The audiophile pursues a sonic utopia
An audiophile is an individual who has a great interest in sound recording and reproduction systems . These people aspire to enjoy high-fidelity, quality audio .
They look for the best experience
Audiophiles, therefore, analyze the technological resources and equipment that allow them to enjoy the best possible listening experience. They also tend to try different methods until they find those that meet their high demands.
Many times audiophiles are music lovers : that is, passionate about music. This enthusiasm for musical compositions leads the audiophile-music lover to aspire to the best sound quality to be able to record and perceive all the nuances of the work. However, the music lover may privilege access to music beyond the characteristics of playback , something that is central for the audiophile.
Audiophiles and music lovers
Music lovers have a special love for music, which for many may seem excessive. They are capable of spending years chasing an old recording of their favorite soprano or an unreleased concerto that only exists on home footage. Needless to say, they are also extremely sensitive to the characteristics of different sounds, but their main focus is on the works.
It is enough to take a look at the etymology of the term melomania to discover that in its mania component the meaning is that of " madness " or "tendency to rage." We find this same thing in other terms, such as kleptomania, mythomania, nymphomania, cocainemania, drug addiction and megalomania . Of course, in this case we are not facing a problem or a dangerous condition, neither for the music lover nor for those around him.
Audiophiles have an obsession with the quality of audio reproduction , something that can lead them to spend years trying to create the perfect system and environment for listening to a piece they already have under their belt. This shows us that for them the works are not as important as listening.
At this point we can make two clarifications: just as musicians do not consider themselves music lovers, but this term corresponds to those who enjoy music but do not create it, it is not enough to be interested in good equipment of players and speakers to be an audiophile, since it is not an easy passion to feed.
A costly passion
Sometimes, the prices of the systems go against the pretensions of the audiophile. In general, products marketed for home users do not have the features of professional equipment and are cheaper.
For this reason we said that buying “good equipment” is not being an audiophile, but it can even be the opposite. One of their most striking characteristics is their rejection of commercial technologies : instead of conforming to what the market dictates year after year, they make their own sound systems with excessively expensive cables and components that went out of fashion decades ago.
Far from accepting fashions, the audiophile uses old components for their equipment
While for a deep pocket it is reasonable to invest a thousand dollars in a receiver and a set of speakers, an audiophile can exceed thirty thousand dollars to purchase cables to improve audio transmission .
Audio fidelity
Streaming and downloading audio via the Internet , on the other hand, often results in a decrease in quality to minimize the size (weight) of digital files. In that context, audiophiles may be displeased with the result.
Audiophiles, in short, use scientific knowledge, sound engineering techniques and technological tools to maximize audio quality and fidelity, thus achieving a pleasurable experience.