it. Depends on the phase of the moon.

*Audiophile

*But only when not drinking heavily while on drugs and blasting my favorite boxed set of porn soundtracks.

Steve

Audiophile when I'm relaxing
Blastophile when I'm drinking.

I second that except I don't drink.:D

Sorry, I couldn't chose either but had to click on Audiophile because I don't like it VERY LOUD!

Bad choices, it isn't either or.

I am a “Audiophile” that likes playback level to be as if I were there. :thmbsp:

Happy Listening! :music:
Jonathan

I´m refusing to vote;)
As many other terms a term of audiofile is for me is just stupidly made for some to feel better then others... I could never see myself as more that a music lover. Dividing it in to a smal boxes... Yeah, some likes it and it makes them to feel better about them selfs, some just don´t care ... Just my personal opinion;)

I'm a guy who likes stereo equipment and music. I'll leave the snobbery of titles to others.

Audio-piles sounds painful.

I feel all this talk about listening volume misses the point. The definition has to do with listening at the volume of the original performance. That means 90 dB or so for an orchestra and maybe 70-80dB for an acoustic jazz ensemble or chamber group would be appropriate. 120 dB for FRC of a Deep Purple show would also qualify as audiophile listening territory. Listening to chamber music at 120 dB would therefore be blastophilia. I clicked in as an Audiophile. I'm just into aural gratification.

Im an Audiophile.

The latest issue of Stereophile (Feb09) in Robert Deutsch's article, I would also be defined as a "Sharpener".

On the rare occasion I have free reign over the big knob on the right , I'm Blastophile Boy From Hell. The rest of the time , I want to hear well recorded/produced music regardless of volume-perhaps in spite of the lack. I want all the details-the bass players cough , the hand sliding up the neck of the Fender , the long decay of the cymbal.
I also like to hear those things at ear-bleeding levels when half in the bag. My neighbors will attest to this. My neighbors don't like me.

I have no issues with the term audiophile. Words are used to describe things and are inherently harmless. Audiophile, as described, describes my relationship to the hobby pretty well. Although if an audiophile is someone who has more money in their system than their music collection, I'm not an audiophile yet.

As for the rest of the conversation in this tread, I'm not much of a high volume rock n' roller. (Although I find it difficult not to crank up Gang of Four's Entertainment album when I play it.)

99.7% of the time that my system is playing, I am sitting in the listening seat doing nothing else but listening. I don't have music on as background anymore (That practice fell away about 5 years ago).

The volume as the only tone control I need. I turn it to a level where all the instruments sound right. There has to be enough energy in the system to accurately manifest a drum or an acoustic bass for instance, but not so much that I start to lose definition or unamplified instruments sound unnaturally loud. Or maybe it's just simply my threshold for "pleasant'. (not to be confused with the quality of content. I can listen to very unpleasant music at pleasant volume levels.)

i wear my morning suit, have tea and crumpets while listening to Tchaikovsky..whats that make me....laffs NUTS...im just a ranch guy who listens to his stereo to relax, hates distortion and realizes you can turn the volume knob up higher on good gear without it feeling like the dentists office than on cheap stuff...

+1 Music affectionado .

mostly blast-o-phile but can sit and enjoy an SE tube amp and some jazz anytime.

To misquote Repo Man:

"I don't allow audiophiles in my car, no blastophiles either!"

Seriously though I just like music preferably at live or near live volumes, without distortion, in many genres on the cheap. That makes me a....?

An audiophile, from Latin audio[1] "I hear" and Greek philos[2] "loving".

"...Audiophiles try to listen to music at a quality level that is as close to the original performance as possible..."



Nothing wrong with being an audiophile.



If you want to adopt big guilt over the "stigmata" of being called an audiophile, as the term conjures images of snobbish pricks with a superiority complex, so be it.


But regarding folk with high airs and "better than thou" attitude, while some may indeed be audiophiles, they are mostly, well, snobbish pricks.

I'm a mutt. I have entry hi end and low end gear, and stuff in between, but I like it loud.

Audiophile...I see no reason to be ashamed of that.

audiophile..is basically ones own opinion....no one ever reaches musical perfection.

When I previously Pictured the audiophile, he or she is was very meticulous, arrogant and condescending, over-educated snob, that must have the best of everything and there had better not be any dust on it or he will have the maid shot in the head. He is someone that know's everything and figures that nobody else can even come close to his level of knowledge about anything. He speaks using alot of big words that he has taken the time to look up in obscure periodicals only to speak in a tongue that he can understand as if to belittle others and make them feel inferior. He actually is not even a real music lover, rather, he is an anal dude or dudette that is a major control freak whose parents were probably both politicians. Now, I can see that my perception has all been wrong. The Audiophile is a Blast-O-Phile with lots of money and some are creative audio equipment designers as well. I'll bring the beer ????

I've met people like that, and to me they aren't TRUE audiophiles, they are pseudo-audiphiles, poseurs with ego problems, like you'll find in many other fields. Just go into any modern art gallery, and listen to the twaddle that passes for opinions.


It'll be hard to have most people agree with that definition as it's obviously coming as a reaction against those who don't share your biases.

The simplest and yet most effective definition I've seen for the difference between audiophiles and audio enthusiasts is that the former has more invested in their gear rather than their music and for the latter it is reversed. All else seems to come as an artifact of that primary difference, such as inventing terms like 'PRAT' to excuse their approach to audio.

Simple and it isn't flipping the middle finger to a large group as much as yours.

Unfortunately, this thread overall is completely blocking out those who a) value their hearing and want to keep it a while longer and b) actually have common courtesy and don't want to inflict their music on the neighbors.

- JP

I certainly value my hearing, and tend not to crank it too loud, for too long, for that reason. I grew up enjoying LOUD for much of my music, and playing in bands, but still somehow managed to keep good hearing. These days, while I occasionally crank it, for the most part I keep the music at a level that is moderate. Realistic for, say, a solo singer with an acoustic guitar, but not for Led Zepellin. Heck, I sit no more than 20 feet away from my speakers, and I almost never sat that close to a live rock band in concert (except at school).

This is a hobby for me. My hobby is collecting. I collect "Vintage Pioneer Electronic Components". Like the Pioneer HPM-100 Loudspeakers I added to my collection yesterday.:yes: :banana: :D

They will be powered by my Vintage Pioneer SX-1980 Stereo Reciever.

I love my hobby. Now it is time to CRANK EM UP !!!

I'm a collector, too. In fact, I'm an audiophile (in the original sense of the word, not speakerlusts's description above), a music connoisseur, a tweak-o-phile, a music lover, a... well, in varying degrees and at various times, I am "all of the above" to nearly every category mentioned around here. I like music of all kinds (except rap), but I also like finding, studying , collecting, refurbishing, tweaking and listening to gear/systems.

On the rare occasion I have free reign over the big knob on the right , I'm Blastophile Boy From Hell. The rest of the time , I want to hear well recorded/produced music regardless of volume-perhaps in spite of the lack. I want all the details-the bass players cough , the hand sliding up the neck of the Fender , the long decay of the cymbal.
I also like to hear those things at ear-bleeding levels when half in the bag. My neighbors will attest to this. My neighbors don't like me.

I'm lucky -- my neighbors can't hear me, even when I crank it up to near-ear-bleeding levels... :music: ... right here in the middle of the city! Have to love this apartment! :yes:

An audiophile, from Latin audio[1] "I hear" and Greek philos[2] "loving".

"...Audiophiles try to listen to music at a quality level that is as close to the original performance as possible..."



Nothing wrong with being an audiophile.



If you want to adopt big guilt over the "stigmata" of being called an audiophile, as the term conjures images of snobbish pricks with a superiority complex, so be it.


But regarding folk with high airs and "better than thou" attitude, while some may indeed be audiophiles, they are mostly, well, snobbish pricks.

In complete agreement. Those people are not, IMO, TRUE audiophiles. They are like, well, any other snobbish prick 'wannabes'. Fortunately, most of the audio people I run into are not that bad. The few who are are easily avoided. {Just tell them your system only cost 4 or low-5 figures! LOL).

Audio, phile. "I hear"+"Loving". Works for me.

I really don't care!Sometimes,depending on my mood or type of music I step on the gas so to speak and other times I just cruise.To each his own preference I say!What others call you depending on what or how you listen to music is meaningless in my book.To me, as long as you appreciate Vintage equipment and the music itself and are one of many helping to keep it going,how you do it is nobody elses business period!So go ahead and blast it or not,again to each his own and enjoy...........Never liked being categorized anyways and I'm not going to worry about it now, after all if you paid for it,own it whatever,do what you want with it!..............Rick

I recycle equipment which was probably once owned by audiophiles but otherwise just like listening to music. I am told that I listen loud but that's probably more due to age and the resultant hearing loss than any desire to rattle the neighbors' windows.

At home I'm an audiophile (on a budget).:music:
In the car I'm a Blast -o -Phile! :rockon:

:scratch2:Gear rotation after gear rotation after gear rotation. Year after year. when you think you have it right, tweek things again, this time it is going to sound better yet or should i back track a little, " i may have had it right before", and on and on to the next killer score. I think im an Audio-Optimist. The quest for "Audiobliss." I am a realist and i m not going to find it, i don't think it exist. I won't stop, I am an Audio-Optimist and my journey my quest has taken me close and the thrill of the hunt goes on. Groovy!!:thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp:

I used to be a blastophile, but the more i get into this audio addiction, the more i am upgrading to the best equipment i can find/afford. And the better my system gets, the more i notice how bad the sound reproduction is on a lot of cds and vinyl, that i never noticed before this addiction started. I completely disagree with the definition. Just because most of us buy our equipment used or of a different era, does not mean we dont appreciate, or cannot achieve, the closest thing to a live performance. I know there are plenty of us who have a minimal investment in our equipment, but it doesnt mean it cant compete, or even blow the doors off of the guys equipment who spent 100k on it. So i guess if being an audiophile, means yer rich, i guess ill never be one.