What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

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

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Postby egay » Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:30 am

Let me try.

1. thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's system
2. thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's software
3. loveth thy system like your wife, only loveth thy wife more (or else)
4. clean your system like you would your car, just don't use the freakin' spray
5. thou shalt save for the next upgrade
6. thou shalt not play crappy software on mega-buck systems and expect heavenly returns for thou shalt be accursed. but thou art allowed to play excellent software on crappy systems and thou shalt be saved from the wrath of your neighbors
7. thou and only thou shalt operate your system so thou shalt not blame anyone if something bloweth or burneth
8. thine LPs are glorious collections, and thy CDs as well, taketh good care of them, or fire and brimstone shalt rain in thy listening room
9. thou shalt not use crappy wires for expensive systems, or thou shalt feel the scorn of thy fellows; better use something that belongeth in the same price-range and quality level if thou shalt be happy
10. thou and only thou shalt enjoy your system; thy neighbors have their own, so never listen too loud lest you will feel thy neighbor's wife's thunder

i hopeth this worketh as well.
.e.
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby raypin » Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:26 am

ha ha ha ha.....this is, by far, one of the best threads I've come across WS. It puts to rest one of the nagging questions on my mind on how newbies like myself should look out for. Very insightful indeed. Enjoying this tremendously. Hope to contribute someday to this thread with my own homespun wisdom based on hard experience (which I sadly lack).
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Re:

Postby vintage_dog » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:08 am

vintage_dog wrote: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!


my 12 commandments all these years... enjoy!
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby cia » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:48 am

May I add:

Commander shall not be vehemently opposed to the weird looking boxes, wiry mess and the minimal outlay of funds spent since all purchases were at a big discount and slighlty used.
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby ProtegeManiac » Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:09 am

my WAF commandment: Don't make the mistake of ending up having that W. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

besides, if you split up, she might get her lawyer to classify your hi fi gear (not to mention your HT, sports cars, bikes, THE HOUSE) as conjugal property and leave you with nothing or half the cash value.
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby bass_nut » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:05 am

i involve my family (my wife included) in my audio world... my 3 very young grandchildren were the latest members of the family who enjoy my audio hobby as they dance and hug me whenever they listen with me inside my audio room... they also sing or hum songs whenever they hear music inside my car while i drive them to favorite places... one happy AUDIO family 8)

kindest regards,
fer
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby Jon Agner » Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:33 pm

ProtegeManiac wrote:my WAF commandment: Don't make the mistake of ending up having that W. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

besides, if you split up, she might get her lawyer to classify your hi fi gear (not to mention your HT, sports cars, bikes, THE HOUSE) as conjugal property and leave you with nothing or half the cash value.


My wife is actually eyeing my record collection in case we file for annullment :o :( .... so I make sure that I make her happy as well :D :D :D
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Re: Re:

Postby Racio » Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:49 pm

vintage_dog wrote: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?


I must say that the above is moreso true for head-fi. Soundwaves travel at such a short distance from the drivers to your ears, though you can have a sense of depth and height, soundstage width is almost insignificant relative to full size speakers. Whenever I read a reviewer's articulate description of how expansive the soundstage is of one headgear compared to the other, I can't help but scratch my head in bewilderment. :^) I think I need to bonk my head more 'till I get the same psycho-acoustic illusion that their experiencing. :drunk:
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby zenaudio » Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:51 pm

1. Your first system gave you the most joy.
2. Get a life. Have other hobbies or interests.
3. Whether your system is good or bad comes not from outside the ears but in between them.
4. Audiophiles defy logic, since logic dictates that only one of two contrary statements is true; but audiophiles are never wrong even if their statements are contrary.
5. Audiophile spending behavior does not follow the normal laws of economics.
(part 2 to follow. gtg)
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby Arnel » Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:14 pm

If one has to pick the audiophile rule that non-audiophiles would most likely care least about, it would be this one:

The room is part of the system. A million dollar system placed in an acoustically crappy room will surely sound like crap. I once went to a house (owner is non-audiophile) that had a surprisingly nice system (B&W Nautilus-series speakers and some top-model Rotel electronics) but all crammed into a very small, squarish room. I can't even describe how bad it sounded, and with almost $10K of gear like that, it's a real shame (and total waste of money).
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby egay » Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:12 am

Arnel wrote:If one has to pick the audiophile rule that non-audiophiles would most likely care least about, it would be this one:

The room is part of the system. A million dollar system placed in an acoustically crappy room will surely sound like crap. I once went to a house (owner is non-audiophile) that had a surprisingly nice system (B&W Nautilus-series speakers and some top-model Rotel electronics) but all crammed into a very small, squarish room. I can't even describe how bad it sounded, and with almost $10K of gear like that, it's a real shame (and total waste of money).


got that right man :rock:

in fact, i'd say that the listening room is a DOMINANT factor in making or breaking a system's performance - i was close to "doing windows" with my stuffs when i transferred to my new nest, thankfully, there are friends who can support :clap:

.e.
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby pigdog » Sun Sep 14, 2008 1:59 pm

the path to musical Nirvana is more exciting than being there! thats why its more fun when you are constantly upgrading your audio gears! :lol: otherwise just take up another hobby like golf! :P
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby Arnel » Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:16 pm

pigdog wrote:the path to musical Nirvana is more exciting than being there! thats why its more fun when you are constantly upgrading your audio gears! :lol: otherwise just take up another hobby like golf! :P


While it would be a bit hypocritical to deny that most audiophiles find most of the fun in the GEAR, I still believe in the thought that SOME (hehe) audiophiles still put music first, and if they already think their system is perfect for their daily dose of music, they would still find joy in listening without thinking much about the system, and continuously expand their music collection instead. But in that case, is it still appropriate to call such a person "audiophile"? haha.
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby egay » Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:54 am

pigdog wrote:the path to musical Nirvana is more exciting than being there! thats why its more fun when you are constantly upgrading your audio gears! :lol: otherwise just take up another hobby like golf! :P


hi chet,
first, audio nirvana is like Shangri-la or Utopia: they exist only in the deep recess of one's inner world; it is a personal quest and only reached when one personally decides - "THIS IS IT!"... and then plan for the next upgrade :doh:, so yeah, it's really exciting than being there 8)

2nd, i think golfers also upgrade their stuffs: i have a friend who has changed his gears 3x in a year, and that's not countng how he started and reached where he is now (he doesn't play top golf, though) so this is his philosophy - "If you cannot play, DISPLAY" :angel: ... very similar to what i have witnessed over the years IRO audio.

:^) OT?

me.
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby egay » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:27 am

Arnel wrote:
pigdog wrote:the path to musical Nirvana is more exciting than being there! thats why its more fun when you are constantly upgrading your audio gears! :lol: otherwise just take up another hobby like golf! :P


While it would be a bit hypocritical to deny that most audiophiles find most of the fun in the GEAR, I still believe in the thought that SOME (hehe) audiophiles still put music first, and if they already think their system is perfect for their daily dose of music, they would still find joy in listening without thinking much about the system, and continuously expand their music collection instead. But in that case, is it still appropriate to call such a person "audiophile"? haha.


hi arnel,
let me split some hair: "most" may not be the appropriate pronoun or adjective, "some" i suppose is more likely :lol:

your thought IRO just listening to and enjoying music without thinking of the gears that produce such is an absolutely good thing, and i've heard and do know some have reached such stage albeit in a very specific part of their system only (e.g. Jack mentioned his phonostages, i mentioned my TT system; others please??); but do you personally believe this can be be a sweeping condition? I mean just one listening without thinking or being analytical in and with his gears? :?:

i think this is only possible in 3 ways:

    - when you are driving and listening to your car audio
    - inside the elevator listening to elevator music, and
    - listening to background music in your workplace

i tried to be but my resolve is not strong enough: i just can't imagine myself getting gears that look crappy (IMHO) or doesn't fit/supplement/compliment my room's architecture or interior (IMHO/taste) and then argue and try to convince myself until i turn blue that "it's ok" to have such system for as long as it plays good music because that's all that matters to me. unimaginable.

but i will be happy to know that you are approaching such stage.

and the brand "audiophile" according to my dictionary is:
a hi-fi enthusiast; one who has an enthusiasm for sound reproduction, especially high-fidelity music recordings


so, i guess he/she can get the name when he/she fits in the general definition.

but it sometimes strike me dumb that "audiophile" sounds revolting (like "pedophile") :rofl:

cheers!
.e.
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby zenaudio » Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:47 pm

Part 2.
6. A system is like a house. You think you just need to repaint the kitchen, then you have to paint the sala, replace the dining set, and before you know it you have to remodel the whole house. Think hard about a single component upgrade.
7. The people you meet in your audio quest can sometimes be more interesting than the systems and components you encounter. Make friends and be friendly; audiophiles maybe more interested in judging your character than the merits of your system or the depth of your knowledge.
8. Regardless of how much you think you know, be ready for surprises.
9. Treat your systems like girlfriends, not wives. Audiophiles are hopelessly polygamous, and divorce is messy.
10. Scientists will agree on the Big Bang or the String Theory or come up with Einstein’s dream of a Unified Theory of everything before audiophiles agree on a Unified Theory of audio. But it doesn’t mean they can’t have fun discussing about it over a bottle (or two) of beer while being served black pizza.
8)
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby ricochet » Wed Apr 01, 2009 12:17 am

I would like to share 10 management principles that have audiophile applications.


1. You must learn first to walk before you learn to run. The journey to audio nirvana involves a process of research, auditions and mistakes.

2. Begin with the end in mind. Know what you desire in your set-up before you build it.

3. Work for success not for perfection. When you like what you hear, its time to cut the chase.

4. Do not reinvent the wheel. When synergy is achieved, stick with it.

5. It's not invented here. The desire to be unique can oftentimes lead to a uniquely disappointing result.

6. Think win-win. Strike a balance between all aspects of your life, i.e. wife, kids, finances, etc., even as you pursue your passion for music.

7. Temper your decisions with moderation. Always put your head on top of your heart and be rational in your decision-making in the process.

8. Satisfy your needs rather your wants. Avoid costly and useless duplications.

9. Put people first. Respect others who share this passion.

10. Work to live not live to work. When placed in the proper perspective, this hobby can allow us a holistic approach to life.

Advance Happy Easter.
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby asoka » Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:46 am

ricochet315 wrote:I would like to share 10 management principles that have audiophile applications.
Advance Happy Easter.


This wonderful thread has ricocheted from way back its last post in Sept. 2008. Thanks to you mr. mrktng man...este mr. ricochet. :D :D :D :D :D :D
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby ricochet » Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:04 pm

asoka wrote:
ricochet315 wrote:I would like to share 10 management principles that have audiophile applications.
Advance Happy Easter.


This wonderful thread has ricocheted from way back its last post in Sept. 2008. Thanks to you mr. mrktng man...este mr. ricochet. :D :D :D :D :D :D


Thanks bro. Although this wonderful thread became stagnant for a long time, it sure hasn't lost its appeal. I just want to add my .02cents. I'm glad you liked it.;)
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Re: What would your Audiophile "10 Commandments" be?

Postby asoka » Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:27 am

Let me share my one and only audiophile commandment:

In the contrary... yes, in the contrary...

There is no audio nirvana! Period.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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