Audiophiles and Gearheads - is there any other hobby that has more pseudoscience?

[someidiot]

I have always heard that the single biggest factor in how your system sounds is the room it is in. Flooring, shape, furniture, ceiling, wall textures, windows and their coverings, etc.

I'll disagree with that position. The biggest single factor is your head. If your ears function reasonably well and you understand what you're listening to, you can just about play a record on a pottery wheel with an icepick connected to a funnel and you'll get infinitely more out of it than will some jagoff golden ears listening to an "audiophile pressing" of Styx on a hundred grand worth of kit in an anechoic chamber.

 

[someidiot]

Makes perfect sense! I love the creative thinking. Bizarre is good in my books!

I'm also partly laughing imaging my partner's reaction and based on previous history. I've seen my share of "pseudoscience" eye rolls and stares from her when I've tried to (unsuccessfully) convince her why it "makes perfect sense" to store and work on my motorcycles in the living room... LOL Buying a $500 audio cable would be more acceptable to her 😛

Well, I'm going to toss in another factor that explains a lot:

We jam econo.

If I'd told Suzy that in order to solve that problem I'd have to spend real money, like hundreds of dollars to get concrete poured, she'd surely tell me to get stuffed - in a bad way. But all I was doing was eating leftovers, and if I hadn't it just would have been a little more hassle for the concrete guys to dump it somewhere. As long as I can do whatever crazy shit I want and it doesn't cost (her, in particular) anything, ain't no beef. That's pretty much the story of my life - y'know, like with boats and lathes and mills and stuff.

 

[Engmaxx]

I'll never walk by a pair of Minimus 7s at a thrift shop, yard sale, etc., without grabbing them up. Even better with the wall brackets.

Just ordered a re-foam kit for my Dad's, now mine, Koss Dynamite m/60 Plus speakers. Nostalgia aside, I think it will be worth the restoration. We'll see.

 

[Elektrishun]

I'll disagree with that position. The biggest single factor is your head. If your ears function reasonably well and you understand what you're listening to, you can just about play a record on a pottery wheel with an icepick connected to a funnel and you'll get infinitely more out of it than will some jagoff golden ears listening to an "audiophile pressing" of Styx on a hundred grand worth of kit in an anechoic chamber.

IMO it depends. Is the room meant for one particular person or a group of random people?

 

[architect]

Well, I'm going to toss in another factor that explains a lot:

We jam econo.

If I'd told Suzy that in order to solve that problem I'd have to spend real money, like hundreds of dollars to get concrete poured, she'd surely tell me to get stuffed - in a bad way. But all I was doing was eating leftovers, and if I hadn't it just would have been a little more hassle for the concrete guys to dump it somewhere. As long as I can do whatever crazy shit I want and it doesn't cost (her, in particular) anything, ain't no beef. That's pretty much the story of my life - y'know, like with boats and lathes and mills and stuff.

Roger that. We are also very econo, but when space is a premium in the city every inch of living space is weighed like gold. Everyone freaked out when Brent help me bring the lathe and mill into my single garage! LOL Like I said, would have been less of an uproar had it just been a $500 cable LOL

And my gear were scrapped together over time. I started with a Dual 1209. The tech 12 was a gift from the owner I use to work for many moons ago. He asked what I wanted as a going-away present and I pointed to the gear he had on display in the office. He use to DJ as a side hustle in his youth and I was drooling over it, even before the absurd prices for one now. I bought the cartridge and needles and had it cleaned up and restored by a pro.

Having said that, again, at this point my family would rather I splurge on a tech 12 then open up my living room floor and put down a concrete sono tube LOL And realistically they'd just tell me to drop the vinyls all together given the only two options!

 

[DPittman]

Years ago, when I was a young buck (early 20's) I hit this one stereo store in Lethbridge that had a decent listening room. I was looking for a new set of speakers.

Well I knew you were a geezer but didn't know you were that old! A young buck in the early 1920's? You are aging well my friend! Maybe good beer is the fountain of youth?

 

[Tom O]

I think most of ours came from the Brick or Crazy Crazy’s