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Audiophile 101
Your Intro to all things audio.
Chapter 1 - What is an Audiophile?
Welcome to Audiophile 101, an introduction to all things audio brought to you by Pocket Rock It Radio. From the simple to the more advanced we will attempt to help give you some useful information in simplistic easy to understand terms in an effort to help get you on your way to being a better informed connoisseur of music. Whether you are interested in diving deep into the world of audio, or are just looking for a simple answer to a not so simple question we hope Audiophile 101 will help answer your music related questions quick and easy.
In this Chapter we will answer the question, what is an Audiophile?
Table Of Contents:
An Audiophile is a person who wants to listen to music in the best sound quality they can possibly obtain. Audiophiles can go about this in a number of ways with the most common being to use High-Fidelity equipment such as specialty players, speakers, and headphones. Yet something as simple as changing speaker location or your listening positions in the room, or changing the the EQ balancing to improve your playback system can heighten your listening experience.
If you are one that is trying to get the most out of your listening experience, and are trying to hear the music in the best possible quality you are technically an Audiophile. Though most preferred to be refereed to as a “music lover”, you still technically fall into the category of Audiophile.
The short answer leave you with more questions?
Well we’ve got a few more answers.
Keep on reading!
Can anyone be an audiophile?
Yes, anyone can be an audiophile. If your think your music doesn’t sound right, or you just want to hear your music with more tone or clarity you are an audiophile. Should you care about your music sounding it’s best, and you are trying to help it ; you are an Audiophile. If this concept sounds interesting to you you may be an Audiophile in waiting, and we’re glad you found A-101.
Do you need to spend a lot of money to be an audiophile?
No. To be an audiophile it just means you are attempting to improve your listening experience. While it’s true one could go broke buying all the best audio gear in the world to achieve the maximum sound quality, there technically no need to spend a lot of money or any money for that matter to get going on your path to embracing your inner audiophile. Of course money helps the situation, here are some things you can do for little to no money :
No Money:
- Tweak speaker placement in your room. Speakers send out sound-waves, these sound waves behave just as waves in the ocean do, by simply changing your speakers position you can actually enhance your listening experience.
- Change your listening position in the room. Much in the way changing your speakers location can help, changing your own physical position in the room can help you to optimally hear additional sound wave frequencies better.
- Download a free equalizer app on your phone. An equalizer app will allow you to adjust the frequencies of the audio file to enhance your listening experience. [Some learning required] **A-101 Equalizer tutorial coming soon
For a little money:
- Upgrade your headphones. Most people settle for what comes with their cell phone, and while they do an okay job there are much better options out there and some decent ones for under $100 bucks. **For best sound quality use wired headphones.
- Begin to purchase or stream your audio files in a Lossless / Lossless compression format, ie. FLAC, ALAC.
*BE SURE TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE YOUR DEVICE, AND EQUIPMENT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE AUDIO FORMAT YOU ARE PURCHASING!* - If you have a physical media playback system (Cd, Record, Cassette player) look for inexpensive ways to enhance your listening experience, there are very affordable minor modifications you can acquire to enhance your listening experience such as vibration dampeners.
Obviously there is a lot one can do to enhance their listening experience, and quite a bit of money can be spent on the hobby of music. But spending money isn’t necessary to get going on your own Audiophile journey. Simply do what you can, and enjoy your music your way. After-all the only person that really needs to think it sounds good is you because it’s your listening situation.
Is Audiophile an insulting term?
No. While the term Audiophile traditionally cooks up the image of a particular type of snooty music snob’ish type person. The reality of the situation is anyone who is trying to improve their listening experience over what has been handed to them is technically an Audiophile. Don’t let a small pocket of the Audiophile population jilt you to the experience, there are more friendly, great, knowledgeable Audiophiles out there that are happy to help you on your journey.
Why do Audiophiles do what they do?
While an Audiophile’s wants to hear the music as clear as possible. The true height of what an Audiophile is reaching for is to hear the depth to the music as it has been recorded.
At the purest form of the hobby you are attempting to not just improve your listening experience, but are actually attempting to recreate a moment in time. Be that moment a concert or sitting inside a recording session with the artists at the time they are making the recording. Doing so by listening to the recording of that moment in time in the purest form possible with the best possible equipment with the best possible conditions. You could say to be an Audiophile is almost like attempting to be a time traveler.
What type of equipment does an Audiophile use?
Audiophiles use a variety of audio features, and Hi-Fi equipment as tools to improve their overall listening experience. Every part of the playback experience is considered from the format of the music, be that a digital audio file or physical media. To the type of player selected for playback ; the way the music is amplified ; the speaker quality and placement throughout the room ; or even just a pair of headphones. The variety of audio equipment and technique that goes into the hobby of improved music listening that comes with being an Audiophile is enormous. If you’re just getting started this puts you at the starting point of a long windy road with more to discover that you could ever hope to master, but it’s fun to try.
Chapter Wrap Up:
There it is, well there’s the intro at least. Do you think yourself a fellow music loving audiophile? Are you interested in getting the best (more) out of your music experience? We at PRIR hope to help you to do just that. With each Chapter of Audiophile 101 well be shedding some light on anything and everything audio, doing so in beginner terms that anyone can easily understand.
Though we’re here for everyone. So even if your not looking to dive into the deep end of the enhanced listening swimming pool, and just looking to dip your toe with some questions you need answered have A-101 will be here to help you too. The world of the Audiophile is a vast, and exciting one we’re glad to be a part of your musical journey. Until next time, Happy Listening.
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