What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Solidstate (amps, preamps), Tweaks, Cables, New gear, etc...

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What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby JackD201 » Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:49 am

Here are mine

I. You break it , You buy it
II. Return records and CDs in the same condition you received them
III. Never comment on someone elses stuff unless asked
IV. Never touch someone elses set-up w/o asking
V. When borrowing gear from a running rig always offer a loaner
VI. Allow your guests enough time to enjoy the sweetspot
VII. While you're at it shut up with the technical descriptions and let them listen
VIII. Allow guests to play music at their preferred level(s) up until the point it is no longer enjoyable for the majority
IX. Whatever your host is using skip the analog-digital, tube-SS debate (It's old news and quite stale)
X. Never hit on the host's wife, daughter or household help :lol:
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Postby jo2 » Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:03 am

My Version:

I. Music is analog whether you’re using Vinyl or CD/SACD
II. HIFI Reviewers are humans and not GOD
III. Thou shall not compare you’re system to other’s
IV. Bookshelf is not in the same league as a Full Range speaker
V. There’s no PERFECT SYSTEM
VI. You’re listening to recorded music and is not the REAL thing - getting closer is attainable
VII. SYNERGY IS THE KEY
VIII. Acoustics is not Science
IX. What he/she knows is not always TRUE
X. He’s or she's FILTHY RICH and you’re not
XI. And Enjoy the music :wink:
Last edited by jo2 on Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby ichabod » Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:42 am

I like the one that says "There's no PERFECT SYSTEM." The earlier one accepts this, the better off he is enjoying his music. But wait, how about someone who tells you he has a better system. Is that a perfection? Believable? What do you think? Fire away!
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Postby vintage_dog » Tue Nov 16, 2004 10:27 am

excellent thread on "10 commandments". i'm making this a sticky here at the general audio section.
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Postby ichabod » Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:15 am

Ten Cardinal Points to a good system, is this a good one to expand on the above? I think anyone can make his/her own. Here's mine.

1. It must image and flesh out voices naturally well.

2. It must have a good soundstage, depth and width, with some height?

3. It must have a clarity better than transparency.

4. It must sound like music than a cacophony of sounds.

5. It must make you sit on any chair in your music room.

6. It must make your spouse happy you're always home!

7. You can listen to all your cds, vinyl collections.

8. You can spend less or forget on "upgrades" and expensive "tweaks."

9. It can make you forget about "audio" as an expense.

10. It can sound sooo good that you can get away with all the music without ever thinking of "hi-end" as though you haven't heard the phrase at all!
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Postby JackD201 » Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:06 pm

Soon to follow.....10 Commandments for WAF? Hehehe.
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Postby ichabod » Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:49 pm

How about MAF? Paleeze don't make me spell it here. Get one with experience.
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Postby JackD201 » Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:51 pm

Mother Acceptance Factor? Naaaaah. You mean something else right?

Some WAF commandments

1. Whenever you buy a piece of gear get her some little gift, "Honey I bought you new interconnects!" doesn't count.
2. Make your listening chair a 1 1/2 seater and ask her to sit with you and listen. She'll experience first hand how much YOU enjoy it. She'll likely move on happy after a couple of songs leaving you with all that comfy space.
3. Barter spaces.e.g. You have no say in the bedroom decor, she has no say in your listening room
4. When 3 is not possible make room treatments as inconspicuous as possible using everyday items.

That's all for now i guess
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Postby ichabod » Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:44 am

Dos and Don'ts in Audio

1. Don't just listen for the sound BUT the music. Many fail to appreciate their gears because they worry too much about what's not with their audio than what's right with it!

2. Quibble not about small "hairline" differences in sound as there will always be differences for any which brand you use or may hear from your friend's shop or home.

3. Sound is not music. Music is the sound!

4. When you're invited for a listen, enjoy the good material or piece of music being played instead of being critical like many audiophiles. Audio is for music, while amp design is for the DIYer. It should be an after thought once you've finished listening.

5. Don't be a close minded brand conscious "hi-end" preacher to any one with a modest system. Enjoyment and happiness in audio is not hinged on expensive gear, but rather how much of the music is in one's gear.

6. Always keep an open mind on something new in the science of audio and the market. Innovations, and new designs can spell more listening pleasure specially if it doesn't cost anything.

5. Technology may have seen a lot of breakthroughs, but some old designs last forever because they sound better.

6. Music is for the soul, not a cerebral exercise. It should release you from other forms of tension, even audio related worries.

7. Always consider your audio as a tool to enhance your appreciation of music. Not the other way around as an object of fantasy to add more bragging rights.

8. Be helpful to others who ask questions about what you know or may not know about audio, and share what ever experiences you may have that enhances your love for music and the craft that brings you that heightened listening pleasure.

9. Learn more about composers of music, their musical genre, heritage, background about the composition, the age in which they composed their music, and all else "audio" will take its rightful place in the heirarchy of things.

10. Go and listen to live performances in acoustically correct venues and use it to compare your present set-up rather than going about being a busybody on who has the best sounding gear.

Only good intentions, nothing more.
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Postby vintage_dog » Wed Nov 17, 2004 11:02 am

sorry, i have 12

1. we all have different ears and preferences. what's "great" for some may not be necessarily so for others.

2. tonal purity (violin sounding like a violin, vocals sound natural) and PRAT are far more important than soundstaging, width, depth, height. have you been to a live concert and got concerned with soundstaging or imaging? really?

3. do not borrow someone else's software. (a subtle way of saying: please don't bother to borrow mine...hehehe)

4. you don't need a million to set-up a great system...(although having a million to spend always helps...hehehe)

5. listen, experiment, listen...enjoy audio every step of the way.

6. Audio is about the music AND the gear. someone who tells you otherwise, is a hypocrite :-D next time a wise guy says music is everything that matters to him and not gear, offer to swap his sonus or LS3/5A or his tube amps and expensive CDP with a walkman and earphones, and see how he reacts :lol:

7. the music from a good system must engage you emotionally. it must be able to get you dancing, relaxing and even crying...

8. a so-so system is a system where the only place to enjoy the music is when you're seated at a sweet spot. ever been to live concert and the best spot is one seat in the hall?

9. if it's not possible at all listen to live concerts of artists you like (norah jones or groban, coors, sinatra, ella, miles or monk), listen to as many set-ups as you can with them playing to expand your listening experience...then decide what you like best. what is best for you should consider your taste, your budget and your room...

10. enjoy what you have now. you have no choice anyway until funds become available for you next upgrade :D

11. have fun! audio is fun...music is fun! gear hunting is fun! tweaking is fun!

12. most audiophiles are highly-opinionated and severely-biased individuals. so don't take seriously everthing written in this thread! :lol:

cheers!
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Postby ichabod » Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:19 pm

Maybe it would be good to quote W.H. Auden, from his first collection of critical writing, "The Dyer's Hand," (almost like d(i)yer -- sorry just some pun) seems to fit our make and remake of audio (opinions).

The fact is we have the same God-given hearing mechanism, but what makes us hear differently is brought about by our own preferences. And maybe some axe to grind too. And now for the quote: "all of the judgments we make as critics, however objective we try to make them, are in part a rationalization and in part of corrective discipline of our subjective wishes." Isn't that beautiful?

You're dead right. Audio is fun, must always be, so nobody should feel sorry about it. I don't.
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Postby vintage_dog » Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:27 pm

ichabod wrote:....
The fact is we have the same God-given hearing mechanism, but what makes us hear differently is brought about by our own preferences. And maybe some axe to grind too. And now for the quote: "all of the judgments we make as critics, however objective we try to make them, are in part a rationalization and in part of corrective discipline of our subjective wishes." Isn't that beautiful?


beautiful indeed! thanks for sharing...
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Postby ichabod » Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:37 pm

All the time VD.
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Postby audiobuds » Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:12 am

my self-imposed commandments (may not apply to others)!

a) trust your own ears NOT theirs. audition more to believe.
b) respect fellow audiophile’s personal choice of music
c) never compare and declare that your set up is better
d) anything related to audio is Subjective. should anyone disagree with your opinion or vice versa, try to Agree that you Disagree and stay Cool
e) share your audio experience or journey to fellow audiophile
f) return what you have borrowed (always in good working condition)
g) know first your requirement and conform to your own budget
h) don’t ever disregard WAF in any up grade or gear arrangement
i) don’t forget to clean your EARS before deciding to up grade (a pair of Audiophile Buds will do :D ).
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Postby av_phile » Thu Nov 18, 2004 2:14 pm

Here are mine:(not to be taken too seriously :D )

1. If you're an audiophile, and your wife can't stand your hobby, find another (i leave that to you which to change). :D

2. Bring your wife with you when buying speakers, if she likes what she hears, buy them right away. :D If your wife says it sounds bright, chances are it is indeed bright. Women are said to hear things men can't.

3. Don't buy gears your audiophile neighbor would not be caught dead with. BOSE included. :D

4. Never compare. The other man's grass is always greener.

5 When in doubt, check the net.

6. Never ask a salesman anything about your hobby. The only thing reliable to ask from him is How Much. :D

7. Don't say anything about other people's gears you wouldn't want them to say about yours.

8. Corollarily, praise their gears as you would want them to praise yours.

9. And if they like what you have, offer it to them for sale right away so you can upgrade. :D

10. Love your gears as you would have others love them. :D
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Postby handyboy » Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:17 pm

I only have one commandment and i believe most of you will agree.

Never tell your wife the costs of your gear!
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Postby ichabod » Fri Nov 19, 2004 8:53 am

Or the 11th, thou shalt not get caught! Still talking about the cost.
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Postby Jon Agner » Fri Nov 19, 2004 1:36 pm

and the 12th, assume innocence even when caught, until proven absolutely guilty
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Postby keith » Fri Nov 19, 2004 1:41 pm

JackD,

maybe you should add an 11th to your list,

"when smoking is allowed in the listening room, thou shalt not burn your neighbor's couch"
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Postby JackD201 » Fri Nov 19, 2004 4:09 pm

Hahahahahahhahah! Should state: Couch burners will be BANNED!
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