The Death of Audiophilia

That just shows that your knowledge of rap/hip-hop is very limited. Not that there's anything wrong with that, if you're not interested that's fine. Honestly.

I just wish you wouldn't make blanket statements regarding something you obviously know very little about.

 

Oh please.

 

Audiophilia has not died. Just look at the AN posts on this forum (in the money equals audiophile quality sense). I built my first nice (cheap) system from Sterophile but I became disenchanted with their flowery reviews and let my subscription lapse a few decades ago. Their recommendations still hold up after all these years though.

Money doesn't mean audiophile nirvana IMHO. I don't like the audiophile label but I fit the definition because I like music. My current system could have been built in the 1950s except for the cartridge. Still, it's very satisfying from an audiophile perspective.

If you aren't moved by the music you aren't getting it...

 

What? Are you saying that you, as someone who obviously doesn't even listen to the genre, know more about it than those of us who do?

 

Oh, and this has nothing to do with who has "the thickest hide" or whatever. Believe me, it takes more than some random dude on the internet for me to get upset. I'm just asking you to back up your opinions with actual facts. That shouldn't be so hard, should it?

 

I've never heard a Talib Kwali track or a Mos-Def track that objectified women, but they fall into the hip-hop genre so hey, they may as well be slangin' on the corner and everything else we associate with rap. Meanwhile, I have rock tracks that speak of incest, beastiality, and objectify women just as badly as any hip-hop track. As Tore mentioned, this isn't about thick skins. Sorry man, I've been on Internet forums for 20 years - you aren't going to phase me. But, I am still free to call you out on over-generalized statements based on ignorance of a genre (or, at best, an understanding of just popular tracks within a certain genre) because, of course, this is an opinion-driven forum.

 

And that is a good summation of the paradigm shirt: a lot of younger people just don't give a crap about audio. They're surrounded by too many other kinds of entertainment, so they wind up not being as obsessed by music and sound gear as most of us were in our teens and twenties.

I know of some speaker designers and even amp & preamp designers who would disagree with you. They might examine 150 different kinds of knobs and metal surfaces and pick just the right one for their particular product. Perhaps it's not exactly art, but it is great craftmanship and great design, in the same way as an Apple computer or iPhone product.

Think of a great sound system -- one that looks good and sounds good -- as being like taking great works of art and exhibiting them in a beautiful building. One enhances the other, and the overall experience is made greater.

 

Right, and I stated my opinion. Sorry if you and Tore don't like it.

 

It's something I've discussed with other guys from my era. We dreamed of having our own stereos when we were kids in the 60's and 70's. Having a couple boys born around the turn of the century, I was surprised how different their musical interests evolved from mine. They listen to music many hours a day and I think they're really into it. It's just that their delivery systems are not what most of us here are into.

 

Yet you won't address any of our points. You'll just toss out insults like "get a thicker skin" and not actually defend your opinion with anything of substance. What have you to say about other genres that have examples of the same exact issues you have with Rap, but which are generally accepted? Are those Art, whereas Rap/Hip-Hop don't qualify as such?

 

Sorry Todd, you're going to have a one way argument. I'm not playing.

 

Only when the one making the claim won't engage. Good show, ole chap.

 

Oh yeah. As an oldschool metalhead, I fail to see how modern rap is singled out as misogynistic. I could show you some 25 year old death metal lyrics that would make any rap lyric look like a lullaby.

And what about the girl in my avatar, Erykah Badu? She's totally hip-hop, but she's hardly a woman hating gangbanger, is she?

 

If you're not gonna play, then don't start anything.

 

How many young audiophiles are there? Think back to when you were 15, and those friends you had. Did you have the means, or the experience, to really pick apart what you were listening to? Or did you just want something playing? To me, I honestly think the future is brighter based on what the current landscape looks like. Sure, you have a lot of young folks running around playing music from Pandora at low bitrates through Beats headphones. No, there is nothing high-fidelity about that. But, you still have young people listening to music. And lots of it. I look at how many bands are brought up on facebook, instagram, or just in general conversation and the amount of new music people are tossing around these days is staggering, to me at least. These kids very well may grow up into the future of audiophilia. We don't know. Now, the fact they've been listening to low-fi is a great point, but I don't think the fact they are surrounded by so much media is a reason NOT to be lifelong fans of music.

 

Great post! I'm sure 90% of those kids are never going to "upgrade" from what they are listening through right now, but so what? As long as they love music, then it's all good if you ask me!

Without music, none of us would be audiophiles.

 

Oh yeah, you'll get no argument from me there. Take the amp that I own for instance, there's no denying that it's a beautiful piece of industrial design (check it out here http://www.trafomaticaudio.com/experience_two.php), but it's not a piece of art.

 

It seems fair to mention that when I was working at a hifi/home theater/car stereo shop in 1999, the future of audiophilia was bleak at best. No one wanted 2-channel - absolutely no one in this area. We sold cheesy home theater packages and car stereos with 4 12's in a Honda Civic. I look at what the landscape is now vs back then and think... we're going to be ok. Ebbs and flows, that's just the way it works with things like this. In my opinion and based on my admittedly limited experience, that is.

 

It's difficult to believe that the contents of one magazine rack, on one day, could indicate the demise of "audiophilia".
If the food magazines were nearly sold out would that indicate food is down trending?
As Spock would say: "Your conclusion is not logical Captain".

 

When I visit B&N, I see about a half-dozen different hifi mags there every time I visit.

 

David, just like we are asked to try to not mention politics, race, or religion, it is possible to avoid subjectiveness when talking about music.

 

People who think it represents negative things don't even listen to it, and aren't very familiar with it. As long as it is against forum rules to bash music, I will mention it. I'll bet you've never even looked at the rules.

 

Your ignorance is glowing neon! You also probably ignore all the rock music that does the same.

 

Normal?


But seriously I do own more opera than rap or hip hop...

 

What I see here is one persons belief that the existence of rap is evidence to support the fall of audiophilia through the failure of schooling students in the fundamentals of music.

Of course it's not my opinion but as stated it applies to this thread. We are better served by allowing people to have opinions even if they are obviously wrong, better to educate than to just shout them down. And I don't mind saying I know little more about hip hop and rap than I read in the media. If it is to your taste then please by all means indulge yourself.